Sculpture, Ceramics, Installation

 From watching "Through the Eyes of the Sculptor" I was able to learn some things. Every stone has its own smell. Restoration artists are rarely asked to sculpt an entire figure, they mostly just work on smaller, separate parts like hands, feet or faces. Sculptors use a plaster mold as a reference, and there are many steps to sculpting and it is very time consuming. Marble is the product of limestone, and every marble sculpture starts out as a block of limestone/marble, and is carved and chipped away so that the final form emerges. The mountains of Carrara have been a main source of marble for over 2,000 years.
       The Glass and Ceramics video introduced me to the realization that glass is not a true solid, rather is is a viscus liquid that stiffens when cooled. Oyster shells can help glass from becoming too liquid at high temperatures! To make a glass form, someone gathers a small glob of liquid glass at the end of a solid tube/pole and blows into it so that it balloons up, and is formed and shaped. Glass is continually reheated in the furnace so it can be continually modeled, it also receives a final firing so that it can withstand future high temperatures. Some types of ceramics are known to be even stronger than steel and can withstand very high temperatures. Glass is becoming more prominent in architecture today.
       Installation art defines and takes over space, and is achieved according to the effort of individual artists. They are three-dimensional works whose design forces viewers to interact with the environment. Site-specific art is art that cannot work unless it is in its particular place that was meant for it. Video imagery is becoming more popular in the art world with the help of new technologies. It now dominates the art world and the video camera is a tool that makes way for video installations. Installations are known to be successful by attaining a relationship between the images, space, and the viewer, which makes the meaning.
       The videos relate to the text because they described in detail some of the crafts explained in the actual text itself. They discussed the nature of installations and gave different perspectives from different artists on what they thought installation art was, and what it meant to them. The text mentioned some crafts such as glass blowing, but the video visually explained it more deeply. It was interesting to see the hard work of craft-makers and artists as they practiced sculpting and glass-making. It was one thing to read it in the book, but to actually see it in action was so much more engaging. It was neat to hear the stories behind the artists and where materials like marble actually came from, and the hardships and sacrifices that went along with everything. Seeing it all take place on camera gave me more of an appreciation for the art, and gave me a better understanding of the science behind it all, the trials, and the successes. I gained more of an understanding just by seeing it all on video. After watching the video (on glass blowing) it made me want to try it myself. Besides the awful quality of the videos and the outdatedness, I'll have to admit I enjoyed them a little. I was partial to the video about installation art, mostly because I'm still having trouble grasping what exactly it is, and how I will make my own installation piece for this class. As I watched the video, I tried to take notes and was brainstorming the entire time, in hope that I'd come up with an understanding and idea for my assignment. Not yet...