module 12 video review

1.             I chose to watch Andy Warhol: Images of an Image because I already know some of Andy Warhol’s works and some of his background.  I think that he is an interesting person and his cultural background brought a lot to his works of art.  I watched Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the 50s and 60s because I feel as if it ties in with Andy Warhol and his style and works would be included in the film.  By watching this video I feel as if I would learn more about Andy Warhol as well as other pop artists of the time period. 

2.             In the Andy Warhol vide I learned that he was inspired by the lives of famous women and he created dozens of self-portraits.  I did not know that he always wanted to be a tap dancer and that his studio became the hang out place of New York artists.  In 1963 he purchased a video camera and shot about ten films that turned his friends in to movie stars.   In the Abstract Expressionism video I learned that the main approach to art in this time period was its unpredictability of experimentation.  Art during this time period was more of an attitude and uncontrolled techniques were used.

3.             The videos relate to the text because they both described Warhol’s life and his works, and both Abstract Expressionism and the text described works of pop art and pop artists such as Johns, DeKooning, and Warhol.

4.             I thought the videos were interesting because they gave a more in depth look of the time period as well as a closer view of Warhol’s life.  Seeing the images and works described in the text made it more interesting and created a more lasting impression.

Gallery Visit

Step 1: The Exhibition

Questions about the exhibit:1. What is the title of the exhibit? Being There: Bruce Jackson Photographs 1962-2012
2. What is the theme of the exhibition? The theme of this exhibition was photographs from this man's life that showcase what he went through, his daily experiences, and what shaped him in to whom he is today.

Step 2: The Gallery

Questions about the physical space:1. What type of lighting is used? Throughout the exhibition bright lighting was used that focused on the pictures as well as making the exhibition space very bright and inviting.
2. What colors are used on the walls? The walls were white.
3. What materials are used in the interior artchitecture of the space? The exhibition was mostly simple with white walls, bright lighting, and the focus being on the hanging paintings.
4. How is the movement of the viewer through the gallery space? The viewer creates their own path by going from painting to painting along the walls as they choose. There is no set order or sequence but I just went along the walls as I came to the paintings.

Step 3: The Artwork

Questions about the artwork:1. How are the artworks organized? They are neatly organized on the walls, there was no clutter or chaos.
2. How are the artrworks similar? They are similar because they depict some of the same situations, and the scenery is similar.
3. How are the artworks different? The photographs show different scenes and stages that this man went through so the scenes and images depicted in them are different.
4. How are the artworks framed? They are mounted on the walls.
5. How are the artworks identified and labeled? There are small tags next to the works of art.
6. What is the proximity of the artwork to each other? They are close to each other but not so close that they are on top of each other.

4. What did you think of visiting the Gallery and purposefully looking at the exhibition from a different perspective - the physical space, the architecture, theme, etc.?

Looking at it from this perspective made me think about the time and thought that goes in to planning how each exhibition will be presented.  The spacing, the lighting and the presentation enhance the exhibition in so many ways and I never really thought about it like that before.

http://www.burchfieldpenney.org/

Module 11 Video Review

1. I chose to watch Picasso and Matisse because I had read about both the artists in the chapter and wanted to learn more about both of them, and see what works of art the videos would showcase.  Dance at the Moulin de la Galette had an interesting name and I wanted to know if it was an actual dance or a representation of something else.

2. I learned that the first Matisse was later hung up and surrounded by Picasso's paintings.  Matisse was unaware of his talent for 20 years and very organized and meticulous in his thoughts and work.  Picasso on the other hand is impulsive and throws himself in to his work.  The film Dance at the Moulin de la Galette is Renoir's most famous piece, and most controversial.  It was painted twice but almost nothing was changed except its size, and it was meant to make women look beautiful and men to be interested in women.

3. Both the videos relate to the text because they showcase more of Picasso and Matisse's works and add to the concepts that were covered in the text. The videos help us to remember what we learned in the textbook.

4. I thought that the videos were informative and helped to reiterate the points that were being made in the text.

Module Ten Video Review

1. I chose to watch Islamic Art: India and the Middle East because I wanted to see more of Islamic art. I had read about it in the chapters and was interested to see more.
I also watched The Great Wave because the title was interesting to me and I wanted to learn more about what it was going to involve.

2. In Islamic Art I loved seeing the mosques, I think they are so beautiful and the fact that they have both spiritual meaning and beauty makes them even more special.  Just to have a place where one can go to worship and be at peace is very special and I like the concept of that.
From The Great Wave I learned how to see the different meanings in everything.  When the wave is about to crash on the edge of chaos we are always looking at the peak of nature such as a mountain or the sky, and it leads to the question: am I looking at the sea or something inside of me? I liked this video because it showed how life can really be lived in the moment and if you truly want to you can see the beauty in every moment.

3. The videos related to the text because they further explained what was going on in the readings. The videos helped to reinforce the concepts and to back up what we had previously read in the text.

4. I liked both of the videos I watched because I learned a lot from them that I had not known before. I like to hear about different cultures and the different ways in which various cultures view the world and both these videos definitely provided that.

Module 9

1. What was it like using your hand as subject matter for a drawing?

It made me more aware of what my hand actually looks like. It is a lot more complicated to capture what your hand actually looks like than one would think.

2. What media did you select - pencil or charcoal? Why?

I chose pencil because I think that the lines pencil creates are more similar to the actual lines of my hand than charcoal.

3. How did it feel to create a drawing with your non-dominant hand?

It felt so weird! I did feel like I had more control with my non dominant hand drawing rather than writing something.

4. Compare and contrast your final drawings. Do you think they are successful studies?

I think they are, my dominant hand drawing had much more realistic lines because I could control the pencil more, while my non dominant hand drawing is much more abstract as opposed to hard lines.

5. Would you consider using your non-dominant hand to create artwork in the future?

I would, I think that it offers a different perspective and brings out a different side of artwork.

Module 9 Video Review

1.I chose to watch Leonard da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance because I have heard of Leonardo da Vinci and I thought that it would be interesting to learn more about someone that I had already heard of.  He contributed a lot of knowledge to a lot of different areas of study and it was interesting to learn more about that, as well as learning about da Vinci himself outside of his works and contributions.

 I also watched The Drawings of Michelangelo because I had heard of Michelangelo as well and am familiar with some of his works such as the Statue of David.  It was interesting to see the entire process from sketch to sculpture because it shows how much time and thought go in to the entire process. 

2.  The Leonardo da Vinci video went in to an in depth look at da Vinci’s life, such as at age 20 he was accepted in to the painter’s guild.  His creative imagination was a new inspiration, and sometimes he would go for hours or even days thinking about a painting without even picking up a brush.  I thought that was an important fact because it shows just how creative his mind was and how long it took to build up an idea that was worth putting in to creation.

The Drawings of Michelangelo video explained that The British Museum contains more than 90 drawings by Michelangelo alone, and while it draws numerous viewers his works were hidden when they were first created.  The video reflected the creativity and process the artist had to go through in order to achieve great results.

3. As usual the videos enhanced the readings and added to the material that was being taught.  It helps the viewer to understand what is being taught and what information needs to be retained.

4.  I thought the films were informative and helped me to learn more about the artists and how they created the works they did.  The videos help to make the readings in the text more clear because you can actually visualize what is being talked about.