Reflections of AED 200

1. I expected to learn and understand historical arts and creations. I also wanted to be able to recognize art when I see it and be able to describe the emotions of the artist while it was being made. From taking this class I now can walk into an art gallery and recognize many of the art and paintings around me. I know the history or many art and artists and understand their emotions while they create it. Videos and course material really helped me with understand art.
2. Art is a product of an artist that can influence emotions, senses, and intellect. It could be anything from drawings, paintings, sculptures, 2D and 3D installations, videos, and many more. Most art is aesthetically pleasing for the viewer.
3. My favorite artist is still Jackson Pollack. I love abstract art and think what he does to create art is amazing. It takes great talent to throw paint on a canvas and make it beautiful.
4. Taking an online course is still very difficult if you are not motivated. It is a big responsibility to and you don’t have teachers or students keeping you in line. I like taking online courses because it meets my schedule having a full time job and going to school full time. Taking a online course results in more work because you don’t have to actually meet in class so it evens out.

Self Portrait

 This is an active link to my slideshow on photobucket of my images:

http://s1111.photobucket.com/albums/h475/bolibral01/Self%20Portraits/?albumview=slideshow

1. Why did you select the inspiration pieces? I selected these inspirational pieces because they were unique. They didn’t look like a photograph and looked more like a painting. I knew I could not create an exact image of myself so I chose pieces that were a little altered of what the artists really look like.
2. Why did you select the media to create your self-portrait? I selected pencil because it is easy for me to control. It creates value and can provide emphasis on certain areas.
3. What challenges did you face in creating your self-portrait and how did you overcome them? I was unable to get the affects from pencil that the inspirational pieces did with paint. However, I used my pencil like they used their brush strokes and I did small lines to create the face portion.
4. How does this piece represent you? This piece represents me because I drew myself with a big smile, sheer necklace, long hair, and a salon t shirt. I like to stay positive with a big smile, and I am a Hairstylist which is represented in the necklace and shirt. I also love long hair so I emphasized it in the portrait.
5. What elements and principles of art did you apply in this work? I created value among the light and dark of the portrait and also shaded many spots so they would blend. I used emphasis for the hair and necklace so it could stand out. I also used line and shape to create my picture. It has a sense of balance and space in the picture as well.
6. Did you enjoy working on this project? I enjoyed working on this project but drawing myself was a bit difficult. However, I created many sketched and then did my final work.
7. What do you think of your final artwork? I think my final work was successful. I tried doing an abstract self portrait, however, I could not make it look like a self portrait so I decided to do a realistic looking portrait as well as I could.

Art critisism

1. Which projects did you review? I reviewed almost all the student's projects when one caught my eye. I reviewed Stephanie Mongeilo's Project, Color Beyond Paint.
2. Why did you select the Exhibit you critiqued? I selected the Exhibit because it was very organized and I love bright colors. The first five slides were bright and colorful and the exhibit was focused on color. It seemed interesting and I moved on from there.
3. What challenges did you face in writing the critique article and how did you overcome them? I had a hard time starting the article after reading and reviewing all of her slides. I didn't know whether I should act if I am in the exhibit or directly talk about her slides.
4. How do you feel about critiquing your peers work? I like critiquing peer's work because we are on the same level in this class and have learned the same material from this class. Critiquing is also meant to help the person in gaining knowledge and insights on the future, rather than bashing them.
5. Would you like to read the critique your peers wrote about your Art Curation Project? I would most definitely like to read the critique my peers wrote for my project so I can know what I excelled in as well as any mistakes I made that I did not notice.
6. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your finished article and why? I rate my article a 9 because I really put time and effort into this criticism. Critiquing is really important because it not only affects you, but it can affect others. I wrote my article following all the rules and guidelines. I also included the five steps of Art Criticism to my article and more.
7. Did you enjoy working on this project? I enjoyed working on this project because there was freedom for creativity and open mindedness. There was also the chance to view others artwork to open your imagination of being an art critic.

Video Reviews

Greenberg on Art Criticism: An Interview by T. J. Clark-Writing about visual art is more difficult than writing about literature or music. There has always been main stream art but at times Greenberg's preferences did not fit the main stream. You as an art critic need to stay receptive and open because art can evolve from anywhere. He believes there is a prejudice in art criticism. The best art is created for the "elite". All you can ask of lower social classes is to accept art. Greenberg also believes there is a crisis of taste and that relevance is a guideline to criticism. Greenberg believes in modern specialization and to keep refining things down.

 Greenberg on Pollock: An Interview by T. J. Clark- Pollock became famous for his drip paintings but back in the 1940s, Greenberg knew he would be a great artist in the future. The demise of the easel painting was inevitable and would be the next big move towards murals.
Drip paintings eliminate the artist's body getting in the way of what they want to create. When they fail it's because they don't "sit." Pollock's work was not thought to be "real painting" in the traditional sense and he was looked at as an outsider. Pollock said he didn’t take enough time looking at impressionists.

An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance (Giorgio Vasari)- Renaissance saw the rebirth of interest in art. Giorgio Vasari's "Lives of the Artists" still helps people today study art of the past and renews enthusiasm through Italian arts. Art is continually changing and artists base their works on previous artists. The fall of the Roman Empire meant much of Roman culture was lost. The cultural center moved to Byzantine Empire and Byzantine art figures were marked by flatter figures. Giotto began the idea of perspective in which he was one of the first artists to use this idea since the Romans. Donatello's "David" stands in contrapossto which is the body still looks balanced even though the weight is shifted on one side. Masaccio brought shading, drama and intensity to his paintings. Piero della Francesca introduced chiaroscuro (light vs. dark to create depth). Botticelli was able to create works that celebrated the human form and had non-Christian subject matter. DaVinci believed the only way to recreate something realistically is by understanding how it works. Raffaefello is a master of composition and was influenced by Da Vinci. Michelangelo created the Sistine Chapel which took 4 years to complete.

The Critics: Stories from the Inside Pages- Those who cannot do, critique-many artists do not see the need for the critics and do not allow them to influence their work. Critics get the public to think. Their goal is to take you from a neutral state to wanting to experience the work they are talking about. They give new ideas or suggest new ways to view things. Critics direct people to good works. Critics can improve media and influence public opinion. They can keep artists on their toes and give some artists their big break. The duty of a critic often overlaps with the duties of a reporter. Objective critics are neutral, fair and bring different points of views to the table. Subjective critics express their opinion freely. Criticism looks at a wider view than a review does and can also make an argument. Criticism is characterized on how well it makes its argument and how it touches on the human experience. Critical Thinking Skills include knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Superior Criticism involves critical thinking, good writing, choosing the right material and makes connections.

The Colonial Encounter: Views of Non-Western Art and Culture- The view of French colonies in the 1900s were not coherent or consistent. Some images show a high status and others evoke a more primitive view. Dahome culture was represented as barbaric in the 1900 World Fair. The French wanted to make the world think that it was imperative that the French step in and save the "barbarians." Dahome did have skills as craftsmen which is a redeeming quality. Arabic culture became characterized by belly dancing and promiscuity. African men and women were put in cages and put on display in the name of science. They were shown to have violent behavior towards each other and were thought to possibly turn against the Europeans. Physical features were used as a way to determine intellectual superiority. Westerners do not understand the original “cultural meaning” they see it only as an art object.

Jackson Pollock: Michael Fried and T. J. Clark in Conversation- Pollock is a major modern art master. T.J. Clark-modern art was developed in opposition to bourgeoisie culture. Michael Fried-modern art mattered because it was constantly renewing itself. Modernism was a conflict between resources and condition. It was difficult to agree on how to describe the character of Pollock's work so it is difficult to understand his intentions. They need to consider the importance of Pollock's work historically as well as pictorially. Clark and Fried realized they need to redefine the way they speak about Pollock’s work.

2) These videos relate to the creation of my Art Criticism project because it described the techniques used in an art criticism. It made me understand the importance in having an open mind when it comes to art. The videos discussed the correct ways to evaluate art and included examples on criticisms.
3) It took me longer to get through the films this time, however since I knew it was relevant to my next project and it pertained to my understanding then they were interesting. They added depth to my understanding of how to think critically about art.

Project #4 - Architectural Creations throughout the World

When I started my project, I was confused on what topic I should choose. I then thought of the brainstorming process of what is popular in art, but will be different then most people in the class. I started browsing sites for artwork, and I saw beautiful artwork with buildings and architectural structures that I feel in love with. Different parts of the world and different time periods have different styles of architecture. I used the resource tools on Angel to find paintings in museums and also used architectural structures that were built and there were pictures taken of them. I enjoyed making my own exhibit because it was creative and I got to explore many different artworks.

Video Review

 The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art- Lowbrow art-art that nobody else knows how to characterize. It is a reaction to high brow culture. Lowbrow imagery was used in relation to images of naked girls and hot rods, however it evolved and stuck and created its own meaning. Lowbrow was originally referring to pornography. Lowbrow art was inspired by suburbia, nuclear family, Malibu beach/surf scene, comic books and B level movies. Psychedelic rock posters were not accepted in galleries because they were associated with hippies and drugs. It has history and folk art. Pop culture references were also used in Lowbrow. Lowbrow was formed into an art movement where people were scared it would erase earlier cultural art. Culture is open to women artists, where they thought since they were women they could draw a woman better than men can.

Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach-  The was an overwhelming success which made the gallery art in danger and had to be cornered off. Four million viewers in the first year made it the most popular museum. Modern art in the MOMA(museum of modern art) from 1929 onwards was displayed primarily in chronological order, representing each art movement. There were rooms in the museum with specific lighting on the walls emphasizing the art, or the room where the art movements was displayed. Some artists set up art in the room for the experience that is in and off the walls. Art in the museum can also represent other concepts. Tate creates rooms as an atmosphere with a theme.

Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology- Archaeologists have studied and kept remains of bones of Native Americans in the back of museums for further knowledge. Now the Native Americans want their ancestors back and they compare it to burning books and it will be a setback of information. Discrimination with native Americans were in affect when the archaeologists dug up 26 white people for study and then reburied them, however, they took the Indian woman and her child and put them in a box and shipped off for further study. In 1976 the first law was passed to protect Indian burial grounds. Smithsonian held the remains of 18,000 Native American remains. Anthropologists want to study origins of Native Americans. Similar bone defects suggest shared genes origins. Many tribes do not believe the theory of migration. The bones of earlier women reveal that hard work by manufacturing furs worn them down and led to a lower birthrate and life expectancy.

George Eastman House: Picture Perfect- George Eastman was a well known business man and a visionary. He was a child of a new age of photography. He is the father of popular photography. He created an affordable Kodak camera for all people. The whole history of photography is in the George Eastman House which is the story of his life and legacy of his life that is picture perfect. George Eastman’s House, holds 400,000 photographs, 25,000 films, 62,000 personal artifacts and 16,000 pieces of photographic technology. Documentation led to imagination in art. In 1996 the George Eastman House established the first school in North America to teach the restoration, preservation, and archiving of motion pictures. Eastman committed suicide in 1932 because he had a terminal illness and wanted to be in control of his life.

2. These videos related to my art exhibition project except the Bones of Contention. In the other three videos, an art created a theme or topic for their exhibition and had different rooms of varieties of art that all related to that specific theme. In each video there was an importance for each concept and shows how each artists involves the topic in their artwork.
3. The Bones of Contention was very interesting because I was unaware of the discrimination that was happening behind closed doors in the archeologist’s world. I do understand that it is part of their job to study past life but to disturb graves and then not put the natives back is wrong. I thought these videos were very helpful in aid to my curation project because I realize that every artwork doesn’t necessarily have to be the same type of images. They just need to relate to the theme during different parts of time.