Mod 6 Videos Blog Review

This week we have been asked to watch the following videos and answer the questions below:
Through the Eyes of a Sculptor
Glass and Ceramics
Installation Art

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

Video #1: Through the Eyes of the Sculptor

The concepts I learned from this video were the many steps it takes to create a large sculpture.  The video documents the master sculptor Emmanuel Fillion while he creates a statue he has named Genesis.  To see the piece go from initial concept sketch, to clay models, to castings and then to the final piece was incredible.  I also found the process by which the limestone and marble are harvested from the quarries to be helpful in my understanding of the material used.  What a massive undertaking it was before modern machinery was available.  To have to use a system of pulleys, cables and carefully moving them down a mountain by using and continually moving wooden blocks for the marble to slide down on.  It’s easy to see how someone could have been killed during this process.  Another concept I gained a better understanding of was the use of a team of sculptors to create a piece, each specializing in a particular area.  I liked the comparison used in the video to an orchestra; each person holds a unique and important role in the final presentation. 

Video #2: Glass and Ceramics

The main concept I took from this was the process of creating the glass and the ceramic pieces.  It’s fascinating to me that the glass production seems to be very similar to how it was initially achieved; the glassblower has to use a very delicate process to create the finished piece.  He must carefully roll and then blow into the piece and all before it starts to cool, so that the optimal shape is achieved.  In ceramics on the other hand, appears to be easily made on a production line.  The use of modern technology has assisted in the mass production of these pieces. Another key concept was the way glass is used in architecture.  Glass is used as a material that adds an artistic quality to a structure all while being completely functional and able to sustain even the largest skyscrapers. 

Video #3: Installation Art

The key concept that this video helped me to visualize was the actual installation of an Installation Art exhibit, I enjoyed watching the artist Martin Boyce assemble his installation and seeing just how much work goes into those final few days before the exhibit is open to the public.  Another concept the video helped me to grasp was just what installation art is.  I feel it was best defined by artist Susan Hiller who said “Installation Art is the relationship between the images, the space and the viewer that make the meaning”

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

This sculptor video helped me gain a better knowledge of the process itself and the idea of modeling to create the final sculpture.  The glass and ceramic video helped me to better understand the text, in particular the section on casting.  Seeing how the molds are created and then used enhanced what I had read in chapter 11.  The Installation Art video expanded on the concepts of video in installation art.  It helps to see this technique used rather than just reading about it in a text book.

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

I enjoyed Through the Eyes of the Sculptor and Installation Art videos.  I found them both to be very informative and helpful in expanding what I had read in the text.  They both showcased an artist creating art, to me that is a huge help in completing my learning of key concepts we have gone over in the text.  The Ceramics and Glass video I didn’t enjoy, it seemed dated and didn’t really help me in furthering my understanding of the concepts that were gone over in the text. 

 

 

Peer Review Blog

1. Hyperlink the Blogs you reviewed into your Blog

http://coopaedblog.blogspot.com/ by Logan Cooperberg
http://gracesplanetworld.blogspot.com/ by Grace Platt

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 that both Logan and Grace chose for each element and principle.  My favorite picture in Logan's was his movement shot, I know I struggled with movement, I think I appreciated his excellent shot of water coming out of a faucet even more.  The picture I liked the best in Grace's blog was her form photo, it shows an old possibly abandoned home and a beautiful Japanese Maple tree.  Many of the pictures shown in each slide show also have other elements or principles, for example I feel that Logan's color picture also shows contrast.  Grace's shape picture also shows texture.

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?

None of the images selected in their art gallery visits were the same as my own, Logan went to the Manhattan Museum of Art in Manhattan, so obviously there wouldn't be the same pieces used.  I did enjoy reading the reasons that each person selected each piece.  Made me feel a connection with them, that's so hard to get when taking an online course.

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?

A piece that Logan selected that piqued my interest was the Rene Magritte, The Eternally Obvious, 1948, its a painting of a woman but its broken up into individually framed sections.  I feel that the artist was showcasing that women are often reduced to only our parts, not taken seriously as a whole person. 

A piece that Grace selected that most interested me was Untitled piece by Tauba Auerbach.  I unfortunately missed this piece during my Albright-Knox visit, its a painting that is made to look like crumpled paper.  That completely fascinates me.  How in the world is that even possible.  Just amazing!! 

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

Reading the reflection was critical to understanding what Logan and Grace were both thinking and feeling at the time.  This helped me gain a better appreciation for the work they did.
 
6. Check your Blog and read comments posted by your Peers. Do you find their comments helpful?

I really enjoyed this assignment and most of all reading the comments by Wasim and Carl. They both left me positive feedback, which is always wonderful to hear. I spent so much time, especially on the photo project, that its nice to see that other people enjoyed it as well. I find this very valuable in my art knowledge, while a good grade is great, hearing one of your peers enjoyed your work, is just as important.

My visit to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery

 

In this blog post I'm going to share with you six pieces that made the biggest impact on me during my visit to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.  I'm ashamed to admit this but I haven't been to the Albright-Knox in well over ten years.  While I remember some of the pieces, most of the pieces on display were new to me.  This is a great time to get to the gallery, they are currently featuring Pop Art with the Sweet Dreams, Baby Life of Pop, London to Warhol.  To see such iconic pieces up close and personal was well worth the price of admission.  I loved the exhibit. 

Which artworks made an impact or impression on me? Why?

One piece that made an immediate impression on me, albeit a negative one, was this piece by Claes Oldenburg, Untitled (Cigarette Butts), 1968, Varnished cigarette butts mounted on wood.

My initial response was this "Um what?? Dirty cigarette butts varnished to a piece of wood? Art?"  Being at such a beautiful gallery amongst amazing pieces of art is basically discarded trash.  This piece just didn't sit well with me at all.  I felt almost offended by this piece.  I just kept looking at it thinking, okay what am I missing?  I would walk away and come back and still was just not getting it.  I mean if its a dig on smoking and the bad effects it can have on your health but I really don't think that's what this artist intended.  As I continued on, I kept flashing back to this piece and laughing to myself.  What a joke.  

Another piece that had the biggest impact on me was Andy Warhol's Jacqueline Kennedy III from the portfolio "11 Pop Artists, Volume III," 1965, Screen Print From an edition of 200

Here Warhol took photographs taken of Jackie Kennedy before and after her husband President John F Kennedy was assassinated and displayed them together.  The images are haunting.  The images portray different emotions the first lady was going through.  The feelings of happiness, shock, numbness and grief-ridden.  Warhol has done a beautiful job of freezing this moment for us all, while I wasn't alive when this terrible tragedy occurred, seeing a piece like this brings it to life for me and makes me feel, even if only a fraction of what it must have been like for the nation and most importantly for this family to have someone so young and full of life taken away in an instant.

 

Which artworks do I feel a connection with? Why?

 

I felt an immediate connection with Georges Seurat's Study for Le Chahut, 1889, Oil on canvas.

I have adored Seurat's work from afar from a very young age, to see this piece in person was very exciting for me.  To be able to see up close the pointillism coming to life was fantastic.  The detail is amazing, I know from the text that he often painted the frame as well to further bring the painting to life, seeing this in person gave me so much more appreciation for Seurat and the all the work that went into his paintings.  The color palette he used was another aspect that grabbed my attention, the vibrancy of the reds and the pinks contrast perfectly with the painted blues on the frame. Makes me feel like I'm at a Parisienne theater enjoying a lively Can Can show.  C'est Si Bon!!

Another piece I felt a connection with was Roy Lichtenstein's Picture and Pitcher, 1977, cast executed 1978, Painted bronze.

 

The simplicity of it is what first struck me and then the fact that while its three dimensional it still had the feel of a two dimensional piece.  The way that the legs are offset towards the center create an almost flatness to the piece at the center.  I was worried the picture I took of the piece wouldn't capture that well but I think it turned out great.  The yellow adds life to the piece while the white adds a sense of comfort and home.  I also loved the simple yet contrasting color scheme of this piece, just three colors yellow, white and black.  The use of lines in this piece is also quite interesting, like the artist was sketching with the bronze.  Especially the use of the cross hatch lines.

Which artworks would I like to know more about? Why?

One piece I would like to know more about would have to be the enormous piece on display by Jackson Pollack, Convergence, 1952, Oil on canvas

The piece is almost the entire wall, so of course I immediately wondered, just how do they transport and get pieces of this size to and from galleries? Another thing I've often wondered about Pollock's work is just what is it he wants us to feel and think?  Convergence of what exactly?  Life, people, societies or simply the colors of his painting coming together to create a unified piece? 

 

 

Another piece that left me curious was John Armleder's Untitled piece, 1980-98, Acrylic and pencil on canvas and acrylic on wall.

 

Did the artist originally envision this to be this large a piece or was it originally a much smaller piece that he created on one single canvas?  The scale of this piece is massive, inhabiting an entire wall.  The artist has drawn circles of varying colors and sizes, the largest circles are drawn directly onto the wall while the smaller ones are drawn on canvas and placed equidistant from each other on the wall to create one massive piece.  Another thing I wondered was did the artist intend the reflection of his piece onto the marble floor to be a continuation of the piece?  The reflection onto the floor adds to the overall piece in my opinion. 



 

Logo Design

In this week's assignment we have been asked to design a logo that represents ourselves.  This again is something that takes me outside of my usual comfort zone but I do admit I had a lot more fun with this than I had initially anticipated. 
 
I started by watching the videos and then reading the article that were included in this week's module.  The most important information I took from the first video, Graphic Design: What's in a Logo was the way you can develop a logo.  While it may start as one concept it, the final design may be something completely different.  I mean of course I knew this, but to see something go from a firework to a series of differing sized circles one inside the other was quite interesting.  Makes you wonder about many of the images we have seen today, what was their original concept.  I myself preferred the more stylized version of the circle rather with the ideas shooting out of it. 
 
Next I reviewed the reading and the PowerPoint.  The PowerPoint in particular helped me to understand the terminology associated with branding and logo design.
 
Now I was ready to create, at first I literally just sat there.  Where do I even start, so I started with my name.  Then I started to draw myself, yea that stick figure is me, I'm wearing a graduation cap and holding a diploma.  This is something that is so very important to me, I must finish school FINALLY and reach my goal.  At 37 years old though it has its challenges, working full time, raising my 17 year old daughter, starting a new relationship and making time for family and friends.  That's when the idea of a balancing act hit me.  So I drew scales.  Then I starting toying around with using my initials.  I decided I didn't want the scales to be so in your face as scales more subtle and the same for the initials but how to combine them?  This took me the longest time, I had to step away and really think about this.  Then it came to me, what about the curves of the letters coming together.  So that's when I came up with the area you see in the box.  I placed a heart on one side and a diploma on the other to show the most important aspects of my balancing act.  The heart representing my family and my relationship and the diploma representing my college education. 

 

I then took my ideas to the computer to finish my logo.  I used Word 2010 to complete the stylization and came up with this as my finished product.

 



 

As you can see I moved the heart to the bottom of the D, this was to showcase that ultimately family, especially my daughter, is the single most important thing but that I can do both and that I will keep rising and reach my goal of becoming a college graduate.  The most important discovery I had in creating this logo was that as long as I keep trying and push through, I can accomplish anything.  I have to keep my goals in mind and break through my initial discomfort. 

Exploring Value and The Subtractive Color Theory

In this week's assignment we have been asked to create a Value Scale and a Color Theory Wheel. The perfectionist in me had some trouble with this.  Did I get the right paint? That color certainly isn't supposed to look like THAT!!!  IS this paper okay? Ohhhhh these pencils!!!!  IS this lighter???? Those were just some of the many questions that whirled in my brain as I was creating this project.  Well here is how they turned out:

 

Value Scale

 

Color Theory Wheel

I found the process of actually sitting down and creating these to be much more difficult than I had initially anticipated.  The idea of painting or drawing is so foreign to me.  I had more difficulty with the color wheel.  I watched the color wheel video at least ten times to try to replicate the process in my head before trying it myself.  Then as I was doing it, I kept pausing as I was completing the steps. I will say though that the paint was much easier to use than I thought. I purchased all my art supplies at Hyatt's in Buffalo and let me tell you, someone who isn't familiar with paint, WHOA was that daunting!!! So when I sat down to use them, I thought it would be much more difficult. To create the value scale I purchased a graphic medium pencil set of varying lead.  This helped me scale down.  I also used a kneaded eraser to help with the areas I felt were too dark and then to help me clean up the lines at the end. 

I would say I preferred working with the pencils, I found it quite soothing to sit there and gently, meticulously shade in the boxes. The process of creating a lighter colored box than the previous was challenging yet fun at the same time.

The most important discovery I found was the way colors come together.  Trying to balance the color just right, so that you end up with your desired shade is an art in itself.  I know I myself struggled with it and must have gone through 6 palettes in creating the color wheel.      

The most important part of the videos for me was the process of creating the color wheel.  Seeing the artist mixing the paints and the order in which it was done was of the most help to me.  I felt the value scale video was good but could have been more helpful in terms of shading techniques. 

I would say that I am happy with the way both of my creations turned out and this was an excellent way to get familiar with both media.  That purple though!!  Oh I wish it didn't look so dark scanned! Also the shading of my scale is much better than it appears via scan.   

Elements and Principles of Design Slideshow

I  had a wonderful time with this project, especially going to various places searching out the different elements and principles.  My pictures were taken over the last week at the following locations;  Toronto, Canalside in Buffalo, Allentown Art Fest, West Side of Buffalo, Niagara County Produce and the Frank Lloyd Wright Fontana Boat House. I used my iPhone 4 to capture all my shots. The hardest part I had was selecting my photos.  Thus why Im posting this at the last possible second.  I hope you all enjoy!  Can't wait to see everyone elses!

Elements & Principles Slideshow

Color Theory and Emotional Effects

1. Describe Color and its effects on emotions. Use the appropriate vocabulary of color in your posting.

Color so readily depicts emotion, we often don’t even realize it until someone points it out specifically or uses color in a way it isn’t normally used that we truly realize the emotional value the color in a piece of art has on us.  The different hues a color can have will also add to the emotional response of a piece.  A vivid intense red can evoke anger while a softer version of red, such as pink, can evoke kindness.  The color harmony or color scheme of a piece can also lead to an emotional response.  A monochromatic painting, one in which varying hues of the same color are used can lead the viewer to feel a sense of ease and peace, no sharp contrasts, just simple transitions from one hue to another.

2. What is a theoretical aspect of color that most intrigues/fascinates you? Why?

I am most interested in the Optical Effect of Color.  Sunday in the Park with George by Georges Seurat has always fascinated me, and his use of the pointillism technique is almost unbelievable.  To think that such a vividly detailed piece is at its core a series of dots.  The emotions conveyed in this piece are that of relaxation and tranquility, enjoying a beautiful Sunday in the park through the eyes of the artist. 

 

 

3. In the Color video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and its effects on emotions?

I found the process that June Redfern uses in creating her painting had the biggest impact on me.  I have never struggled and used my entire soul to create a work of art the way she does.  I found it completely fascinating.  Her techniques, pouring turpentine right onto the painting for example, seem to be quite risky.  I would be worried I would ruin the entire picture, but she does it with such ease and skill.  The way she leaves the painting and watches it from outside with binoculars was also quite unique.  Her use of color to convey the emotions of Venice is wonderful.  The red tones evoke the passion and vibrancy of Venice while the blue adds to the soothing effects of the water that is the lifeblood of Venice. 

4. In the Feelings video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and its effects on emotions?

The comparison of paintings between Jacques-Louis David and Francisco Goya had the greatest impact on me.  The ways in which they both used color to evoke the complex emotions of revolution were done so beautifully yet disturbing at the same time.  David’s painting The Death of Marat, his use of color to portray Marat as a martyr for the people of France, much the way the Catholic Church has portrayed its own martyrs.  The use of a looming darkness over the top of the canvas lends itself to a foreshadowing of the Revolution.  Goya’s painting Charles IV of Spain and His Family at first glance appears to be a simple depiction of the Spanish Royal family, further look though reveals the true nature with which Goya viewed the Royal family.  They are painted using normal expressions and facial features, none of them embellished to appear better than the rest of society.  Then he created a dark shadowy area at the left side of the painting where he painted himself looking at Royals with an almost sinister or smirk on his face.  As to say, see these monarchs are no better than you or I, they shouldn’t be revered so.

Picture credit to: http://gigasquidsoftware.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Georges_Seurat_-_Un_dimanche_apr%C3%A8s-midi_%C3%A0_l%C3%8Ele_de_la_Grande_Jatte.jpg

Video and CNN Article Review

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

Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts
The key concepts I learned from this video was how the philosophy of Aesthetics developed over the centuries.  Going from a view of art aesthetics that was purely for entertainment and of no real value as Plato stated.  He felt art was just a copy of the object it was portraying.  He stated "What is beautiful in itself is not this object or that one, but that which conveys their own nature"  Aesthetics philosophy now states that "Feelings aroused by a work of are not purely a personal experience, they must be of a universal nature." This is the theory of John Dewey.  Aesthetics like many other things has shifted and evolved through the centuries, I enjoyed learning about those shifts in thinking and how they developed. 

CARTA: Neurobiology Neurology and Art and Aesthetics
The key concept I took from this video was the section on the 8 rules of Art by Vilayanur S Ramachandran.  In particular his section on Grouping or Binding.  His "aha experience" explanation of grouping I found fascinating.  To see how the brain develops the image and then once that image is completely understood you get this reward moment of "aha" there it is, I understand this now.  The example he gave the splotch drawing, was perfect.  I had never seen that before and my brain was searching the painting to try to figure out what exactly it was, then as he said a dog, i found it and experienced that "aha experience". 

CNN Article: What the brain draws from: Art and neuroscience
The key concept I took from this article was the idea of color and luminance and how the two work together to create depth and motion in a painting.  The artist's use of shading, lightness and darkness and shadowing can trick your brain into looking at the painting in more of a three dimensional view.   This is how the painting comes to life and in most instances we can better relate to that painting.

2. Which philosopher's theory on aesthetics do you feel is most important? Be sure to mention the philosophers name, era (time in history), and contribution to the aesthetic theory in your response.

I feel the philosophic theory of Immanuel Kant is most important.Kant was an 18^th century Prussian philosopher who felt that the notion that art was rule bound was incorrect.He took inspiration from Alexander Gottleib Baumgarten, another 18^th century German philosopher, whom is credited with first coining the word aesthetics and stated “beauty belonged to a middle ground between sensitivity and reason”.Kant expanded on this theory and stated in his critique of practical reason “As long as the realms of nature and of freedom are separated and the individual is torn apart, he is a citizen of two kingdoms”.He felt the aesthetic experience is not constrained by natural or moral laws.Sensibility and reason are brought together by imagination.When we open our minds up to all forms of being as beautiful, we are opening our soul.Beauty can be found in things one wouldn’t normally define as beautiful such as war.

3. What do you think about Changeux and Ramachandran scientific view of aesthetics and art? What was the most interesting fact you discovered from each speakers lecture?

To be perfectly honest, I found Changeaux's portion of this video to be quite dull and I didn't take much of anything from his section.  On the other hand I found Ramachandran's section much more fascinating and interesting.  His comparisons between the Indian art to that of Picasso was wonderful.  The way he described how your brain breaks down a piece of art it doesn't understand at first and analyzes it much the way a scientist would analyze a problem, was very interesting to me.

4. How do the videos and article relate to the readings in the text?

I feel that the videos and article relate to the text in terms of expanding on aesthetics and then the science behind the art process. 

5. What is your opinion of the films and article? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics in your reading in the text?

I found the videos very informative, especially the Aesthetics philosophy video.  I hadn't heard of many of the philosophers in the video, so it was new information to me that I found very interesting.  The article was interesting but didn't keep my attention as much as the videos did.  I found myself having to reread paragraphs to fully understand the concept.  These videos and article give more life to the concepts of creativity, aesthetics and understanding of the art process as a whole. Its easy to read and interpret the text but these two videos and the article brought it all together for me better.