Archive for the ‘Assignment: 2 +1 Artworks’ Category

2+1 Artworks

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

Just making sure these were on the blog for grading even though we’ve discussed them in class already.

Like:

Dislike:

The 2 favorites and 1 least favorite

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

 

 

The first one shown is a glass sculpture done by Dale Chihuly. I liked this picture/sculpture due to the color and the organic flow of it. The piece just draws your eyes in. You can tell that he put a lot of effort into the sculpture as well. There is a sense of pride emitting from the piece. I feel that it comes from how carefully it had to be put together and how all the pieces fit perfectly together.

The second one is a photograph by Nancy Holt. It is a picture of concrete pipes with the sunlight shining through them. I liked this one due to the simplicity of it. The geometric shapes with the barren background makes the sunlight more impressive. The color of it also draws me in, it creates a peaceful aura around it. She had to put a lot of time and effort into trying to get the sunlight to hit the pipes just right because she only had one real shot at it.

The last one is a painting by Jackson Pollock. This one is not my favorite. I think that this piece just looks as if he spilled paint all over the canvas. It does not look like he put any real effort or thought into it. It looks as if a four year old could do it. I feel as though he was bored and just wanted to use up any extra paint laying around. I know that it is not true, but that is the vibe I get from the painting. In addition, the color choice is a turn off because it does not allow the painting to flow. The color restricts and suppresses the painting.

2+1 Artworks

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Discussion Notes: 2+1 Artworks

Friday, August 28th, 2009

UHP399 | Gardens & Machines | Fall 2009

Assignment:  2 + 1 Artworks

Below are the notes we generated during our in-class discussion examining our personal criteria and assumptions used to discern art that we like and don’t like.

List of criteria for “like”
Personal significance:  visual, emotional,
Purpose or point to art work
Positive – connected to identity

Work inspired questions
“drew you in”
medium not relevant, but what was going on in the art work

consideration of nature through multiple perspectives
balance between nature and technology
representations of reality or uncanny (twisted take)     remembrances

Criteria for “dislike”
Dislike occurred within a medium; reason for like was also basis     for dislike
Mysterious something is missing
Amount of perceived effort into production of artwork
Not complex at first glance
Motivation or intent matters and can change original     assessment

Some General Observations:
Knowledge shapes opinion
Social factors like class shape opionion
Personal experiences/preference

Important terms or concepts:
uncanny (Freud…)
aura (Walter Benjamin)
beauty (Kant…)
sublime

QUESTIONS:

Why do people initially think painting is visual art?

How does your exposure to art affect what you consider to be good art?

How does the emotion in a piece of art influence perception?

Does someone’s understanding influence their enjoyment?

How has time influenced what people consider to be good art?

Does skill really matter? concept vs. skill/labor

Why does context matter?

Why is one person famous, another is not?

Has anybody seen modern dance?  What are common assumptions about what art is?

Why do we like certain things and not others?  What is this ‘inner something’ that draws one to works of art?

Can you every truly objectify art?  Is art is inherently subjective?

Is it possible to prioritize skill over intention or history?

Does the perception of being able to make or recreate a piece of art affect our appreciation of it?

van Gogh,Freitas, and Arp French

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

I will be printing out the pieces of art that I chose and bringing them to class.  I will definitely upload them later to add that what is already on the blog page.  While you won’t see them right now, the first work that I chose is a photograph.  There is a bridge that leads the observer’s gaze into the horizon from the right center of the page, thrusting itself into the sea.  The main focus of the piece is a really cool skyline of cumulous cloud formations.  I chose this work because I have a real appreciation for clouds (both in art and in realtime), and for anyone that has the ability to capture their sublime-like essence in representation, whether it be through picture or painting or sketch.  It takes great effort to make hem appear life-like.

The second piece of artwork that I chose is a shades painting of a city building, angled so that the viewer can see the river/stream that runs congruent to it, and off into the distance.  The color was the first thing that struck me about this picture.  The careful shading pulled me into the picture and made me want to be there.  What I thought was especially interesting was the lack of human presence in body form.  There is a certain peacefullness about the painting – it’s very calming.

The work that I did not prefer as much is in a much more modern style – caricature format.  The piece is highlighting Barack Obama in the center, and several other political figures are angles to his side like his cronies.  I just found the depiction of the human form in this work (and all those like it) to be very disturbing.  I am not a fan of this cartoon version of these people: it looks very dehumanized in its exaggeration of human emotion, and almost laughable.  I know that there is probably a particular intent for comedic relief/convenience in the formation of these type of works, but I do not like it at all.

-Ashley

BCASTLE 2+1 artworks

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

I selected Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper and Thomas Kinkade’s Home for the Holidays as the two pieces of artwork that I particularly enjoy.  Although there are numerous paintings I could have chosen for this assignment, these were the first two that instantaneously came to my mind.  For me, The Last Supper encompasses a very powerful moment in time which is important for my personal religious beliefs.  I feel that it provides a plausible visual representation of a seemingly archaic time where many are thankful and celebratory while one is burdened by a greater knowledge.  Taken out of a religious context, every single person can relate to a time in their life where they felt slightly out of place or bothered by a particular thought.  I feel that Da Vinci’s portrayal of Jesus in The Last Supper depicts exactly that atmosphere.  Moving to a much more modern painting, Home for the Holidays is a painting that is currently hanging on my living room wall back at home in California.  I selected this Kinkade original because it reminds me of the merriment and the comfort that my family always brings.  The atmosphere in the painting is jolly and optimistic and, for me, is accompanied with thought of home and my childhood spending Christmas with my relatives.  Finally, I elected The Scream by Edvard Munch as the artwork I dislike.  I am innately an upbeat and positive person, yet this painting drastically contradicts my general mood and thoughts.  While powerful, it conveys a torment and internal struggle which is given life through an agonizing scream – a scream I simply do not have.  Despite the fact that The Scream is a renowned painting, it is not one that I particularly enjoy or feel that I can relate to on such an extreme level.

8/27/09

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009