Course Reflection

Looking back at my first post on this blog as well as in the discussion forums, it makes me think of all the work that was accomplished since then. I didn't know what to expect when I signed up for the course, so I can't say I was disappointed by anything. It was a lot more work than I had been anticipating to say the least. Not that any of it was terribly difficult, just that it was a very time consuming class, which made it a little tedious for me for the first 3/4 because I was taking a chemistry class at a community college at the same time, as well as working as a waitress in the evenings.

I think that my appreciation for art has grown infinitely. I'm still skeptical about some things that seem like a child could have created it and it's considered to be some artistic masterpiece worth hundreds of dollars.. but I suppose some things will never change. I really did enjoy the chances to go to different galleries and see what I had been reading about in person. I usually dragged my mom with me on these ventures and she enjoyed the visits as well. My definition of art is probably still the same. I don't think you can pin down something so subjective as art in one simple definition.  But for the sake of answering this question... I'd say it is something that expresses the thoughts, feelings, imaginations, dreams, skills, and creativity of the artist in a unique way that may or may not be aesthetically pleasing to everyone in the public. 

I didn't have a favorite artist when I started this class. Now, I have new appreciation for several. ( I should have put Van Gogh and Pollock in the original post because I did actually like them more than most at the time)    

          > Vincent Van Gogh

          > Jackson Pollock

          > Edvard Munch

          > Gary Simmons 

          > Sayaka Ganz 

          > Marcia Baldwin 

After completing an entirely online based course I can say that while it was challenging at times, I liked it, and I feel that I learned a lot because I had to teach myself. I figured out how to use the programs relatively easily and was able to complete everything even when I wasn't sure I would. Overall, I had a positive experience with taking AED 200 during the summer term.

Self-Portrait

My inspiration pieces don't really resemble much that my final piece ended up as. The rose I took the colors from, and the relaxed vibe is what I took from the others, as well as the simplicity of the images. I sort of already had the image in my head before I went to the gallery so I had to find pieces that fit into my plan. So I suppose I worked backwards. 

 Untitled 
Artist: Steve Hanks

                                                            Title: In Her Thoughts
                                                            Artist: Steve Hanks

 Title: To Search Within

Artist: Steve Hanks

                                                                       Untitled
                                                                       Artist: Reynolds

 ME!

        I chose to use paint and colored pencil. I drew the outline of me and the roses with pencil first. Then I used acrylic paints to create an abstract background that resembles water. I chose to use these materials because I knew that I wanted to paint, but I can't do fine details well so I knew I'd have to draw. The challenge was in deciding if I wanted the entire thing to be abstract or not, and where I was going to put the roses. (which needed to be apart of the piece)

       There is symmetry in the colors with it being dark and bright on the opposite sides of the picture which forces you to look at everything. There are two spirals with are at diagonals from each other which also add to the balancing of the colors and the image as a whole. The figure, and the roses seem to be floating up out of the watery backdrop and they really stand out because they are made out of a completely different material.

I think that it's really difficult to find a way to represent yourself, all of yourself, in one way. I think that this does a fairly good job of it. The nods at water, and having the roses in image show some things that are very meaningful to me. My eyes are drawn rather big because those are one of my favorite features. I usually wear black shirts as well, which is why I drew myself in one. I think that I exude an air of confidence as well as calmness and friendliness in this image. Which is what I try to be as much as possible. Overall, I like my final product. I really enjoy painting so it was nice to finally just do what ever I wished with it.

Writing a Critique

I reviewed several different exhibits...

              > Wild Women Exhibtion by Devon Mussachi

              > Near the Water's Edge by Thomas Poppenberg

              > Water All Around by Richard Cruz

              > The Ink of Love Bleeds Inspiration by Shannon Pierre 

The exhibit I chose to actually critique was Near the Water's Edge. I was really torn between all of these and I almost chose the first one, but I really connected with some of the pieces in the exhibit, and I'm impartial to anything that has to do with, or resembles water. 

I'll be honest, I really didn't have too much trouble writing the piece. I wanted to pick an exhibit that I didn't like or that I had issues with so that way there was more to write about, but I decided that I helping my peers instead of cutting them down was the better way to go about this assignment.  I think that reviewing each others work is really beneficial but the concern is that we won't be entirely truthful because there is fear of hurting someone's feelings. 

I would definitely be interested to see what others thought of my project. That's the beauty of an online class is that we are mostly anonymous and unknown to the rest of the class so we can write things about a project and not fear seeing that person the next day in class. 

I would say that I wrote a 7.5 article. I'm not one to say that I did a flawless piece, but I also know that I wasn't bad and I addressed all that needed to be. Overall, I really liked the project and having a chance to see what some of my classmates came up with. 

Art Criticism Video Reviews

1.) Videos:

 Greenberg on Pollock: An Interview by T.J. Clark

                Key Points: 1947 Jackson Pollock painted his first splatter-drip piece, he believed his paintings to be a transition from the easel to a mural. 

                                  : There is a lot of difficulty characterizing his art. 

The Critics: Stories from Inside the Pages

                 Key Points: A good critic will both be giving the fresh ideas as well as suggesting fresh ones, or ways at looking at things. They get the public to think about the media we are exposed to.

                                    :   Takes you from a neutral position to taking a side, or taking an interest in a media form. 

                                    : Critics can help improve the media. 

                                    : A review is an informed opinion, a critique is more analytical. Reviewers assume that the audience doesn't know anything about the subject. Critics assume that their audience is more familiar with the subject. 

                                    :

2.) They were both related to the project, the second one was more directly related because it defined more of what a critic does and the good they can do for the mass media. The first was more of an opinion piece about a specific artist.

3.) The first video on Pollock was a bit of a bit of a let down for me. I really admire Jackson Pollock as an artist, and I didn't really find the video engaging, or interesting at all. The audio was really poor and hard to understand as well. The Critics video was really well done. It was a little sporadic but very interesting and I have a new respect for critics. I admittedly think that some critics are too harsh or not intelligent but this video showed me that they are hard working people too. 

Creating a Gallery

I had a lot of difficulty at first picking a theme for the gallery. I kept changing my ideas and not finding enough material to make it work. I'm not entirely sure how I ended up deciding on doing the 5 elements as a theme, but I felt right to do and I'm happy with my choice. 

Some of the elements were easier to find images for than others. I had an easy time finding the combined elements images, and earth ended up being the most tricky because there was so much that could be used for it.

Overall, I think that the project came out well, and I have a new found respect for curators. There is a lot of planning and thinking that goes into making these exhibits.

Art Exhibition Video Reviews

1.) Videos:

      The Lowdown on Lowbrow

       Key Points: Lowbrow is art someone doesn't really know how to categorize. It's reactionary to highbrow. Dark humor, witty.

                         : It relates to the masses because of the wide range of topics and categories covered in this art. Ex. Hot rods, naked women, popular culture.

                         : Influences from Pop art, Rock and psychedelic posters, consumerism, "atomic age" after WII, comic books, B-movies, cartoons

      Displaying Modern Art

       Key Points:  Art at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC (MoMA) used to be displayed in chronological order and on plain white walls with flexible lighting.

                         : Now at MoMA, art comes off the walls, the space is noisy and includes the viewer in the experience.

                         : Tate Modern displays modern art in 4 sections. Each section has an overriding theme/ principle. Landscape/matter/environment, still-life/object/real-life, history/memory/society, and nude/action/body are the themes.

                         : At Tate Modern, art is displayed in juxtaposed ways and each room is an odd and abrupt transition in each room. 

      Bones of Contention

      Key Points: In 1976, Iowa passed the first law in the US that protected Indian burial sites. 

                         : Native American bones have been collected for study and stored in museums for years. There is debate other whether to return the bones to the ancestor's or not. 

                         : In Native American Museum, natives are the ones that design the space and how the artifacts are displayed. 

       An Acquiring Mind

       Key Points:  Philippe de Montebello was the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for 31 years.

                          : Before a piece is bought and put on display, it must go through a betting process. The curators must convince the director that a piece is worth acquiring. 

 

2.) The videos were all very different. The last one actually went into the buying process for pieces, while the second one discussed how displays are created and organized in museums. The first video didn't really discuss art curating, but it did talk about the controversy of what is deemed acceptable for display. The third video also discussed controversy but in a different regard and it further shows that running a museum is not as simple as it appears.

3.) I thoroughly enjoyed the Lowdown on Lowbrow video. It was witty, and engaging, and I had never heard about this genre of art before which made it even more interesting. The Displaying Modern Art video was dull comparatively to the first one. The speakers were low and uninterested in what they were saying, but I did think that what was actually discussed about how modern art is and has been displayed to be intriguing. For me, I also like to organize by broad categories and then simplify in each category. So in that regard, I'm more of a Tate Modern display. The Bones of Contention video was sad. I have a tremendous respect for the natives and my heart breaks for what had happened to them. That being said, it was more about the battle between holding the bones in the name of science or to return them to their ancestors than it was about curating. The last video, An Acquiring Mind, wasn't bad. I thought that Philippe was amusing and his accomplishments as director of the Met is extraordinary. It showed the side of museums before the displays can even be created.

Second Art Gallery Visit

This time I went to the Art League of Long Island where there was an exhibition called Partial Portrait. It was a joint exhibition of the artists Lance Corey, Malcolm Blair, and jeweler Deborah Dudley Max. The theme is hard to pin down. It's basically the thoughts and feelings of the artists as well as inspired pieces from Pollock, Picasso, Matisse, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism.
            website for the venue: http://artleagueli.org/ 
            full story of the exhibit: http://artleagueli.org/node/591


THE GALLERY
The gallery is two floors and is relatively spacious. The design is a square; simple to navigate. The second floor is open in the center so that way viewers can look down to the first floor, and there are a lot of windows which makes the space appear a slightly larger as well. The walls were a plain white, and the first floor was decently lit, while the second floor was a bit dim. There is a glass barrier around the open center of the top floor so that way visitors don't fall, but can still see through to the floor beneath.

Pictures of Gallery

Lower Level

Each of the pieces were very unique. There were some done out of wood, some were Pop Art inspired, while others were painted. There was a mix of abstract art as well as expressionism as well. The pieces were spaced sort of close to each other but it wasn't over crowded or awkward to look at. They all seemed to go together though in a way that you really can't accurately put into words. The labels were simple. The name of the artist on, with the name of the piece under it which was usually no more than 2-3 words which I found interesting.
    This is titled Senior Woes, and it is a piece by Lance Corey. It is a wood work and paint piece. It depicts what looks like two people in conversation with eachother. This picture is very simple yet also very powerful, There is balance between the light spaces and the dark spaces, and the attention is almost instantly drawn to the figure on the left's  face. I can feel the stress and emotion coming from the figures and it makes me want to know what they are discussing. I think that the artist wanted us to feel passion for the elderly and to not be so quick as to think that everyone's life is perfect.

    The piece, also by Lance Corey, is the Prisoner. It is paint that has been heavy handedly smeared in different colors in a certain way on a large canvas. The drama of the red and blue is lightened up by the strip of white. It is a vert abstract piece but the name makes you start to think. When I first saw it I immediately thought of the flag because of the red, white, and blue, and then after reading the name thought that maybe the artist is saying we are prisoner's of our own country and thoughts of patriotism. We should be more accepting of other countries, and cultures.                                              
    This last piece also Lance Corey is called Lullabye. It is a long rectangluar wood work that has lighly painted floral designs in pastel colors. The lines are smooth and gentle, and the eye travels up and down the piece. The darkest spot in the center draws the most attention since all the colors are muted. There isn't much variety but it doesn't need it. The piece made me feel calm and peaceful, and I thought that the name for it was perfect. It reminded me of flowers and dreams and peacefulness, which i think was the artist's goal.

                                                      

 I liked having to look at all the components of a gallery. The space is just as important as the exhibition itself. I really like having to go to galleries. It's forcing us to be more involved in the community and to open our minds to other ideas. It also allows us to put what we have been learning into practice.