reflection

I do believe that my expectations for this course were met in the sense that I did learn a lot of new things when it came to different time periods, artists, and some as to why they do the things that they do. There were several artists that I had no idea about and really enjoyed their work. There were time periods in which I thought I wouldn't have that much interest in, but actually like a lot for example African art.
I still believe that art is a way for people to express themselves and to show people what they think some aspects mean over other view points. Its a great way to show how you see one piece of work compared to another.
In my original posting I didn't choose and artist that I liked most, after all the projects that we completed I would say that I would choose Vincent Van Gogh, I love the use of all his colors and the brush strokes.
I originally said that I loved taking online courses, and it hasn't changed. The freedom you get to complete the work at your own pace is great. Online course can teach you about time management and help you better other aspects of your life. Online courses are great and I would suggest them to anyone.

Article Critism

1. Which projects did you review? There were four project that I looked at; Seasons, Andy Warhol, Natural Beauty and the one I choose which had the theme of love
2. Why did you select the Exhibit you critiqued? I chose the love theme because there are so many ways that this specific emotion can be interpreted by someone that it was interesting to see someone else's take on it
3. What challenges did you face in writing the critique article and how did you overcome them? One challenge I found was finding aspects that I felt could use improvement, they were just little things that could have been corrected that could make it better in the end.
4. How do you feel about critiquing your peers work? I like to critique others work, just as I like to get mine critiqued because I know that there is always something that can change to make it better. I don't think i'm the appropriate one to critique something like this but it was something different that I enjoyed doing.
5. Would you like to read the critique your peers wrote about your Art Curation Project? Yes, I would think that it would be a great learning experience to see how they would have done things to make my presentation better.
6. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your finished article and why? I would rate my article an 9 or 10 just for the fact that im sure there would be things that others would point out that could be done different to make it better, or even less harsh than I may have been. (which I don't think that I was at all) I think that I did do the best I could with the knowledge that I had at the time.
7. Did you enjoy working on this project? I wouldn't say that I enjoyed this part of the project per-say, but I did like that we could look at each others work and see how it would have been different if I were to choose that theme or something of that sort.

Video Reviews

Greenberg on Pollock: An Interview by T. J. Clark 
-Jackson Pollock has a disdain for easel paintings, yet his own paintings remained easel paintings until the end
-The element of size was not critical to the historical placement of Pollock's paintings. More important was Pollock's departure from the contained, boxed characteristic of modern paintings.
-Pollock choose his particular way of applying paint to canvas because of the way the paint broke the plane, or how the paint "cut." The technique was a way to release the requirements of his wrist, elbow, and shoulder.
-At the end of his life, Pollock said that he didn't take enough time looking at the Impressionists

An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance
-The Renaissance is marked by a renewed enthusiasm in the arts and many Italian artists contribute to its development. Giorgio Vasari writes the "Lives of the Artists."
-Ancient Romans create art from natural beauty until Barbarians conquer the empire. Artistic endeavors travel east to the Byzantine Empire who focus on religious themes.
-Da Vinci applies science and math to art. In "The Last Supper" the figures appear naturally in their surroundings

The videos did relate to the project in some ways for the reason that they all talked and stuck with a particular theme and went on with that more in depth though. The videos went into more details about why things were the way they were back then and why the belonged with one aspect rather than another. Like all the other videos that we have watched throughout the semester, I think that they are good for the purpose of relaying information about specific artist and their time periods. But at the same time they can be drawn out and dry, but at the same time informational for what I needed out of them.

reflection

I thought that this project was very interesting in the sense that you could put what you thought was best for your theme. Everyone interprets pictures or paintings their own way, and to see what some people think about one while someone else might see it another way is awesome to see. Once I had the theme that I wanted I knew that finding the right pictures wouldn't be easier, but it would be what I wanted there and my interpretation of them theme. I chose the font and background that went with the theme in my opinion. Overall, I thought that this was a good project.

Video Reponse Ch 13-14

The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art 
-Lowbrow appeals to the masses because pop culture, culture, folk art have all had major influences in the genre. This art is most relatable.

Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach 
- Modern art in the MOMA from 1929 onwards was displayed primarily in chronological order, representing each art movement
-By the 1970s, traditional ways of displaying modern art are questioned. Art came off the walls to become busy and noisy
-The Joseph Beuys room in the Tate Modern creates a church-like atmosphere. Visitors do not materially understand what they see. They transition to the next room where art consists of waste and junk

Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology 
-Native Americans' bones were collected as a scientific curiosity during the U.S. genocide against Indians. Anthropologists differ on whether or not the remain should be returned to their ancestors
-Burial mounds are thought to be too civilized to have been built by Native American.
-In the 19th Century Samuel Morton M.D. studies brain size and conclude that the size of one's cranium is related to intelligence

An Acquiring Mind: Philippe de Montebello and The Metropolitan
-Philippe de Montebello, who served for 31 years as Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Mr. de Montebello guided the acquisition of more than 84,000 works of art, demanded innovation in conservation techniques, and oversaw the doubling of the physical size of this world-renowned cultural institution

The films were all very different to me. They seemed to go over what they thought was the most important about their topic or section. The videos are always very informative and have a lot to say about specific topics. I think the films help understand the readings a lot more.

The videos really help with understanding the project more thoroughly. Some go into more details than others, but it makes what your doing have  a reason and a quick link to help you if you get stuck on something or new further help.

I choose these two videos because they seemed the most interesting to me. The 50's and 60's have always been a time that I was very interested in and wanted to learn more about. The second video I didn't know that much about so wanted to see if something in the video sparked more of an interest for me.

Uncertainty: Modernity and Art
- Modern art is contemporary society's version of the Delphic Oracles. Art has its own memory of itself, its own psychic strata. Modern art documents the metamorphosis of mankind.
-Modern art is a complete break from art of the past that was inspirational, idealized
-Modern Art is a tradition that revs up in the late 19th century. It takes off in the early 20th century. Modern Art keeps responding to modern life
-In abstract art, surface appearances, the look of the world, is left behind. Abstract artists present an experiment, one in which the viewer participates. Abstract art asks questions, and it provides no answers.

Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the '50s and '60s
-Abstract Expressionism was born from a joining of attitudes in American art and European avant-garde art, but was later rejected for its nonfigurative and seemingly egocentric character
-In the 1960s Andy Warhol is pop art's most famous son. This is never a very clear movement but is the first 20th Century art movement since Futurism
-Both Warhol and Rauschenber become art icons of the 60s by paving the way for pop artists in their use of everyday objects


I really enjoyed the videos about Andy Warhol because I have been learning about him since middle school. The videos bring to life what the text cant. You are able to visualize and understand there points more because you are actually looking and seeing what is happening with the art and how it can evolve. I usually always enjoy the videos because they go more in depth with the topic and lets one visualize rather than imagine.

Albright Knox Art Gallery

When I walked into the art gallery I went to the left where it seemed to have the bigger exhibits.
When I walked down the stairs I was immediately drawn to a room or section that had a lot of color and lines where the pieces seemed to jump off the wall and come at you like they were 3D in a sense.

 
Step 2: The Gallery
Questions about the physical space:
1. What type of lighting is used? The lighting that was used in this space was on the dimmer side. The lights were on the paintings but they were not that bright. There were lights that were directly shining on the art work, while others were facing them but off to the sides top or bottom, to create a shadow
2. What colors are used on the walls? The colors of the pictures were so fun themselves that the walls were plain white. I feel like this was so you could see how vibrant each picture was and how each color worked off one another.
3. What materials are used in the interior artchitecture of the space? The room was completely empty, in the sense that there was just the pictures on the walls and nothing next to them or around them.
4. How is the movement of the viewer through the gallery space? There was a lot of movement in that room because of the pictures themselves. These pieces were all lines which looked like a lot of movement.     

Step 3: The Artwork

Questions about the artwork:

1. How are the artworks organized? The room that I walked into only had three pieces that were on three separate walls. They seemed to be evenly spaced and well organized.

2. How are the artrworks similar? Each of the pieces have a distinct feature and that is the use of lines. The lines made each piece jump off the wall and seemed to move when you did

3. How are the artworks different? The things that separated them was their sizes as well as their colors.

4. How are the artworks framed? Two of the art works were framed with a gold frame while the middle piece had no frame at all.

5. How are the artworks identified and labeled? The works were not labeled next to the piece like a lot of others ones were, their titles materials, and artist were all labeled on a separate wall.

 

 

Module 11 Video Review

I choose these two videos honestly because of their titles. To me they both seemed the most interesting, and I knew little to nothing about either of them.

Expressionism

-Munch's uncompromising portrayal of emotion caused deep offense to the bourgeois mentality but won him acclaim. He often translated his work into other media like lithography.
-Animals are the hallmark of 20th century painter Franz Mar. He painted "The Tiger" in 1912
-Between 1913 and 1915 Ernst Ludwig Kirchner painted a series of works featuring "tarts" on the streets of a busy city. They appear to be hurried and seem to turn the viewer into a voyeur
-Like a lot of contemporary German painting the technique is often brutally rough

The Impact of Cubism

-Influenced by the works of Cézanne, African tribal art, and the art of the Iberian peninsula, Cubism—the most influential style of the early 20th century
-Gris reveals his independence using spiritual elements and the imagination
-Boccioni is inspired by the cinema screen to paint a fractured vision of modern city life synthesized in many moods
-Delaunay explores the inner laws of light and color in an abstract approach. In "circular forms" he uses color as the subject of the painting to guide the spectator's perception of the picture as a whole


The videos go more in depth about the people that were actually related to those times and forms of work. The films can be very dry, but depending on the video some can pull you back in with an interesting fact or piece of information that wasn't known.

video review Module 10

I choose the Buddhism video because that is something that I have always been interested in. Their way of doing things, and looking into things really makes me want to know more.  I choose the African art because I know little to nothing about this culture and its art. There are so many aspects that can be learned just from the African art alone.

Buddhism
-After the Golden Age of Buddha, Buddhist art and architecture flowered across India.
-The key to Buddhist teaching is "tanha," the extinguishing of all desires and all things that feed the ego the ego and obstruct enlightenment

African Art

-African art influences the early masters of the twentieth century. The shocking expressions and body positions leads to abstract art
- African masks with contorted features frighten enemies
-Their art explores the nature of existence.

The readings and the text seem to go hand in hand except you are able to visualize with the videos more with the examples shown and there thoughts about them. The readings are dry to mean and seem to be ever lasting, where as the videos can pull me in and make me want to watch more as the time goes on. The videos give you more details as to why they are creating things the way they are. To me the videos always help with the lesson because I am able to understand more clearly.

Video Review- Module 9

I chose the two videos listed below because they were two names that I heard throughout middle school as well high school. These two names are very popular among the artistic world, and I fell that I can learn something new each time I see or hear more.

Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance
-Leonardo masters perspective and proportion of man and animals, becomes a good architect, and draws from life. He indulges in the "exploration of the true."
-At the age of twenty, Leonardo is accepted into the painters' guild, and his creative imagination serves the pomp of the Medici court  which helped him build towards more in his career
-Leonardo spends many hours, sometimes days, thinking about his painting without picking up a brush
 
The Drawings of Michelangelo
-Michelangelo taught himself to sculpt
-"David" is the first colossal marble sculpture to be carved in Italy since antiquity
- Many surviving drawings show the artist's preparation work for his greatest, but most difficult work.
 
The videos and the text relate in the sense that the videos go more in depth where you can actually see the artist and their life in a glimpse. You are in no way getting into grave details, but you can at least see what it is that they are most known for.
 
I thought the films were ok. I mean they get the point across of what they want their audience to know. In my opinion there is no way in which someone can talk for an hour about these gentlemen and make the whole thing interesting and great to watch. I found myself having to take a break here and there to get through the videos.

Dominant vs Non-Dominate Hand

My original thoughts was that using my hand would be easier than other things that we have had to sketch, but in actuality it was a bit more difficult to look at and sketch and have it their and not really use it. The media that I choose was a pencil, because I thought that it would be easier to erase mistakes over the charcoal. And I knew that I would make quite a few until I was happy. Drawing with my left hand was a process. It felt very wrong, and difficult to do. I had to think about what I was doing and then do it, it wasn't something that came natural like my right hand.  I found that the pictures were similar in a sense but also differed. The drawing with my left hand was fatter than the right and the finger nails were very sloppy. (which I am sorry for) I am not an artist but, it was a lot easier to draw using my right hand for sure.  If I wanted to experiment with more colors and materials I would like to use my non-dominate hand because I feel like it could make something that was a lot more interesting and creative.

Video Review

The video that I choose was Cataclysm: The Black Death Visits Tuscany because this title seemed to stand out the most. The fact that it said The Black Death really made me think that this would be very interesting to watch with some crazy things.
The Plaque spared no one when it hit Tuscany and lasted 7 months. Painting changed in significant ways after the Plague. Figures emerge flatter than in the previous century. Post-Plague art is less realistic than the earlier masters such as Giotto. When watching More Human than Human they said that the world's most popular images of the human body share one common feature and that is that none of the images actually resembles a real human being. The Greek and Egyptian artist are similar as well as different, Greek artists studied every aspect of the human form, striving to reproduce the form perfectly.
The videos related in the sense that they went into detail about what each culture, religion liked about the material that they use, or the ,mediums. They also went into detail about the times before and the things that each city state and culture went though. The readings you might not have been able to see these images, which is where the videos helped. The films although they seem dry, are very informal and tell a lot about why we do the things that we do, or what has happened to make people change.

Video Review

          There were two videos that I watched that stood out the most, Architecture the science of design as well as Frank Gehry- Architecture as art. I liked when they talked about the structure of a sky scrapper and how there are several levels that need to be thought out. The substructure will have to support the dead and living weight. ( when it is empty, and full with furniture) Wind is a key factor when making a building very high, because even though winds might not be that rough it can still make a building sway that is a 100 stories high almost a full meter. When making a larger building there are many factors that need to be considered even if it doesn't happen all the time. These aspects can be a make or break for a large building.
          The second video had more information about architecture as well that I did not know. Gehry liked to experiment on buildings like apartments, shopping malls, and unconventional materials. He made houses in many cities, and took influences from many other countries that caught his attention. I liked both the videos, but I thought that the first one was a lot more interesting and up tp date to watch. I like learning about how things are built and the structures that support them, and factors that I never would have made an affect. The videos put the readings to life, it made them more understandable seeing and actually hearing how they were butyl and the difficulty that comes into play when going level by level. I chose these two because them seemed to be very different but yet similar in a way. The one went into more depth about the structure while one went into the materials and what was made. Overall I like watching the videos and being able to see the architecture made and explained.

Peer Reviews

There were two blogs that I looked at and really enjoyed. I loved the slideshows, seeing other opinions on elements and principles and what they make them as is interesting. The leaf picture that I looked at in the first blog to me could have been other things as well, for example contrast or even color. When looking at the second there were things that were pinned as contrast that I thought had many points where it could have been line, shapes, and more. When looking at the second blog I loved the picture of the dog, he just looked so cute and innocent that how could you not love the picture. I liked that when I read their reflections that a lot sounded like what I went through when creating these pictures/projects. The brainstorming was the hardest part and I think it is the most important as well. I like that others had a difficult time, but found success at the end. The peer reviews of my personal blog were great, and very inspirational. I'm glad that others enjoyed looking at the pictures, and that they liked my logo and the concept behind it. I really did enjoy to logo project the most so far.

1. http://tcronin830.blogspot.com/2013/09/2-logo-design.html?showComment=1380670667257#c4004887245610210264

http://tcronin830.blogspot.com/2013/09/elements-principles-slideshow.html

2. http://fronczak24.blogspot.com/2013/09/fronczak24039s-art-slideshow-album-on.html?showComment=1380671577236#c1396327597508679438

http://fronczak24.blogspot.com/2013/09/logo.html

Video Reviews

Through the Eyes of  a Sculptor
Glass and Ceramics

There were a few key items that stood out to me when listening to the videos. For the first one that I watched which was "Through the eyes of a sculptor." The thing that I didn't know was that there were so many steps involved in the process that I would have never even thought of! The attention to detail that the sculptor puts in his pieces is amazing. There are so many things on his pieces that would need plenty of time and effort to create. Artists that work with sand make the most beautiful pieces in my opinion. The time and effort that the have to put into their pieces is amazing. Being made from sand is something that I would have never known if I didn't learn it earlier in school. The right temperature is needed, with the correct amount of fluids and sand which can make the process long and tedious but worth it at the end. The two videos put the book into a video. The book went over the steps and how these ideas were created to begin with, the videos show the artist in action and making the real life pieces for all to enjoy. They were very informational videos to say the least.

My Logo

1. Discuss what you thought about creating your logo----When I first started to think about what I wanted to create I was very nervous because I know that Im not an artist. But when I started to think more about what made me happy and what I loved it was easy, all I had to do was put all the elements together to make it something meaningful to me, at least.

2. Describe the process: creative thinking skills and ideas you used in the logo creation----I thought about the things that meant the most to me in life and it all came together. I loved sports since the day I was born, family means the most to mean, and im trying to make my education the best it can be. When thinking about all that I realized that this was all at my reach and up to me, and then the hand popped into my head. Even though it wasn't the best hand out there, im sure that most would understand the concept.

3. What was the most important discovery you made in the creation of your logo?---- When making the logo I realized that the main values in my life were those three things that I listed; family, sports, and my education. There are plenty more that I care a lot about as well, my friends and significant others, but when thinking more those three seemed to pop into my head first.

4. What is the most important information you learned from watching the videos, PowerPoint, and reading material  for this project? I really liked to reading material that was listed because it wasn't dry and led us right to the point about making a logo that meant something. The PowerPoint was very informational which was a good thing, it harped on the main points that we should be focusing on.

Art Gallery

There were 6 pictures that I thought were the best and stood out to me the most.
This first one that I thought made a great impression on me wasn't necessarily in a frame it was already drawn on the wall and caught my eye the most. It was a piece done by Sol LeWitt titled Wall Drawing. When walking up the stairs to the 2nd level I almost fell over because I was looking at every wall, and not paying attention because I was in aw by what surrounded me. Another one was done by Tadasuke Kuwayama which was untitled This one just had so much color and effect to it that I didn't want to look away, or thought that there was something deeper in it so I tried looking for more and just caught myself being very intrigued. Andy Warhol has always been one of my favorites since I was in high school. There was one that was in a hallway leading to another corridor and as soon as I saw it I knew that this was one that I felt a connection with because it brought me back to another time. When walking through there was another one that I thought was great and I wasn't sure why, but the painting just caught my eye and made me want to learn more. There were so many lines and colors that were very distinctive that I knew this was a great piece to bring up dealing with the elements and principles we discussed in the previous chapters. The last two that I took picture of was called the Triumph of the French Painting which was in the same hallway as the Andy Warhol painting. This one just looked liked there was so much emotion and a story behind it, that I would actually like to know more about. The last one that I looked at was actually in the front of the gallery, it was by Jason Pollock titled Convergence. This one just looked like there was no thought behind it the artist just threw paint around and called it a day. This one I would actually like to know if there is a meaning behind it.
Overall there are many picuters, painting, and pieces of work that made me want to see more, as well as know more about the reason that they were created.

Color Wheel

 When I was creating the value scale I realized it would be a lot more difficult than I originally anticipated! There are 10 different shades that all have to look different in one way or another in order to know that they are truly different. When I was doing the color wheel on the other had I had a lot more fun with that because I was able to explore with the colors more than what was required.
I really enjoyed the color wheel the most because even though it was a short video I learned the true primary colors and realized what I have been taught is completely wrong. There are so many things you can do when working with different colors. I liked be able to mix them and see what was going to come of it.  The most important to me was learning about the primary colors, and that teachers are teaching us the wrong things so early. I'm not saying that this ruined everything I knew or learned about art, it just shows that you can learn something new everyday.  I actually really enjoyed the videos for the fact that they were short and sweet and to the point. Having a video that 30 minutes long describing how to make these things is unnecessary, and gets the same point across as the ones we saw that were less than 5 minutes, which I'm sure everyone who did the assignment enjoyed!

 

Elements and Principles

When doing this project I was really nervous that I wasn't going to find the pictures that I wanted or that I wasn't going to understand most of the elements and principles in order to put them with a picture. Once I did one picture it seemed easy after that. There were many were I was outside which helped with a lot of the principles, and one element was working with another in order to make the picture better. I love taking photos of scenery and the outside because you can capture so much and not even realize. When I took the contrast picture I was really looking to just get the bushes with the sky in the background, but when I went back and looked at it you could really see that it was a windy day when looking at the water and seeing the waves so choppy, and pretty much in motion. Other pictures were more difficult to put into place,  but all I really had to do was read the definition again and look at some examples and I knew what I needed.  This was a great project and I would love to do something like this again!!!

Email and IM
http://s808.photobucket.com/user/Jcunningham1355/library/

Slide Show
http://s808.photobucket.com/user/Jcunningham1355/slideshow/

Color and Emotions

 In the beginning of the video June talks about when light hits a color its fascinating, because it just makes the color pop and come out at you so much more.  She uses "preliminary" paintings to capture the colors so that she can make a finished product at home. The brick work on the buildings, the boat and the walk ways are constantly changing when the light hits it at a particular spot. The waters reflection makes things more silkily, shows off different shades.  In the color video I like when June made a rough sketch of a painting that she would later create at home. But in that rough sketch she tries to capture as many colors as she can with the many different ways the sun is hitting it.  Knowing that this is what some artists do is actually very interesting and seems like a great idea. Rather than rushing to get something done take your time and gather as many colors as possible to make the final piece that much better. In the beginning of the video they talked about religion and what "gods" view on art is. I liked in the one picture he described how Crist was in the center and the good and they bad were around him alone with many other aspects that people dealt with or believed in then. When looking at the pictures that were created about "Religion" or aspects with it there were many colors that were the same or at least resembled the same shade. I liked all the pieces that were shown in the video as well as some of the meaning or understandings behind them.

Video and Article Response

“What the brain draws from: Art and neuroscience”

Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts

CARTA: Neurobiology Neurology and Art and Aesthetics

There were several key points that were discussed, mainly pertaining to the philosophers and their view on aesthetics.
Plato- who was a Greek philosopher born  429 B.C.  and the later passed away on 347 B.C. He said that he distrusted poets and the way they work.
Aristotle- was another great philosopher born 384 and then died 322 B.C. In the video they talked about what he studied, and how in depth he went. He studied tragedy and said that acting should represent a specification of something, the time of it shouldn't exceed 24 hours.
The last philosopher that I thought was interesting was Francis Hutcheness and he said that the human mediated to external senses to internal that registers the phenomenon of beauty. I thought that Francis had a great theory. When I read it I thought that it mean that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, what one person might think is beautiful someone might think is the worst thing that they have ever seen. For example I think the Van Gogh's "Starry Night" is beautiful and one of my favorite pieces of art, but someone else might think that its just a bunch or colors mixed into a blob.

This was a very long and somewhat confusing video to understand. There were a few key points that I got out of this. When Jean Pierre Changeux talked about the bottom up processing, I really enjoyed it and thought that it was interesting. Another point was when he was talking about the science of art, and said that images can produce pleasing affects of the brain, which is the brain responding to art.

I thought that they videos were somewhat dry, I liked them but I fell like I could have got a lot more out of them if I was able to understand the speakers more clearly. They made a lot of valid and interesting points, but when they got going on starting talking fast I had to re-watch segments multiple times. They were very informational and educational though. When they brought up a topic they went into grave detail and explained their feelings and personal thoughts about a subject.

Introduction Questions

1. I  thought that the process was simple for both. They were simple steps that can be done very quickly. The PowerPoint helped as well just to ensure that everything looked correct.

2. I hope to learn a few things from this course. One being the most popular art pieces out there, I know a few but I would love to learn about more. I would love to be able to say who my favorite artist is, I like two a lot but that's because I don't know that many and would like to know more.

3. In my opinion I really enjoy online courses! They give you the freedom to get things done at your own pace and on your time. I like the part where you don't have to be in a classroom in a specific time. This would be my third online course, and I wish that they all could be.

NEW BLOG!!

NEW BLOG!!