The Study of Art

1. I chose both “Albrecht Dürer: Image of a Master” and “Velazquez”because I felt I knew the least about both artists out of the list of examples, and wanted to learn more about them. I’ve taken Art History classes where we’ve talked about Michelangelo and da Vinci, but I haven’t learned much about Velazquez and I’ve briefly learned about Durer prior to this class. 2. In “Albrecht Dürer: Image of a Master”, Durer took the art of the Middle Ages and turned it into something new, by using silverpoint, or silver on paper, then adapting to other materials. He focused on portraits, specifically  he enjoyed painting hands. He painted in a non idealized way, realistically showing wrinkles and aging. Durer turned to woodcuts, and painted landscapes of Europe through his travels. After visiting Italy, he no longer used varied sized figures in altarpieces, inspired by Venetian art at the time. All the while he was very narcissistic and vain, painting himself to be this beautiful god-like man.

1. My hands are oddly skinny and long, like piano hands, so they themselves are odd to draw; let alone trying to draw using my non dominant hand. I enjoyed it but it wasn't hard to do once I found a good technique. 2. I chose a hard charcoal pencil I had, mainly because I thought it would be more of a challenge to make the images more defined. I also don't work in charcoal often so I thought I would today. 3. It was odd and uncomfortable to hold the pencil in my left hand, it such a foreign thing to do. I decided to try semi blind contour after trying to do sketchy lines, and I found that if I kept my pencil down but looked and the paper and my hand it was easier than lifting the pencil up; I could go with guidelines then make more accurate lines after. 4. They both clearly show a hand, however I feel like I enjoy my left handed sketch better, only because it's more dynamic than my regular everyday quick sketch of a hand. 5. I guess I could consider using my non dom

1. I chose “Beyond the Classical: Byzantine and Later Greek Art” because I felt like I previously knew more about the Byzantine Empire and the story behind it. As well I felt like it would be easier to connect the society to the artwork than if I had only chosen one of the videos about Greek work. 2. The video “Beyond the Classical: Byzantine and Later Greek Art” discussed the development of Greek art and its change over time. The beginning of Greek and especially Byzantine artwork was based around Christianity and the icons important to the religion. New forms of paintings like fresco arrived, and eventually idols were struck out of the art world in the area. Idols were thought to be a sin; and something not to be worshiped. Eventually this idea went away and the work slowly grew to mix with Roman style. The mix of European and Greek artwork followed. Although there was some propaganda, the mixture of cultures resulted in Neoclassicism. Neoclassicism, resulted in the recreation of t

1. In the video “Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School” it explained a bit of Wright’s background, stating he grew up in a rural area, an open area. The houses at the time were all similar; they were over decorated, large buildings with height but not space. They were scalloped and often had spires and rounded porches. Wright’s architecture did not follow these rules. Wright made houses that were shorter and wider;  they had a big chimney, and no basement or attic. They were meant to seem like shelters. Inside they were open in their floor plan; every room was connected with an open doorway. His work was called “organic” meaning it worked with nature rather than ignoring nature. Although his houses were cohesive with nature, his designs were often geometric rather than organic or curvilinear. His geometric shapes were simplified versions of things found in nature. He based his work on the idea that form follows function, not necessarily that in terms of importance, but that an obje

1. The video, “Glass and Ceramics”, focused on glass creation and uses. It explained that glass is a viscous liquid with no structure. It can also be etched like stone or wood, but it is more popular to color or paint glass with a solution that chemically cements to the surface. The video went into the mass production of ceramics, and explains how it utilizes slip and porus molds to quickly create replicas. I also learned that glass slowly fogs into a green color; due to the air that surrounds it forming bonds with the iron in it. The video, “Through the Eyes of the Sculptor”, which followed one man through the process of making life size sculptures out of marble. It began with restoring monuments, where the sculptor uses a mold of the original for reference. The video explained that the sculptors can tell of there’s a crack in the stone by tapping it and listening to the tone. Once a figure is modeled in clay, then a silicone plaster mold is made. Then it is filled with plaster and c

1. Blog #1: https://mydearart.blogspot.com/ 2. I agree with each image’s element or principle. There were very great examples for balance and unity. In the image for balance there is also color and complementary colors. Overall they are strong images. 3. None of the images were the same, as she did not go to the same gallery. 4. Fouquet's The Virgin and Child was a beautiful painting that shows Mary and Jesus surrounded by bright blue and red angels. At first I thought they were little devils. The image is striking and I wonder why the choice of color in a time where color was much more expensive and much less used; especially it being a religious piece. 1. Blog #2: https://trevoraed200.blogspot.com/ 2. For most of these images I didn’t need to read the title to know the element or principle. I definitely see line in “7. texture”, as well there is repetition and pattern in “6. color”.  His image for pattern makes me want to be there. These photos were just gorgeous. 3.

The artworks that made a great impact on me were Frida Kahlo's Self-Portrait with Monkey , an oil on masonite painting made in 1938, and Rene Magritte's The Voice of Space , an oil on canvas painting from 1928; shown respectively. These works both interest me and immediately draw my attention. I wonder what Kahlo was feeling in her stern face, and I wonder what Magritte was imagining while planning this painting out. Both leave me with questions unanswered. I felt the most connected to the work Tam Gan , by Robert Henri, made in 1914 of oil on canvas. I also felt connected to Giacomo Balla's Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash , 1912, oil on canvas. I found Tam Gan  accidentally while walking through the hallways at the Albright, and found myself compelled to the warm yellows and soft blues in the portrait. The whole piece in inviting and calming; it almost seems soothing to look at. The second piece is a painting I've known and remembered since childhood. I always enjoy

I decided to centralize the idea for my logo around my initials and birthday. In specific, I focused on my astrological sign and the known ideology behind zodiacs. My zodiac sign being Capricorn, I looked into the ideas behind it. Capricorns are based on the element, earth; and are ruled by the planet Saturn. The alchemical symbol for earth is an upside down equilateral triangle, with a line through it. As well, the alchemical symbol for Saturn is a lowercase “h” crossed like a “t” is. I decided to sketch different variations, including a broken triangle and using the “h” in my initials to be crossed like Saturn’s; but after a few quick renderings I found one I enjoyed. I decided to use a deep red the fades slowly into green because I feel like it’s welcoming and exciting; as well I chose to use purple for the lettering because it is one of my favorite colors. I left the “h” less crossed in the final logo, just to make it look more natural, and because it has