My expectations for this course were to do well, earn high grades, and overall gain a greater understanding of how I can become a more compassionate art teacher. I think I definitely earned good grades, like I wanted, but I think I will have to apply the knowledge I learned in order to see whether I will become a compassionate art teacher. So in a way, this is an ongoing learning process, but doesn't mean I didn't reach my expectations. I don't at all think my definition of art has changed, it is different according to each person, and can have multiple definitions, but mainly it surrounds creativity, skill, and emotion. By using these qualities, and not being afraid to create something different, art is successful.
My favorite artist is still Chuck Close, because I love and identify with self-portraits, and I think it is so creative and mind-boggling how he creates a larger image out of many smaller ones. His work blows me away, and i would love to create a piece, using the same techniques.
After taking this course, I still feel like I could definitely take another online course without a problem. As much as I hated sacrificing gorgeous summer days, this course taught me time-management, and that I could reward myself by having free time if I completed the necessary assignments. I think a 200 level course is tolerable online, if it were any higher, I might have difficulties, but so far I have done well, and am pleased with my resulting grades. When I first started out taking this course I had a mixture of confidence and nervousness, but at this point I am completely confident I did well, and will continue to do well.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Self-Portrait
 |
| "The Hip-Hop Project" Nikki S. Lee 2001 chromogenic color print photo 21 1/4x28 inches |
 |
| "Self-Portrait With Monkey" Frida Kahlo 1938 oil on masonite 16x12 inches |
 |
| "The Messenger" Bill Viola 1996 sound and video installation 28 min, 28 sec |
I selected charcoal to use for my portrait because I thought black and white charcoal would be very simple, and would capture tones and values and make it more interesting. I definitely wanted it to be black and white tones, and if I had done it in a different media such as colored pencils or paint, I don't think it would've been quite as easy. Charcoal was great for blending, and allowed me to create the values I wanted.
The areas I was challenged in were the hand and the profile of my face. I often got frustrated, and kept going over and over the details of the face to get it as accurately as I could. The lips and nose always give me problems, and the best way I dealt with them was going over them until I had an image I was happy with. I overcame my struggles by continually drawing and re-drawing.
This piece represents me because I am a very simple person, and I show that by having a dark background, and have removed all color. I am as simple as black and white I'd like to think, and so I portrayed myself in that with lots of value surrounding my face. I am holding my I-pod, entranced by music, because it is one of the things I love most, and it relaxes and soothes me.
I applied the use of value, texture, emphasis, balance, and light in this piece. There were many different scales of value, by using black and white tones, and light was used carefully, highlighting the peaks of the face and skin. Texture was apparent in the soft curls of my hair, and the piece was asymmetrically balanced. I chose not to create a background, because I didn't want to distract from the main focus.
Art Critic Blog week 11
I first reviewed Mike Farrell's, "Outside Looking In", which featured Landscape Art, Debbie Russell's, "How Bizarre...How Bizarre", featuring Surrealism Art, and Cassandra Krajewski's, "Nature Affected", which focused on nature, and how it is affected by people and things. I selected Debbie Russell's exhibit because I have always liked the against-the-grain appeal of Surrealism, and I was interested to see how a fellow student (curator) would identify and represent the movement in an exhibit. I was also drawn to the exhibit and ended up choosing it because of the introduction she has in the beginning of the project. It captured my interest, and I chose to use it for analysis and criticism.
I was challenged in writing the critique article during the art criticism steps, because I don't have a hard time describing the exhibit itself, but analyzing it, and relating it to memories/ current events etc. was difficult for me because I couldn't think of anything to relate it to. I also didn't like choosing between whether it was "Good or bad/ successful / unsuccessful" I didn't think that was very fair, to sum it up like that in one or two words.
I liked critiquing my own peer's work because I didn't feel the pressure to have certain views or answers based on what I already heard, because as far as I know, I am the first to comment and judge her work. Since I have not yet seen any other responses to Russell's exhibit, I feel better knowing that there is nothing to compare my response to.
I am interested in reading the critique that may or may not have been written about my exhibit because I always accept advice, and I would like to know what someone thought of my work, how it affected them, and what I could have to done to improve it or make it more successful.
I would rate my finished article a 10 because I followed the steps in art criticism to the best of my knowledge, really took a good look and thought about my peer's work, and put in my own most creative words what I thought about it. I think I did a good job analyzing Russell's work, without making it too long.
I enjoyed working on this project because it taught me to be comfortable critiquing someone else's work, and not being afraid about what others think of my response.
I was challenged in writing the critique article during the art criticism steps, because I don't have a hard time describing the exhibit itself, but analyzing it, and relating it to memories/ current events etc. was difficult for me because I couldn't think of anything to relate it to. I also didn't like choosing between whether it was "Good or bad/ successful / unsuccessful" I didn't think that was very fair, to sum it up like that in one or two words.
I liked critiquing my own peer's work because I didn't feel the pressure to have certain views or answers based on what I already heard, because as far as I know, I am the first to comment and judge her work. Since I have not yet seen any other responses to Russell's exhibit, I feel better knowing that there is nothing to compare my response to.
I am interested in reading the critique that may or may not have been written about my exhibit because I always accept advice, and I would like to know what someone thought of my work, how it affected them, and what I could have to done to improve it or make it more successful.
I would rate my finished article a 10 because I followed the steps in art criticism to the best of my knowledge, really took a good look and thought about my peer's work, and put in my own most creative words what I thought about it. I think I did a good job analyzing Russell's work, without making it too long.
I enjoyed working on this project because it taught me to be comfortable critiquing someone else's work, and not being afraid about what others think of my response.
Questions About The Course
I enjoyed working on the Self Portrait assignment (final project) the mostly because portraits are one of my favorite styles of art. Once it was assigned, I knew I had a chance to represent myself, and show my skill, even if I wasn't in an actual classroom. I thought the self portrait assignment was a great way for students to be more personal, and instead of reading the textbook, or answering questions, they/we could now show a bit about ourselves, exactly the way we wanted.
I really did not enjoy working on any of the power point assignments because they were extremely time consuming, and very blase. I felt like in the several power point assignments we had to do, it was mostly centered around "the elements and principles of design" and I got really tired of it. I think they are both important, but when they're are integrated in almost every single assignment or project, it gets annoyingly repetitive. Power points are one way of doing an assignment, but I'd prefer a more personal approach, like actual artwork!
I definitely enjoyed using ANGEL because I'd much rather take a course online, where it is centered around turning assignments in on time, rather than being in a classroom on time. ANGEL was a great way to learn how to me more computer savvy, which is just what I needed. It taught me to use resources such as a blog to connect with my classmates visually.
If I could change the course in any way I would take out some of the video assignments, and add in more artwork assignments. I think some of the material I learned in the videos was useless, and was kind of a waste of time, and if the point was to teach how to draw material from online sources, and write about it, I definitely am pretty good at that now. As I said earlier, I would remove some of the element and principle themes, because I don't think ever assignment should be surrounded by those principles, because they're not the most important parts of art. I would keep the textbook reading assignments, I think there was a great amount of extra credit opportunities, I liked the art gallery visits. I would also keep the art piece assignments like the self portrait, or the mask assignment, or the slideshow about elements and principles. Keep the blog! It was a great way to connect me with my peers.
I would recommend this course to other peers if they are searching for a class that really gets you involved with the internet, and many of it's pro's. I liked using a blog for this class, and I hated using it for other classes, I felt like I could be a lot more expressive in this class. I would recommend this class for someone who is striving to work with the computer more.
This was an interesting and fun class, and I hardly had any problems with it because it taught me to manage my time, and I learned what I needed to do in order to get assignments done, and have time to play. It was a little difficult at first, but it certainly got me organized.
I really did not enjoy working on any of the power point assignments because they were extremely time consuming, and very blase. I felt like in the several power point assignments we had to do, it was mostly centered around "the elements and principles of design" and I got really tired of it. I think they are both important, but when they're are integrated in almost every single assignment or project, it gets annoyingly repetitive. Power points are one way of doing an assignment, but I'd prefer a more personal approach, like actual artwork!
I definitely enjoyed using ANGEL because I'd much rather take a course online, where it is centered around turning assignments in on time, rather than being in a classroom on time. ANGEL was a great way to learn how to me more computer savvy, which is just what I needed. It taught me to use resources such as a blog to connect with my classmates visually.
If I could change the course in any way I would take out some of the video assignments, and add in more artwork assignments. I think some of the material I learned in the videos was useless, and was kind of a waste of time, and if the point was to teach how to draw material from online sources, and write about it, I definitely am pretty good at that now. As I said earlier, I would remove some of the element and principle themes, because I don't think ever assignment should be surrounded by those principles, because they're not the most important parts of art. I would keep the textbook reading assignments, I think there was a great amount of extra credit opportunities, I liked the art gallery visits. I would also keep the art piece assignments like the self portrait, or the mask assignment, or the slideshow about elements and principles. Keep the blog! It was a great way to connect me with my peers.
I would recommend this course to other peers if they are searching for a class that really gets you involved with the internet, and many of it's pro's. I liked using a blog for this class, and I hated using it for other classes, I felt like I could be a lot more expressive in this class. I would recommend this class for someone who is striving to work with the computer more.
This was an interesting and fun class, and I hardly had any problems with it because it taught me to manage my time, and I learned what I needed to do in order to get assignments done, and have time to play. It was a little difficult at first, but it certainly got me organized.
video review week 11
I chose to watch videos: Greenberg on Pollock: An Interview by T. J. Clark, The Colonial Encounter: Views of Non-Western Art and Culture, and Jackson Pollock: Michael Fried and T. J. Clark in Conversation. These videos related to my art criticism project because some of them helped me to see the thinking process that goes into art criticism, and the different results that will happen. The videos showed me that even critics who are so set on their word, often change their mind entirely about a piece over time. It's all about experience, and the more experience one has with a piece, the more they will have to say/judge about it. There's quite a difference from viewing a piece once, and viewing it day after day for years.
In the first video, Clement Greenberg discussed Jackson Pollock's style of painting, and how Pollock did not like easel paintings. He made sure his pieces didn't remain easel paintings once he finished them. Greenberg considered Pollock to be a kind of outsider, whose approach to painting was pragmatic, and down to earth. Pollock never materialized to the transition of painting from easel to mural painting. He knew this, and accepted that his paintings were not murals. What was important was his independence from contained characteristics of modern painting, and his were wild and not contained. Though Pollock believes his works were not contained, some critics argue this.
The second video discussed the Dahomian exhibit and that Dahome art is often ignored as art, and accepted as craft. At the 1900's World Fair, it featured art from all different cultures which encouraged different ways of viewing. The different views, that were spurred on by the material on display as art in Western collections include political contexts as well as cultural. They don't show any connection to cultural meaning, unless the viewer perceives it in this way. The Western viewers believed that all they were seeing was art.
The last video discussed Jackson Pollock between two critics, who start out with ideas about his work at one time, and how their ideas change as time passes. This video showed that just because critics make initial judgements doesn't mean they're always final, they always have the potential to modify. Both critics Michael Fried, and T.J. Clark agree on a historical way of looking at art, that the historical significance of Pollock's work cannot be separated from its pictorial quality. His work requires much concentration, and critics have problems describing it in the first place, for it's difficult to relate with his intentions.
I liked viewing the videos, especially the ones about Jackson Pollock, because his work is of interest to me. It was interesting to hear critics arguing, and how their ideas can change. I believe I have more of an understanding of art criticism because I was able to see that ideas can always change, however strong they may seem, they always have the right to change.
In the first video, Clement Greenberg discussed Jackson Pollock's style of painting, and how Pollock did not like easel paintings. He made sure his pieces didn't remain easel paintings once he finished them. Greenberg considered Pollock to be a kind of outsider, whose approach to painting was pragmatic, and down to earth. Pollock never materialized to the transition of painting from easel to mural painting. He knew this, and accepted that his paintings were not murals. What was important was his independence from contained characteristics of modern painting, and his were wild and not contained. Though Pollock believes his works were not contained, some critics argue this.
The second video discussed the Dahomian exhibit and that Dahome art is often ignored as art, and accepted as craft. At the 1900's World Fair, it featured art from all different cultures which encouraged different ways of viewing. The different views, that were spurred on by the material on display as art in Western collections include political contexts as well as cultural. They don't show any connection to cultural meaning, unless the viewer perceives it in this way. The Western viewers believed that all they were seeing was art.
The last video discussed Jackson Pollock between two critics, who start out with ideas about his work at one time, and how their ideas change as time passes. This video showed that just because critics make initial judgements doesn't mean they're always final, they always have the potential to modify. Both critics Michael Fried, and T.J. Clark agree on a historical way of looking at art, that the historical significance of Pollock's work cannot be separated from its pictorial quality. His work requires much concentration, and critics have problems describing it in the first place, for it's difficult to relate with his intentions.
I liked viewing the videos, especially the ones about Jackson Pollock, because his work is of interest to me. It was interesting to hear critics arguing, and how their ideas can change. I believe I have more of an understanding of art criticism because I was able to see that ideas can always change, however strong they may seem, they always have the right to change.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Life in Color Exhibit Review
At first I didn't know what I wanted to choose for my exhibit, but I finally decided upon Color as a theme because I find it so enticing not only in art, but in nature, and I wanted to show its importance both in small quantities (modest doses) or in large, where the artwork is intensified by color alone. Color is an element that is used to portray life, like a colorful flower blooms in a dry, dead desert. It was difficult to write about each of the paintings, but easy to choose them. I chose each artwork based on its vibrance and intensity of color, I wanted the viewers to immediately think of color when they first see them, which is what I did. I chose the pieces that pop out, and liven my vision up a little. The most time-consuming part about the exhibit was finding, and writing the information about each piece, and making each caption interesting (which was difficult). Organizing the pieces wasn't truly important to me because I didn't care about the dates, media, or artists. I just organized them based on intensity, and tried to space out the media.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
week 10 video blog review/art curating
The key concepts The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art contained were that term "Lowbrow" was initially used in relation to a lot of paintings or art works with nude women and hot rod cars. The term originated in 1979 by Robert Williams, who says he doesn't care for the meaning. The movement that was influenced by comic books, rock n' roll, hot rods, cold war imagery, and nude women, encouraged a rise in female artists as well. In Lowbrow style, there always seems to be a narrative, there's always something happening, or about to happen, and there are a lot of dynamics. Lowbrow has gained more recognition and acceptance over the past ten years than ever before.
The video Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach discussed certain exhibits at the Tate gallery which corresponded directly with the chronology of works. MOMA (The Museum of Modern Art) had an organization in which the placement of artworks showed viewers that the pieces were influenced by other artwork in the gallery, they were characterized by a progressive sequence. The Tate museum is an ideological institution that focuses on class and power. Curators in the museum have chosen to display works of art in four sections, and in each an overarching principal provides a theme for the selection and an exhibition for the works of art. Tate wants its viewers to see art as more than just entertainment.
The video Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology discusses the problems of archeologists digging up the remains of Native Americans and using them for study. Native Americans have a problem with this because they feel that their rights for burial are taken away. In 1985 The Smithsonian National History Museum began inventory of its human remains and discovered that over 18,000 bones were Native American. Along with the bones that were given back for burial purposes will go the valuable date and information of history. Native Americans argue that they are not anthropological, or biological specimen. Establishing the tribal affiliation with the remains is top priority at this time. There are strong tensions between scientists, historians, and museum curators and Native American people, as the remains are involved in war of different perspectives. Native American culture is shown to clash with another set of equally entrenched beliefs.
The last video, George Eastman House: Picture Perfect discusses George Eastman and his home which is now a museum, and historical estate. There are many different kinds of cameras and photographs featured in the house, but the main idea is that Eastman really worked hard to make photography simple enough, and accessible to everyone so that anyone could take pictures. "Kodak" was a name he completely made up for his company. He invented the "Brownie Camera" which was one of the first cameras sold for an affordable price of $1. The Eastman House is the oldest photography museum in the world and is one of the world's premiere motion pictures archive.
I think some of the videos related to my art exhibit because they discussed the organization and reason of placement for works of art, and why it makes sense to place a certain work of art in one spot, compared to another. The videos got me thinking about how I will organize my own exhibit, and if I should take chronology into consideration, and how I should organize my theme. I liked the films, but I though some of theme were just full of facts, rather than focused on art curation and exhibit set-up. I was interested especially in the Native American video, because it told of historical facts I had never heard. After watching the videos I think I am more understanding toward different cultures, and will take this into consideration while organizing and incorporating my theme into my slideshow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)