The Study of Art

1. I expected to be very confused and to find it hard to learn, but that wasn’t true. I did procrastinate a ton, a lot more than I would have if I had had less homework that was due more often. 2. Art is a lot of different things depending on where you go. Overall it is a form of expression, that holds importance, and maintains visual cohesion. 3. My favorite artists in my posting included Robert Carter and Philip Burke, but I recently remembered how great Andy Goldsworthy’s work is. I don’t think that I will ever have a favorite artist; there are things I like and don’t like from every artist I’ve listed. I believe I just go through times of appreciating artists. 4. I still don’t prefer online classes. I enjoy the reliability of seeing a professor or even the class every other day, and that it feels more like a team trying to learn together, whereas this was more isolating. I was initially worried if I got confused I’d be behind, but none of the material was confusing; but I al...

Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 11’ 6” x 25’ 6” Oil on Canvas April 26, 1937- June 1937 This painting was meant to be a political statement about the Nazi bombings within Guernica, Spain; this occuring during the Spanish Civil War. It was catastrophic, and full of tragedy. The piece was meant to exploit war and to call for the need of peace. The faces shown are twisted around, and show terror, fear and pain in their features. There is a fallen soldier with a broken sword, a woman crying over a dead man, and animals and people running. He also uses sharp angles to emphasize the dynamics of the scene. The work itself, outside of its meaning, is based in cubism and early surrealism. It shows objects and forms collaged together, as well it shows multiple perspectives together. Picasso uses the different blocks of varying value ranges to emphasize both foreground, and to place importance on the individuals rather than on the scene of war around them. The painting was made within the first...

1. I chose these three pieces because they seemed like two very different types of self-portraits. There is the quiltmaking in which every piece needs to be planed based on color, size, shape; then there’s the oil painting that seemed so casual. I wanted to make something that was casual yet focused on details. 2. I chose graphite pencil because it is the material I have the practice with. I feel like I can control my pencil better than I can paint, or charcoal. 3. At first I had made my contrast too low, I wasn't drawing dark enough and in return I washed out my marks. So I went into the deepest shadows and made them very dark, then darkened the midtones to match and blend into the highlights. 4. It only represents me physically. In no way does it show me or my personality, or who I am. I didn’t want it to be more than a study of myself in the mirror. Like the examples, they have little personality showing, some goofiness in the third, but for the most part they a...

I created this slideshow of a virtual art exhibition with the theme of land art, in which earth materials are utilized to create outdoor installation artwork. I began this presentation after remembering an artist who was presented to me by my past professors, Andy Goldsworthy. I searched for his art and came across the art of Nils- Udo, Nancy Holt, Walter Mason, Cornelia Konrads, and Andres Amador. I ordered each artwork to be most cohesive with the next, instead of by artist, in order to give it a real gallery feel. They are organized visually. Here is the link to view the presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1S1v2gDkjB5seT4a5wla3etTO-xKGcwYCW67rWc3BuzY/edit?usp=sharing

“The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art” 1. Lowbrow art is uncategorical, it is a reaction to highbrow art and social expectations. Some of it is based on psychedelic abstract representation, but all of it is based on narrative. Most lowbrow art contains dark humor, mainly used to ease the dramatic visuals. The genre was what pop art transformed into in the 1980’s and 90’s, with the influence of folk art. This was the introduction of the internet age, when anyone could see anything, and artwork didn’t need to be accepted into galleries to be well known. The genre celebrates individual style rather than creating a general style that is strived for, the way that Renaissance art was established. “BBC Culture show: Tate Modern is 10! (Part 5)” 1. This museum is rapidly changing the art that is shown, constantly rearranging what the walls show. They are taking pieces from completely different genres and juxtaposing them to show their similarities. By doing so they create a previousl...

1. I chose “Andy Warhol: Images of an Image”  because I enjoy Warhol’s work and his story. He is the beginner of pop art, and made the silkscreen something greater than it ever was. I chose “The Art of Henry Moore” because he was an artist I didn’t remember learning about and I wanted to know what his work was like. Both artists use a greater meaning to why they chose the art style that they have. 2. “Andy Warhol: Images of an Image” is a discussion on Warhol’s famous tendencies. Warhol made reproductions of advertisements from newspaper with a projector and acrylics. H eventually used silk screen printing. He could create a single screen for many works, which lead him to be able to mass produce them. His lack of midtones and color variation allows his work to convey little to no original emotional meaning, but re develop what the image means. Warhol used his work to demonstrate his opinion on societal and political problems at the time. His work was about materialism and society’...

1. I chose “Impact of Cubism” and “Matisse and Picasso” because I enjoy learning about Picasso and his work. I knew he was one of the lead artists in cubism. I also thought that the book could’ve talked more about cubism and its connection to other genres.  2. The video “Impact of Cubism” explained the genre of art and how it has changed the art movement before it and inspired new genres. Cubism involves an image dissected into its basic structures and then reconstructed into a more dynamic, complicated image. Cubism is based around using collage and oblique angles. There is no linear perspective, instead there are multiple perspectives. Cubism compared to stop motion images. Balla’s “Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash” reflects the basic principles of cubism, in terms of perspective. Cubism can also be used to talk about political views and conflict at the time. One of the more famous artists to lead cubism on was Duchamp, who, at his most abstract, created flowing boxes that moved th...

I visited To Point a Naked Finger by Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader. The exhibition was about the use of facial expressions as a form of communication. The exhibition was made by two influencers in the Deaf community, Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader. It is comprised of three videos which featured them using sign language with one another. The room is the secluded room which is painted black on all four sides and often features filmography. It is a dim-lit room but the videos are bright themselves. There are black cushioned benches for the viewer use while they take in the videos. The videos are projected from the ceiling on either side. The wall that faces the viewer when they first walk in is normally the wall that projects the videos, but instead this wall was blank. The wall hidden from the viewer and those on either side are being used to project the videos. The viewer stays relatively still, looking back and forth from the middle of the room. The videos themselves c...

I chose these three images because I believe they provide a good example of the variation of masks in the African art world. In the first mask the artists uses repetition and pattern through the cut out triangles, but also through the placement of the triangles a new form of line is made; implied line. This unrealistic, representation of a face appears to be mimicking that of a frilled lizard with its shield out to scare prey and predators. There is also a strong sense of symmetry. In the second mask the artist takes a more realistic approach to a face, although it is still abstracted and exaggerated. There is exaggeration in the forehead which is emphasized by the beaded hair that is attached. There is symmetry in this mask as well, although it is less exact than the first mask. The artist uses curvilinear geometric shapes like the circle and and the curving X. As well, the lines shown follow the contours of the face, and the shapes could be representing a hairline. ...

1. I selected “African Art” because I thought it could give me more of a perspective on African Mask making. I chose “Buddhism” because I enjoy listening to information about the religion, mainly because it seems to be the least controversial and most interesting to me. 2. The video “African Art” described the culture of early Africa and its artifacts, as well as how they were used. In early African art the use of repetition and rhythm is similar to the music of the culture, with distinct patterns. The artworks were based in forms of masks, sculptures, and bronze statues. These were made to represent the divine and animals, each having a unique and individual style. They were known for their exotic exploration of representation rather than realism; much of the art is conceptually based. Statues were often meant to be the icon worshiped, rather than being a representation of the deity. As well, masks were used for dance rituals that connected the community to their deities. 3. The c...

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 m...

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 ...

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 ...

1. Creating the value scale and color wheel were not difficult at all, and were oddly satisfying. It helps you further understand how colors, hues and shades are made when you work with mixing paint yourself, and working through each pencil by softness. 2. I enjoyed working with the acrylic paint the most because it really is easy to use. It’s simple, it blends quickly and you get to created beautiful color; outside of my warm gray mix of all colors. I don’t really get to use acrylic and it made me think that I should pick it back up. 3. The most important part about making these is that you pay attention to what your doing. It is easy to make something too dark, or add too much magenta to the yellow. It’s realizing that you have to be patient and learn from how the colors form and how the shades change. Sometimes it helps to take a step back too. 4. In “Value Step Scales using Graphite Pencil (Otis College)” the pencils were shaved with a box cutter in order to ...

To interpret the fourteen elements and principles, I first mapped out ideas of what to photograph for each one individually. For example, I wrote “wire, fence, electric lines” for line, and “shirts, brick tiling, scales, carpet” for pattern. I then went through Buffalo during my free time and photographed more than I needed to, and chose the photographs that best represented each one. Here’s what I came up with: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1_Sbu83TGIPWkOYpBF4p4KbQwIaRopUgrWGNlkrg4XFQ/edit?usp=sharing