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.