Image Essay #15

Artist Dinh Q Le, born in 1968 in Vietnam, immigrated to the United States when he was ten years old. Looking through art books in his junior high school library, Le began to gain interest in the art of the Western Culture, particularly Renaissance paintings, and spent a lot of time exploring the differences between the Western art he had newly encountered and the Eastern art he had been previously exposed to. Le studied photography in college, and began experimenting with works that combined photographs of himself along with images from both cultures. This was his way of finding his place in society and expressing his mixed background. Some of his artwork took on a mosaic-like style, and often times he used color as a dominant element in his pieces.

The piece shown above is one of Le’s most well-known works. The piece itself is untitled but comes from a series of similar works known as “Persistence of Memory” (this one is number 11). Color plays a large role in contributing to the mood and meaning of this particular piece. Here, Le has used an analogous color scheme (analogous colors refer to those that are next to each other on the color wheel). The colors used in this piece are considered warm colors (shades of red, yellow, and orange). While cool colors (blues, greens, and purples) generally instill a mood of tranquility or calmness, warm colors such as these usually convey more dynamic emotions such as anger, fear, excitement, or energy.

Image Essay #14

Lucian Freud, grandson of Sigmund Freud, was born in Berlin, Germany in 1922 and came to live in England in 1931. Freud had an early love for drawing, and then broadened his tastes to painting as well, a medium in which he excelled greatly. The most common subject matter for his works includes portraits and the nude human figure, and he has become known as one of the greatest contemporary figurative painters.

The painting pictured above, titled “Reflection,” is Freud’s self-portrait. It seems to contain a great deal of information about the man and his character in his face. Even if, say, the viewer did not know whose portrait this was or anything about the man pictured here, he/she would probably be able make inferences based on the way Freud has portrayed himself.

The color scheme used in this painting is one of earth tones. Earth tones generally include a range of browns and ochres. Judging by Freud’s successful utilization of this color scheme, along with the expression on the man’s face and the way he holds himself, the viewer could easily get a sense of what type of person he is: the man seems to be of working-class, and is probably a hard worker. He seems quite solemn, with an serious expression that could be considered almost stern. It appears that he has been through a lot in his lifetime; has experienced many things and overcome obstacles, leaving him somewhat worn yet still seemingly strong. Freud must indeed be an amazing painter if he is able to portray to the viewer all of these attributes I have listed, simply through his use of color and expression.

Image Essay #13

Artist Eric Fischl was born in 1948 in New York City, and grew up in the Long Island suburbs. With his early paintings, Fischl worked to break through the barriers of the superficial world around him both by expressing the way it was and by challenging the way it was. Many of his pieces might be described as “disturbing,” often displaying images of dysfunctional family life or psycho-sexual discovery.

Eric Fischl studied art for a few years in Arizona, and received his BFA from the California Institute of the Arts in 1972. He worked first at a museum in Chicago, then as a teacher at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, where he met his wife April. The two of them moved to Fischl’s birthplace, New York City, in 1978, where he currently resides.

The image shown above is one of Fischl’s most well-known paintings, titled “Bad Boy” and done with oil on linen in 1981. The painting demonstrates an effective use and profound understanding of color. Often the purpose of color in artwork is to further enrich and complicate our viewing experience; it can enhance or alter the meaning of the image. In this particular painting, Fischl seems to focus mainly on complementary color schemes (complementary colors are those opposite of each other on the color wheel, and here appear to be on opposite sides of the painting). The blue of the sheets on the bed corresponds to the orange-colored blinds; the red apples are complementary to the green wall across the room; and the yellow bananas balance out the purple-tint of the woman’s skin.

Image Essay #12

Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) was a Dutch graphic artist who was most well-known for his seemingly impossible mind-boggling constructions. Although Escher also studied carpentry and architecture, he excelled greatly in the making of woodcuts and possessed profound skills in drawing. Escher married Jetta Umiker and lived with his wife and three sons in Rome, Italy for several years (he felt inspired by the landscape of Italy) until the unbearable political environment under the rule of Mussolini convinced them to move, first to Belgium for a few years, and then back to his birthplace, the Netherlands. In his old age, Escher moved into a retirement home for artists known as the Rosa-Spier House, where he was able to have his own art studio and continue his work until his death at age 73.

The image shown above, titled “Day and Night,” was created in 1938 and is one of Escher’s most well-known woodcuts. This particular work is an above average example of the artistic technique of figure-ground reversal. The term “figure-ground reversal” refers to a shift between different grounds or elements of a piece from dark to light, often confusing the viewer as to what constitutes the positive space and what makes up the negative space. In other words, in a figure-ground reversal, the positive and negative spaces “switch roles.” In Escher’s piece “Day and Night,” this technique is very effectively demonstrated through the image of the black birds against a white sky shifting into white birds against a black sky.

Image Essay #11

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1573-1610) was an Italian painter who broke the traditional boundaries of idealism common during his era. Caravaggio was among the first painters to utilize a style of realistic naturalism, one of which caused much public outcry due to its dramatic quality. Caravaggio had many troubles with the law and false accusations while working in Rome, and spent much of his life fleeing from place to place, until he eventually died of sickness and exhaustion.

The painting above, called “The Incredulity of Saint Thomas,” is one of Caravaggio’s most famous works. In it, he demonstrates phenomenal use of the technique of chiaroscuro, which he mastered and used in nearly all his paintings. The term chiaroscuro refers to the utilization of exaggerated contrast of lights against darks to imply three-dimensionality. In “The Incredulity of Saint Thomas,” Caravaggio uses dramatic lighting, which here appears to be coming from the left, on the figures to promote the contrast of darks and lights. The values in the folds of the fabric of the men’s clothing exemplify chiaroscuro, as do the intense differences of high-key (light) value seen on the figure of Jesus on the left to the low-key (dark) value of the bottom right of the painting.

Image Essay #10

This photograph reminds me a lot of my “Story of this Place” painting. Even though the actual image is quite different, the setup is very similar. Both depict an open, outdoor setting with an illusion of space. Illusion of space can be shown through definition and overlap, but it can just as well be depicted through a defined foreground, middleground, and background, and the utilization of value. These elements were used in our “Story of This Place” projects.

In this photograph, the foreground (what is closest) contains the tree. The dark-colored tree trunk against the light-colored grass and sky create a situation of high contrast (dark against light). Areas of high contrast work best in the foreground because they generally seem to “pop” forward in space. The tree also shows detail of the bark and leaves; detail is another element that is effective in the foreground. The grass makes up the middleground, with some detail up-close but fading as the field stretches further and further away. In the background, the viewer can make out some rolling hills, although they are very subtle. Because they are so far away, the hills have a very low contrast in value against the sky. This low contrast makes them appear to recede back into space as opposed to coming forward like the tree.

Image Essay #9

The above painting, called “Bacchus and Ariadne,” was done with oil on canvas by the painter Titian, and currently hangs in the National Gallery in London. Although Titian is anything but a modern painter (this particular painting was done between 1522 and 1523), his work portrays an above average example of a narrative painting. Most of Titian’s paintings convey a story of some sort to the viewer through the use of images.

This particular piece of artwork tells the tale of Ariadne, princess of Crete, who has just been left on the island of Naxos, abandoned and heartbroken by her lover Theseus. The figure seen leaping out of the chariot is the god Bacchus, who has come to capture the princess Ariadne and take her to be his bride, against her will. By becoming the wife of a god, Ariadne will be made a goddess, and will gain immortality. The circle of stars seen in the painting up in the sky symbolizes her bridal crown. (“Investigating Bellini’s ‘Feast of the Gods’” was my source for this story).

Long ago, in the era of Titian, it was very common for narrative artwork to be based on mythology or religion of some sort. Since then, storylines displayed through art have developed greatly. This painting is an example of the beginnings; the roots of narrative artwork. Titian’s story-telling painting is similar to our project “The Story of This Place,” in which we our goal was to convey a personal narrative through a painting.

Image Essay #8

Painter Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) is one of the primary leaders of the Abstract Expressionism movement in art. He is well-known for his drip-and-splash style, in which he would dump paint directly from a can onto the canvas and mix it around with sticks or towels, as opposed to the usual brush-painting technique. In 1947, Pollock began experimenting with a series of paintings known as the “Full Fathom Five,” one of which is shown above.

Pollock’s work is an above average example of the use of texture in artwork. Rather than painting to give a mere illusion of texture, he focuses on creating actual physical texture on the canvas. He does not use the traditional easel-and-brush technique, but rather chooses to place the canvas directly on the floor or wall so he can work from all angles with his famous drip-and-splash style. This unique way of painting has become known as “action painting.” Pollock has said that he prefers to work this way because he feels more a part of the painting; as if he is actually in it instead of simply creating it.

The “Full Fathom Five” painting shown here is considered one of Pollock’s key action-paintings, and while it is done primarily with oil paint, it also includes actual objects such as nails, tacks, coins, buttons, and even cigarettes. These items are integrated with the paint to add to the physical texture of the piece.

Image Essay #7

Symbols, especially when they are cliché, often have an obvious meaning behind them or associated with them. A heart is used as the symbol for love, two hands clasped signify friendship, a yin-n-yang is a symbol of harmony, and a peace sign is obviously a symbol for peace. In the “Texture, Symmetry, and Gestalt” assignment, one of our goals was to create a non-cliché symmetrical symbol that stands for desire, friendship, disgust, or betrayal.

The above image is an Irish symbol known as the Claddagh, which symbolizes friendship, loyalty, and love. While the goal of our project was to create a symbol that was not cliché, I think that this image is an above average example of a symmetrical symbol and the meanings that people derive from symbols that carry obvious associations. In other words, I believe the Irish Claddagh is a wonderful example of what not to do on this project, and therefore encourages us to ignore cliché symbols and create something of our own, both innovative and unique.

In the Claddagh, the heart symbolizes... you guessed it…love. The two hands clasped around the heart are obviously a symbol of friendship, and the crown on top of the heart is associated with loyalty. The symbol is symmetrical, meaning it has mirror-like halves. Many symbols are symmetric, and creating symmetry such as this is a requirement of our project; however, we are challenged to come up with our own unique symbols that do not use cliché associations as the Claddagh does.

Image Essay #6

Franklin Christenson Ware, known as Chris Ware, is an artist most known for his comic books and cartooning. He was born in 1967 in Omaha, Nebraska, and currently resides in Oak Park, Illinois. Ware’s colorful cartoon illustrations often appear to be computer generated, but he creates them almost exclusively by hand in old-fashioned “paper-and-pencil” techniques. His most well-known works are the “Acme Novelty Library” (a series of comics) and “Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth” (a graphic novel).

The principles of gestalt are an important part of many of Ware’s works. Gestalt is a process in which visual information is understood as a whole before it is examined separately. His piece “Building Stories” (shown above), created in 2002 with pencil, ink, and brush on bristol board, is an above average example of the six principles of gestalt: grouping, containment, repetition, proximity, continuity, and closure.

Grouping is utilized in Ware’s use of rectangular shapes, their edges parallel to one another and going in the same direction, and many of which are similar in size. The piece’s outer edge is an example of containment, holding all elements inside the composition, with nothing breaking the border of the page. Repetition is used in both the shapes and the images inside them; many of the tiny pictures are almost identical to each other. Many of the boxes share common edges, which is an example of proximity, and the lines connecting the boxes create visual pathways linking the parts together, which is an example of continuity. Lastly, the principle of closure is implicated by the mind’s inclination to connect the “pieces of the puzzle” to produce a completed idea, just as the separate components that make up Ware’s piece are combined to create one central idea.

Image Essay #5

Artist David Salle is most famous for his unique juxtapositions of images in a style that is known as “postmodern” or “neo-expressionist” art. Salle was born in 1952 in Norman, Oklahoma, and received a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1975 from the California Institute of the Arts. He currently lives and works in New York City. Salle’s work often includes a variety of images combined in an unusual fashion on canvas. The variety found in his pieces is enormous. The images that are combined to constitute one particular piece might range from photographs to paintings from different centuries to advertisements or text to diagrams and designs, all of which are tied together in an innovative way. Any successful juxtaposition must include both unity and variety.

The image shown here, done in 1987 with oil and acrylic on canvas, is one of David Salle’s most well-known works. It is called “Sextant in Dogtown,” and is currently in the Whitney Museum of American Art. This particular piece is an above average example of a unique juxtaposition of images. The boxes at the top contain colorful painted images of what appear to be little toys or figurines of some sort. The boxes at the bottom portray colorless depictions of a nearly-naked woman. The top images are similar to each other, as are the bottom images; but when the top and bottom images of the painting are compared together there are undoubtedly great differences between them. Salle solves this problem and ties them together in unity by integrating a color image of the top style into the bottom images of the woman. Overall, this piece is a wonderful example of unity and variety in a unique juxtaposition… which is David Salle’s specialty!

Blog Entry #5

INSPIRATIONAL ARTISTS: DOROTHEA LANGE

Dorothea Lange was born in New Jersey, attended Columbia University to study photography, and worked in a portrait studio in New York until she began to travel in 1918. I am an aspiring photographer, and Lange is very inspirational in this field of study. She has contributed to the world of photography by focusing the camera on groups under some sort of oppression: minority groups, the poor, those in suffering, etc. Lange once said that she believed the camera could “teach people to see without a camera.”

The greatest achievement of Dorothea Lange, what she is most known for, is her photography portraying the difficult lifestyle of Americans in the time of the Great Depression. She was able to capture feelings of hunger and sadness, as well as images of labor strikes and insufficient living conditions. These photographs truly made Lange stand out because she was the first to depict the harsh reality of the situation many Americans faced during this time. One of her most famous photographs, known as “Migrant Mother,” is one of many photos taken to record the Dust Bowl Exodus, in which thousands of farm families were forced to relocate to the west to find work. I am most impressed simply by the reality of Lange’s photographs. She has captured, through film, an entire era of difficult times in America, and the human suffering and emotion that goes along with it. Her photographs seem to instill a feeling of deep empathy in the viewer.

The dominant structure in Lange’s photographs is most definitely the people portrayed in them. She often focuses mainly on one particular person, but sometimes portrays two or more people in equal measure. The emphasis is on the emotion of these people, as derived from their bleak surroundings and the worn expressions on their faces, seems to pour through in her photographs. She addresses the human form exactly as it was during these times of hardship: weak and thin with hunger, yet still with an essence of strength about it. Lange does not use color; her photographs are solely in black-and-white, and are very effective this way. The lack of color contributes to capturing the gloomy, empty mood of The Great Depression, and also keeps the viewer focusing on the human emotion portrayed in the pictures.

Dorothea Lange’s work is quite inspiring indeed. She is not taking pictures just to take them... she is making somewhat of a social commentary on America in this time. She is not trying to add in her own quirky twists and innovation… she is simply portraying the reality of a misfortunate situation. I admire her ability to show a flood of human emotion and to depict the ugliness of the hardships many people faced instead of trying to show something beautiful.

Blog Entry #4

ART:21 PLACE

1). Places define us and shape who we are. People are often influenced by places that have had a significant impact on their lives or played an important role in growing up. Those places become a part of them and the people they have become.

2). Richard Serra was influenced as a young child by massive ships launching from the harbor and becoming weightless and buoyant in the water despite their great size. As a boy he would do drawings to gain affection and attention from his parents. His goal in his current artwork is for it to give people an unreal feeling, one of wonder-and-awe, just as the boats had made him feel when he saw them float off to sea.
Sally Mann grew up on a farm with 12 dogs and atheist parents who didn't really give her any restrictions, rules, or guidance. Her current artwork, obviously influenced by her past, includes abstract photographs of dog bones, pictures of her children naked and enjoying the freedom of the outdoors (like she did as a child), and beautiful scenic landscapes, her own "bible"/spiritual life, since she never really did have one when growing up.
Margaret Kilgallen and her husband Barry McGee were influenced by the hustle and bustle of big-city life. They see graffiti as art, not trash, and they see giant billboard advertisements as trash, not art. The two did a lot of contemporary city art, graffiti, etc.
Pepon Osorio was strongly influenced by a trip to the barber shop for a hair-cut when he was five years old. This self-described "traumatizing experience" influenced his artwork "No Crying Allowed in the Barber Shop."

3). This program allowed me to see how places from each of the featured artists' pasts influenced their artwork. Obviously these places were more than just an influence to the artists; in a way, these places became the art that the artists created, and were the foundations for many of their artistic ideas.

4). I feel the deepest connection with the photographer Sally Mann. I have a love for photography and the beauty of the outdoors as she portrays in her landscape photographs. Although contrary to Mann I did grow up with a religious background, I am similar to her in that I enjoyed a lot of childhood freedom and spirit. When I was young my parents discouraged playing video games or watching a lot of t.v., so I spent most of my time outside in our big yard and barn, using my imagination and making up creative games with my sisters. I also loved animals like Mann and would draw or write stories every day.

5). Serra creates sculptures, which are massive, uniquely constructed to present an unreal wonder-and-awe feeling, and are too large to be portable, and therefore are only accessible at the museums and places they are located. Mann's artwork is mostly photography that includes pictures of children, landscapes, and abstract things. Because it is photography, her work is quite portable and prints are very accessible. Kilgallen and McGee mostly do paintings, which are moderately accessible depending on how large they are and the location; their grafiti and paintings around the city can be seen by any passer-by in the area. Osorio uses mixed media in large, 3-dimensional creations that include a variety of random objects, photography, videos, and other mixed media all combined into one artwork. Because his works are so large and complex, they aren't too portable or accessible, though they have been moved for display in a few different places.

6). Five places from my childhood & a descriptive word for each: 1). preschool=terrifying, 2). the barn=mysterious, 3). the yard=innocent, 4). Luna Pier=carefree, 5). Audrey's house=silly

7). My favorite place from my childhood is Luna Pier, Michigan (my Dad's town). He used to live in a run-down, shack-like house before he tore it down and rebuilt his gorgeous brick dreamhouse. "The shack" had ugly orange shag carpet, two broken lazy boys, an old black couch that was really bouncy (I used to jump on it all the time), a toilet that rocked back and forth when you sat on it, an old-fashioned fuzzy t.v., a vintage dutch-oven type thing, a fridge that gave you an electric shock if you touched it while touching the oven, and a keroscene heater because the heat was broken. It wasn't the nicest of houses to say the least, but I loved that place... The lighting was okay, but sometimes gave me a headache. Luna Pier was a bright, happy place, and my memories there hold the days of innocence; carefree days of riding the 4-wheeler, playing 4-square in the street, backyard BBQ's, hot-tubbing at the neighbor's house, walking along the pier, sitting by the lake (even though it smelled), campfires on the beach, playing tennis, row-boat rides through "spider tunnel," our fat orange cat Mickey (who got lost one winter during a blizzard), and millions of mayflies. Even the things that used to bother me, I look back now and realize I loved them all.

ART:21 STORIES

1). In our society, all kinds of stories are told. Stories in books range from common, well-known children's fables and fairy tales to novels with popular themes such as achieving the American Dream or overcoming obstacles to reach a goal. The stories told by the news seem to be mostly negative and deal with crime and war, though every now and then you see something good. True stories such as historical tales are also told and learned about today. Many families have their own personal stories that are passed down from generation to generation. If I could guarantee one story be passed down to future generations, it would probably be a simple well-known fable that teaches some sort of moral lesson that I think any person would benefit from, though I can't decide exactly which story it would be. If I could guarantee one story to be passed on to my own family's future generations, I would choose the story of my great-grandparents (how they met and fell in love) because it is very ironic and romantic, almost like something right out of a movie, and I'm glad it's a part of my family history.

2). The stories that "get told" as opposed to those that remain untold are most likely the ones that people can best relate to or find significant in their own lives, such as stories that teach a lesson or are written from a widely-known and widely-shared viewpoint. Also, non-fiction stories such as those of the history or our country are told because they are important in recognizing the foundations of America and how are lives today came to be as they are.

3). The artists use journals and sketchbooks to "collect" many ideas and a variety of thoughts into one compact source so that they may pick through the collection to utilize what they choose in their larger-scale pieces of artwork. Journals and sketchbooks are works of art in themselves as well, because they not only contain the thought process behind greater things, but contain the thoughts themselves, and really express an artist's mood and personal style.

4). Hi! I'm Mia, I am nine years old and I'm in third grade. My favorite things to do are write stories, read, draw, play outside, hang out with my family like on family-pizza-movie night, and hang out with my two best friends Audrey and Rachael. I like them both the same but they don't always get along with each other and I don't like being caught in the middle, especially when they get mad over who gets to be my partner in gym class or whose house I spend the night at. I really love my dog Annie and I really want to get a cat, but my mom won't let me, and someday I want my own horse. I want to be a vet when I grow up. Most of the time I am happy, but I get mad when there are fights with my friends or when I get a bad grade on a paper, like when I got an 87% on the desert worksheet and my mom got mad. There is a boy in my class that I think is cute and his name is Brenden. There are two boys that like me, Oscar and Jonathan. One time Oscar called me and it was weird because that is the first time a boy ever called my house. Jonathan wanted to take a walk alone with me when we went on the field trip to Oak Openings park so I said yes, and that's when he told me he liked me. He asked if I liked him too and I said yes, but I don't know if I really do. So that's me, Mia Lucarelli! There is more stuff about me but I can't think of anything else to say, so that's it for now!

When I was nine years old and in third grade, life was so simple and carefree, though I didn't realize it at the time. I rarely watched t.v. or sat in front of the computer, and never played video games. I enjoyed the creative, imaginitive aspects of life, such as doing artwork (which at the time meant drawing pictures of horses) and writing stories. I must have had fifty notebooks filled with stories, most of which were mysteries or about animals...sometimes both. I wanted to be a veteranarian because I loved animals, which is silly because I've never been big on anything medical-related, and there's no way I'd be able to deal with operations on sick pets. I remember living day-to-day, never really looking too far ahead, and the littlest things were the biggest deal... It's hard to imagine a time when forgetting to do a worksheet for homework would ruin my entire week, or when people would get upset at each other for throwing the ball too hard in a game of four-square at recess, or when the four bucks I earned at my lemonade stand was a fortune. When a boy and a girl in school liked each other, that was all that came of it: they "liked each other," and it was the most exciting thing. There was no "making out" and obviously nothing more than that! Now, when my worries include much more mature subjects and making real life choices, I can only laugh at those days of innocence, because I had no idea what was coming!

Image Essay #4

This piece of artwork is one that is familiar to almost anyone who has any exposure to the artistic world or art history. Created by Salvador Dali (1904-1989), this painting, called The Deterioration of the Persistence of Memory, is an example of the artistic genre of surrealism, thus having an dream-like, unrealistic quality about it.

I selected this piece for discussion because I think it is a wonderful example of tension and illusion of space, two principles we utilized in our “Three Shapes Three Times” project. Tension is created by a balanced relation between strongly opposing elements, which is successfully demonstrated here by the geometric straight-edged bricks placed with loose, curved free-form clocks. Illusion of space is typically created by overlapping and recession of objects into the background. In this painting, the bricks recede back into space toward a common vanishing point, and are overlapped by the melting clocks, thus establishing a sense of depth.

This particular painting also exemplifies pure forms, representational shape, and abstract shapes, as discussed in class and utilized in the “Three Shapes Three Times” project. Pure forms are simple geometric shapes, such as the bricks seen here. A representational shape is an object or image that is portrayed as one would actual see it, such as the realistic-looking mountain/cliff in the background. Abstract shapes are shapes or objects that are distorted or unrealistically rendered, such as the curvy, melting clocks in Dali’s work.

Image Essay #3

A basic definition for meaning is to convey or indicate as having a purpose or intention. All forms of art have some meaning behind them, whether it be literal (accurate and not figurative), symbolic (one thing representing something else), psychological (having influence on the mind or emotion), or associative (connected to other thoughts, feelings, ideas, or sensations). Meaning takes into account the following: the language with which it will be described, iconography/symbolic visual systems, the audience/intended viewers, immediacy, stereotypes or preconceptions, clichés/overused expressions, and the element of surprise (perhaps by a shift in stereotype of cliché).

The meaning of this particular piece of artwork can be discussed with regard to the previously listed terms. Both symbolic and associative meanings are apparent through the use of a particular cliché: a broken heart. The common, overused figurative icon of a heart that is literally broken generally symbolizes a broken relationship or lost love and is associated with such feelings of loneliness, betrayal, and sadness. A broken heart is an example of commonly-used symbols, icons, or logos in society that automatically evoke certain feelings in the viewer and are immediately associated with whatever it is they represent. In this artwork shown, however, the artist has rendered somewhat the traditional image of a broken heart—a common red heart with a zigzag crack straight through the middle—to an image that is similar but not quite so cliché. This particular heart, with a stone-like grey shell covering it and broken into pieces, allows for a shift in stereotype and may also be take on a completely different meaning altogether than a feeling of lost love, giving this image open interpretation by the audience.

Blog Entry #3

WRITING ABOUT ART ASSESMENT

1. Before this blog assignment, had you ever kept a journal, diary, or blog? YES

2. Before this blog assignment, had you ever written about art before? A FEW TIMES

3. Have you ever written for fun (poetry, fiction or non, journalistic, or research?) OFTEN

4. When writing, do you use a dictionary or thesaurus? NEITHER

5. If given a chance, would you rather discuss art verbally or through written means? VERBALLY

6. How would you rate your overall vocabulary? ABOVE AVERAGE

7. How would you rate you vocabulary of art terminology? AVERAGE

8. How would you rate your writing abilities? CONFIDENT

9. How would you rate your abilities when writing about art? AVERAGE

10. How would you rate your overall ability to use specific vocabulary when writing? ABOVE AVERAGE

Blog Entry #2

Reflecting on my first series of work in Art102, I can confidently say that overall I found it to be a rewarding experience. I have never done this type of work before, and it was interesting to choose images, arrange them together, and create something meaningful, as well as to view others’ work and ideas.

In my project, I did not want to limit myself to choosing images that fit a very specific, concrete theme, so I decided to select a broader category: common, random items one might find in the home. The only item that does not quite fit into this category is the front door, which I placed in the bottom right corner. I used the door to symbolize entering any common home, wherein all these household objects and random items could likely be found.

While I am not sure that I incorporated size variation into my piece to as great of an extent as I could have, I did work with dominance of size to add some emphasis and interest to my composition, from the largest implied circular C.D. jetting off the page to the smallest floppy disk. Toward the top center, I placed multiple accentual elements together to serve as a center of focus, as well as to create some small, intricate negative spaces. Overall the negative space division was successful, with an obvious dominate space, a couple of subordinate spaces, and numerous accentual spaces.

To create a sense of movement and to keep the viewer’s eye trailing all around the page, I arranged the images at different angles and positions. Some continued straight off the page to give the eye a sense of an implied line or implied shape. I also rendered the sizes of the items unrealistically in relation to each other, such as making the matchstick much larger than the floppy disk, as a means of adding interest and exaggeration to the composition.

Image Essay #2

This photograph contains a wide assortment of different types of brushes lying on a flat surface. This picture appealed to me because it is a good example of the concept of juxtaposition, as we discussed in class. This particular photograph reminds me of the project we were assigned in which we juxtaposed 15 black and white images incorporating the elements of circle, rectangle, and line (seven of one form/shape, five of another, and three of another). Here, the objects in the picture have been placed together to show both comparison and contrast, therefore defining and exemplifying the principle characteristics of juxtaposition.

The obvious comparison between each item seen in this photograph is that they are all brushes of some sort. They all contain bristles, and they all perform similar, though not identical, functions.

Contrasting characteristics of these elements include brush size, color, shape, bristle length, and texture. There is a significant size difference between the largest grey brush, a dominant element, and the smallest grey brush (standing upright), an accentual element. Multiple subordinate-sized brushes can also be identified. The arrangement of the brushes creates some variation of negative space, and the wide selection of different types of brushes and brush shapes adds movement and interest to the composition while exemplifying juxtaposition.

Image Essay #1

The piece of artwork shown here, by Kasimir Malevich, exemplifies multiple artistic principles that constitute a compelling composition. Its asymmetrical, unbalanced arrangement of lines and shapes help to create a sense of movement and excitement. This keeps the viewer’s eye moving around and throughout the entire piece. The thick, bold red line seems to be the most dominant aspect of this particular composition, and is supported by a number of subordinate elements, such as thinner lines and different colored geometric shapes. In addition, this piece of artwork includes multiple accentual elements, such as the shortest lines and the small blue quadrilaterals toward the bottom of the composition.
Paralleling these three levels of dominance displayed by the shapes and lines, the negative space also includes areas of dominance, which are the large bottom left and right sections, subordinate areas, which are seen in the top left and right, and accentual spaces located in between the closely packed shapes and lines in the middle of the work.
Each element of this piece, whether it be dominant, subordinate, accentual, negative or positive space, is arranged in a well-thought-out composition that succeeds in expressing a feeling of energy and movement. It is engaging to the viewer, directing the eye not off the page, but around the entire picture plane, as any solid piece intended to portray motion should do. Overall, this is a successful piece of artwork, incorporating the elements of movement and design in a strong, energetic composition.

Blog Entry #1

When asked what art means to me and what role it plays in my life, I find myself with a million and one things to say. I could easily babble on and on about this particular topic by going through the usual list of cliché statements about art being a “way to express myself” and “a means of putting feelings on paper (or whatever the medium happens to be).” However true such statements may be, among experienced artists they are simply understood and ever-present, and therefore need not be elaborated here. Instead, I wish to speak of art as a lifestyle. Rather than a mere hobby or pastime or school requirement, to me, art is indeed an actual lifestyle. I wouldn’t be where I am today—or who I am today—if not for the significant role art has played in my life.
I have been drawing since I could pick up a pencil. As a child, I would write stories and draw pictures to go along with them. I probably drew a couple hundred horses (my favorite animal) before the age of 10. Torn between a love for art and a love for animals, in elementary school I imagined myself growing up to be a veterinarian, but later ruled this out because I didn’t want to see sick and dying animals.
My first two years of high school, I attended a small, Catholic school with a rather pathetic art department. I ended up transferring to a public school that was actually known for having one of the best high school art departments in northwest Ohio. There, I took a variety of art courses and enjoyed several opportunities to display my work in local shows and exhibitions. Aside from school projects, I continued art on my own time, designing greeting cards, doing sketches, taking photographs, and painting on my closet wall. I have always taken pride in being the “artsy-fartsy girl” I have been known for.
In high school I honestly had no idea what I wanted to study in college and figured I would end up having some boring office job, until I was sitting in art class one day during my senior year with my wonderful art teacher who has inspired me in so many ways, and I thought, “Hey, I could do this.” So, I chose to major in art education, a field in which I can share my gift with others while inspiring students to be creative, innovative, and imaginative. During the summers I hope to travel anywhere and everywhere I possibly can, taking photographs and painting scenes from the different places I go.
This brief autobiography of my artistic background and what art means to me does not adequately explain the importance art has to me as a lifestyle, a part of who I am and always will be; but I suppose it’s a start. I have confidence in my talent and dedication to my work, and I feel it will eventually get me somewhere; however, I know I have yet to master all the skills and still have much to learn. Hopefully this class (Art102) will be a rewarding experience and another stepping stone toward success in the artistic world.