Allison Cunningham

NICC Art 204

[avenariush-blog]

Week 10 Blog

Reading this book is like riding a roller coaster. Sometimes you hit two chapters you like, two chapters you don’t like, and one of each. For me, the continuing theme of boredom comes with the abstract art chapters. With chapter 29, that boredom is back again! However, in 30, we get to go behind the scenes and look at some pop art as well as conceptual art to even the tide. In this blog, I will analyze main points from chapters 29 and 30 of the textbook, while relating them to the experiences of my own life.

When I look at The Gate by Hans Hofmann (p. 518), I see what I describe as “nothingness”, in a negative tone. It is an oil on canvas painting that primarily is made of rectangular painted boxes in green, blue, grey, white, yellow, and red. Before last week and watching the “I Could Do That” video, I would say, I could do that! However, after watching, I see something more than nothing. I see skill as it takes a high skill level to paint straight edges with oil on canvas, I also see Cubism in this as well with the rectangles. It’s still not my favorite, but I can at least appreciate it.

When it comes to abstract art, I actually liked looking and learning about the drip technique that Jackson Pollock used on page 521. This is a relatively new technique as he used it in 1947 and he also was innovative as he, “…engaged his whole body in the act of painting.” This means simply that he, “…controlled the placement of the drips and splatters through the motion of his arm and body.” It looks as you might imagine, like someone took a paint brush and flicked it a ton on a blank sheet of paper. Look at the photograph on page 521 of Jackson Pollock to see what I mean! I also enjoyed Tahkt-i-Sulayman I by Frank Stella (p. 528) as it was a polymer and fluorescent paint on canvas piece which was bright and vibrant in color. It looked like a bunch of protractors in different shapes lined up differently. It reminded me club colors in Miami, bright yellow, green, blue, orange, pink, and red, also like some of the Miami Heat throwback jerseys. For that, I liked it.

Gliding into something newer, we have pop art in chapter 30. Pop art is simply art that becomes popular with the public due to its recognizable image. The biggest example of this that I found happened to be the Campbell’s Soup (Tomato) can from 1968 by Andy Warhol. The design of the label is so basic as the top half is red and the bottom half is white, with inverse colored text on each side reading “Campbell’s condensed tomato soup.” However, that simplicity is what makes it recognizable and able to stick around for over 50 years. When someone tells you to grab the Campbell’s soup, your mind probably knows exactly what it is looking for (because of the simplicity). Brilliant idea for marketing (business major).

The last piece that I enjoyed was Untitled by Dan Flavin. It was a pink, yellow, blue, and green fluorescent light square across a corner (p. 544). The corner behind the checkerboard look-alike fluorescent lights, reminded me of the MGM Grand casino and hotel in Las Vegas. I often see the aerial snapshot of the MGM Grand as I watch UFC events or boxing matches and this image reminded me of the corner shaped building of the MGM grand at night, as the corner was bright in color and it faded out towards the edge. Compare the image to the MGM to see what I mean!

Overall, I would say that I was able to enjoy this art more because of that video last week. I also was able to make connections to stuff from my own life in these minimalist or abstract pieces to further enjoy them.

[afaye2]

Frank Stella’s That-i-Sulayman I was a very vibrant piece and the colors popped out from the black background. The video from last week also opened my eyes to appreciating art more. I think that we often forget how much emotion and thought artists put into their art work, big or small. The importance of why someone creates art is often overlooked and this course seems to be helping a lot of people appreciate the why of art and the minimalist pieces.

[afaye2]

Chapter 29 & 30

For these chapters, I chose to focus on artwork full of color. I know that color is a big part of our lives and the appreciation of color is often portrayed in art. I appreciate artwork that lacks color or is full of color. Color can add to a piece of art and there is often a symbolic meaning behind color. Things like red meaning bold, blood, or fierce. I chose to focus on color in these chapters because of how symbolic a single color can be or how color is associated with different things.

Frank Stella created Tahkt-i-Sulayman I, this piece uses bright colors to contrast each other and make definite lines and curves of the shapes. This piece uses color to bolden the shapes and the black background makes them stand out more. The way color can attract or make you feel a certain way, this piece was meant to be intense with color. The artist chose to use this these colors and shapes to create a hard-edge painting. 

Ellsworth Kelly created Spectrum III and Red, Yellow, Blue both focus on bright colors and primary colors. Spectrum III shows the spectrum of colors from yellow to yellow. It comes back around to the beginning and brings the power of color and how they bring different emotions and feelings for each color. Red, Yellow, Blue is the three primary colors, this piece is important to go along with another piece by Piet Mondrian, Trafalgar Square. This piece uses the primary colors along with black lines to capture the connection between the two pieces. The book states they connect “Cubism and Color Field painting”. 

I believe that these pieces of work focus more on the styles of art and how colors can effect the styles. I believe that color is often used in art as a symbol for something deeper. Take the American flag for example, there is a reason each of those colors were chosen and it’s symbolic for something more than just a color. The piece, Three Flags by Jasper Johns. The colors each symbolize something that brings it all together as one and overall stands for America. These artist not only chose to focus on these colors to bring out their styles, an exhibit was created by someone else to feature these pieces together. Artwork isn't always about the artwork itself but the exhibit and the paintings bringing out the other works of art.

The impact color has on me personally is that I symbolize red with confidence. Put some red lipstick on and I feel more confident than usual. I believe that color has such deep impact on our lives and we associate each color with something. We see it in every day life and art, in movies, in ads, and in everything. Colors are associated with specific feelings, emotions, or even just eye catching. 

Artists are very specific about what colors they choose in their artwork. Each color represents something and they thought about how important the colors together are or where the color is used. Art is very specific and meaningful, the artists may have been creating art for a style or for a feeling, either way it is always well thought out.

[bigyellowclock-blog]

Chapters 27-28 Post

           When talking about different works of art from separate time periods, I feel there is a sort of bias towards the earlier pieces. I look at older paintings and prints from the 1500s and think that they have a more sophisticated feel to them. They are depictions of real people and settings, clearly detailed and designed. On the other hand, when I look the works in Chapters 27 and 28, I have the opposite impressions. The works in the Cubism and Futurism fashions give me these kinds of ideas, labeling them as less classy, which isn’t fair to the artwork.

           One painter I recognize using the Cubism for is Pablo Picasso. The use of color and space greatly differs from other earlier forms of art. His piece Three Musicians stuck out to me the most, not looking like anything before it. The whole painting is made up of simple shapes and contrasting colors. The figures depicted do not resemble actual humans, but the way the outlines of the shapes work with each other creates something that can be identified as people. The simple shapes in Cubism can have the same end resulting idea as older techniques, three people with instruments.

           Another art style that differentiates itself from the past is Futurism. Futurism was made to break away from the old art styles, totally setting itself apart from previous ideas and relating itself to modern concepts. One piece I think does this well is Unique Forms of Continuityby Umberto Boccioni. It is a sculpture piece, not of a person, but of a person-like figure, expressive of someone walking along. The statue is golden and looks wavy and fluid, even though it is a solid mass. It has curves to it that look like a flowing sheet in the wind. There are no human characteristics other than the legs of the piece. Everything is made out of the same material and has the same smooth golden texture to it.

            For the assignment, the video talking about art and the ideas people have about certain works was interesting, and it ties into the works coming around during the late 1800s. I have heard people talk about art, saying that they could have done that, that it isn’t as difficult or tiring as others make it out to be. I feel that I too have done this at some point in my life. However, I have learned that there are several different aspects to consider when looking at an art piece.

           For starters, making art is not always easy. The ways some artists go about making is different than traditional methods, taking more time, requiring more skill, and having different results. Piet Mondrian’s painting Broadway Boogie Woogieis an example of this. The piece is a series of different colored squares and rectangles all making a sort of cubic web. It would take a lot of time to paint out each small section while making sure the shapes were correct. I’m sure there would be shortcuts like using tape to straighten the lines, but making art is only half of it.

           Artists put their own feeling and experiences into the art they make. They show a variety of emotions through their own personal styles, and sometimes those styles happen to be very simplistic. Just because someone could replicate it does not mean it would carry the same emotions. It is important to look at every angle of a piece, both the physical work and the message behind it before saying that you are capable of doing the same.

[afaye2]

Making art is a way to release creativity, and sometimes the artist want the observers or audience to feel instead of automatically recognize what the artwork represents. Sometimes it is more important to feel and make your art with emotion than making it something that society will say is good or realistic or beautiful. Emotions and creativity often go hand in hand.

[afaye2]

Chapter 27, 28, and “I Could Do That” Video

For this week I decided to focus on artwork from this chapter that goes along with the video. So, I decided to focus on art that “looks” like “I Could Do That” type work. I am going to look deeper into the artwork that looks seemingly easier or like anyone could do it. This video has a very important message that I have said before. Artwork has a deeper meaning and often has a story behind the artwork and the meaning or story isn’t always obvious.

Some of the artworks I chose to focus on are; Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso, Girl before a Mirror by Pablo Picasso, Black Square by Kazimir Malevich, and Collage Arranged Accordingly by Jean (Hans) Arp.

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso is a piece that looks like a bunch of easy lines and figures to draw. However, this piece has details that create a moving or shifting effect in the figures. This piece was well thought out and the details are find lines allowing that movement effect. Sometimes it’s important to focus on the movement and feeling of the artwork rather than the fine details and realistic looks of a piece.

Girl before a Mirror by Pablo Picasso looks like a bunch of shapes and a fairly childish looking girl figure. However, this piece embodies a girl and her reflection, the distortion and contrast in the reflection has a deeper meaning. The reflection is the embodiment of her soul and it’s not a light thing to think about. This piece captures the distortion between her reflection and her true self, it could also be taken as a view on body dysmorphia. 

Black Square by Kazimir Malevich is just a black square on a white background. It looks like nothing, but that's the purpose because the artists point was to make us feel how nothing we are compared to the universe and the white is the beyond. This piece may look like nothing but he had a point and a deeper meaning behind his artwork. It is crazy how small we are in comparison to the rest of the universe and universes beyond us. This black represents everything we don’t know but know is out there and the white represents everything we may never understand or even know is out there.

Collage Arranged Accordingly by Jean (Hans) Arp looks like a bunch of blue and white curved squares on a grey background. This piece is interesting because she let the art decide itself, she let the squares fall onto the background and pasted them where they landed, with the exception of not allowing them to overlap. This is important because this piece represents chance and how sometimes the art can create itself.

All of these pieces look like a child or an adult who isn't creative could make these pieces. But each and every one has a meaning and a story. Each of these works of art have a story to tell and have a lesson to teach. I think that sometimes these pieces don't make sense, but sometimes we need context, we need background to tell us why the artists created the art. Art isn’t always meant to be observed in the sense that it is easy to identify what is going on. Art is meant to make us think and wonder what was going through the artists mind when they were creating this art.

[avenariush-blog]

Week 8 Blog

The artist that I know the most about is Vincent van Gogh because of my elementary school art teacher. The Starry Night and van Gogh’s ear always were points of emphasis anytime we started and made new projects. Moving into the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, we will encounter more of the art that often is known today as well as my favorite art from van Gogh. In this blog, I will analyze main points from chapters 25 and 26 of the textbook while relating them to the experiences of my own life.

Vincent van Gogh as I said is my favorite artist for a couple of reasons. Vincent comes across as extremely peculiar for a multitude of reasons. The first reason is because van Gogh only dedicated the last ten years of his life to painting (p. 457). Given that Vincent only lived for 37 years from 1853-1890, that means he spent roughly only a fourth of his life painting. However, in that short amount of time, the accomplishments of van Gogh would live forever. The Starry Night, which is known to be van Gogh’s most touted work, was an Impression painting, oil on canvas. The strokes of the wind through the air blowing across the night sky over a Dutch village are so distinct as well as vibrant for the dark hue of the painting. What strikes me as amazing is that this painting was done in a mental asylum and is said to reflect a disturbed mind. While I can see where people might get the disturbed mind feeling from the dark hue of the painting, I do not think that is how it is perceived today. I think it is just admired for the image’s creativity.

The second work of art that was shown in my elementary school teacher’s classroom was The Scream. I remember it very distinctly as it sat on the right side of the chalkboard in his room. I also tend to remember this because I wore a scream mask for Halloween for like two years in a row as a kid. However, even though I know the painting, I couldn’t remember the artist, Edvard Munch. In contrast to van Gogh, Munch lived for a much longer period, from 1863-1944. In comparison to van Gogh, Munch was said to suffer from mental issues (p. 464). Munch was more of a Symbolist (works often suggest states of mind and ideas), the most notable Symbolist work being The Scream, as I mentioned earlier. This painting is very interesting as it is seemed to be painted in waves and curves. The figure which is doing the “screaming” has its hands covering its ears. The hands are curved around the head and blending along with the pieces terrain which are curved as well. This piece is meant to describe a scream of colors and nature, as Munch felt for inspiration for this piece. I believe this painting could also express a disconnect from society as the character is blocking out the “noise.”

Moving onto the early twentieth century, we have Expressionism and artists such as Franz Marc and Vassily Kandinsky, who were a part of the German Expressionist group, The Blue Rider (p. 472/473). Off the bat, I am going to be honest, I find this genre of art to be similar to looking at a world of nothingness. The bright exhibition of blue, green, orange, and yellow lull me to sleep along with the often-long shapes used in these works. One of these works that tend to lull me to sleep is The Large Blue Horses by Franz Marc. This painting is said to represent red dogs, pink skies, and blue horses. However, the only thing that I can make out from the oil on canvas painting is a few blue horses. I was actually able to make out more from Marc’s other corresponding painting, Small Yellow Horses, which is essentially a template of the horses used in The Large Blue Horses, painted yellow and placed on another piece of canvas, with a different background.

Overall, I was mostly impressed by chapter 25 with the works of van Gogh and Munch. Their works resembled each other with the Impressionist styles. It was also interesting to see that these artists went through mental suffering and still produced legendary works. As for chapter 26, I will hold my silence (or you can just read the second to last paragraph).

[afaye2]

I believe that the expressionism art can be interesting although the piece, Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 4 by Vassily Kandinsky had me confused. It was a piece representing the winter season although it is full of color. As a midwesterner all I see in the winter is typically whites and maybe some browns in the grass. I get what you mean when you say it’s similar to looking at a world of nothingness, it makes me wonder what they were looking at or thinking of when they created these works of art.

[afaye2]

Chapter 25 & 26

For these chapters, I chose to focus on Fauvism and Expressionism. These forms of art are very colorful and there are less fine lines and more colors running together. These forms of art aren't as realistic as some but they are interesting and pleasing to the eye. I also find that they aren't as straight forward and therefore they are more difficult to interpret or need more interpreting to udnerstand them.

The first work I noticed was Woman with a Hat, this work was very colorful and not natural colors for a woman. I find this work intersting because although it may not be natural colors it has am interesting effect. The textbook states this painting had an unconventional use of color.

Another painting by Henri Matisse, The Joy of Life, uses bright "happy" colors to give the vibe of joy. Hence the name The Joy of Life, this painting is filled with people without clothes on and they seem to be careless. The nonrealistic colors mixing together give off that careless vibe even more.

The expressionism in this chapter has darker colors than the Fauvism but still has unrealistc or unnatural colors creating a picture. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's painting, The Street of 1907, has a street of people walking around. The people aren't very realistic and the colors curve outlines for the other colors, this gives it a feeling of motion in the painting.

One painting I found very interesting in this section is Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 4. This painting is interesting to me because it isn't something you look at and just know what it is. This painting makes you think and contemplate what it is and what it is telling you. The textbook states that this painting represents a season, winter to be exact. When I look at this painting I don't think of winter. I find it interesting how someone can create something but not everyone sees the same thing.

Franz Marc, created to The Large Blue Horses and Small Yellow Horses which are both examples of expressionism that have fairly unrealistic and unnatural colors but you know what the painting is. It's a painting of horses, these paintings have contrasting colors. I found it interesting that Franz Marc chose to paint animals rather than humans because they fit expressionism better in his mind.

These styles are styles I would have hanging in my house, to keep in my house or room. It is art that reminds me to think deeper and look past the main focus point of the painting. I am interested in paintings like these because I question what they mean and the more curiosity you have the more you are going to learn. I think these paintings are not only interesting but important because they allow us to step back and think deeper.

Overall, I found this section very interesting anf very different than the past two chapters. These paintings focused more on bright colors, contrast and curves rather than realism and dark colors. Although all had contrast, the contrast was different with the different styles. I think it is amazing all the ways you can create art and these styles have opened my mind to see how different they can be.

[avenariush-blog]

Week 7 Blog

Just less than seven weeks ago, we started off in the 13th century, and now we’re already exploring 20th century art with Realism and Impressionism. I must say, personally, these works are more up my alley as I tend to experience recency bias. Of course, before I get started, it is important to note that the industrial revolution has kicked off and that technology is starting to increase at a rapid pace. In this blog, I will analyze main points from chapters 23 and 24 of the textbook while relating them to the experiences of my own life.

Starting with Realism, in France, we have Rosa Bonheur whom used Realism with a touch of romanticism (which we talked about last week) in her work, The Horse Fair. This painting, which is oil on canvas, has some of the most real-life anatomy of animals and humans to the date of 1853. This painting portrays “… the struggle between humanity and untamed forces of nature (416).” Horses in this painting, of all different colors, are rumbling down a dirt path, some bucking in the air, and humans are trying to contain them by grabbing their headgear. The detail of the sky being dark, and the muscles of the horses being flexed as they are exerting massive amounts of energy is so realistic, much like nothing that we’ve seen before up to this point.

Traveling across the North Atlantic Ocean, we have examples of Realism in America with Mathew Brady. Brady is a very interesting character as he is known to have taken more than a third of the 100 known photographs of President Lincoln. One of the most notable photos of Lincoln that Brady took was “Cooper Union.” This photo was taken in 1860, with Lincoln standing straight-up, wearing a trench jacket, with a straight face. Lincoln’s left hand is firmly set on a pile of books, which is said to have given the photo a touch of Lincoln’s intellectual side as well as his serious side with his straight face (thus making this Realism). It is important to note that Realism in this time seems to be a world-trending phenomenon, even in forms of architecture with the Brooklyn Bridge and Eiffel Tower.

Shifting into Impressionism, in France again, we have Claude Monet, who, “…embodied the technical principles of Impressionism” more than any other artist at the time (439). The perfect piece to describe Impressionism is Monet’s Impression: Sunrise. This piece is oil on canvas, which depicts a boat on a body of water surrounded by trees during a sunrise. It has the famous silhouette of the sun onto the water, as well as the trees. One thing different about this piece is that the strokes are thicker than most impression pieces such as Monet’s Terrace at Sainte-Adresse, which is also an oil on canvas, impression. This piece looks almost like a low-resolution photograph, with its very thin strokes.

Heading back to America again, we also see Impressionism. John Singer Sargent, whom happened to live in Paris in the early 1880’s (448), had several great American renditions of Impressionism. One of the most popular, Breezing Up. This oil on canvas painting portrays an older man and three young men in the ocean on a boat, with the boat riding on its side nearly, and a flare of sun on the left side of the painting. Everyone in the photo is calm, and thin strokes appear to be used. Following the trend of many Impression paintings.

Overall, we see some trends with Realism and Impressionism. Both seem to start in France and creep over to America. Both also seem to be applied on oil on canvas paintings. Lastly, most can apply to almost any real-life depiction of humanity. I am very surprised by how far the anatomy and proportions of anatomy has come along with things such as the planes used in paintings, and the linear-perspective. This art seems to build on itself, using themes of the past, to build and become more REAL.

[afaye2]

The realism in chapter 23 seems to focus on movement or a subtext. In the painting you first described, The Horse Fair, the movement portrayed within this painting is very realistic. The way the horses moved within the painting made it look real. The impressionism in chapter 24 seems more fuzzy and more blurred. I found that both in the realism and impressionism paintings there was sub-context and a story behind the painting. I think that this work has been more personal than the past work we have seen.

[afaye2]

Nineteenth-Century Realism and Impressionism

I decided to focus on French Realism and Impressionism in the 1860-1880′s for these two chapters, specifically, Édouard Manet’s artwork. I found his art work interesting how he focused on the sexual context of women within his paintings. I don’t have much of a personal connection to the paintings other than I am a woman and I find it intriguing the perspective this painter had on the woman figures within his paintings.

What I found interesting about French Realism was that in the paintings, the women were nude. Both of Édouard Manet’s artwork shown in this chapter had women without clothes on, but in Le Déjeuner sur I’Herbe, the men are fully dressed. It stood out to me because it felt as if it was making a statement and the book points out that he suffered criticism for how he portrayed the nude woman with rolls on her waist. My observation of this painting is that there is so much context unspoken that needs interpretation and explanation.

Manet’s second piece shown in the textbook, Olympia, was also naked and it had similar lighting within the painting, the woman overly illuminated and the background dark. These paintings of Manet’s bring me to believe that he was rebellious and often broke barriers with his untraditional paintings. These paintings have a lot of similarities but the women in the paintings give off different body languages, the first painting was casual but misplaced, this painting is less casual feeling and more posed.

I found it intriguing how Manet focused one nude women in his paintings, and how they were criticized for his portrayal of women within his paintings. In a sense his paintings were a form of realism but some criticized that they weren’t a form of realism. His impressionism work had both similarities and differences to his realism work.

In A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, the women was not nude, this artwork was in the impressionism style. The woman is in a bar and you could see her reflection in the mirror along with the customers reflections. This pieces has different lighting and brushwork, as stated in the text book. This pieces, unlike his work in the 1860′s had more of a blur look to the painting. I found it interesting how different the paintings were between the two styles. Both focused on a woman figure but in this painting the woman seems emotional or sad. In the textbook, it talked about how it had a sexual subtext, “When seen from the back, the girl seems engaged in conversation with the man. But from the from she is alienated - bored and vacant - and aligned with the objects on the bar. (pg. 435). I found it interesting his work all had a sexual subtext to it.

This artist connects to my life because as a women, it is intriguing to learn about other perspectives on sexuality and sexual context. I personally find it interesting the take Édouard Manet had on women within his paintings. I mostly was intrigued that he had such context behind his paintings regarding the main figures within the paintings.

[oakesa-blog]

Baroque and Rococo

Baroque, or “barroco” in Portuguese, means an irregular and inherently imperfect pearl. The term is applied to multiple styles, beginning first in Italy and becoming notable in Paris by the end of the period, and these styles tended to be more energetic, emotional, and “unrestrained” than previous works. These works illustrated a quickly-advancing study of nature and scientific advancement, and the imagery was more aggressive in its portrayal of drama, violence, and the emotional spectrum. There was a considerable amount of texture, contrast of both light and color, and a lack of any controlled perspective. Allegory and portraiture both expanded by incorporating “character and mood” in new ways.

In the architectural world, Gianlorenzo Bernini’s work on Saint Peter’s showed notable Baroque characteristics. The use of dark bronze for the interior columns over the high altar contrast sharply with the surrounding marble. Its exterior, a piazza divided into two parts, was designed to allow crowds to come and go with ease, “enclosed but not confined.” This involvement of the people in such a designed space, such as a processional space, was a classic Baroque preference. However, in France, architectural design took a very different route. Structures were designed in a very ordered, restrained fashion that was reminiscent of Classical aesthetics. The Louvre and the Palace of Versailles both featured styling that many would probably consider “timeless,” with a sort of grandeur and elegance that personally reminded me of ancient Greek and Roman architecture.

Bernini was also a notable sculptor, and it is clear to see via the comparison done on page 344 between Donatello, Michelangelo, and Bernini that there is much more emotion and dynamic movement incorporated into Baroque works. As the text states, it is “theatrical.” This is also true of his work Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, which perfectly portrays Bernini’s ability to draw the viewer into his depictions.

Baroque painting was characterized by the intent and ability, as with Bernini’s sculptures, to draw the viewer into the picture rather than giving the sense of looking through a window. The goal was to draw attention by means other than linear perspective. The contrast of light and dark was used in many religious works to draw attention to the Christian message within certain pieces, or to pull focus to particularly emotional or tragic depictions. There are a considerable number of painters directly mentioned in the text, from several countries, and it would be impossible for me to include them in this post so instead I have shared the traits that are consistent through all of them.

Rococo works were characterized by the appearance of depicting the aristocracy, gods, and goddesses in fantastic and exotic worlds. Their underlying tones of satire were typically overlaid with frivolous excess and wit. Colors tended to be bright around the subject and typically not as starkly contrasted, save against the background, though they remained as highly textured as Baroque style pieces. Surface elegance was a key component of Rococo paintings, with a wide variety of textures and attention to finer details such as draped materials, feathers, and lace. The architecture was lofty, light, and intended to give its viewers a “glimpse of heaven.”

Also, I now believe that Jack Black is a direct descendant of Paul Revere.

[afaye2]

I find it interesting that barroco means imperfect and along with that how sometimes the best art is imperfect. Such as architectural designs and in paintings. Imperfections often make the art even more meaningful. Along with note about Gianlorenzo Bernini's work how it was "enclosed but not confined". I think thay contradictions can be seen as imperfections but make the art even better. Imperfections also make art timeless and unique. Which goes along with your comment about it different artists having different styles or more theatrical art. Overall, I find it interesting that that is the translation and that it makes art more unique when it's imperfect.

[afaye2]

Women Artists

For these two chapters, chapter 19 and chapter 20, I decided to focus on women artists, I relate to this because I am a women, even though I am not an artist. I found it interesting and could relate to in a sense. The women artists included in these chapters are:

Judith Leyster. Her painting The Last Drop is a very contrasted painting and in the text book it talks about the meaning of the painting and how it portrays drinking and smoking as time paces and death occurs. I found this painting interesting, especially after reading the meaning behind it. This painting is an eye opener because to me, I took it as how precious life is and the carelessness in the two that were drinking and smoking. I think it speaks on the issues of heavy drinking and smoking during the period. 

Maria van Oosterwyck. Her painting Vanities Still Life also has an hourglass insinuating the passing of time. It also has the decay of the corn insinuating death, similar to Judith Leyster’s painting. This painting is dark and detailed, my reflection of this painting is that it has such a deep meaning to every detail in this painting. I personally was intrigued by, not only the details, but the reds which I often connect with love or passion. 

Adélaïde Labille-Guiard. Her painting Self-Portrait with Two Pupils interested me because in the painting on an easel which is assumed to be her self portrait. To me, is intriguing because it is a self portrait of her painting a self portrait. This painting has a deeper meaning to which she is teaching the two women behind her. My reflection of this painting is that it has so much meaning and is important for women artists. 

Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun. Her painting Marie Antoinette and Her Children is a painting of a queen with her three children, and one empty crib. The textbook talks about how the queen is oblivious of the world around her and this makes me realize the issues of the period regarding women. This queen’s only purpose was to raise her children and she had no understanding of the world around her. I find it interesting the issues regarding this painting and the issues surrounding it. 

Angelica Kauffmann. Her painting Cornelia Pointing to Her Children as Her Treasures also involves a mother with her children. This painting depicts her children as her jewels and how precious they are. I think that this is similar to the previous painting, but with more of a loving tone.

These women portrayed social issues and other things regarding women’s issues during this time. I didn’t realize the meaning behind these paintings but now I realize how important these paintings are. These women portrayed some controversial and important things through their art, along with making their voice be heard in a prominently male career.

I know how women are still fighting for rights today, but then it must've been even harder for women. In the textbook it stated in many ways that women were supposed to have children and that’s all. I think that these women made a voice for these women, oblivious or stuck. I think that this issue isn't as prominent today, although there are still prominent issues today, but these paintings and these artists paved the way from women today. Without women artists breaking glass ceilings and making statements we wouldn’t have gotten as far as we have today.

[lostinarthistory]

Week 3-Chapters 15&16

Early Renaissance-1400-1500

I’m realizing that a lot of the work revolves around religion. With paintings like the “Holy Trinity”, displayed on page 250, the construction of the Florence Cathedral on page 246 and the sculpture, Medici Venus, displayed on page 253, depicting the Greek Goddess Aphordite. I’m not incredibly invested in any type of religion, so when I’m exposed to things that revolve around religion, I tend to lose interest pretty quickly. I am though, a little more interested in those types of things when there’s some morbidity involved, which I realize makes me sound crazy, but I need a little bit of excitement here, you know? For example, on page 244, under The Competition for the Florence Baptistery Doors, it talks about Genesis 22. In Genesis 22, Isaac’s father, Abraham, obeys God’s command to sacrifice his only son as an act of faith but at the last minute, an angel breaks through and instructs Abraham to substitute a ram for Issac. That little story interests me because there’s a little bit of excitement involved. There’s also a painting “Descent from the Cross” (pg.274) that interests me for the same reason, because it’s a little bit morbid-I mean, they’re taking Jesus’ dead body off the cross!  I don’t get a strong sense of excitement from many religious things. I’m sure there are many other stories like this in religious readings, but I’m not invested enough to read through them. 

Through the majority of the reading in chapters 15 and 16, who you read about are men, so I became very interested when I came across Isabella d’Este on page 265. I get pretty tired of reading about men, mainly because they’ve always been “in the spotlight” throughout history, while women were in the background, so getting to read about a notable woman was nice. Isabella was the marchioness of Mantua. She was able to receive a humanist education and “followed the contemporary fashion for designing intimate, private studies, which, before Isabella, had been reserved for men”. I’m proud of women like her who were/are not afraid to step up and make a difference. 

High Renaissance-1480-1570

One thing I really enjoy about the High Renaissance are the pen and ink drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. I really appreciate these works because they’re so delicate, raw and beautiful, especially because they’re only made from ink. One of da Vinci’s works “Vitruvian Man”(pg. 280), is an example of, what I consider. a powerful work of art. I also love his “Embryo in the Womb”(pg. 283). I appreciate both of those works because they have to do with the human body, which is something that really intrigues me. Something else about the High Renaissance that I’m really enjoying is the color used in art from the Netherlands. It’s very warm and really catches my eye. Someone from this time that stands out to me is Raphael because he, at age 24, went to Rome and painted portraits and other works. He stands out to me because I’m 24, and not doing half the things he’s already done in his life. The kind of message I get from him, even though it isn’t really explained, is to do what you enjoy and follow that path. 

[afaye2]

The artwork in these chapters, as well as the previous chapter, do often revolve around religion. I find it interesting that religion was so focused in the art during this period of time. Even the architecture focus on religion, such as the Santo Spirito which was in the shape of a cross. I think that religion was very prominent in this period and it shows in all forms of art; paintings, drawings, sculptures, statues, and even buildings. Religion was very important and the artists wanted to show the importance of religion through their art. 

[afaye2]

Early and High Renaissance Architecture

For chapter fifteen and sixteen I chose to focus on architecture because I originally wanted to become an architect going into college. I have always been interested in architecture, even if I changed my major. Architecture is a form of art that interests me and that is why I chose to focus on it for these two chapters.

In these chapters, it focused on the appreciation of the art of architecture. One quote that interested me was “Compared with the complexity of Abbot Suger’s search for perfect mathematical ratios based on musical harmonies, Brunelleschi’s concept of architectural beauty lay in basic ratios and shapes.” (pg. 245). This stuck out to me because the art or architecture comes in many ways. Some architects find the beauty in the complexity and some find the beauty in the basics. I think this in common in all forms of art, some people appreciate the complex and detail oriented parts and some people appreciate the basics in art.

One of Brunelleschi’s architectural plans, Santo Spirito, focuses on the basics. This architectural piece is symmetrical in the form of a cross and has a Gothic style to it. I found this structure interesting because it was simple in structure but I find the Gothic style more complex and I find the two together interesting. I got that sometimes two very different things can complement each other, even though you thought it might not have. The textbook describes this architectural structure as “... simplicity, harmonious proportion, and symmetry.” (pg. 247). 

Another architect that the textbook talked about is Donato Bramante, His architectural designs often have a round or dome structure to it. The Tempietto had a round shape and a dome top. This structure interested me because even though it was structurally different than the Santo Spirito is was similar in the space, not many people could be in the building at one time. It was also similar in symmetry, this, along with other architectural structures in this period.

What I got from these chapters was the different histories that the architectural design came from and the backgrounds of the architects. I found it interesting that the architects based their work on other architects and they made it their own. I think that studying other art and artists allow new artists to thrive, learn, and observe. Another thing I find interesting is the difference in the architectural designs between the early renaissance and the high renaissance. 

The art of architecture is different than a statue or painting, it is a lot bigger and often holds statues or paintings. I think the beauty of architecture is that sometimes it is overlooked, but is a structure that can be both appreciated and used. You can use buildings for many things, you can live in them, used them as museums, or as a place of worship. I think that understanding and appreciating the beauty of architecture is important.

I chose to focus on the architectural designs in this chapter because I have always had an interest in architecture. I was going to major in architecture in college but found something I am more passionate about. I still enjoy appreciating architecture and I am fascinated by different structures. I think that these chapters helped me to better understand the structures and the history behind them.

[rhoadsj-blog]

Week 2 - Pre-Renaissance

This week we read about the precursors of the Renaissance. This chapter covered a lot of religious works of art that were similar in their designs, although they were completed by different artists. The paintings that stood out most to be in this chapter are Cimabue’s Madonna Enthroned, Giotto’s Madonna enthroned, and Duccio’s Rucellai and Maesta.

Cimabue’s Madonna Enthroned on page 224 of the textbook contains heavy Byzantine style characteristics with the use of gold in the background, the gold in Mary’s clothing, and the slender bodies of everyone in the painting. Jesus, although the size of a baby being held by Mary, has the characteristics of an adult, which is also part of the Byzantine style. The figures in this painting are flatter and less natural looking.

Giotto’s Madonna Enthroned on page 225 of the textbook keeps the gold, Byzantine-inspired background Giotto uses shading rather than gold to create the folds in clothing material, and Jesus has a more childlike form. The figures in this painting are more three dimensional and natural looking.

Duccio’s Rucellai Madonna on page 232 also has a gold background, like that of the Byzantine. This painting is like a mixture between the two Madonna Enthroned paintings when it comes to looking natural. Duccio also did a very large altarpiece, called Maesta, that included an image of Mary sitting on a throne holding Jesus in the center, which is very similar to the other three paintings.

I think it’s interesting that this image of Mary and Jesus was reproduced over and over to be used for altarpieces. It looks as though Cimabue may have been creating his Madonna Enthroned at the same, or near the same, time as Duccio was creating his Rucellai Madonna because Cimabue’s creation was in progress from 1280-1290, while Duccio’s was made in 1285. It shows that Mary and Jesus are very important figures in this religion. The version of this scene that I like most is Giotto’s Madonna Enthroned because it looks more natural, and he chose to use a Gothic style throne, which I have been very drawn to the Gothic style of architecture lately. In trying to relate these paintings to my life, it makes me think of styles of band tee shirts. These are three different artists who painted this image of Mary and Jesus in a very similar way (Mary sitting on a throne, holding Jesus, and surrounded by others). With band tee shirts, the designers put together similar layouts for their designs. For example, I have several band tee shirts that have a small logo on the left side chest area, and a larger design on the back. These band tee shirts were all designed by different artists, but they are still similar in how they are set up.

In conclusion, the paintings that stood out most to be in this chapter are Cimabue’s Madonna Enthroned, Giotto’s Madonna Enthroned, and Duccio’s Rucellai and Maesta. This week’s chapter about the precursors of the Renaissance covered a lot of religious works of art that were similar in their designs, although they were completed by different artists.

[afaye2]

I find interesting how you compared this generation’s art. I would have never thought of it that way but I think being able to connect things back then to things now is not only amazing but also important. I think comparing and connecting art in different eras and generations is important to be able to really put ourselves in a perspective we can understand. Being able to connect art from then to know will help us to better understand the art from that era because we can compare it to the art we create now.

[afaye2]

Thirteenth and Fourteenth Century Italy

For this chapter, I choose to focus on thirteenth and fourteenth century Italy because I personally have been to Italy and I felt more connected and interested in this section. Italy is a beautiful country and every building seems to have many details, and I connect that with the art shown in the textbook. I think that Italy’s artwork and has always been detail-oriented and I was intrigued to learn more about it.

In this section, I noticed there was a lot of focus on religion in the artwork. All the artwork shown in these two sections were connected to religion or captured different religious figures. Figures such as; Mary, God, Jesus, and angel Gabriel. These figures were captured within the artwork to tell a story.

The textbook states, “Around the turn of the thirteenth century, however, developments in Italy, inspired by Roman traditions, led to a major shift in Western European art.” (pg. 222). This helped me to understand why religion was so prominent in the thirteenth and fourteenth century art in Italy. When I think of Roman traditions, I think of Roman Catholics and associate that with the religion captured in the artwork.

Three years ago, I visited Europe and one of the countries I visited was Italy. I visited Venice and while I was there, I often saw religious statues or stained glass over doorways. The statues I saw were similar to the artwork in the textbook. I find it interesting how the statues were located everywhere and how the art was incorporated on pillars, on top of buildings, over doorways, in windows and in murals on buildings. While in Venice, I visited the Basilica di San Marco and the artwork also captured many religious figures and told religious stories through the artwork.

The Arena Chapel (pg. 227) reminds me of the entrance to the Basilica di San Marco. I noticed that in both artworks the tops are arched and there was a center focus, I think a lot of artwork from this era have similar features. I found that observation interesting as well as captivating, I believe it pulls the viewer into the same center point of focus.

The Last Judgement (pg. 230) also had and arch and center focus like the other two works of art. I found this artwork interesting because it drew me in but also had so much to say. There are so many figures in this artwork and there are so many different sections telling different stories but all together it is one big story. The book talks about how this artwork is the finale and brings all the other artworks in the Arena Chapel together to a finish. I think this work of art does a good job of telling the ending, when you look at it you can feel that it is the end. My first impression was that it drew me in and after reading the chapter, I realized it drew me in because it was the ending and it was bringing everything together for the finale. 

[codybertram-blog1]

One thing that interest me with art is how expensive pieces of art can be when some of these pieces look like scribbles. When it comes to art history it would be interesting to better understand the importance of certain art pieces like the Mona Lisa. Outside of art my main interests deal with anything outside to include riding my dirt bike, shooting guns, etc. I am currently pursuing a degree in Athletic Training and I am hoping to be accepted into the Physical Therapy program this fall. I look forward to understanding art better throughout this course. 

[afaye2]

I agree that it is interesting how expensive art can be. I have seen the Mona Lisa in person and I think it is crazy how it is encased in glass, has a rope around it so people can’t get too close, and a security guard sitting next to it. I think it’s interesting how famous this painting is and how important it is that it needs such security.

[afaye2]

Week 1

Art and art history interest me because art and art history are crucial in understanding and expressing cultures, religions, spirituality, and emotions. Outside of art, I am interested in hiking, biking, camping, traveling, and trying new foods. I am pursing a double degree in Accounting and Human Resources and I plan to go into the Accounting field. I hope to learn more about my creative side and about different cultures through art in this course. 

My favorite work of art is this piece that I saw at the City Museum in St. Louis. I found it interesting how every angle you looked at it, it was different, but looking at it head on you could see what it was. I also liked all the random little pieces that made up this work of art.