End of Course Review

1. What were you expectations for this course and where they met?

I came into this course with little expectations as someone who is not really 'into' the art world. But this course ended up being quite interesting and even broadened my interests a bit in regards to art. 

2. Now that you've been through this course, What is art? How would you define it now compared to your initial posting?

In the original discussion board I defined art as "The creation of beauty and life through artwork, words, film, music, or what have you" and I still stand by that definition. 

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?

 I did not have on in my original post, and I don't know if I have one still. Perhaps Dali just because I enjoy surrealism so much and when we discussed the topic in class I grew to love it even more. 

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?

I've taken online courses before and this one won't be my last. I feel the same now as I did at the beginning of the course - I am fine with taking courses online! It may take more discipline but it's very convenient. 

Project #4: Art Curator Exhibition Slideshow

For this project, it took me a little while to think of a good theme. I ended up looking through different works of art and decided I found the images of the world, landscapes in particular, were what I found the most beautiful. From there I went through and found works that really caught my eye and brought out an emotional response from me. 

When it came to putting together the power point/'gallery' I really wanted to keep everything very 'Earth-y'. I wanted to use Earth tones in the slides and keep everything very green and nature like. I wanted to stick to my theme of beauty on Earth. 

I also wanted to build on my theme with the idea that there is beauty everywhere in the World. It is not just in nature scenes or images free of one element or another. I wanted to show life in a variety of places, in nature and with people and in cities and towns. I wanted to show beauty lies everywhere. 

The message I really wanted to send with my theme and my 'gallery' was that beauty can be found absolutely everywhere, and that the most simple of scenes can be the most beautiful. 

My presentation can be seen here:


And all the works used in my 'gallery' can be found here. 

Art Gallery Visit #3: Self-Portraits Art Making/Material Exploration

For this project I used the Google Art Project site and explored the Korean Art Museum Association section. Here are the images I selected: 

Untitled by Jung Wook Kim,
Painting (Korean ink and color on Korean paper)
1115 x 7620 cm
2008

Untitled by Jung Wook Kim
Painting (Korean ink and color on Korean paper)
630 x 940 cm
1999

Untitled by Jung Wook Kim
Painting (Korean ink and color on Korean paper)
430 x 340 cm
2004

Now for this project we also had to look at a photograph of ourselves and draw ourselves. This is what I came up with:

Questions about the project:

1. Why did you select the inspiration pieces?

I really liked these self portraits that I’ve chosen because they were different, odd even. They had exaggerated features and obviously it wasn’t a dead on work that looked exactly like the artist. I really liked them because I have very low artistic ability when it comes to physical art. I feel like using examples that are more exaggerated and different to draw my own portrait would help me feel better about how mine comes out – not looking like a photograph but like a different kind of depiction of myself. 

2. Why did you select the media to create your self-portrait?

I’m not an artist as I’ve mentioned, and I’m very comfortable with pencils – that is all I use to write with. So I felt that would be the best choice of medium.

3. What challenges did you face in creating your self-portrait and how did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge was really just getting the piece started. Drawing intimidates me as I have very little skill with it, and merely staring at a blank sheet of paper had me worried. But once I just started sketching and reminding myself I’m not creating a picture perfect image of me it got easier.

4. How does this piece represent you?

I think this image I’ve created represents me in that it’s low key, simple even, but you can almost sense the attitude within it. I also purposely did not include my eyes in the image because as a very shy person, I have a hard time making eye contact or keeping my eyes on people, and felt the odd image could be added to without such a major part of someone’s face

5. What elements and principles of art did you apply in this work?

This is a difficult question, but I feel I utilized the element of shapes in my work, as well as the principle of balance.

6. Did you enjoy working on this project?

I did find this project rather enjoyable. It was fun but also interesting to see what I could create when looking at myself.

7. What do you think of your final artwork?

I think it came out better than I was expecting. I was honestly expecting my work to come out terrible but it really came out interestingly, and I like the thought I put behind it, it was again more than I was expecting to come out of it. 

Art Exhibits Video Reviews

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

In the first video, The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art, some of the key concepts discussed was the idea of Pop Art and how unique it is, as well as how being high brow and low brow relates to it. This is a very individualized art in that the artists of pop art seem to feel themselves different or better than the ‘high brow’ or even snotty artists/people of art galleries. Talking about lowbrow art, this kind of artists seems to be considered less civilized than those of higher brow artists in art galleries and such. The second video, Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach, was all about modern art and how it’s part of/effected art galleries around the world. It spoke of the resistance against some modern art in galleries, but ultimately they helped give new shape to the art world. In the last video, An Acquiring Mind: Philippe de Montebello and The Metropolitan, it talked all about Philippe de Montebello who was the director of the Metropolitan museum for more than three decades, where he greatly increased the museum’s collection and changed the way it looked at the works. His work helped make the museum so incredibly successful.

2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Exhibition project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.

I think all three of these videos could relate to my art exhibition project. It has given me some great ideas about what kind of exhibit to create and work with. I will certainly be coming back to these videos when I finish my project.

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?

I think the videos were good, some of the most interesting ones we’ve watched all semester if I really think about it. I think I will definitely call back to the concepts learned in these videos when I complete my project. 

Modern/Postmodern Video Review

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

I chose the Hockney on Photography video as I’ve always found myself interested in photography, and I chose the Andy Warhol: Images of an Image video simply because I know who Andy Warhol is, even if I do not like him.

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

From the Photography video, I found it interesting that – as we’ve learned in class – photography is much older than one would think. The camera wasn’t invented in the 19^th century, but the chemical process of developing photos was. For the Warhol video, this informed me more on his unique style. He utilized the idea of pop art, which was taking everyday items and making art from the image. He also liked to paint celebrities and he would do so but making copies of images from newspapers and such in order to do so.

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

Once again, these videos gave a good visual representation to some of what was discussed in the text book. It gave more specific details and understanding that built upon what we’d read this week for class. I enjoyed the videos well enough. They were an interesting way to build on what we’re learning, and kept my attention – they were less dry/boring than some of the videos we’ve watched in the past so I enjoyed that. 

Video Reviews on Matisse/Picasso and Dada/Surrealism

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

I selected Matisse and Picasso and Dada and Surrealism because I’m aware of Matisse and Picasso and am interested to learn much more about them as they are two of the few artists I’m aware of. I chose the Dada and Surrealism as I’m very interested in Surrealism so I’d be interested to learn more about it.

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

For the Matisse and Picasso video, I learned that Matisse and Picasso had a relationship I was unaware of. The video spoke of their similarities and their differences in their works. In the Dada and Surrealism video they spoke of the major artists in these fields. Specifically I was struck by the discussion of George Grosz. The video spoke all about his interactions with the Nazis and how they actually burned most of his works since he had a tendency to poke fun at his enemies in his works.

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

Once again these videos are a nice visual representation of what was discussed in the book and it allowed for a more in-depth view of specific items, ideas, and people. They paired very well in my learning of the topic and were definitely helpful in my understanding of the topics at hand. 

Art Gallery Visit #2: Burchfield Penney Art Center

The Exhibition

1. What is the title of the exhibit?

The over-arching title of the different themed exhibitions was Water.

2. What is the theme of the exhibition?

As the title suggests, the theme of the exhibition(s) was water, more specifically “Water is the source of life.”

The Gallery

1. What type of lighting is used?

The lighting in the exhibit I focused one was dark, spotlights shining on the works that lined the walls. In other parts of the gallery the lights were very bright though.

2. What colors are used on the walls?

In the exhibit I focused on the walls were a dark gray and shades of white. In the rest of the gallery, it was all white.

3. What materials are used in the interior architecture of the space?

In the exhibit I focused on it was mostly bare excluding the art on the wooden walls and the wood floors. There was a small plain metal bench in the middle of it all. In other parts of the gallery it was similar, plain walls with artwork set uniformly along them. There was furniture and seats around the gallery as well.

4. How is the movement of the viewer through the gallery space?

It was very open in the whole gallery. It was rather free-flowing, very wide and open with small doorways leading to different areas. It was very open to the viewer’s own wandering.

The Artwork

1. How are the artworks organized?

As I mentioned above, the artwork was very uniformly organized on the walls. There were different exhibitions set up, relating to the theme of Water, and they were organized in different themes that way (ie, there was a room about boats, a room about fly fishing, etc.).

2. How are the artrworks similar?

As mentioned above, the different rooms, all following the theme of water, had different themes to them, the room I focused on had the theme of boats/ships.

3. How are the artworks different?

They were all unique in their own way, many related specifically to Buffalo but they were individual in that they were different waterfronts or ships in Buffalo.

4. How are the artworks framed?

Most had simple frames if they had one at all, the few that had more elaborate frames were clearly older works that were originally framed that way.

5. How are the artworks identified and labeled?

Each had simple labels beside the work giving the title, artist, and media.

6. What is the proximity of the artwork to each other?

There was at least one foot of space between each work, for many it was more than that.

Art Criticism Exercise

Select three of the artworks from the show and describe (Describe what you see.  (subject matter)), analyze (What principles and elements were used and how are they used?), bracket (Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?), and interpret (What do you think the artist was trying to say? ) the work using the 5-step Art Criticism Process described. 

1. Paul Nicholson (1977- ), Boat, 2007; acrylic on canvas, 48 x 47 1/2 2008.022.000; 2008

This work appears as a view of a boat from under the water. There is clearly plants and such floating atop the water beside the visual of the bottom of the boat and the ends of the ores that rest in the water. Emphasis is clearly utilized here, with the plant life surrounding and framing the boat. Space is utilized as well, allowing for focus on the single item. This work looks like the boat is to be swallowed whole by the black plants surrounding it, a sort of metaphor for though things pile on and seem ready to consume you, you need to keep paddling on. I feel the artist could have been trying to say something very similar. 

2. Burr H. Nicholls (1848-1915), Ellicott Creek with Two Boats, undated; oil on canvas, 21 3/4 x 29 3/4 inches; 2009

This work is an image of two aged boats resting in a lake in a wooded area. Color is very much so utilized in this work, the brownish hues giving a very real nature feel to the image. The image makes me think of the image I spoke of directly about this one, but from a different perspective. The boats look worn and used, resting against the shore. This could speak to the idea similar to that of the above, though from a different perspective - even if one must keep pushing forwards and paddeling on, even if one gets worn and discolored, time to rest and dock is important as well. The artist could have been trying to say something similar. 

3. John L. Garretson (1885-1948), Untitled, undated; bromoil photograph, 12 1/2 X 15 1/2 inches; 1989

In this image, we see two boats tugging along in foggy waters. I think movement is utilized in this work, as you can clearly see the boats pushing forward through the water. I would say proportion is also being used in that the small boat is surrounded by the larger boat behind it. This could be a metaphor for size and capacity not being a marker for ability, as both boats are working with similar agility and ability. Perhaps the artist was thinking something similar. 

Final 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.?

It was a rather interesting way to take in the gallery. Usually when wandering a museum or gallery I’m so focused on the content I don’t even really look around it. It was a different experience to take in the world housing the art as opposed to just the art itself. I know from now on I’ll be looked at the set up on different exhibits. 

Mask Making

I looked through the provided links (The Art of the African Mask and  Masks of the World: South American) looking for mask I found particularly interesting and might want to try to imitate. I ended up choosing the following images: 

I chose the above images because the symmetry really stood out to me. I really liked the use of lines, balance, and pattern. I liked how the first one looked almost like it was flowing backwards with the shrinking arrows, bringing an element of movement to it. In the second one, I originally was planning to recreate the checkered images, I really liked the way they contrasted with other shapes around them, but it did not end up being painted on the mask in the end. In the final one, I really liked the squared off swirl look of the lines and tried my best to recreate that short of chopped image look, like the shapes are meant to be connected but have space in between them. 

Taking all of this into account, I ended up sketching out these images at first: 

First sketches

Final sketches 

And after that I painted my mask:

Similarly to the inspiration images, I utilized the elements of symmetry, lines, balance,and pattern. I also utilized color and contrast in that sense as well. I like my final mask well enough, unfortunately painting doesn't allow for as perfect lines as drawing does but I am happy with how the final mask worked out. I think I ended up depicting the elements I wanted to and made it work as best I could. 

African Art and Buddhism Video Reviews

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

I chose African Art: Legacy of Oppression because it both had a eye-catching title and because I found the African art shown in the book to be very interesting and would like to learn more about it. I also chose the Buddhism video because I’ve always found Buddhism to be a very interesting religion and would love to learn more about its artistic aspects.

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

For the African video, it showed how masks were an important aspect of their culture as they were worn in rituals to connect with spirits. Another thing I learned was how the different symbols used in their art all have very specific meanings. It seemed pretty much every aspect of their masks and their art and such have very specific meaning to their beliefs. For the Buddhism video, the most interesting thing I learned from that video was about the Borobudur Temple. It took 100 years to build but was buried after only a few years after a volcano erupted. It was unearthed and eventually restored in the 1990s.

3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text? 4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

Once again, the videos relate in that they bring a visual representation to what we read about, which is always helpful for me since I’m a very visual learner. The expansion on different topics was interesting and informative. I felt the videos were a good pairing with the readings and built on what I had learned from the chapters.

Renaissance Video Reviews

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

I chose  The Drawings of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance simply because I know those artists well enough and was interested in building my knowledge of them. I only vaguely recognized the other artists’ names from readings for this course, so I was interested in the ones I already knew.

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

For the video of Michelangelo, it discussed his sketches and his finished works. The video very carefully looked at and compared the simple drawings that spawned famous works we all now know well. It was fascinating to see the techniques and routines he used to go from an idea to a masterpiece. For the Da Vinci video, this video took a look at Da Vinci’s life and all his different fields of genius and amazing works. He did so many amazing things in so many different fields (painting, sculpting, engineering, etc.) – it’s incredibly he had so much skill in so many fields.

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

It relates to our text readings because we read this week about the Renaissance and the genius works and advancements that came from that time, and the videos taught more about two particular geniuses from that era.

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

Once again, the videos were good for me because they gave a visual and broken down/more in-depth look at certain topics from the text. Though these videos were a little on the boring side, they did indeed build on the knowledge from the text book. 

Art Making/Material Exploration: Exploring Line

On the Left:  Drawn with right hand(dominant), On the Right: Drawn with left hand (non-dominant)

1. What was it like using your hand as subject matter for a drawing?

It was kind of terrifying because I am not even slightly an artist at all, and I know a lot of my artist friends hate drawing hands because they can "never get them right". And I can really see why, trying to draw them was awful for me (because I have no drawing skill). 

2. What media did you select - pencil or charcoal? Why?

I chose pencil mainly because I'm used to pencil, I know how to work with it and can easily fix mistakes. I know when it comes to charcoal it's close to impossible to fix a mistake, also I have very little experience with charcoal so when given the choice I will always pick pencil. 

3. How did it feel to create a drawing with your non-dominant hand?

Embarrassing. It was shockingly difficult just to hold the pencil well let alone draw straight lines with it. 

4. Compare and contrast your final drawings. Do you think they are successful studies?

It's certainly interesting to compare the two works. It is clear which is which, the lines from my dominant hand are much more defined and clear and definite, while with my non-dominant hand it's clear I didn't have much control. I think this would be more clear and definite a study from someone who could actually draw with their dominant hand, as the drawing with my dominant hand doesn't look that amazing. 

5. Would you consider using your non-dominant hand to create artwork in the future?

I do not think so, unless I worked harder on making my left hand stronger and more controlled. It's too haphazard for my taste. 

Artistic Representation of Humans Video Reviews

1. Explain why you selected the video you choose from the selection listed above.

I selected Cairo Museum because of all the choices it seemed the most interesting, as I feel I’ve read about Greeks and Romans and the Middle Ages so many times but only so much on Egypt. I was very interested in what it was going to show me.

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

In More Human Than Human, this video tells us all about how humans appear in art. It showed how they used to make completely unrealistic examples of the human form in art, and they talked about how they were trying to exaggerate the parts and features they found perfect on humans – like in Greek art how the more perfect the body was the more godlike it was so humans were depicted with perfect bodies. To me it mirrors society today where photoshopped photos of women and men with perfect bodies are plastered all around it. It warps our perception of reality and what is actually real and beautiful – which I think was the message of the video. In the Cairo Museum video, it talked all about different artifacts from many different places shown in the museum. It shows us about the background of the exhibit and all the different, ancient artifacts it holds – and how many it holds, as there’s so many they can’t display all of them at once.

3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text? 4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

I think as usual the videos build off our readings. It brings to life the things read about and brings more of a visual to the things discussed. I think the videos were pretty interesting, and I really liked the Ciaro Museum video as it was particularly interesting to look at all the different artifacts and marvel at how long they’ve been there or how little we may even still know about them.

Architecture Videos Review

For this I watched the first two videos, Prairie Style (Frank Lloyd Wright) and Architecture: The Science of Design.

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

For the Prairie Style video, I learned about how architects use the landscape in their work, that Wright thought there was a relationship between the structures built and their environment and that they could enhance each other. For the Science of Design video, I learned all about the structure of skyscrapers. I particularly like the part where they tested their model structures in wind tunnels to see how the structure would hold up in real life. I knew wind affected tall structures, but having it go into detail was very interesting.

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

Well these videos just went more in depth to what we read in the text, such as discussing different styles and materials. It just went more in depth about specific types of materials and how they are used.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of Architecture?

As usual, the videos gave built upon the knowledge I gained from the text book. But as a visual learner this really helped me to understand better what we read. I honestly had never thought so much about different structures or materials and how they were specifically selected and tested to work in different environments.

4. Why did you choose the films that you watched?

I chose the Prairie video because there had been a section in our reading about Frank Lloyd Wright and I wanted to build from that little blurb and go more in depth, also the photograph of one of his structures was absolutely beautiful and I wanted to know more about his methods. I chose the Science of Design video because I thought it would be interesting to learn more about the science behind structural design and see how they really worked and not just how they looked. 

Peer Review Project

1. Hyperlink the Blogs you reviewed into your Blog

The two blogs I reviewed are: http://burgesslabria.blogspot.com/ and http://briannawainwright.blogspot.com/

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 did agree with their images! I think the photos my peers shared really encompassed the elements and principles we discussed in class. I think some of the photos did encompass other elements than the ones they intended (though for one peer I believe the photos weren’t labeled so I was guessing which photo was which element, though they were pretty obvious to me).

3. When looking at Project #2: Were there any images in the Peer Blogs the same as your own? If yes, what were they? Were the reasons the image was selected the same or different as your own?

None of the images my peers chose were the same as the ones I chose, but the reasons were similar for some of the works they chose as for the ones I chose. We felt emotional connections whether due to nostalgia or comfort or something similar. Though really, one would expect us to choose these works because of the emotional response they elicited.

4. Were 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?

Yes there were! I really liked the glass work Tristano Di Robilant’s ‘Tree of Knowledge’ I saw on my peer’s post. As I’ve said before, glass works really intrigue me and the beautiful work of bubbles and cones made from glass was amazing! I can’t imagine the work that went into it. I’m so interested in how it was made.

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

I did like this, for I found it interesting to read my peers’ take on the different things I’ve worked on myself. Their takes and insight also helped me to solidify different facts in my head as well as see their different opinions and ideas that made me think about things differently.

6. Check your Blog and read comments posted by your Peers. Do you find their comments helpful?

The comments I’ve gotten so far have been very nice and very informative! 

Video Reviews

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

For the video Through the Eyes of  a Sculptor, it was incredible to see all that goes into sculpting and creating sculptures. There’s an incredible amount of little details to be considered as well as many steps to take – like first you need to sketch and figure out the materials before going into the carving/shaping/assembling.  In the video Glass and Ceramics I was particularly intrigued because I find glassworks and pottery so interesting. Surprisingly I knew a lot of what they talked about, but I think the key concept was the different steps, such as incinerating sand and stone and spinning and twisting them in incredible heat.

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

Both videos related to the text in that they discussed the different ways to sculpt/make glassworks and all the different types and methods. The videos went a little more in depth, and I felt the reading and the videos both built off of each other well and when paired really helped me understand more.

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

As I mentioned previously, I enjoyed how the videos gave a more in depth, visual pairing with the information presented in the text. I found them very interesting and informative. 

Art Making/Material Exploration #2: Logo Design

Logo Sketches

Finished Logo

1. Discuss what you thought about creating your logo.

I found this assignment to be quite...interesting. I really had to think about the kind of things I felt I emoted and represented. The hardest part of the whole thing was deciding what I felt I was, and then putting it to an image was just fun. 

2. Describe the process: creative thinking skills and ideas you used in the logo creation.

Well like I said I really just had to think about the kind of things I enjoyed as well as the way I was perceived. I came down to the conclusion that I really just like adorable, frilly things, but I also am a writer at heart, so I wanted to tie those two things together. So I figured: pink bows and pencils. Then I just needed to figure out how to combine them in a somehow visually pleasing way. 

3. What was the most important discovery you made in the creation of your logo?

I wouldn't call it important, but I just re-realized that I am indeed not an artist and trying to create a piece of art, albeit how simple, was not an easy process. 

4. What is the most important information you learned from watching the videos, PowerPoint, and reading material  for this project? What is your opinion of the videos?

Well for me, the most important thing I took from everything was that I needed to keep it simple. That this is a difficult process and you want to keep your logo individualized but also basic so it can be easily recognized and reproduced for production purposes. I felt the videos were pretty interesting and very informative! They kept me interested, while other videos have some time just left me bored. 

Project #2: Art Gallery Visit #1

When visiting the Albright Knox gallery, it was very interesting to visit since I had not been there in a very long time (which is funny since I pass it every single day and live not 10 minutes away from it). When going through the gallery I found a lot of things were new, I searched for a few paintings in particular but was sad to find they weren’t there. Thankfully, I did find them on post cards in the gift shop, so a few of the paintings that I felt I was able to answer the following questions with are actually on display at the museum right now while some of them once were but no longer are.

A.) Which artworks make an impact or impression on me? Why?

1.      “Something about the Collapse of Art and Language” by Ryan Ginness, Acrylic on Canvas, 96 x 96 in., 2013

I really liked this painting a lot. It instantly stuck me, mostly because of the beautiful colors. Then, upon taking a closer look, I was really drawn in by the fact there were some symbols and images I recognized within the mass of shapes. It was definitely interesting me to see the combination of so many different images that had so many different meanings, all layering over each other. This painting is the one that stuck with me the most out of all the works on display currently in the museum.

2.      “Convergence” by Jackson Pollock, Oil on Canvas, 93.5 x 155 in., 1952

Now this is an older painting I remember seeing in my childhood. I remember seeing it with my family, and I remember it making such an impression on my sister that she bought a poster of it to hang in her home. It’s just so chaotic and messy and yet it seems to have order within it, somehow. This painting really made an impression on me as a child and has still stuck with me through the years.

B.) Which artworks do I feel a connection with? Why?

1.      “Symphony Orchestra” by Man Ray, oil on canvas, 52 x 36 in., 1916

When looking at the painting it took me a moment to really understand what I was looking at. But as I stared at it and read the title, I really began to enjoy it. Mostly because I was part of an orchestra for four years back when I was in high school. It made me nostalgic for a time several years past when I had so much fun and such a connection with music for such a long time. I enjoyed the memories the painting brought up for me.

2.      “Church at Old Lyme, Connecticut” by Frederick Childe Hassam, Oil on Canvas, 36.25 x 32.25 ins., 1905

I felt a connection with this work for the same reason as the above: it made me nostalgic and brought back wonderful memories. Going to church has always been a part of my life. After all the years of my life, I am the only on in my family who still goes to church with my mother every Sunday – though I do think without her I may never actually get up to go, and I know then I would miss the trip to church. On top of this, Autumn is my favorite season and the sight of beautiful autumn leaves always makes me nostalgic for a time in my life when my family was all together and not spread across the country and we would play in the autumn leaves and wander the park by our church. This painting, once again, really just brought up wonderful memories and staring at it just put such a smile on my face.  

C.) Which artworks would I like to know more about? Why?

1.      “Welsh Oaks #1” by Rodney Graham, Chromogenic print edition 1/2, 226.1 x 182.9 cm., 1998

This image alone was something I was drawn to because it with so interesting looking and also so tragically beautiful, in a way. When I read it was a print I was also instantly interested, since we had just read and talked about print making. I would be interesting to look up how this particular piece was made and for what reasons.

2.      “Music and Literature” by William Harnett, Oil on Canvas, 61 x 81.5 cm., 1878

This painting looks so comforting to me and for some reason makes me wonder about the circumstances in which it was made – I am not even sure why I wonder this as it is such a basic painting. But it’s just such a serene scene to me I’d love to learn more about it.