Monday, November 28, 2011

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.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

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.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

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. 

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Week 11 Video Review

1) I chose the following four videos because I was interested in learning more about the given topics.

2) Matisse and Picasso: This video was about the artists Matisse and Picasso. It explained how the two were friends as well as rivals. The video described their differences in styles and also what inspired them.

Dada and Surrealism: This video explains the movements of Dada and Surrealism. The video touches on many artists from these movements including Hoch and Dali. These movements is generally associated with Europe.

The Impact of Cubism: This video explains the style of Cubism. Cubism was a new way to depict scenes by using flat, angular segments. Picasso was well known for this style. Objects that were normally curved or rounded were displayed using sharp angles and straight lines.

Expressionism: This video was about the movement of Expressionism. This video talked about various artists that practiced Expressionism including Marc and Beckman. The video also talked about their various pieces of artwork.

3) The videos directly relate to the readings from the text. They review all of the main concepts from the book.

4) I enjoyed the videos very much. They did a great job at expanding on the readings by adding visual examples to major points from the book.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Mask Making




These are the 3 masks I thought were inspirational. The first mask I chose because I thought the colors did a great job of defining the shape of the eyes and nose. The second mask appealed to me because of the detail and visible texture. The third mask I chose because of the vivid colors.


I drew sketches of three different masks that I thought would hold importance to certain cultures. The top left mask is an intimidating figure with sharp teeth. The top right mask has importance to nature as the hat is made of leaves and a river runs across the mask. The third mask is a dog like creature with flames surrounding its mouth.


I chose to make this mask because I think it might look like a mask made by a earlier culture. It has animal characteristics and also displays fire. Fire is important  to all cultures. I think the colors of the fire could also be intimidating as well as show the importance of fire. The tongue is three dimensional. I thought this was a very interesting activity because it involved thinking about what would have been important to some past cultures.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Week 10 Video Review

1) I selected the following four videos because I was interested in learning more about what the topics covered. I chose topics that I knew little about.

2) Buddhism: This video did a great job of explaining details about the culture of Buddhism and its contribution to the art world. Much of the information given is about the architecture of Buddhism. Temples were often built to honor the leaders of the Dynasty.

African Art: Legacy of Oppression: This video was about the many cultures contained within this region. Africa probably contains the most variations of culture in any given area. Much of their art was actually used to define their culture and set them apart from surrounding tribes and threats. Masks were created to instill fear in their opponents during tribal warfare.

Chinese Art: Treasures of the National Palace Museum: This video was interesting because it showed some of the differences in art from Dynasty to Dynasty. Much of the Chinese art was functional just like art from Africa. Their design was similar to the Africans as well; they used mythical beliefs to influence their art. The Chinese used designs with dragons quite often which is of course a mythical creature.

Hinduism: This video was similar to the video on Buddhism as it explained certain cultural beliefs and how their art reflected these beliefs. The video touches on the architectural style of Hinduism. Temples and places of worship were built with great detail but were relatively smaller than other cultures. The reasoning behind this is because the Hindu people do not worship in large groups. Instead they worship alone and the size of their buildings reflects this practice.

3) The videos directly relate to the readings from the text. They expand on points in the book by going into more detail.

4) I enjoyed the videos and feel as if I have learned from them. The videos add depth by giving visual examples to what we had previously read about. I feel it is important to visually see things to really retain important details and information.