Installation Art Project

What is Installation Art? 

              - According to the text, it's a form of art that the entire room, or a space, is treated as the entire work of art which is to be entered and experienced. It's usually in a specific location and usually for a short period of time. 

What Materials are used?

              - Literally just about anything and everything that the artist wishes to use.

 

Why Make it? 

              - It's an experience. It is a new way for art to become connected with the public, and vice versa. Honestly the same question could be asked about any form of art.. why make it? Because it fulfills some subconscious and conscious need in people to express themselves, ask questions, seek answers, find acceptance, and to be apart of something that's bigger than themselves, even if it's just for a few minutes. 

 

Which did I find interesting?

               - In the book it mentioned the "gates" installation piece that was designed by Christo and Jeanne- Claude. It was 7,503 orange sheets on frames that were spread all through out Central Park in NYC. By default I have to say that I find it interesting because I was actually there on one of the 16 days it was to be set up. I remember thinking that it was a lot of hype over what seemed really simple, but I see now that I was apart of history, and helping support years to come of artistic achievements. 

For the project I honestly was at such a loss as to what to do, how to do it, and what exactly I was supposed to do. I ended up choosing the topic of self, and my materials used were literally just the everyday things that I use such as my laptop, ipod, lab book, art text book, calculator, a cool drink, my drink this not that book (because I'm very into health and nutrition), and sunglasses. My location is outside in my backyard on one of the lounge chairs and the table next to it. I sit in that spot almost everyday with these items littered around me. I figured that that was a good idea for an installation... "A day in the Life". (I know it's not very original of a name) My day every day is generally, school work, school, work, and more school work. (i'm taking two summer classes, and one is at the local community college that I have to drive 30-40 mins to each day..in retrospect I should have put my car keys in this too.)

SO... here is my piece.

Name: A Day in the Life

Location: My backyard in East Northport, NY 11731

 

Peer Reviewing

I think that peer reviews are an unappreciated, yet very effective learning process. It helps an individual open their eyes to things that they might not have, and receive praise and recognition (which can be beneficial in and of itself),  but in a way that feels less threatening since it's done by those considered to be 'equals'. That being said, I think that the process of peer reviewing the art projects we had (although this one wasn't as difficult as editing a paper for English class haha), was a great assignment. It's always interesting to see what other ideas peers have come up with for the same project topics, while also trying to say constructive and positive things about it.

 I looked at Richard Cruz and Kelly Caruso's blogs 

Richard Cruz:  http://cruzrs01blog1.blogspot.com/

Kelly Caruso: http://carukl84.blogspot.com/ 

1.) The first project we did was to capture the principles and elements of art in photos. Both I felt truly did an amazing job. The pictures were very unique and you could tell that there was a lot of consideration taken in selecting them. There were several that could double in several of the categories. Richard's pictures for color and unity definitely could have been interchangeable, as well as the pictures Kelly used for line and shape. I thought it was interesting that Kelly and I had a very similar picture of looking up at cylindrical buildings. Her's was for form, and mine had been for movement. 

2.) None of the images used in the second project (art gallery visit) were the same in either of the blogs or my own. Kelly went to a gallery in Rochester, while Richard went to the Albright-Knox in Buffalo. I'm from Long Island so I went to a gallery near me. I found that even though I didn't feel any sort of connection with the images that spoke to Richard, I could completely understand why he felt as he did because his reviews and explanations were so passionate. Some of the pieces Kelly chose I feel that I would have selected myself too which I thought was really cool. 

3.) To piggy-back on the comment about Kelly's picks, I definitely was interested in two of the images in particular. (the glass sculpture, and the Billboard Painting in Louisiana) The billboard painting sparks so many mixed emotions. It's a little foreboding, creepy even, but strangely beautiful. While the glass sculpture is just an amazement in and of itself. I think it's simple and powerful and unique. 

4.) My opening statement actually answers the question about what I thought of the process :)

5.) I was actually really excited to see I had comments. I want to know what people think of what I have to say and the work I've done. It's very encouraging.

Video Reviews: Glass & Ceramics, Installation Art, and Sculpture

1.) Glass & Ceramics Video
 key points: 
                  :Glass is made from sand, silica mix, and heat. It's not a true solid, but a viscous liquid that hardens when cooled.
                  : Stained glass is a 'puzzle' of colored glass put together in frames. 
                  : Windows (glass) are good for protection against hot/cold temperatures and for transmission of sound waves. 
                  : Ceramics is made with a clay base, water, and heat. 
                  : The quality of ceramics is based on the raw materials, and temperature fired at. Ex. Fine China is fired at 1400 Celsius, bricks and clay tile is fired at 1100 Celsius. 
                  : Dry pressing is used for making simple shapes in large amounts (plates) and uses dry powder instead of the liquid clay 'slip'.
                  : Ceramics applications are spreading. Used as hip replacement joints, mufflers in cars, radar components.
     
     Installation Art Video
Key points:
                  : Several ways to define it... an art work that takes over and defines a space. Art that is all around a viewer and creates an attitude/atmosphere. The product of interaction and the environment in a designated space."Art of the moment"
                  : Installation art is designed to force the viewer to interact with the environment. 
                  : Site Specific Art is installation that is made for that specific area only. Ex. Spiral Jetty, Salt Lake, Utah.
                  : Usually not bought and sold like other 'traditional' artwork, but is broken down to make space available for new installations.
   
    Sculpture Video
Key points:    
                  : Stone is the chosen canvas for a sculptor. 
                  : According to Michelangelo, the statue is already inside the marble. The artist just has to cut away the excess to set the statue free.
                  : Sculptors must carve with feeling, emotion, and sensitivity in order to make the piece come alive. Visualize the final outcome first, and draw it out.
                  : To check the quality of a piece of marble, make sure there are no cracks, and the sound it makes when it's hit must be a certain sound.
                  : Clay is the original, then plaster is the between stage, and marble is the final. 
                  : There is no waste at a limestone quarry because the calcium carbonate that is the main component, can be used in many areas such as food, powders, and paint.

2.) These videos relate to the readings and in my opinion, seem to go more in depth than the text. (especially for the glass and installation art sections)

3.) I though that the Installation Art video's sound quality was very poor. It was very hard to hear the speakers, and the background music was overpoweringly loud in comparison. Overall though it gave me a much better understanding of what installation art is about in a way that simply reading it in the textbook can't provide. 
The glass and ceramics video was also helpful, and I liked that it wasn't too long. It's really interesting to see all the applications, in other areas than art, that the mediums are used in. 
The  sculptor video wasn't quite as informative as the others were, but it was extremely interesting to hear about the quarries and all the months of planning and painstaking work that goes into creating a sculpture. 

Creating a Personal Logo

Creating a Logo for yourself is kind of daunting. You have complete freedom to design something in anyway that you want, but how can you sum up you as a person in just one simple figure(s)? To begin the process I thought about what it was that I liked about the world and myself and what gives me strength. This reminded me to start to think back to my tattoo ideas and concepts, and when I did that, I found that all of my questions and answers were already laid out for me. (and also permanently imprinted) This realization showed me that you know yourself better than you think you do, even if sometimes you don't believe it. 

The videos and assorted websites placed an importance on how Logos really are the "face" of a company, product, person etc, and that for many consumers or clients, it's the symbol that stands out in memory most. Logos also have to be simple, but still represent what the organization stands for, and be easy to apply to many formats, which keeps the image alive. I thought that the videos overall were interesting because it showed how the technique of graphic design is used in everyday business transactions and just how influential a Logo can be. 

Below are some of my sketches. Like I said earlier, they are my ideas for tattoos. I am intrigued by the constant struggle between the good and evil in the world and in ourselves. I always try to seek out the beauty in others first before giving complete judgement because you never know what experiences you'll miss out on if you don't. I find strength in the sea so I'm calmed and inspired by anything related to it, and nature for that matter. One of my most favorite things to draw for some reason has always been an eye. Eyes truly are unique to every individual, and the things that they have seen or will see is what makes a person who they are, or will become. I also love roses for most of the same reasons as everything else. It's finding the beauty hidden behind the thorns. They can represent life, death, and rebirth. Graceful and slightly menacing at the same time. I have many other ideas too that follow these themes, but that would be just too many images to load! 
My Logo is my tattoo: Perspective w/ a rose. This sums up everything short, sweet, simple, and beautiful. :) 

Anchor ideas

Preliminary tree

Let go of your rules, and break free

Keep an eye on the present day

Preliminary

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil

The drawing is almost identical to the real thing :)

Yes that's my actual ankle!

 

Visiting the Heckscher Museum of Art (Project 2)

For this project I went to the Heckscher Museum of Art, which is in the heart of Huntington Village, Huntington, NY. (Long Island) I went in with an open mind, and to be honest I've always wanted to check the place out, so this assignment was the perfect opportunity to. www.heckscher.org

There were a few different pieces that stood out the most for me, and I find that there is a bit of a common theme with the images that I liked. I love the abstractness of colors and lines, especially when the inspiration comes from the movement of water. I love lighting and how it plays with moods, and creates shadows that in a way represents the darkness and lightness in ourselves and in the world. I also seem to be drawn to images that although are rather simple in concept, are represented from a unique point of view. 

To say which two images out of the six we had to select are the ones that made an impact or impression on me is (no offense) a dumb question since all of them made some impression or jumped out at me in particular, which is why they were chosen in the first place. But that being said, ( and I really didn't mean any disrespect so I am sorry for the criticism) the pieces by Barbara Bilotta titled Inspiration Beneath the Waves, and Bowl of Apples by Jennifer Drucker definitely made impressions on me. Both pieces are very different from each other, one is full of energy and life, while the other is more sullen and downplayed. 

The ones that I felt more connected with were Softly by Joanne Dumas, and Mary 1, by Victoria Selback. I was born and raised with a love and respect for the ocean, so I instantly am drawn to images that reflect this, which is why Softly spoke to me more so than the others. As for Mary 1, I am intrigued by the angle, because it feels as if we the viewer are looking at the room, and down at the woman's body as if we were her. It's hard to explain why it had such an impact exactly, but I love how the body structure conveys a bit of shyness even though she is naked. It represents the vulnerability in us, while also showing inner strength. 

The last two images that I chose were ones that I'd like to know a bit more about. Graffiti Wall by Raymond Germann, and REFLECTions: Close encounters with the Guggenheim by Keni Fine were those images. Both are digital photos, and represent a simple everyday life scenario, but are still very unique. What intrigued me most about Graffiti Wall, was the fact that the designs on the wall since the picture was taken has since been covered over and is lost beneath layers of industrial growth and change. I wanted to know where in Manhattan it was and what has since become of the area. The other image I thought was just super interesting because it not only is a reflection of the famous Guggenheim in a car, but the artist is also calling for people to Reflect on themselves. It makes me wonder what other things the artist has done, and what he has "reflected" on. 

Softly By Joanne Dumas, 2011, Archival Pigment Print

Inspiration Beneath the Waves By Barbara Bilotta, 2011, Acrylic with Resin on Canvas

REFLECTions: Close Encounters with the Guggenheim By Keni Fine, 2011, Digital Photography

Mary 1 By Victoria Selback, 2011, Acrylic on Canvas

Bowl of Apples By Jennifer Drucker, 2010, Encaustic on Photograph

Graffiti Wall By Raymond Germann, 2009, Digital Photography

Color Wheel and Value Gradient Project

At first when I read the assignment I thought that it was going to be a really tedious and time consuming process. I was pleasantly surprised that it was rather simple to create the color wheel and value scale. 

It's hard to say which of the medias I liked more. I really love painting and how the colors can literally be mushed together and still look beautiful. That, and it's fun to get all over haha. I also draw or doodle rather frequently, and there's an accuracy, simplicity, and shading effect that can never be reached fully except with a pencil or charcoal. So for function... I favor pencils, and for fun... I favor paint :)  

I thought that the video on value was sort of strange and long winded, and the color wheel video was the opposite. (short, and direct) I think the most interesting thing I learned was that the primary and secondary colors that we have been taught, since probably kindergarten, are wrong. It makes me feel kind of dumb for believing it be true for all these years. 


To carry on with that last statement, for the project I discovered that I had bought what I had thought were the right primary colors, but it turned out that I was wrong. (I'm sorry!) So my wheel is inaccurate. Also, it takes a bit of concentration to create a value gradient that is changing slightly enough to see all the stages from black to white. 

(sorry for the awkward spacing)

Elements & Principles of Art Project

I have always loved photography and so this project was definitely very appealing and fun for me. I usually like to take pictures of nature, close-ups, interesting shapes, and leading lines. You can probably tell right away when you look at the slideshow.  :)  It was difficult picking one picture for one element or principle since many of the photos could be used for several of the categories. I can't even say which one is my favorite since I love them all in their own way and for what they represent to me! But I thought that overall this was a good experience and also a good excuse to go out and take pictures.

http://s1256.photobucket.com/albums/ii496/hartigm01/?albumview=slideshow

Color & Emotions

1.) Color is a psychological experience, and it's also very cultural. Each society or culture holds different meaning for colors. For example, in western society, we generally view death as being symbolized by black and dark dismal colors, and weddings should be white and pastel. In a lot of Indian societies (Eastern) the wedding attire of the bride and groom is bright reds and colors normally we don't associate with pureness. (hence why we choose white) In and of itself, color is simply light, and without light there wouldn't be any color. I think that society tells us what to think of certain colors and how to react when we see it. We were instilled with the concept that blues are calming and reds cause more agitation or arousal, but it's a certain shade and or value of that particular hue that we associate with the emotion or feeling. Dark blue is usually seen as more dismal or gothic, and pink (tint of red) is seen as feminine and happy. All color effects on emotion is highly subjective. Everyone experiences something different when they see certain colors or images based on their life experiences.

2.) I just want to know why we give the certain meanings we do to colors, and what is it about a color or shade or hue that speaks to us individually? How come we have a "favorite" color(s) and what is it about certain colors and/or patterns that is more appealing than others? Personally, as I grew up my views on certain "favorite" colors changed along with me. I think the optical effect of after images and how we can see the lingering complementary color of an image due to receptor fatigue to be really fascinating. It shows us more about how our brains are wired for certain color stimuli.

3.) I'll be honest, I didn't really understand the point of the colors video of following the Scottish artist June Redfern. I know she was really inspired to paint when she saw bright, bold colors, and that she wanted the mood of her paintings to be more happy, mystical, and hard to pin down the exact overall attitude of the work. I suppose the biggest impact I can say is that color and light (or lack there of) has a different effect on everyone, and the emotions that certain colors or moods trigger is all based off of personal experiences. What we choose to do with these emotions is where we really vary, in the case of June, she likes to embrace the feelings by painting.

4.) I thought that of the two videos, this was not only more informative but also more interesting. I really thought that the contrasting views of humanity and human nature by David and Goya was portrayed in beautiful ways. The emotions in the art work seem to almost perfectly mirror that of our own desires, fantasies, fears, and doubts. There wasn't much discussion about colors and feeling necessarily, but mostly about how emotions can be captured and emphasized with the aid of colors in an art work.

Art & Aesthetics Video Response

1.) In the Philosophy of Arts video the basic idea was about the journey of understanding beauty through the arts. The CARTA video was about how our brains perceive images and the evolution of our brains as well as the capacity for creating and interpreting pleasing images.

2.) I think that of the philosophers mentioned in the video, Immanuel Kant (18th century Enlightenment Era) is the one that sticks out the most prominently. He said that the "inner sense of beauty is innate and spontaneous", which I couldn't agree more with. He thinks that judging what is considered beautiful is a feeling and can't be made to follow rules. He said that beauty is not rule bound and is based on subjective judgement. His goal was to combine reason with experiences and logic. (Objects that are outside of our own experiences can still be used to explain logic, we don't need to conform or limit ourselves to what we are comfortable with)

3.) I thought that lectures by Changeux and Ramachandran were interesting because of the scientific aspects to the subject. It makes art seem less abstract and random. The part from Changeux's talk I found most interesting was when he was talking about the "Rules of Art" when he said that artists are attempting to share their conception of the world, and art makes us aware of ourselves and of others. In the beginning of the talk he was discussing how the human brain has been growing in size as we evolved and as it grew so did our complexity for creating and understanding artworks. 

I really liked listening to Ramachandran's lecture, and I think the part that was most memorable to me was when he said that the word art shouldn't be used but rather "visual aesthetic" because what someone finds pleasing can be vastly different from another person. He also said that goal of an artist is to produce a product that creates something pleasing in the brain.

4.) The videos relate to the readings because the brain and beauty and art are all linked together. The issue is still in figuring out just how they all work together. It's good to have different mediums for learning a topic, so having the videos and the readings from the book allows for many ideas to be sparked and to gain more perspective.

5.) Of the two films we watched, I really enjoyed the second half of the CARTA film when Ramanchandran spoke, and the first video wasn't terrible either but the one man in the black shirt and gray beard was simply aggravating to listen to because of his long pauses and how low he talked. I wish I could have been able to hear the speech by Jean- Pierre better and his powerpoints were very difficult to read because the print was small and blurry. Overall, they were interesting but I think the quality needs some improvement. I like supplementing videos with the text book too, it helps show the subject matter in different ways and it's cool to see hear the scientific aspects of art as well.
 

Getting the Hang of Things

I had some difficulty getting the blog set up, and I'm still trying to figure out how to do things on it, but as the course continues I'm sure I'll eventually learn what I need to about the program. I know that I need to get a bit more organized because I feel that I'm already behind before we really begun, but that's also because I have time make time for my other class which is a chemistry course and for my job. This being the first week it's supposed to be a little weird, and I'm confident that everything will fall into place. 

I won't lie I'm a big skeptic when it comes to certain things about what is considered to be "art" or not, but I love photography and I like to paint and draw but they're not of really anything in particular just sort of doodles. I'm hoping to gain a renewed appreciation and understanding of the art world through this class.