Self Portrait

3 Inspirational Portraits:

PORTRAIT OF A SADIST, 1984 by peter berg, pastel on paper 

PORTRAIT OF MOMPER, NOT DATED by anthony van dyck, etching

PORTRAIT OF D.M. FROM THE PORTFOLIO NINE PRINTS, 1967 by Carol Summers, 

My Original Photograph

My Finished Self Portrait

1) I selected the 3 inspirational portraits because I thought they were different from a typical portrait.

2) I selected the media I used for my portrait because I thought it was a unique way to create it.

3) The challenge I faced in creating my portrait is that I am not very good at drawing or painting. I overcame this by using a computer to create my portrait.

4) I feel this piece represents me because it is rather different. The city background also represents me.

5) I feel I used shading to create an emphasis on my body by darkening the surrounding background.

6) I did enjoy working on this project.

7) I think my self portrait is well done because it is a little different then a typical portrait.

Week 15 Art Criticism Article

1) I reviewed the exhibit "Man's Best Friend" by Andrew Reed.

2) I selected this exhibit because I love dogs.

3) I think the only challenge in writing this article was trying to decide which pieces from the exhibit to highlight in my article.

4) I think it is interesting critiquing fellow classmates because it gave me an opportunity to view others work and see how they did things differently from me.

5) I would like to read the critiques that my classmates have written about my exhibit.

6) I would rate my article a 9. I think it gives the reader a great picture of what the exhibit was bout and some pieces that I thought were a major attraction within the exhibit.

7) I did enjoy this project because it allowed me to view other people's exhibits.

Week 15 Video Review

1) Greenberg on Art Crticism: An Interview by T.J. Clark: This video is Clement Greenberg being interviewed by T.J. Clark. Greenberg answers questions and explains his views on how art criticism should be carried out.

Greenberg on Pollock: An Interview by T.J. Clark: In this video Greenberg is once again interviewed by Clark. Greenberg evaluates and critiques the works and style of Jackson Pollock. Jackson Pollock was an American painter in the early to mid 1900's.

An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance (Giorgio Vasari): This video focuses on the Italian Renaissance and many of the artists from this time period. The artists covered in this video include Gitto, Donatello, Bonticelli, Leonardo, and Michelangelo.

The Critics: Stories from the Inside Pages: This video focuses on how art criticism can blend with and have an effect on society. Critics can have an influence on media and also trends stemming from the art world.

The Colonial Encounter: Views of Non-Western Art and Culture: This video examines how art from other cultures is viewed by Western cultures. The video talks about art from the 1900 world fair. The video also talked about the art of the Dahomen people.

Jackson Pollock: Michael Fried and T.J. Clark in Conversation: In this video we see how art can be analyzed by different people. Although two people can be viewing the same piece they can have very different interpretations of the art.

2) I think the videos do relate to the art criticism project. They gave me better understanding of how some people  believe art should be analyzed.

3) I thought the films were interesting because you get to see how other people analyze and critique artwork. I think they added a little depth but ultimately it is up to the viewer to decide how they want to critique artwork.

Project 4

I think this project was very interesting. The title of my exhibit is "Grey Matter", I chose this title because I thought it was a play on words as my them was all artwork by Alex Grey. This project allowed me to analyze and interpret art that interests me. The flow of my exhibit guides the viewer through Grey's paintings and into some of his drawings. I chose a neutral grey background color to fit the title and theme but also to make the artwork stand out to the viewer.

Week 13/14 Video Review

1)  The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art: This video was about Lowbrow art. Lowbrow art was given its name by Robert Williams. This style of art seemed to be generally abstract and the name means lacking culture which seems to be just the opposite.

Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach: This movie was about how art should be displayed in an exhibit according to the Tate theory. In this theory art is displayed according to the subject matter and not the medium it was created from.

Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology: This video was about the remains of Native American bodies. The bones and remains of these people have been collected for research and examination. Native American people strongly disagree with this practice and are working to have the remains returned so they are not desecrated.

George Eastman House: Picture Perfect: This video was about George Eastman and his contribution to art through the creation of personal photography. Eastman founded the Kodak company and the Eastman House is a photography museum which is located in Rochester, New York.

2) I believe these 4 videos do relate to the art exhibit project. The videos help add guidelines to help us create our exhibits.

3) I thought the films were very interesting and will ultimately help in the creation of my art exhibit.

Week 12 Video Review

1) I selected the following 4 videos to watch because I wanted to learn more about the given topic.

2) Andy Warhol: Images Of An Image: This video was about Andy Warhol and his art. He was an artist during the Pop Art movement. He is one of the most well known artists from this time period.

Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the 50s and 60s: This movie was covers numerous artists and their work from this time period. Artists include Andy Warhol, Franz Kline, and Jasper Johns. The video is filmed in museums as they describe the artist's artwork.

The Power of Art: Rothko: This video is about Rothko who was an abstract expressionism artist. He was most well known for his use of color. Rothko was a very successful artist, unfortunately he committed suicide in 1970.

The Art of Henry Moore: This video was about the artist Henry Moore who is most widely known as a sculptor. His sculptures were generally abstract bronze sculptures that can be found all over the world. His work was often abstract renditions of the human body.

3) These videos relate to the reading in the text by expanding on the topics.

4) These videos were very interesting. They expand on topics in the readings by providing visual evidence to go along with concepts from the book.

Art Gallery Visit #2

Step 1: The Exhibition:
1) The title of the exhibit is Victoria Sambunaris: Taxonomy Of A Landscape.
2) The theme of the exhibition is the landscape of America.

Step 2: The Gallery:
1) The lighting for the exhibit was concealed in the trayed ceiling.
2) The part of the walls where the images were hung were painted in light neutral colors which really made the photographs pop from the wall. The bottom part of the wall was dark which really centered my concentration on the images.
3) There was molding on the wall that separated the drastic change in wall color from top to bottom.
4) When I entered the exhibit I felt directed around the exhibit in a clockwise manner.

Step 3: The Artwork:
1) The artwork was all mounted on the wall it what seemed to be the artists journey across the United States, almost as if you were following her map.
2) The artwork was all similar in a sense because it all had the theme of American landscapes.
3) The artwork was all different because they were each images of a different landscape. Many of them were also different because of the vantage point of where the photo was taken. Some were from above, others below, and some on an even plane.
4) The artwork was all framed in but different but conservative frames. I feel the simplicity of the frames really allows the photographs to speak for their self.
5) The artwork was identified and labeled generally to the right of the photo. Details included what the image was of and most did not contain an name given by the artist as they are untitled.
6) The artwork was all evenly spaced apart and offered room between images which allowed for transition to the next image.

Step 4: Art Criticism

Description: A photograph taken by Victoria Sambunaris, and is Untitled (Hercules Gap). The image is very recent as it was taken in 2004. I think the image is representational of the beauty of America's untouched areas.

Analysis: I think the artist did a great job using the lines of the mountains to direct my attention through the gap between them. The lighter colors at the bottom of the gap also attracted my attention to this spot. I think the artist chose to stand a great distance back from the gap to give us true indicators of the space pictured.

Bracketing: This artwork is very representative of what you can easily see by getting out of the city and in to nature. When I look at this picture I am reminded of images from magazines such as National Geographic. It also reminds me of vacations I have taken to the west coast.

Interpretation: After reviewing this artwork I feel the artists intention is to display the beauty of America in areas that have remained generally undisturbed. The photo makes the viewer realize the importance of these natural areas.

Description: This is a photo taken by  Victoria Sambunaris. It is Untitled (Red containers, wet ground) and was taken in 2000. The image is of a landscape of concrete and trucking containers. I think the work is representational of the destruction of nature.

Analysis: I think the artist used the weather on this day to capture the emotion of this scene. The gloomy colors of the sky and ground really give off a somber or dark feeling. The containers form a balance to the sides of the image and give us an idea of the space the image covers.

Bracketing: The artists image to me is similar to other photographers who capture images that represent problems such as destruction of nature, or decaying architecture. When I see this photograph I just think of bust highways and large trucks.

Interpretation: I think the artist intended on the viewer to compare this photo to her other work of vast untouched landscapes. In this photo you can almost see in your mind what this area would look like if it was not ruined by concrete to make a parking lot. It could be a sunny day looking out over a vibrant green field but instead it is rainy, gloomy, and covered in cement. 

Description: This is also a photo taken by Victoria Sambunaris. Much like the others it is Untitled but is an image of a copper mine in Utah. The photo was taken in 2002. The image shows us the massive crater that has been left in the earth by this mining venture. 

Analysis: I think the colors of this photograph are very plain are are meant to show us the earth depleted of its natural resources. The rocks and jagged cliffs also show us the texture of the earth. Capturing multiple sides of the crater give us a 3-dimensional space.

Bracketing: I think this photo relates the need for conservation of our world. What I think of when I look at this photograph is something drained of its resources and left vacant. It is almost like seeing a large building that has been abandoned and left in distress.

Interpretation: My belief is that the artist uses her photographs of America's landscapes to show us what areas might have previously looked like before they were changed by us. Many of her images are of beautiful natural landscapes and the other half are of landscapes of what man has created or taken away. 

Question 4: I think visiting a gallery to analyze how it has been set up really draws your attention to how the curator has used art to direct your attention to the art of the exhibition.