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.