Module 6: Blog Reviews

Blog #1: Amy Newton
Let me first say two things; one, I dislike reviewing other people's work, and two, I was lucky enough to have to review my sister's blog found here. She has always been a very good writer and a frequent reviewer and analyzer of various media, so reading her entries was fun for me; we generally like to snoop on each others assignments anyway.

I thought her elements matched pretty well in each of her photos. While her thematic choice was clever and convenient, I feel it kind of restricted her in some ways. Still, she was inventive and clearly inspired by the assignment so I can't knock her on that. While some of her images obviously had other elements in them (texture being almost unavoidable in any photo), I felt her photos were focused on the elements they were meant to focus on. 

Amy and I both chose Niagara as a piece that related to us, and for the same reasons. I find that funny in some ways; we went to the museum together, but we did our assignments and photos separately, yet we came up with the same piece for the same reason. Just goes to show the family traits I guess.

Since we went to the gallery together, we actually got to talk about the pieces as we were viewing them. So, I don't think I could say that she picked any that got my interest more than while we were there. Walking Soldier (1917), by Alexander Archipenko caught my attention at the museum, but for a different reason; I just think its odd looking and weird. Call me narrow-minded if you must, but I just don't see a person in it; in fact, I'm not really sure what I see in it. 

Blog #2 Amber Racette

This is why I dislike these projects; the need to be polite overrides the desire to be brutally honest. I thought her photo choices were appropriate, none were mismatched or unbelievable. However, I really felt like she didn't put any effort into the post about the project. Not that she needed to go in depth and individualize like Amy, but I wish there was something there that was interesting to read.

I'm convinced she didn't go t the Albright Knox; I've been there numerous times and have never seen those pieces ever, any of them. Not that that is a bad thing, quite the contrary; but I wish she again, put more information into her post. There aren't even titles on her blog posts, which made finding and commenting on her posts very difficult.

All of her selected images piqued my interest, because I've never seen any of them. Which is why I really want to know where she went, so I could see these beautiful works for myself.

As I said before, and will say again; I really dislike having to review peer works. Even in the discussion forums, where I try to be as uplifting and encouraging as possible, I find it frustrating to have to pull meaning out of someone else's opinion; and that's only after I figure out if they actually followed the prompt or not. Personally, I find it embarrassing and anxiety producing to have my work viewed by my peers. It isn't that I think I do poorly, it's that I don't want to have to cater to an audience; especially in my reflections, which I have tried very hard to be honest in. All of this "blogging" is nerve wracking for me as it is. I don't have a large interest in socializing to begin with, and less so on the internet, so sticking my opinion out there is just asking for trouble in my opinion. I don't feel like I get anything out of it either; I'm sure that makes me a little strange for a 26 year old nowadays, but its just not my thing.

As I said before, I don't like the idea of people even seeing my work, so reading the comments was kind of scary. At least I knew my sister was going to read mine, which made me feel better because she always has such helpful things to say. The other comments weren't awful, very nice things were said, but I didn't feel like they thought much about it. It was more "I did this too!" and that was all. But its all I ever expect from assignments like these, so I'm not really surprised.

Module 6: Video Review

1.) I though Through the Eyes of the Sculptor was a really interesting video. I had seen many things on the methods for sculpting and always thought they were interesting. However, I'd never sen anything quite like this; getting to see the sculpture through all of its stages was really nice, and hearing the sculptor's opinions and plans was really enlightening. I did not know that there were artisans, whose entire job for a piece is shaping the form out of the original slab. Granted, I was aware there were different specialties in every art form, but I was not aware how specialized it could be. I really enjoyed watching the idea become reality. From sketch, to small model, to full-scale  model, to plaster copy, to finished work; it was fascinating to see the attention to detail and effort put into keeping the form and design the same between each stage. Remarkable that from initial model to the finished work, there was very little variance or change.

The video on Ceramics and Glass was pretty dull; I already know how glass and ceramic is made,  really like the old TV show How Its Made and they did an episode on it. I did enjoy the visuals; watching glass blowers is always fascinating and seeing the giant complicated machinery is always amazing. I hadn't heard of cold press ceramics, so that was really interesting; it looks like a very convenient way to make dinner plates and I really liked watching the guy glazing them by hand, it looked really cool the way he did it. I loved how out of date it was; it was from 1993, which means its 23 years old, so its only to be expected. The projections for the future of glass was pretty funny.

2.) The first video was very relevant to the text, it basically covered all four basic methods of sculpting; modeling, assembling, carving, and casting. In the process of making his sculpture, the sculptor in the film begins by modeling a clay figure, then he casts a plaster mold, and finished by carving the statue out of marble. The only method we didn't see in the videos was assembling, unless you count the work the sculptor did for that driveway entrance; the two horses and male in the middle, had to be assembled on their pedestals when the individual figures were done. The first video also covered a variety of materials mentioned in the book; like clay, stone (specifically marble), and plaster. The second video covered chapter 12; the sections on glass and ceramics and their uses. 

3.) I think the first video was interesting, and was a nice addition to the readings. The second video seemed unnecessary, as I thought the chapter covered them very well and they are common and familiar materials for most people.

Module 5: Museum Visit #1

A.) There were many works at the museum that made an impression on me; that's the funny thing about the word 'impression', it's a very vague term and it leaves a lot of room for interpretation. I think the two pieces that had the greatest impact on me were Wall Drawing #1268: Scribbles: Staircase (AKAG), and Untitled (Mylar), pictured below.

Sol LeWitt

Wall Drawing #1268: Scribbles: Staircase (AKAG), conceived 2006; executed 2010

Graphite on three walls

Tara Donovan; Untitled (Mylar), 2007; Mylar and glue

 The first thing that struck me about the Scribbles was it's absolutely immense size and it's ridiculous effort to make! It is literally composed of nothing but scribbles of Graphite pencil on a three huge walls; it took over 5,000 man hours and over 1,700 pencil leads to complete! Standing in the stairwell was quite an experience; you're literally surrounded by a never ending sea of various shades of ever so slightly shiny black. But when you look very closely at the whiter sections, you realize it is all composed of tiny individual scribbles working together. It was a strangely moving experience for me.

Detail from Scribbles

 (Mylar), on the other hand, left a very visual impression on me; not emotional like Scribbles. The way (Mylar) reacts to the lighting makes it appear as though it is made of something alien; something otherworldly, that is showing us a reality we could have only dreamed of. It is a strange mix of shadow and shine and looking at it was surprisingly entertaining, without being dizzying.

B.) In terms of feeling 'connected' to the works, I can't say there were any that I specifically felt connected to. There were pieces that moved me; many works made me feel something, but none really 'connected' with me; except for maybe Niagara. This obvious reason this piece connects with me is it is focused on Niagara Falls, right in Buffalo's backyard. It's also concerned with the pollution in the river, something I too take very seriously.

Frank M. Moore; Niagara, 1994-95; Oil on canvas

 The other work I would say I felt connected to was Ground III; part of the Joan Linder: Operation Sunshine exhibit. The entire exhibit connected with me, again it was based in WNY and dealing with pollution; but the exhibit contained many locations I recognized personally, places near my home and workplace. One of the sketch books on display showed the bridge to Grand Island and the fuel refinery in the background; I travel past there almost daily on my way to and from work, and the refinery is owned by the company I work for, Noco. Ground III was particularly moving for me because its so simultaneously large and small at the same time. The photo below isn't very good, mostly because the piece is very large, but contains many intricate and small details that my camera just couldn't capture.

Joan Linder; Ground III, 2014; Ink on paper

 C.) There were several works that just had me asking more questions than finding answers. The first of these works was The Flying Fish, pictured below.

Marc Chagall; The Flying Fish, 1948; Oil on canvas

 There isn't much in this image that doesn't make me scratch my head. Those are clearly husband and wife in their wedding garb, but why are they standing in a bouquet of roses? Why is that house upside-down? Where did the rooster come from, and why does that flying fish have an arm holding a candelabra? I found no sense in the image, and yet it didn't seem random or unplanned; this is what piqued my curiosity.

The other work that grabbed ahold of my curiosity was Reckless; a large floor sculpture of bright colors and strange shapes. The first thing I thought looking at it was it looked like bacteria growing across the floor, or was it a garden? It was brightly colored and full of shapes, but it was flat; like someone had just painted all over the floor. It made me rethink what 'sculpture' really was; here was this sprawling floor decal sitting among three-dimensional forms, yet it seemed more full and alive than the rest of them. Certainly it was less...disconcerting than some; I did not care for that large wooden pumpkin baby thing.

Polly Apfelbaum; Reckless, 1998; Synthetic velvet and fabric dye

 

Art Making/ Exporation #1: Value Scale and Color Wheel Assignment

1.) I really thought making the Value Scale and Color Wheel were kind of annoying projects. First of all, I can just find one online or in the textbook so what is the point of actually making one; I've blended paints before and I didn't need a Color Wheel to do it. Second of all, I can barely tell the differentiation between at least three of Values; making this thing was next to impossible for me. I'm relieved to say that I actually enjoyed myself; it really wasn't as awful as I was worried about it being. I've always loved to paint things, so actually painting the color wheel was pretty fun. The Value Scale turned out to be very difficult for me; I was expecting it to be a little challenging for me, but not like this. It kind of reinforced how quickly I really am losing some kinds of vision, and that wasn't very fun.

2.) I definitely liked working with the paints more than the pencil. First reason why is they're bold and I can see them very clearly; sometimes I can't exactly tel colors apart, but I can always see where I'm painting. Pencils, not so much; they're so controllable but there can be such little contrast that I can't tell where I'm drawing. Second reason why I like paints better is, I like brushes! Brushes are so interesting and fun for me to use; much more variety than the standard pencil! Plus, the effects that brushes can make are super pretty, and incredibly versatile. Makes it a much more interesting and fun medium to work with!

3.) The most important discovery for me was definitely the lack of contrast vision I have. It has always been a struggle for me to see slight variations of the same color; shades of blue and black have always been particularly hard for me. However, I was usually able to tell if I saw a series of them, like the Value scale; my eyes would adjust to each as having a border around them because the colors don't match on either side. This time, while trying to create my own Value Scale, I couldn't get the shades right for each square. I had to go down from black a few blocks, then come back up, darkening each block more. My eyes just were not getting what was going on. The middle section of my scale still looks like one color to me; my husband checked and assured my they looked different so I could be done with it. I was not expecting that kind of challenge, and it was kind of upsetting news.

4.) I really did not know that Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow made Red, Blue, and Green. I knew that CMY was the new print standard for high quality printers, and I knew it was widely used across the the digital world. What I didn't know was Cyan and Magenta made Blue. That blew my mind and changed the way I look at colors; seriously, it really caught me off guard. It also made making the Color Wheel make a lot more sense, since my eyes kept trying to see the blended colors I was used to; Orange, Green, and Purple (which did happened for the Magenta/Yellow blend, it dried very orange). I enjoyed the videos this module and watched them a couple of times; they were entertaining to watch and I learned something too!

Module 3 Slideshow Project

I found this project quite interesting and challenging. I began my process by simply trying to notice things around my everyday world that fit one of the items. For example, I took the picture for the element "Lines" while I waited in the train station to go Downtown. I just happened to be standing there when I saw how all of the lines just popped out. I tried doing the photos in order, so that I didn't miss anything, but I found some were more difficult to do that with. I struggled more with the Principles than the elements, though I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because the elements seem more straightforward; they are either there or not. The principles are more abstract; left up to the viewer's interpretation. The item that gave me the most difficulty was emphasis. I just couldn't come up with something in my everyday life that was specifically emphasized, so I went with something that I thought could work. I hope you enjoy the album I put together, I know I enjoyed making it!

Photobucket Album: Art Inquiry Slideshow Project 

Module 3: Color Theory and Emotional Effects

1.) Color is the refraction and absorption of light off a surface; objects do not inherently possess color, rather they refract the light waves of whatever color they are and absorb the rest. For example, a red shirt isn't red itself, it merely absorbs the light waves of the other colors in the spectrum, refracting the red light waves, so we see it a being red. All colors have three properties; hue, value, and intensity. Hue is the actual name of the color, according to the categories of the color wheel. Value is the color's lightness or darkness. Colors are often recognizable in a full range of values, and each hue has a normal value; the value at which we expect to find that hue. A good example from the text is the idea that yellow is a "light" color, while violet is a "dark" color. Intensity, also known as saturation, is the purity of a color; purer colors have a higher intensity, while duller colors have a lower intensity. Colors no doubt have an emotional effect on us, but finding universal principles for these effects is difficult; emotional response is influences by culture and is deeply personal. A good example of the cultural context behind colors is the American association of red and green with Christmas. We know the color blue has calming effects on people, and red is said to inspire appetite; but the English language links "blue" with sadness while Indian culture links blue to the god Vishnu, highlighting the differences between interpretations of color and their meanings.

2.) The most fascinating thing about color theory to me has always been that color is a function of light; it isn't an inherent feature of an object. Since I see things oddly compared to "normal" people, I have always struggled to understand color and light. Let me be clear, I'm not color blind. I see colors, and I see them almost normally through my good eye. However, when I wear my eye patch, I don't see them the same way. It is as if I'm concentrating so hard on actually seeing the object itself, that the colors become secondary almost. Color is not as important a visual cue for me as most people; for example I probably would have known they were mashed potatoes even though they were green. The change in saturation and value of colors between my good eye and bad eye only further my fascination with the theory; "Why would it change?", "Is it a result of the physical eye or mental processing?", "Am I seeing the refraction differently" are just some of the questions I have struggled to answer. I don't have an answer, it just is the way it is for me, but it continues to be a fascinating theory for me.

3.) The biggest impact in the Color video was the way the female artist struggles with her painting as it evolves and progresses. My husband is an artist, and I have watched him toil for hours over one small detail or section, only to watch him erase everything and start over. I never got it; it really all looks great to me and I think he's just picky. However, watching that woman as she painted gave me a new perspective. It isn't about the blades of grass being perfect, or the line of the horizon being flawless; its about the emotions that the image inspires. With the painter in the video, it was all about getting the right colors to express the right feelings, and about her getting her feelings out onto the canvas.

4.) The greatest impact in the Feelings video was the change in Goya's paintings. I have always been a fan of his artwork (though I was not aware he went deaf), and his use of stark contrasting images and dark space have always made his paintings seem somehow larger and more looming. The overpowering black space in his paintings has always brought to mind heavy feelings; really giving the images a sort of moral emptiness. I have always found Goya's use of color and form to be very powerful in evoking feelings of despair, loneliness, and hopelessness; all very appropriate feelings considering the times he was living in.

Module Two: Video and CNN Article Review

1.) The first video explained the history and the various aspects of the branch of philosophy known as Aesthetics. The history of aesthetics begins in ancient Greece with the philosopher Plato. Plato believed objects in the physical world were merely imperfect imitations of the idea. Since ideas are beyond the physical senses, they can only be explored and understood through reason. However, beauty is the one concept that uses the senses to find reason. The study of Aesthetics seemed to take a hiatus through the Middle Ages; where beauty was overpowered by dedication to the Christian God Art theory was reduced to a singular technique. As the Renaissance peaked, the Neoclassical style emerged, disregarding the Medieval ideas and embracing a new ideology of order and symmetry. Beauty was governed by a set of rules and was therefore not subject to taste. The modern basis for Aesthetics was formed in 18th century England during a period of intellectual prosperity. The formulation of the first modern system of the arts; which stated the "arts were united through the imitation of nature." The first formulation of Aesthetic Disinterest was also seen here; the idea that to really appreciate art you must remove practical concerns. A revolution to Aesthetics, Immanuel Kant, laid forth a systematic theory of art and taste in his "Critique of Judgment". Schiller expanded on Kant's work, proposing what he called and Aesthetic Education. He believed exposing people to art and educating them about art was the only way to live freely, not under the totalitarian hand. Hegel was another revolutionary in the field of Aesthetics. He held that romantic art was the end of the Aesthetic evolution, and further advances should not be expected. He also rejected representational theories of art, for example that art imitates life, and lead the way for the expressionist theories that prevailed in the 20th century. Expression theory, developed by Collingwood in 1938, stated that "art was the expression of emotion with emotion and expression defined in ways that are particular to the theory." Avant Garde movement followed, in which artists refused to produce objects that met the standard definition. Beauty became subjective, and because it was an unspecific way to study Aesthetics, it practically dropped out of common discussion. Aesthetics had to re-evaluate its theories and practices in light of the development of technology. Television, movies, and the ability to copy works of art meant the definition of art needed to change with those developments.

The second video I found way more difficult to analyze. The first speaker had such a think French accent that it made understanding him a challenge. He begins by describing some of the evolutionary steps the human species has been through; like the discovery of symmetry that lead to advanced tool making, to the discovery of symbolism, on to the discovery of Artistic composition. He continues with some essential definitions in aesthetics and art; I found they were listed more like rules instead of definitions. His analysis of the brain as working like a series of nested evolutionary steps, one building off of another, interacting with culture and society was interesting, but very confusing. Things became more familiar as his lecture progressed; the bottom up processing model of vision and emotional content is something I've discussed in some of my psychology classes. I found his use of the mind trick image very entertaining; though those images don't often work for me because of my blind eye. I can simultaneously see both images because there is no change in depth for me. The lecture finished by describing the rules for art; novelty, consensus partium, the exemplum, and schematisation. Each rule has a particular effect on the brain; novelty evokes surprise, the exemplum is the artist's conception of the world he wishes to share with the audience. The second speaker was far more engaging, and I could understand him more thoroughly. His lecture focused around the science of art, and whether such a thing could even exist. He poses that art is made to evoke pleasant feelings in the brain; and it does that by distorting the image in some way shape or form. He talks about the Western reaction to Indian art, calling it hideous because of its exaggerated features, yet other works of art, Picasso being the artist mentioned, with more distorted features are hailed as beautiful. This leads to two questions; "Are there artistic universals?", and "How does the brain respond to art?". He continues into a discussion of art in nature; symmetrical moths, and even bower building birds who decorate their breeding dens extravagantly. He highlights the complications surrounding the word "art", preferring to use "visual aesthetics" instead. He too has a list of laws for aesthetics; grouping, peak shift principle, contrast, attention, perceptual "problem solving", symmetry, preference for familiarity, and art as metaphor. He gives examples of many of them, explaining the way the brain reacts to certain stimuli; like beauty spots.

2.) I think Plato's theories on aesthetics were the most important, simply because they were the foundation for the entire field of study. Plato lived in the 4th century B.C., in Athens. Philosophy was a growing field, birthed by the great thinking minds of the time, including Plato. Plato posed that beauty was found not in an object itself, for it is only an imperfect copy, but in the contemplation of the perfect idea of the object. He disliked art and artists because he felt they were deceptive; if all objects are just copies, then art is a copy of a copy. He believed art lead to negative consequences such as an inability to distinguish what's truth from what's not. These principles helped develop the study of beauty and aesthetics.

3.) I found they both interesting views on aesthetics and the brain. Changeux's section on the development of the human brain was fascinating; I had never made those connections before between the development of things like symmetry and tool making. Ramachandran's entire lecture was fairly new to me, and the connections he made between the interpretations of Western art and Eastern art were intriguing; I knew there was a bias against Eastern styled art, but I did not think about it the way he posed.

4.) The videos somewhat helped to highlight some of the key points of the text; the first video was a little in depth, which was easier to understand after a second viewing. I found the article very interesting and it really made sense after watching the videos. Some of these visual concepts are very difficult for me to fully grasp, I don't see what you see, but the variety of mediums and sources help to create a more complete image of these ideas.

5.) I found them helpful, but a little overbearing. There was a lot of information to be synthesized, and it is heavy and deep information too. However, I very much liked the article and found it very interesting and informative.