Week 16: Reflection of AED 200

1. My expectations for this course were to learn about the styles, and variations of different types of art.  As well I wanted to learn about great artists and receive a high grade.  I feel as though I have met these expectations after going through the class.
2. I believe art to be the showing of emotions and styles of someone.  It is almost like a story or view that it is trying to depict.  Before this class I looked at art as simply a picture and never really analyzed closely.
3. My favorite artist was Vincent Van Gogh originally and it still is at this point in time.  It is the same to me because I always enjoyed his works of art and learning more behind those works of art has given me a greater understanding and love for his pieces of work.
4. After completing this course I feel as though I enjoyed doing this online.  I felt looking daily has really helped me.  Before I was a little skeptical of online classes due to maybe not learning through a classroom.

Art Gallery Visit #3

I was unable to go to the art gallery so I used the gallery named "Self Portraits" on google Art.

Inspirational Self Portraits

Self-Portrait with Dr. Arrieta
Artists: Francisco de Goya
Media: Oil on Canvas
Size: 45 1/8 x 30 1/8 in. (114.62 x 76.52 cm) (canvas) 54 x 39 1/8 x 3 3/4 in. (137.16 x 99.38 x 9.53 cm) (outer frame)
Year: 1820
Origin: Spain

Self Portrait

Artist: Vincent Van Gogh

Media: Oil on Canvas

Size: w438.2 x h571.5 cm (overall)

Year: 1889

origin: Dutch

Self- portrait with Small Monkey
Artist: Frida Kahlo
Media: Oil on masonite
Size: w415 x h560 mm (without frame)
Year: 1945 

Self Portrait

1. I chose these to be the three inspirational pieces to me because I felt they touched home with me the most.  The first piece touched home with me the most because its of a doctor taking care of a patient and it symbolizes to me caring about others and helping others and that's something that I really believe in.  The last picture was also inspiring to me due to the fact that I am a big animal lover.

2. I selected this media to create my self portrait because I thought it would be the best way for me to do this.

3. The challenges that I faced in this process was that I found it difficult to look at the picture of myself and sketch at the same time.  To get past that i just took things really slow and kind of got used to looking back and forth while drawing.

4. This piece represents me because it is a head shot of my hockey picture.  I play on the hockey team here at Buffalo State and I believe hockey defines me as it is such a huge part of my life.

5. The elements and principles that I applied was the use of emotion.  My facial emotions in this self portrait was very serious and I used that to help me when drawing this.

6. No I did not enjoy doing this as I found it very weird to attempt to draw myself.

7. I think it is an okay piece of art, but I am not the best at drawing so it could definitely be improved upon.

Week 13 and 14 Module

1.  The key concepts associated with the first video on the Lowdown on Lowbrow were; it is not surrealism, that it was more open to women than other movements in history, and that drawing was important and meant something big.  The key concepts on New Tate Modern were; it holds modern and contemporary art, art is always evolving, and that Tate is the most viewed and visited museum in the world.  The key concepts for the video on An Acquiring Mind are; sculptures are always for how they are shown or staged, photography is included, and that people will pay unthinkable amounts of money if they feel the work is needed for their collection.

2. The videos did help me to apply to my project because they were great guides in showing me the themes of work and how it can be viewed or depicted.

3. I enjoyed the videos and I thought they were quite fascinating to watch.  They all added different bits and parts, or ideas if you will to help me with my project.

Module 12 Video

1. I chose to select the videos; Uncertainty, and Andy Warhol because I felt these would be the two most interesting one's out of the bunch.

2. The key concepts that are associated with the video on Uncertainty are; society is defined by change and uncertainty, and reality is all about the different viewpoints of people.  The key concepts associated with the video on Andy Warhol are; that he worked in advertising at first, he published his own magazine, and he ended up dying in 1986.

3.  These videos relate to the readings in the text because they do a great job in expanding on the text and giving us more examples and understanding of the topics at hand.  The use of screen printing was a major component because it gave a good representation of the culture.

4.  I thought the films were very insightful.  I must say these were't my favorite videos but nonetheless I thought they were very good in helping me to understand content and learn new things on the topics at hand.

Art Gallery Visit 2

The Exhibit 

1. The title of the Exhibit at Albright-Knox Art gallery is Rosalyn Drexler.

2.  The theme of the exhibit was Who Does She Think She Is?

The Gallery

1. The type of lighting that was used was very dim and in my opinion this helped to bring out the emotion within the art.

2. The colors that were used were very bright, a lot of red was used.

3. The materials that were used seemed to be mostly wood.

4.  The gallery pulled the viewer through which helped to draw the viewer into the art work.

The Artwork

1.  In almost all cases the art work was placed fairly closed together so the transition between pieces was very quick and very smooth.

2. A lot of the artwork was similar due to the use of color.  The color brought out similar emotions throughout the pieces.

3. The artworks were different because they all did depict slightly different emotions throughout.

4. Many of the artworks were inside of wooden frames, but a few were used in more of the modern frames.

5. The artworks were identified and labelled by the title, artist, date, and type of work.

6. In most cases the proximity was very close.

Art Criticism

#1

1.   Be receptive - Keep an open mind.  Look for what is good.  No put-downs allowed.

2.   Description – Describe what you see.  (subject matter)?

     

When looking at this painting I see signs of darkness and abuse

3.   Formal analysis – (form)  What principles and elements were used and how are they used?

The use of color was used as red is oftentimes used for negative reasons.

4.  Bracketing - Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (iconography)

No there is not anything in this work that reminds me of myself.

5.  Interpretation - (content)  What do you think the artist was trying to say?

I believe he was trying to depict that abuse is prevalent in our society.

#2

1.   Be receptive - Keep an open mind.  Look for what is good.  No put-downs allowed.

2.   Description – Describe what you see.  (subject matter)?

I see a man on the run who is always looking over his shoulder.

3.   Formal analysis – (form)  What principles and elements were used and how are they used?

The use of body language was used.

4.  Bracketing - Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (iconography)

No there is nothing in this work that reminds me of myself.

5.  Interpretation - (content)  What do you think the artist was trying to say?

I believe he was trying to show that oftentimes we run from our problems, fears, or other things that are hard in life.

#3

1.   Be receptive - Keep an open mind.  Look for what is good.  No put-downs allowed.

2.   Description – Describe what you see.  (subject matter)?

I see murder and revenge in this imagery.

3.   Formal analysis – (form)  What principles and elements were used and how are they used?

The use of words and symbols were used to help describe the image.

4.  Bracketing - Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (iconography)

No there is nothing in this image that reminds me of myself.

5.  Interpretation - (content)  What do you think the artist was trying to say?

I believe that the artist was trying to show how many people result to violence in their lives.

I thought the visit was good and looking at it from a different perspective made me think on a deeper level.

Module 11: Video Blog

1.  I chose to look at the video's about expressionism and the impact of Cubism.  I chose these because I thought they would be the most interesting for me.

2.  The key concepts that I found from the video about expressionism is that is shows real emotion as opposed to just reality, as well as that in a lot of cases the paintings didn't depicts a particular subject.

     The key concepts from the second video on the Impact of Cubism was first of all that Picasso was the clear leader of the movement, the pattern of collage was used often in the cubism.

3.  The videos relate to the readings because they help to give a deeper meaning to the content in the text.  By giving specific examples regarding the content it really helped me to understand the content in a way deeper way.

4.  I really enjoyed the films as they peaked my interest.  I thought they were up there at the top of my list for the videos we've watched so far.  The films explained a lot on the content and made it easier for me to learn all of the content and enjoy that content.

Mask Making

1.  I chose these images as the three different masks to analyze through this project because I love the game of hockey and baseball.  The last image is of my favorite goalie Petr Mrazek and that is why I chose that specific image.

2.  The first image is of a Baseball mask that is used by the catchers who play.  It is used for protective measures.

The second image is of an old goalie mask and this particular image shows off a very vintage look to the way goalies look 40-50 years ago.

The third image is a current goalie mask and the color and imagery depicts many different things on this mask.  it is of Petr Mrazek who is the goalie of the Detroit Red Wings.  He represents his team, and past legends of the team on his mask.

3. 

4.  Lines, form, and emphasis were very important for the creation of my mask.  Form and emphasis are used when drawing the Red Wing logo.  Lines were used in the creation of the mask itself.

5.  This project wasn't very appealing to me as I struggle with drawing images.

Module #10: Video Review

1. I selected to do the videos Africa Art: Legacy of Oppression and Africa art because my mother and her family were born and raised until the age of 12 in South Africa so learning more about their art is something that interests me.

2. When looking at the first video the art styles show a very big range.  The art is simple and dramatic, startling and exaggerated.  These concepts are seen throughout African art work.  When looking at the second video a lot of the art had to do with the use of them as they would use the masks, statues, and other objects in ceremonies combined with music to create a dynamic power of dance.

3. The videos relate the readings because they help to depicts examples and give a deeper understanding to the concepts of the art.  Seeing the examples visually through a video helps to make things easier for me to understand as opposed to learning everything through readings.

4.  I really enjoyed the films because they helped to show me how art is created, the concepts, and history behind it.  With me being half African it is a lot more important to me because I love to learn and know as much as possible about my heritage.

Module 9: Exploring Lines

1.  It was definitely a bit different using my hands as a subject matter for a drawing because you use your hands to draw.

2.  I used pencil because I thought it would be the easiest to use when doing this assignment.  I like using pencil as well because it is easy to correct a mistake or change something you don't like.

3.  It was very difficult to create a drawing with my left hand as the coordination was much weaker than using my right hand.

4. I believe that my final drawings of my two hands was a successful study because it showed me that I definitely have a dominant hand, but also made me realize that if I were to start using my left hand more often I will start to gain better coordination and skills with it.

5.  Yes I would consider using my non-dominant hand when creating artwork in the future because I believe it is a good exercise in making my coordination better with my non-dominant side because it will be a great thing in helping me in other aspects of my like such as sports.

Module #9

1.  I chose to do the video's on Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci because they are both artists that i am familiar with and hear about quite often.  Knowing that they are famous artists I thought it would be great to learn more about them.

2. When studying the Michelangelo video the concept that i thought to be the most interesting was the strong vertical lines hatching and dense cross hatching.  The use of this concept gives you a strong sense of the huge mass within the art. When studying the Leonardo di Vinci video i noticed the concept of hatching as well as he does a great job to display this concept.  His use of lines and cross hatching is on full display throughout the video.

3.  The videos relate to the readings because they do a great job in displaying examples and showing us the concepts that are used into action.  By showing these examples it allowed me to understand the content on a better more deeper level.

4.  I thought the videos were a great resource to look at that adds depth and understanding to the art concepts from the readings.  They displayed these concepts in full display and allow me to better understand these concepts.

Module 8

1. I chose the video "Late Gothic Art and Architecture: England, 1400-1547" because I felt like it would be the one that interests me the most due to the fact that I have always had interest in the country of England due to my family background.

2.  For the first video about How Art Made the World I found that it was very interesting how they talk about us and the images we produce are not at all realistic to the way we look in real life.  How when we would make statues and images of the human body, but when one person made images about another they would use the same exaggerated features.  The key concepts that I learned from the second video were the transition from the middle ages to the Renaissance.  How artists produced jewelry, sculptures, and images.  It also showed in the art how important and religion was to the society at that point in time.

3.  The readings relate to the text because they have a lot of similarities in the concepts they talk about.  They both talk about the unrealistic images that we create about when looking at the human body. They also relate heavily towards religion in England at that point in time which played a heavy role in the art that was being created.

4.  I believe that the videos were very eye opening because you get to see the concepts that we see in today's world and the reasons for why they are the way they are.  They add depth and understanding to the readings of the text because they simply add more information to the key concepts and ideas. They help to illustrate these ideas and use great examples to back them up.

Module 7

1.

Prairie Style (Frank Lloyd Wright)

• This style comes from the Midwest Prairies near Chicago.
• This style is usually marked with horizontal lines.
• Wright would have the fireplace placed in the middle of the home which allowed for more light to shine through the windows.
• Has very solid construction, craftsmanship, and discipline

Architecture: The Science of Design

• New materials were introduced such as; cement and steel.
• Concrete is used to create a solid and beautiful looking building.
• The energy consumption is a very important concept.
• The material will not break all at once it will crack first, so in that case we have the ability to repair it.

2. These videos have a major relation to the readings in the text because they are both associated with Architecture.  The textbook looks at the conditions needed for engineers as well as what they look for.  They both look at the materials needed for an architect to make a model come to life.  I learned that there are so many different ways to make a structure and that the main focus is to create a safe and attractive structure.  If that is done it will be successful.

3. I really enjoyed watching the videos.  I thought they both added in depth perspective, ideas and thoughts that helped me to learn more about architecture.  They definitely added depth with their in depth analysis of the step by step process of the different architecture styles.  

4.  There was no big reason why I chose the videos that I did, I researched Frank Lloyd Wright beforehand to get a little background information on what he is all about.  I liked what I saw and decided to watch that video because I thought it would be very interesting.  

Creating My Blog

1. I thought the process of creating this blog was pretty straight forward and easy.  The instructions that were given helped to make this process easy.

2. I expect to learn about the different styles associated with art.  As well I believe this class will help me understand technology better.

3. I believe taking an online class will be good, you just have to make sure you stay on top of things and complete the assignments.

4. Three things that i believe to be true from the videos are; the more you challenge your mind the more your brain grows and is used, things that seem hard can become easy, and managing  your time is very important.

Peer Evaluation

1.

https://iansartinquiryblog.blogspot.com/

https://produceart.blogspot.com/

2.  When looking at project one I thought both individuals did a great job in linking elements with the images.  I could see some shades of other elements in the images, but I thought these images fit the element associated with it perfectly.

3. There was one image that I had in common with one of the individuals that I peer evaluated.  We had a little different ideas towards the images as he felt it looked more like a collage, while I found it a little more mysteries and wanted to learn more about the meaning.

4. There were not really any images that really peaked my interest greatly from the ones that i saw.  I found some to be very unique and cool, but nothing that really got me interested and excited.

5. I think that it is a good idea because it helps to view someone else's work.  it can help to learn new things that you would otherwise never think about.  It can also help the person that is being evaluated as it gives them constructive feedback.

6. Nobody has currently commented on my blog postings, but I feel that it would help big time.

Module 6

1.  The key concepts that I learned from the first video "Through the Eyes of the Sculpture" was realizing the marble itself.  Knowing how fragile it is, whether there is cracks in it or not.  Another concept is the Artigiano.  This was a concept of having many people working on the same sculpture. Some would work on the sculpture outside, then they would be worked on inside by sculpting and polishing.

    The key concepts that I learned from the second video "Glass and Ceramics" is that glass is made from sand and is not a true solid, but is a liquid that stiffens when cool. The sand that they use forms crystals and other components that are used to create fusion.  Once the glass is formed it is ready for blowing,  Once contact with the are it begins to harden as it cols.  The glass is again reheated until it is shaped properly and less fragile.  Glass can also be created with a propane tank to shape the article.

2.   The video's and articles relate to each other because they share a lot of the same views and concepts.  A lot of the information that we see in the text has very similar concepts and ideas as the ones in the video's.

3.  I thought the films were very informative about the subjects at hand.  It allowed me to learn some things that I didn't know in regards to the creation of sculptures, glass creation, and instillation.  I now know a lot more about these processes.

Logo Design

1. Discuss what you thought about creating your logo.

I thought it was a cool and neat experience creating a logo that represented me because it made me think critically.  It made me think about the most important aspects of my life.

2. Describe the process: creative thinking skills and ideas you used in the logo creation.

Throughout the process I was thinking about details and the colors I would use.  Whether that be Buffalo State colors, my favorite color, the colors of my nationality, or the favorite color of my favorite hockey team.  In the end I decided to use the color red throughout because it is the color of my favorite team, my favorite color, and the color of my home country Canada.

3. What was the most important discovery you made in the creation of your logo?

The most important discovery that I made in the creation of my logo is that the color red is very prevalent in my life.  This process of creating the logo has made things very clear on why the color red is my favorite.  My favorite things are almost always associated with the color red.

4. What is the most important information you learned from watching the videos, powerpoint, and reading material  for this project? What is your opinion of the videos?

The most important thing that I learned through these resources is the importance and focus you should have on brainstorming.  These resources really opened my eyes to how great of a tool brainstorming is and that if you perform the activity of brainstorming you'll end up with a great idea and eventually product.

Gallery Visit #1

A.) Which artworks make an impact or impression on me? Why?

Nam June Paik "Piano Piece (1993)'
I found this painting to very interesting and neat in my opinion because it is something different.  I love music and think the ideas of this painting are really cool.  It made an impression on me because it caught my eye and was a painting that I enjoyed looking at and studying.

Max Beckmann "Hotel Lobby (1950)"

I found this painting to be have a big impact on me because it was interesting to see the different shades of people.  In our society there is no two same people and I found the color schemes and this image to have a major impact on me.

B.) Which artworks do I feel a connection with? Why?

Paul Gauguin "Le Christ Jaune (1889)"

I found this painting to have the most connection with me due to the significance of the event that took place in the image.  Being catholic you learn and see so much about Jesus that he becomes a big part of your life, beliefs, and thoughts.  This painting really connects with me due to that belief in him and in God and the significance of them in my life. 

Henry Matisse "La Musique (1939)"

I found this painting to have a strong connection with me due to the musical aspect of it.  I love all different kinds of music and instruments so for me this painting really connects with me on a musical level.

C.) Which artworks would I like to know more about? Why?

James Rosenquist "Nomad (1963)"

This is a piece of art that I find to be very interesting, but also one that I would like to know more about.  I like the imagery of the painting, but I would like to more about the painting so I could relate to it in a more deep way. 

Gustave Courbet "La Source de la Loue (1864)"

This is a painting that I too find very interesting due to the mystery behind it.  It makes me want to know more about it so that I can have a better understanding of the meaning of the painting.

Module #4: Value Scale and Color Wheel

1. I felt the making of both the value scale and the color wheel were fairly straight forward exercises to accomplish.  I found it to be an interesting assignment to do.

2. I enjoyed doing the value scale the most because I found it interesting on how much of the charcoal was needed for the squares.

3. The most interesting discovery to me when doing these activities was the mixing of the color's.  Knowing and figuring out how much of each color to use was somewhat challenging, but very interesting.

4. The videos were very helpful to me mostly when looking at the primary colors.  Learning that some of the colors that I thought to be primary colors, but were actually not was the most interesting part in my opinion.

Project #1: Elements and Principles Slideshow

This project helped me to learn a lot about art in terms of its elements and principles.  By thinking about these elements and principles while doing the project it made things more interesting and enjoyable.  I have never been a super artistic person, but by viewing the photo's from the lens of the different elements and principles I see art in a totally different light.  It made me see art on a totally different level and it was one that I enjoyed.

http://s1339.photobucket.com/user/youngy1340/library/Art%20Project%201

Module 3

1.   Color has many effects on emotions as the shade of the colors can give off different types of emotions.  The color evokes feeling and emotions.  For examples colors that are bright and colorful usually depict the emotion of joy, happiness, and positive.  While to most people dark shades give off an emotion of fear, gloomy, sadness.Although this is the the perspective of most some people see shades in different ways.  I especially liked when they were talking about Rothko's painting that was meant for the 4 seasons restaurant but did not make it.  It didn't make it because of the use of color as it made patrons feel entrapped

2.   The theoretical aspect of color that most intrigues me is association with emotion.  For example red has always been a color that I have been most intrigued with and it stems from my longtime passion for the Detroit Red Wing hockey team.  It is this very question that has made me realize that its probably the color that has helped spill over into other sports teams, as I am also a passionate fan of the San Francisco 49ers, as well as the Calgary Stampeders who are also associated with the color red.  This very question has made me realize that association with the color is a big part of my life and passions.

3.  Vincent Van Gogh's impact full painting made the biggest impact on me with regards to color and its effect on emotions.  His self acclaimed worst painting was his depiction of a dismal cafe where man could commit crimes. I found this to have a great impact on me because he purposely painted an ugly painting just to get his feelings about the cafe on canvas.

4.  In the feelings video the biggest impact made on me in regards to color and its effect on emotion was the idea of perspective.  I find perspective to be interesting because it deals with so many different viewpoints that contrast so much between people

Module 2

1.       The first video that I watched and analyzed was "Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts." I learned that ideas are beyond the senses and that they can only be processed through reason. I thought this was very interesting because it shows how our brains work towards ideas and how there needs to be reason for what we are doing or coming up with.  I also learned that in the time of the middle ages there was no aesthetics present and that the thought or idea of beauty was overtaken by a dedication to god.  I found this to be very interesting because it shows how things were back in the middle ages. People were dedicated to God because it gave them purpose, but did not have the view or idea to see other things as beautiful.
         When watching and analyzing I picked up on many different things associated mostly with the science behind art.  The part that I found most interesting is that art is a constant revolution.  There is a renewal in art, but there is no real progress that takes place.  I find this interesting because it almost anything we do in life, almost everything is geared towards progress, but with art there is no real progress that has taken place.
          Another interesting fact that I learned when examining this video was when the narrator asked the question why do some works of art have such a powerful affect on the mind?  I felt like this was an intriguing question because its one that I have asked myself and wondered about in the past.  He analyzes a "Goddess Parvati" who is supposed to be the epitome of human femininity, grace, dignity, and everything that makes a women beautiful.  The western art historians examined it and said the waist was too big, the hips are too big, and that it didn't look like a real women.  He mentions that they missed the whole point of the sculpture and that is that art isn't made to create a realistic picture.  It is used to deliberately exaggerate in order to create pleasing affects to the human brain.  I liked this a lot because I find it to be very true as we see this in our everyday lives.  When looking at forms of visual art we always see things exaggerated, but that ends up pleasing our brain, which in turn makes us like that form of art. 
          When analyzing the CNN  article I learned about the different ways that our brains are wired.  Like when we look at a painting or drawing our minds immediately know if there's familiar aspects of life associated with it.  Things like people, animals, places, food, etc.  I find this very cool because it shows how powerful our brains really are, how quickly we can interpret and determine these things.

2.     Plato's theory on Aesthetics which took place in the Ancient Philosophy Era to me is the most important to me because he was such a great story teller, and because he thought of arts as a powerful shapes of character which I definitely agree with because art has purpose and meaning behind it and because of that I believe it can severely help to shape ones character. 

3.    When watching the video and analyzing both Changeux and Ramachandran's presentations I would definitely say that I enjoyed Ramachandran more than Changeux.  Changeux seemed to be a little more analytical or scientific as opposed to Ramachandran who seemed to use more emotion and passion in his presentation.  When I think of art I think of passion and emotion more than science and analytics.  To me art should be about passion, emotion, and creativity and I believe that Ramachandran instills these qualities much more than Changeux.

4.    The videos and articles relate to the the readings from the textbook in many different ways.  The readings in the textbook do a great job in telling us the different types of styles and variations there are in forms of art.  It introduces and explains the different types of themes associated with art.  The videos and articles help to back up these different concepts that we see in the textbook.  By giving us specific examples and information of these concepts it helps to better understand the different concepts within the textbook.

5.   The articles and videos helped to give me more insight into art.  I found them very interesting and useful when looking at art.  It presents a great perspective on how we see art and the different ways we can perceive it.  With this knowledge it gives me a great understanding of the different ways people look at art, but how one person can see one thing while another perceives it in a totally different way.  By having the this new knowledge of art I believe I'll have a better understanding and be able to look at art in a new and more in depth perspective.