Module 13, 14 video review

1. In Video about Lowbrow, I learned that Lowbrow represents art that nobody knows how to categorize or label. It's reactionary and anybody can play, sort of speak. It's a very inclusive style of art. In the Tate Approach video, I learned about the different things art curators have to consider in putting together an exhibition. They map out everything. They consider how many floors they want the exhibit to be, what years to string together and then how to separate them thematically. It can go from impression to surrealism to pop art. It can be from the 1900s to present day. They focus on the progression of artistic  movements. In the last video on the former director of the MET, Phillipe de Montebello, I learned so much. I learned how much hard work goes into making an art exhibit. Art curators sure have a huge job. There is measuring, moving, lots of hands, building, buying materials, and etc, involved in making an exhibit. Phillipe said that in creating an exhibit, you don't want to just fill gaps, he would rather have empty space than a invalid representation of something. Every piece should be outstanding. 

2. I didn't really see a clear connection between the first video on Lowbrow with our art project. It talked a little about art curators and the process in creating collections, but this style of art was way different then my focus and theme for the project. The last two videos definitely related to our project because they discussed what actually goes on in making an exhibition. They talked about how exhibits can be small, large, broad, focused, about an artist, culture, millennium, or moment in time. 

3. I didn't like the first video because of all the nude displays. I mean I understand Lowbrow art isn't really defined, but as previously known, they should call it nudebrow. The last two videos really helped me to see what an art curators job entails. 

Reflection Blog

Thinking of a theme was relatively easy. Once I got that, the next big task was finding artwork. At first, I tried looking on Google images thinking that would be easiest. It wasn't! I followed my professors advice and looked on Artstor which has a huge collection of artwork from centuries ago. That website allows you to look at specific artwork from different countries. So I started with the first country on the list and went down to find various street paintings for my theme. I found ten that I really liked and thought fit well. What's nice about Artstor is that it gives you the media, artist, year, and etc for the artwork so I was able to collect all of that information and put it aside. Then I started creating my PowerPoint. Since my theme dealt with streets, I wanted my background to look like a street, the closest I could get was a cement type texture that reminded me of it. All of the paintings I chose were sort of similar in terms of color and balance. So I didn't want my background to be too bright, but I wanted it to fit in with a lot of the warm colors of the paintings. I chose black  as my font because it was the most visible color that showed through the cement background. For the most part, each  painting  had its own slide ,except a few which had two on them. The ones with the two paintings on a slide I thought really compared and contrasted so I put them together. Overall, creating this PowerPoint was fun and it was exciting to be an art curator!

Module 12

1. I chose the Isamu Noguchi:the sculpture of spaces video because the title sounded interesting. The second video I chose was Andy Warhol: images of an image because I have always heard of this man, but never knew who he was or what he did. So I was curious about him. 

2. I learned that the earth can be viewed as this huge sculpture. Noguchi created these sculptural gardens that's were beautiful. I learned about Noguchis personal life and how his father didn't even want to recognize him. He was close to his mother and she is the one who instilled in him an appreciation for Japanese gardens. I liked  how he said an artist needs to be a dictator and shouldn't have to meet the requirements of a community, art has to do with the peculiarities that are hidden or the discovery and differences makes the art interesting. In the second video, I learned  in order to transfer an image to a silk screen, you have to first enlarge it several times. Then the contrast can be heightened or turned down. You apply silk to a frame then place the image on it and add light. The screen is then rinsed in water, the black unexposed parts dissolve, the white parts hardened and you get a negative. Ink is then rubbed on screen and forces the ink thorough the screen to create a positive image. I also learned how obsessed Warhol was with celebrities and the whole concept of celebrity. 

3. The first video related to the readings because chapter 23 examined different sculptural works. The video on Andy Warhol related to chapter 22 because it had a whole artists page on him.

4. I really liked the first video and how Noguchi viewed art. The second video was cool in that it showed how pop art is made. Any Warhol was a weird, yet interesting person. 

Art Gallery Visit 2

Step 1

1. The title of the exhibit is Imperfections by Chance:Paul Feeley Retrospective, 1954-1966.

2. The theme of this exhibit was based on a creative mindset that thrived on intuitive discoveries or abstract expressionism. 

Step 2

1. There were regular ceiling lights used and they weren't too bright, but it made the room and paintings visible. 

2. The walls were regular white/tan walls.

3. Architecturally, the rooms were just open space. They had a few benches and chairs, but they didn't get in the way of any of the paintings. 

4. It was a little overwhelming when I first walked in because there were three, smaller rooms I saw with more of his artwork besides the one big one that I first walked into. Other than that, the movement around the exhibit was pretty simple. I first observed the larger art pieces in the main room, then went in the back, came out and then in to the side room with the very small paintings, and finally, went into the last room. 

Step 3

1. All of the artworks were pinned on the walls and evenly and appropriately placed.

2. The artworks were similar because they all sort of looked alike. It's like he painted the same design, but flipped, turned, inverted, streched, and squeezed each one.

3. The colors were different, but the same colors were used in all of his paintings. Some of the shapes, though, were different than the rest. 

4. They were all in skinny frames, so the painting was really emphasized.

5. As like every label in the Albright gallery, each painting had a small, sliver like post on the wall next to each painting, describing the artwork. 

6. All of the artwork was in the same area, just with multiple rooms. 

Step 4

The public was not allowed to take pics of this exhibit so I looked online for them. My source was www.garthgreenan.com

1. Paul Feeley, Cassius, oil based enamel on canvas,1959, 80x56 inches

I liked the Orange and blue colors together. That's what caught my eye first. It looks like a bridge and then again looks like arches. I see the green, blue, and orange hues. It's repetitive and contrasting.  There are also lines used. This painting reminds me so much of that famous piece  of architecture in Europe that looks like a bridge. I'm not sure what the artist was trying to say. 

2. Paul Feeley, Arcturus, oil based enamel on canvas, 1963, 60x60 inches

This shade of blue is my favorite color. I see 6 closed loops that form this flowerlike design. It has a small yellow , almost similar design, shape in the middle of it. It's symmetric and geometric. It reminds of a flower. I think he was just trying to show the simplicity of a flower, abstractly. 

3. Paul Feely, Untitled, oil based enamel on canvas, 1958, 45x28 inches

This painting has my favorite colors in it. I see a big, blue, bean-type shape with a small tube meeting the end of the canvas. There is yellow surrounding it. The big blue shape takes up most of the space and is emphasized. It looks like it belongs in your body, like your stomach area. Since it doesn't have a title, I'm not sure he even knew what the piece meant. 

Step 5

I really enjoyed looking at this exhibit and all the exhibits. I really like the Lucas Samara reflections exhibit and being able to walk into the mirrored room. Paul Feeleys exhibit was different, but interesting. I really enjoyed the bright colors he uses and I think noticing the space and color of the walls is important because that's what made his paintings catch your eye. Looking at what goes into creating an exhibit is just important as the artwork 

Module 11

1.  Chose the Imapct of Cubism video because it was the most fascinating movement that chapter 21 talked about and I knew it was about Picasso who is a legend. I chose the expressionism video because I also liked reading about this movement in the textbook.

2. In the Cubism video, I learned that it's about starting with abstraction and ending with real objects or something that's concrete. It also involves light and creating space by showing multiple perspectives. Art is not made from a single view. 

In the expressionism video, I learned how colors are symbolically used in this movement. They can evoke an emotional response . I alos learned how expressionism can clarify life.

3. Both videos directly relate to the chapter because it talks about cubism and Picasso developments in the 20th century. It also talks about expressionism in the 20th century. 

4. I thought both videos were a little dull, maybe because of the narrator. However, they did give me lots of examples, through the paintings in the galleries, of each movement. 

Mask Making

 

I found this mask to be disturbing yet fascinating. There are circles and rectangles in this mask. The colors are light in this mask but the tea list color brings a nice contrast. There's no symmetry in this mask . There are distinct lines such as the ones that form the mouth and the nose. The surface looks rough and there is a lot of space. I think the colors bring a balance to the mask, but the overall form of it is not balanced in my opinion. There i repetition in the circles and I think those are emphasized as well because that is the first thing I see in the mask.

This is an ancient Chinese mask that I found really beautiful. The colors are so bright and intense. There are red, blue, and yellow hues throughout it. This mask has symmetry and there is a rhythm though the repeated shapes. This is definitely a 3D mask. You can see the lines not just because they are painted with colors but because they are engraved in the mask. 

Although simple, this mask was probably my favorite. It has exaggerated features like the lips and nose, but it does look very realistic. There is no color but you can see the value of dark to light in the eyes, lips, and eyebrows. That emphasis brings out those features and makes it three dimensional. You can see the shape of the cheeks and lips and the face is very symmetric. The texture is smooth.

My Mask

I didn't make sketches for my mask because I really didn't know how I wanted it to look. However, I really like the simplicity of the last image I found on the Internet. So I wanted to make a mask that followed that simplicity. I followed a simple face mask and used napkins dipped in water to add emphasis and texture. I also do like color and intensity so I wanted to add that affect with the bright red mouth and the black glittered eyes. There is some symmetry in my mask but the teeth, made out of cotton swabs, are random. Everyone doesn't have perfect teeth right! The mouth is pen and hollowed out. There is balance in the green and black colors and the red adds a nice contrast. 

I found this assignment very difficult at first because it had to be 3D. Then, I started getting into it and was inspired by the masks I searched on the Internet. I realized that a mask can look like anything and be anything you want it to be. This is what I came up with. 

Module 10

1. I chose the African art video because I was interested in learning more about african Art. I chose the Hinduism video because our discussion post didn't talk about this religion and its art influence, so I wanted to learn more about it. 

2. In the African Art video, I learned how important art is to their daily lives. Art is in their utensils, homes, dress, hairstyles, and their traditional rituals. In their rituals, masks and statues, as well as dance, are all art influenced. Unlike the perceptual style of art that is often found in Europe, Africans use the conceptual style. This style is based in the imagination and expresses an inner set of ideas. I alos learned how important symbolism is to them. In the Hindusim video, I learned about Varanasi. It's considered the holiest city of Hindisum. This religion believes in the idea of life, death and then rebirth. The great river Ganges is where people go to remit there sins until they receive liberation. Although Hindusim doesn't focus on a specific place to worship, because they worship anywhere, their temples are very elaborate and decorative. I also learned that a key principle is to let go of things since you will not be able to keep those things forever. I totally agree with that principle. 

3. These videos definitely relate to the readings because chapter 18 goes into great detail about Africa and its art influence on its culture. It specially talks about masks and how important those are in their rituals and that exactly what the African Art video talked about. Chapter 19 ties in with the Hindusim video perfectly and how their gods influenced their art. Figure 19.8 is of the Kandariya temple that was shown in the video. 

4. I really enjoyed both videos, but they also disturbed me a little. However, it was informative for me and gave me a real look into their cultures which is something I appreciate.