Best videos yet! Mod 11

The videos I chose for this week's blog were:
The Mystical North: Spanish Art
Matisse and Picasso

1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.

My first selections, Dance at the Moulin de la Galette and A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, weren't working so I had to choose two other selections. I chose The Mystical North: Spanish Art from the 19th century to now because I was interested to learn more about the Spanish artists that are highlighted in this video. The second video I chose was Matisse and Picasso, I chose this because as I went through the remaining videos it most interested me. The videos on the masterworks of the western world were very dull and the narration was awful.

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

One key concept I learned from The Mystical North was the impact that the Spanish Civil War had on art of the period. This is evident in Picasso's Guernica, in which he depicts some of the horrors of the time. The bombing of a Spanish city by Francisco Franco. Picasso also portrays in this painting that he is holding out hope for his beloved country, that someday they will escape the tyranny of Franco. That day did come when Franco passed and his country was now liberated.

The key concept I took from the Matisse and Picasso was how important their relationship with each other was to their artistry. They may have had their squabbles and differences but in the end it added to their relationship and they were more family than they were artistic foes.

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

The Spanish Art video related to the discussion of surrealism, cubism and the expressionist movement that was outlined in ch 21. I also gained a greater knowledge of many of the pieces that have been used in previous chapters as well as the current chapters for this module. In particular Goya, this section contained much more detail than the text allowed.

The Matisse and Picasso video relates to the text in its offering of a more detailed telling of their lives. The text briefly describes both. It also adds to my understanding of the movement to modern art and how that developed.

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

I found the Spanish Art video quite interesting, I most enjoyed the interviews with the woman whom is living in the building designed by Gaudi and the interview with the man who survived the bombing in Belchite. This gave me a greater understanding of what life is like in Spain and helped me relate to the Spanish art more closely. I also found the passionate narration by the host added to the video as well. His descriptions were full of life and enthusiasm. 

The Matisse and Picasso video was intriguing and informative. I loved the inclusion of their wives and children and how they added to the artwork that each artist was creating at that time.

Both videos helped me to better understand the concepts of Expressionism, Cubism, Fauvism and added to my understanding of how art is created. I found these videos to be not only the most entertaining but I also learned the most from watching them.