self-portrait

I selected these inspiration pieces because they were the only ones I could find.  I decided to use graphite pencil to do my self-portrait because it's a medium I was most familiar with.  Furthermore, I thought it would work well to help portray the sepia tone the original picture was taken in.  I think the biggest challenge of the self-portrait itself was simply drawing the self-portrait and making it accurate.  I'm pretty satisfied with the way it came out, but I still think there are some things I could have improved on.

This piece represents me because it's an accurate representation of what I look like.  I think this is a pretty good portrayal of my attitude too - laid back and pensive (if I do say so myself).

  In terms of element and principles, I used predominantly line, value, and shape.  The basic elements of my face are simple shapes (oval, square, triangle), they are all made using lines, and the picture is given "depth" through the use of value.

I did enjoy this project - I wish more of the class was actual art projects.  I am pretty satisfied with my final piece, although I'd eventually like to darken some of the values and possibly try to make it sepia like the original.

Reflections of AED 200

From this course, I was expecting to learn about art and all its different forms and styles.  All in all, I'd say I have a much better grasp on art and art history.  I can recognize many different artists now and the styles they paint in.  Overall, I think my expectations were met, although I wish I had more artwork to show for it!

Originally, I thought art was, literally, "almost anything as long as someone has an open mind."  That thought process has not changed.  One thing that really cemented that thought into my mind was learning about Fountain - the fact that a urinal submitted to an art show so profoundly influenced art history is astounding.  It is evidence towards proving that, yes, almost anything can be considered art with an open mind.

My favorite artist in the beginning of the class was Claude Monet.  Although I still enjoy his work, my new favorite artist is Lovis Corinth.  They are both impressionist painters, but for some reason, I really connected with Corinth's style of painting.  The obvious love he had for his wife and children was evident in his paintings and even his landscapes he painted after his stroke were still beautiful.  I also really loved Ed Moses' work, an artist I discovered at the Albright Knox.  His piece Blue Velvet was the most interesting piece I saw in person through the entire semester.  Though simple, I love the colors and patterns that are evident in his work.

I thought taking an online course was a good experience, but I am glad to be done with it, as I am for all of my other classes.  I must admit, it was not as simple as "laying in my cozy bed."  I didn't expect there to be so much "busy work."  I really enjoyed doing the actual drawing, painting, sketching, critiquing, and art gallery visits, but I feel as though most of the time I spent in the course was watching the video reviews which I didn't value as much - I'm sure this is a fairly common answer!

Art Criticism Article

I selected Christine Krolewicz's exhibit, Back to Nature.  There were many exhibits to choose from - I picked a few at random and I thought Christine's looked the most interesting so I decided to go with hers.

Christine made it easy for me - I really enjoyed her exhibit.  The only challenges I really faced were that I wasn't very familiar with the artists/works of art that she used in her exhibit, so I had to continually check back for all the information.  Other than that, her exhibit flowed naturally, had many eye-catching and interesting pieces, and really made me question my relationship with the environment.

I enjoy critiquing my peers work; however, I think it would be much different if I didn't like Christine's exhibit.  I did comment that I think it would have been nice to group the furniture pieces in her exhibit together, but other than that, her exhibit was top-notch.  I wish there were more opportunities to do these kinds of projects throughout the semester.

I'd be interested to see what my peers thought of my own curation project, but I am used to criticism from being in various bands for so long.  I enjoy constructive criticism and it is very refreshing to sometimes get a different, unheard viewpoint.  Plus, I think my classmates would enjoy my exhibit!

I think my article deserves at least a 9, if not a 10.  I hit every discussion question and highlighted many of the high points in Christine's project.  I think if she read my article, she would be pleased to hear my opinions and would take my suggestions well.  I was straightforward and to the point - although I didn't have to "sugarcoat" anything, I wouldn't have if I had to.

I did enjoy working on this project - I think interactive projects like this are much more effective learning tools than simply opening a book or watching a video.  Although I recognize the importance of these things in classes, I get much more from a class that has interesting and thought provoking projects like this one that force me to think critically about things.

Week 16 Video blog

The first video I watched was Greenberg on Art Criticism.  I enjoyed this video because it compared art criticism to criticism of music.  Greenberg pointed out that music was easier to criticize because musicians emote through their music and an actual score can be observed.  With art, it is much more difficult to subjectively criticize.  I think this is important to my art criticism project because it gave me a whole new perspective on art criticism as a whole.

The next video I watched was Greenberg on Pollock.  I thought this video was interesting because I got to learn about Jackson Pollock whose artwork I find mysterious.  It was interesting to learn that, although Pollock rejected the easel, he continued to use it throughout his career.  I also learned that there was a very specific technique to making his paintings look the way they did, and even if they came out correctly, sometimes they just "did not work for the eye."  I didn't think this one was very relevant to art criticism, even though there was a section in the film about it.  I still enjoyed learning about Pollock either way.

The next video I watched was An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance.  I thought this video had good intentions, but ultimately, I would have rather preferred a straightforward video about criticism rather than a skit.  All in all, I learned that artists would "never have been able to create the works they did" without examining the masterpieces of the artists before them.  My favorite part of the video was learning about "sfumato" which was used on the Mona Lisa.  I think this was fairly relevant to my art criticism project and I am going to try to find influence from artists that may have influenced our self portraits.

The next video I watched was The Critics: The Story from the Inside Page.  I thought this video was interesting because it examines the similarities between critics and reporters.  Being a musician, I appreciated the segment on Paul McCartney.  A critic might say, "Paul performed well on his new songs but could have done better on his early Wings material."  They also might comment on how "trippy his piano was" or how interested the crowd seemed to be.  Overall, I think this video was important to my art criticism project because it helped me understand that we're not just looking at the art, we're looking at everything connected to the art.

The next video I watched was The Colonial Encounter: Views of Non-Western Art and Culture.  I thought his video was interesting, but not very relevant to criticism at all.  I thought the segment on sexual exploitation of indigenous women was the most interesting segment, as I can see how scientific research and exploitation can run a fine line in this sort of situation.  I don't think this video was very valuable towards my art criticism project, except that I also learned that tools can be considered an art form, not just traditional paintings and pottery, etc.

Finally, I watched Jackson Pollock.  I thought his video was very relevant to art criticism, as they examine how Pollock is considered a "master" but that his work is often used as a way to describe a "low point" in modern art.  I also found their discourse on "Lavender Mist" to be extremely descriptive and detailed - it is important to realize that so much can be taken away from something that many would consider so abstract that it simply looks like scribbles.  Overall, I think this piece was very valuable to art criticism, as it allowed me to see that some people might consider an artist a master while others might consider them hacks.

Art Curator Reflection - Full-Figured

I enjoyed searching for the different works of art that were going to make up my exhibit.  I was really happy with the theme that I chose and I thought that I came up with an interesting title, Full-Figured.  Before I decided on my theme, I was looking through the book to try to get some sort of inspiration.  After seeing pieces like Allegory and Alice Neel's Self-Portrait, as well as remembering pieces from past projects like Niki de Saint Phalle's Nana, I thought that doing an entire exhibit on big figures would be interesting and fun.

Finding the works of art was not terribly difficult, but it posed a few challenges.  It was hard to search for "fat" people, since most artwork isn't titled "Fat Woman" or "Fat Guy" etc.  I had to find interesting ways to phrase the words like "rubenesque."  Furthermore, this challenged me to think outside of the box, as finding pregnant woman or self-portraits of artists with double chins or extra weight can in very handy.

Finally, I wanted to consider the actual gallery as part of the exhibit.  After finding all of the works, I found that most of them were nude figures, so I thought a fleshy tone on the walls would be fitting.  I also had several recurring artists and themes.  Fertility was a common theme, so I figured many of those works could be featured together.  I also though I could have a room/space dedicated to Rembrandt, Corinth, and Neel respectively.

Week 14 and 15 video reviews

The first video, The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art, discusses the Lowbrow style, which is defined as “uncultivated or lacking in taste.”  Though I initially looked at some of the art as challenging to even be considered art, I began to understand that some people look at Lowbrow art as easier to relate to than more traditional paintings.  Since I identify myself as a musician, I really enjoyed the part about the psychedelic posters of the 1960’s and the artist, “Big Daddy” who designed them.

The second video I watched, Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology, dealt with the Native American genocide and whether ancestral remains should be returned to their families.  I thought the video made an interesting point – if a Caucasian person’s body was found, the remains would be buried; if a Native American’s body is found, the remains are studied.  I didn’t think this video was as related to art as many of the other ones, but I still found many of the points they made to be interesting.  It was nice to see in the conclusion that many bodies are being returned to their families.

The next video, George Eastman House: Picture Perfect, followed George Eastman who was widely considered to be the father of modern photography, and his house, which became a museum.  I learned that the house has a large collection of daguerrotypes.  In addition, I learned that the Eastman House offers an extensive amount of online photographs – 140,000 of them.  I might try to access it for influence for my exhibit.

Finally, I watched Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach.  This video covered the questioning of traditional ways of displaying art – art eventually came off of the walls to become busy and noisy.  I learned that rather than display the art is chronological order, the Tate approach subjects the viewer to random changes that are often visually striking.

Week 13 video reviews

I chose to watch Andy Warhol: Images of an Image because I have never liked Andy Warhol's art. I don’t know if it is because everyone else loves it or if it is just because I can’t make a connection with it, but I was hoping this film would help me to at least understand where the artist making advertisements, which makes sense in comparison to his later works of art. I also did not know that Andy Warhol was also a filmmaker and a journalist. The video also explains the silk screen technique, which is how many of Warhol’s works were actually made. This was interesting for me because I am currently using this technique in my fibers class. It makes sense that Warhol saw silkscreen images as a way to make money because the images can be easily reproduced. Overall, I thought this video was good because it gave more information about Warhol than the book and I have decided that I like the ideas behind his work. The concept of the immense power images have acquired in our society and the topic of American consumerism have always interested me.

I chose to watch Hockney on Photography because I am interested in photography and I took a class on it in high school.  I really enjoyed the collages made out of the Poloroid pictures - I actually like making collages myself.  What was most interesting about this video is it addressed the artist's thought process, rather than just a work of art in particular.  It was more a concentration on Hockney himself.  Rather than relating to this chapter though, I think this was more relevant to earlier chapters that focused more on photography.

I watched Uncertainty: Modernity and Art because I quite like modern art.  To put it simply, the main thesis of this video was that uncertainty what modern art strives to achieve.  Nothing is ever stagnant; I though this was very reminiscent of the chapters in the book this week, as globalization has really changed the way we look at art in so many ways.  I thought it was interesting that the video related all the way back to the Greeks as well.

Finally, I chose to watch Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the 50s and 60s because the title sounded pretty cool.  I thought the book was rather lacking, but this video helped to further cement the topics covered in the chapter.  What I liked most about this video was that it was different than most of the films that we have watched this semester – there were no interviews, just a narrator and various pictures.  That was a refreshing change. I thought Jasper John's "Flag" was really interesting.  It didn't seem out of the ordinary at first, but upon closer examination, you realize the detail that actually went into the piece.

Gallery Visit #2 - Burchfield-Penney Gallery

For my gallery visit this week I chose to go to the Burchfield Penney art museum, as it is right on the Buff State campus and it is free.  After looking around, only one exhibit seemed to be cohesive enough to do a gallery study on it - the "An Overabundance of Detail" gallery, specifically the Sylvia L. Rosen side of the gallery.  The theme of the gallery was posted right on the wall.  It was inspired by artist Carolyn Panzica and her intricate work with sugar.  Specifically, it was "an exploration of how the essential details of an object inform, create tension, and ultimately balance with the whole."

In terms of the physical gallery space, it was a white, semi-circular room.  It was separated by a 3/4 wall in the middle that stretched about half way into the room.  It was lit by small overhead lights and had a few skylights (which were actually covered) with more lights in them.  Most of the gallery was simply drywall, white paint, wooden floors, wooden podiums, and plexiglass display cases.  The entire space seemed very sterile which made the intricacies of the detailed artworks all the more apparent.  The movement of the viewer was in the shape of the room, a semi-circle.  You could view all the podium pieces from all sides. 

The artwork was not organized in any special way - besides them all being roughly 8-10 feet away from one another, there was not one area dedicated to a specific artist.  In terms of similarities, many artists were repeated (Katharine Sehr, Carolyn Panzica, Felice Koenig, etc.), various mediums were revisited throughout the gallery (acrylic, sugar, etc.), and almost all the pieces were extremely intricate and detailed.  Surprisingly, a large number of them were "Untitled" as well.  There were many different mediums throughout the room - the most interesting was sugar but there was also clay, ink, paper, and various metals.  Furthermore, none of the works of art in my gallery were framed and only a few were in plexiglass displays.  They were all identified by an information card next to the work.

The three pieces I chose are as follows:

1.) Katharine Sehr, Untitled, 2009, ink on paper, roughly 12' x 4'

I think this piece was non-representational and was just a demonstration of the intricacies of pen and ink.  It also doesn't make use of modified images.  Overall, it is a long ink on paper work of art with teal, grey, black, and orange rectangles.  The boxes are made up of small ink lines, almost scribbles.

Principles - This piece uses the principle of line heavily, as many tiny intricate lines make up the majority of the piece.  Color is also important, as the various lines are done in different colors in different intervals throughout the piece.
Elements - This piece uses rhythm, as the same technique is used throughout the entire piece.  It also uses proportion, as the colored boxes are done in different sizes

This piece doesn't necessarily remind me of anything.  If it were done in a different medium, it might look like a flag or a rug.  It does bear a resemblance to Sol DeWitt's wall drawings, as it looks like tiny scribbles.

I didn't have a strong emotional reaction to this piece, but I did find it soothing for some reason despite the "busy-ness" of the piece.  I don't think Sehr was trying to make a point other than pen and ink can be used to make very intricate pieces.

2.) Carolyn Panzica, Untitled, 2011, Sugar string on a sugar base, roughly 1' x .75'

I learned from the wall that Panzica works almost exclusively with sugar and that the purpose of this gallery was to take influence from her intricate work with cakes.  I think this picture is representational of a pond or the sea, and is a modified picture of a fish.  The piece uses many greens and blues, and features a large blue koi fish with red fins and an orange head.

Elements- This piece uses form, as it is three dimensional.  It also uses color because it repeats a lot of blues and greens throughout the piece to represent underwater life.  It is also highly textured, as it is made out of sugar
Principles- Rhythm is represented in this piece as many of the textures are repeated heavily.  Furthermore, the "xxx" pattern makes up the scales of the fish, showing harmony and unity.

This piece is pretty straightforward - it is a fish in a pond.  There is a strange perspective on the piece - the fish makes it look like it is a view from the above, but the grass makes it look like it is a view from the side.  This piece actually reminds me of The Great Wave.

This piece looks delicious!  But in all seriousness, I enjoyed the simplicity of this piece within the detailed-nature of the medium.  It reminded me of "Realism," where artists found every day things to be sufficient subjects for their works of art.

3.) John Tracey, Untitled, 2007, clay, oil paint, and graphite, roughly 3x2x.5'

This piece is again representational of sea life.  It is a series of shells, starfish, and coral, all painted jet black.  It is a modified image of sea life as it seems like something that wouldn't actually occur in nature.  This piece is interesting as the artist could have painted it quite vibrantly - instead, he chose to paint it entirely black.

Elements- This piece uses form as it is three dimensional.  It also uses color since the entire piece is black.  Furthermore, it is very textured and spikey.
Principles- This piece uses unity, as the combination of sea life together makes the piece a whole.

This piece is very reminiscent of an ocean or some sort of sea life.  It is also quite depressing, as black in nature is usually a representation of death or pollution.  From far away, it looked as if this piece were made of tires or black rubber.

The way I interpreted this piece was that it was a criticism of our polluted oceans.  The black was a fairly good indicator that the piece wasn't supposed to be representative of vibrant, sea life.

Video Reviews Chap 21.

I chose Dada and Surrealism because the Dada style makes me laugh.  The film examined many artists and their relation to the anti-art of the Dada movement (following World War I) and surrealism.  I like Dali's melting clocks!  In addition, I found surrealism, the style I knew less about, very interesting as well - the concept of tapping into the unconscious mind is definitely fascinating.

I chose to watch the Expressionism video because Claude Monet is one of my favorite artists.  I learned that symbolism through color, not necessarily through perfection, is a very important factor in this style.  For example, the bright palettes and "smudgy" techniques found throughout most of Monet's work help to show a sensation or impression of a scene, rather than every actual detail.  This film helped reinforce what I learned about impressionism from the book.

I chose to watch Dance at the Moulin de la Galette (Renior) because the title sounded interesting.  Renoir's painting represents two different types of people in France, the upper class men and poor women.  Despite being a fan of impressionism and the artists who paint in that style, I had never heard of this painting, despite it being "quintessential" to the period.  I thought this film was rather interesting because it talked about the various nuances between different styles of art - since there were so many this chapter, it was nice to be able to differentiate between them a bit more.

I chose A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, 1884 (Seurat) because I actually have never liked this painting and I wanted to try to change my feelings about it. I didn't realize that there were so many enigmas surrounding the painting, such as the monkey on the woman's shoulder.  I also didn't know that the park depicted in the painting was a place to find prostitutes, which may indicate that the women in the painting were trying to find a few clients. Though I still don't really care for the painting, I at least know that there are a few controversial secrets surrounding its existence now!

Masks

The three masks I picked as inspiration are as follows.  Unfortunately, the pictures were copyrighted and they would not post to this blog, so I added the links to the masks instead.

I picked a parrot mask because I like birds.  This mask has two layers of feathers on the top that are blue and green.  A white area separates the top from the bottom – it has two holes for eyes with black lines.  There is a large black beak in the middle of the mask.  There are yellow feathers on the bottom as well as a strange yellow and orange checkerboard pattern near the ears.  I thought the beak was an interesting way to make it 3D, which is also a good demonstration of the principle of “space.”  I think this mask shows rhythm through the repeating use of black lines surrounding the eyes.  It also shows balance and unity by having the shape of the feathers being repeated from one side of the piece to the other.

Parrot Mask

I picked a human face mask because it made me laugh.  This mask looks like an exaggerated human face.  The forehead has many wrinkles and the nose is huge and hook-like.  The lips are low on the face and very close to the chin.  The mouth is open, showing a row of white teeth.  The eyes have wrinkles around them and are set wide on the face.  I think this mask shows line because of the wrinkles throughout the face.  Since the mask was rather plain compared to the others, I think the plain peach color is an important element.  Finally, I think the wrinkles form a pattern throughout the mask.

Human Face Mask 

I picked the Ecuadorian Huaco mask because I’m wearing a striped shirt and the mask is also striped.  It is a papier mache mask in the form of a human face that includes black eyebrows, blue eyes outlined in black, holes for nostrils, and an opening for a mouth with red lips and teeth. There are also yellow, blue, and red lines drawn evenly across the mask. Therefore, the main elements in the mask are line and color. However, form and shape is also important, as it is a 3d mask.

Huaco Mask 

I think the most important principles of my mask are texture, shape, color, and rhythm.  The "beard" of my mask is made of twirly yarn, which has a soft feel and a curly-q shape - an excellent demonstration of texture.  The two eyes are large circles, the face itself is an oval, and the holes used for the beard are circles, so I think shape is definitely an important part of my piece.  The dark teal color is repeated throughout the piece in the nose, lips, and beard, so color is an important aspect of my mask.  Finally, the strands of the beard are repeated several times throughout the mask, which emphasizes rhythm.

Making this mask was pretty fun.  I like my mask - when I walked into a room with it on, it made some people laugh, which was enjoyable for me.  It was kind of tedious to pull the beard strands through their holes and tie them into knots, but I enjoyed seeing the final product.  I also liked making the over-emphasized features of the nose, lips, and eyes (which remind me of aviator sunglasses).  Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable project.

Video Review

I chose to view The Great Wave (Japanese Art) because I am familiar with this work. I learned why The Great Wave has become a symbol of Japanese art and culture. I thought this was a good representation of Shinto culture from the book, as it depicts nature.  This video explored the meaning of the work, as well as why it is one of the most known works. The film suggests that The Great Wave is more than just a work about the natural world – it is about ourselves. I was surprised to learn that the work was created in the 1700s and that it is still so pervasive in our lives; I enjoyed learning of its use in cartoons, such as political cartoons. Even the story of Hokusai’s life is interesting, such as the fact that the wave can be seen in many of his earlier works. Some people even suggest that the work is a self-portrait of Hokusai. I am glad I watched this video, especially because of the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami recently in Japan (although critics agree that The Great Wave is not a depiction of a tsunami).

I was drawn to the Buddhism video because I think of any religion, Buddhism has some of the strongest concepts.  I understood the concept of Nirvana from the book but I also learned about the concept of tanja, which I had not previously known about.  I was also surprised to view the Great Stupa - I thought that the hajj from Islam was the only large pilgrimage related to religion, but the Great Stupa is for Buddhists.  Furthermore, this film was succinct, so I enjoyed it.

I also watched Chinese Art: Treasures of the National Palace Museum because I liked the word "treasure" and thought it would be interesting.  I am usually not a fan of Chinese art, but I enjoyed the pieces covered throughout this video.  I drink tea every night, so I thought it was nice that they included the beautiful tea bowl in the video.  It reminded me of the tea-related art that we saw throughout the book, like the simplistic, yet beautiful teabowl on page 448.

Finally, I randomly chose Islamic Art: India and the Middle East.  I found it really interesting that elements from Christianity and Buddhism could be found throughout Islamic architecture - I never would have thought that.  I was also surprised to find that the narrator, Januszczak, touched upon the stereotypical relation of Islam to terrorism and tried to break down those barriers.

Hand Drawing

I thought it was a good idea to use our hands as subject matter for drawing since, in my opinion, this exercise was meant to show how different art may be when you try doing it with your non-dominant hand.  I'm glad it was simple, like a hand, and not something more intricate.

I picked pencil because I had a pack sitting next to me.  Plus, I have experience using pencils, so I though that might be my best bet, especially if I'm attempting a new technique.

It was very difficult to control the pencil with my left hand.  It was very shaky.  I felt embarrassed at first but the drawing gradually evolved.  It was nowhere near as good as the drawing I did with my right hand, but in the end, I felt okay with my finished product.  Ultimately, I felt proud of myself for doing better than I thought.


I think this exercise was a success, however, I'm no professional artist!  Although my right handed drawing turned out well, my left-handed drawing was pretty pathetic, so I don't think I will be posting this one on the refrigerator anytime soon.  Overall, this was a successful study of our hands.

Unless I'm forced to, I don't plan on using my non-dominant hand for anything except playing the guitar.  I won't be painting any masterpieces with my left hand in the future!

Video Reviews - Week 9

I chose to watch El Greco: Rediscovering a Master because I was familiar with the artist’s name and wanted to learn more about him.  I mentioned earlier that one of his paintings, View of Toledo, is my favorite ever.  I found out that his real name is Domenikos Theotokopoulos and is one of Spain’s greatest painters. I was most interested in how his training and work in Medieval, Byzantine, and Renaissance styles come together in works such as “The Triumph of the Holy League.” I think it is fascinating how so many artists are largely unappreciated until long after their deaths; many people thought El Greco was extravagant and even “insane.” The film directly related to the Romantic Movement and modernism as introduced in the textbook, and also included information on other artists in the book who are connected to El Greco, such as Picasso.

I was attracted to La Primavera because I know it means "spring" in Spanish and I desperately want spring to come!  I learned that there are many different connotations for this painting - some of which are very controversial.  Some of the themes that are visible throughout the piece are sex and the concepts of humanism and neo-Platonism that we read about in the book.  I was surprised to hear that rape, as well as a completely converse theme of flowers, were common themes in these kinds of paintings and ultimately showed that adversity breeds a happy marriage.

I watched The Night Watch because one of my favorite bands has a song with the same title.  I am not very familiar with the Dutch and their legacy - now I am.  This painting is amazing - it is so huge.  I was blown away by its size.  One of the most blatant things about this painting was Rembrandt's use of chiaroscuro - the light was definitely an important part of this piece.  Furthermore, I found it amazing that it survived despite being attacked with blades and even acid.  I also learned about how it was "trimmed" to fit through a door - which is considered a bigger act of vandalism than either of the previous two acts I talked about.

I chose to watch Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance because I honestly just wanted to know more about him. I thought it was extremely interesting that Da Vinci was able to spontaneously write from right to left in a mirrored style - I can't even fathom doing that.  Before I decided on Public Communications, I considered being a morgue technician (I know, very odd differences in career choices), so I thought it was really interesting that Da Vinci performed secret autopsies.  I'm glad I decided on this video since now I feel like I have a connection with Da Vinci!

Video Review - Week 8

The three videos I chose were:

Cataclysm: The Black Death Visits Tuscany, A World Inscribed: The Illuminated Manuscript, and The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure.

 

I chose the Cataclysm video because I am very interested in the black death and how disease could have wiped out such a huge portion of a country.  I chose the Illuminated Manuscript because I remembered reading about it in the chapter and I wanted to know more about it.  I chose the Greek Art video because I think their portrayal of the human body is beautiful and I admire their respect for it.

In More Human than Human, I liked how they acknowledged that the most popular/celebrated works of art depicting the human body are actually quite impossible to achieve.  I also enjoyed learning more about the venus figurines.  Whenever I heard the word "venus," I would think of a beautiful, godly figure... The Venus of Willendorf figure from the chapter proved that wrong!

 

For some reason, I am really interested in the black death, so I picked Cataclysm: The Black Death Visits Tuscany.  The black death was a horrible time for the Renaissance so it was interesting to see that artists were focusing on the divine and the otherworldly rather than the horrors that were occurring on Earth.  I also learned more about the plague itself and how it was transferred and ultimately how it took control so quickly.

I remembered reading about The Illuminated Manuscript in Chapter 15, so enjoyed learning more about it in the video.  It was amazing to hear how many people were illiterate - only church-related individuals like monks could read!  I also learned how books were made and what an arduous process it must have been - back then, books were just as much works of art as anything else!

 

Finally, I watched The Greek Art Video.  I actually thought this video related a lot to the More Human than Human Video.  It was interesting to learn that the Greeks focused as much on the unobtainable/perfect human form as much as we do today.  Comparing something "ideal" like the Venus of Willendorf to a beautiful Greek figure is somewhat comical, but the differing views on what is ideal is very interesting to me.

As per usual, the videos take the readings a step further and offer a more in-depth look at certain things that the book did not elaborate on.  I definitely noticed similar topics like ideal forms, gothic styles of architecture, and so on.

I enjoy the films.  It is nice to sit back and watch a video on topics you just sat down and read about in the books.  It is a different way to gain knowledge about these topics and I enjoy learning about things that I find interesting (like the black plague) rather than just what is assigned to me.

 

 

Video Review - Architecture

In Prarie Style, I learned about “organic architecture,” which is the process of using elements of the environment in the architecture to make them look like they blended in or belonged.  This reinforced many of the things I learned from traveling to Fallingwater – in falling water, stones from the environment were built into the house, which itself, was built over a waterfall.  Prarie Style, used many floating planes and different level of roofing to blend in with its surroundings.

In Architecture: Science and Design, I learned that architects sometimes use trees as strategic methods to offset the challenges of an unfriendly environment.  In this case, they are used as wind blockers for tall skyscrapers.  I also learned that, although concrete is brittle, sometimes it is reinforced with bars of iron – I now know what re-bar is.

In Classical Architecture, I learned that although there have been astounding technological advances in architecture, some elements of classical architecture are still used today.  Perhaps the most fascinating is that solar heating was actually an old technique is still utilized today – this even relates to “green architecture” since if we use the sun for energy, we are making use of an unlimited energy source.

In Last Call for Planet Earth, I learned that some of the most cutting edge green technologies are coming from China.  For example, building narrow apartments can allow for cross-ventilation between apartments, cutting way down on energy consumption.  What is interesting is that these aren’t complicated concepts – architects believe that using simple techniques, we can cut energy consumption easily by 20 or 30 percent.

As usual, the videos offer a more “in-depth” look at the subjects covered in the text.  They all discuss various aspects of architecture, including cutting edge technologies and extremely influential artists like Frank Lloyd Wright.

I enjoyed watching Last Call for Planet Earth because I, like most of the world, am interested in being more “green.”  I also enjoyed watching Prarie Style because I love Frank Lloyd Wright’s ideas and style.  My overall opinion of the videos is that they offer other perspectives on architecture that our book doesn’t cover, and therefore, are good learning tools.

As I stated earlier, I picked Last Call for Planet Earth because I am interested in “green architecture.”  There is a television show called “World’s Greenest Homes” on Planet Green that travels around the world to tour homes that are extremely green.  It is my hope to eventually build a house like this someday – therefore, I was hoping Last Call could provide me some extra ideas from the inspiration I already took from “World’s Greenest Homes” – it did!

Installation Art

Step 3:

Installation art is art that has been created in a place by an artist or as specified by the artist.  The work may be dependent on the site or not and does not necessarily have to be there permanently.  Sometimes, it is controversial in nature.

Almost any material can be used in installation art.  My specific piece was done in metals that I found in my dad's stash of random, unused car parts.  Many of the pieces in Griffis Sculpture park are done in steel, aluminum, and wood.

Artists create installation art for many reasons.  Perhaps one of the most important is to make a statement or a point about something - as I mentioned earlier, installation art can be controversial in nature.  It can also be used to evoke a specific feeling.

The installation art I found to be most interesting was Dan Flarvin's Untitled.  I really liked his use of blue and green florescent lights to light a hallway in an interesting way.  I like how he used already existent architecture as a basis for his installation art.  Furthermore, I was intrigued that he lit the hallway in a way that the two lights didn't really blend together. 

Step 4:

When reviewing all the pieces, I really liked Robert Filliou's 7 Childlike Uses of Warlike Material.  For some reason, this piece really resonated with me.  I felt as though he was making a mockery of something very serious.

For my installation, I want to explore the theme of self.  I think it is very difficult to portray certain feelings, emotions, or values that you have, and I think this piece might be somewhat "therapeutic" in a way.

I'm planning on using metals for my project - my dad taught me how to weld last year and I really haven't done anything with my newfound skill.  He has a bunch of spare metals in a big bin out in my garage, so I'm planning on rifling through it and seeing what I can find.

I'm not sure where I want to put my installation.  I think I'm going to do something to do with my music/band, so I'll either post it in our practice space (which is used by more than one band) or as a sort of "hood emblem" on our drummer's drum kit.  

Describe your installation:

Nick Sessanna

Broken Fingers

Various metals

3/4/11

This piece is a metal base with random car parts welded onto it.  The car parts form two hands with broken or missing fingers (to go along with the theme for our new album, tentatively titled "Broken Fingers").  In the center of the piece, the words "Brother Keep" are welded onto the base.

The main elements and principles used in this piece are emphasis, balance, and unity.  The piece uses emphasis because the fingers are mysteriously missing or broken.  The piece uses balance because there are hands on both sides.  The piece uses unity because the hands are made out of random car parts and they all come together to make one big work of art.

This was an interesting piece.  I had a hard time coming up with an idea of something to create, but once I did, I created a lasting piece that my band will be able to use for shows or as some sort of art related to our music.  I would be interested in doing installation art in the future in a more public place to make some sort of statement, as I think it would be a good life experience.

Video Reviews

Through the Eyes of a Sculptor was about the life of a sculptor and their journey from beginner to master.  I also learned about restoration - a job that sculptors do beyond sculpting their own art.  It was interesting to learn how fickle of a material limestone is - it has to be stored at exactly 12 Celsius! 

I find this hard to believe, but I learned from the Glass and Ceramics video that some ceramic can be harder than steel.  I also liked watching the heating, shaping, and cooling processes of working with glass.

In the Installation Art video, it reinforced the controversial nature of installation art and also confirmed that installation art is 3D.  This reminded me of a controversy a few years back of two extremely expensive sculptures that were installed in the center of traffic circles in my hometown of Hamburg, NY - some people thought they depicted something vulgar and others thought the artist knew someone in the Hamburg government system.

To put it simply, these videos reinforce the material in the textbook.  I learned more about installation art, sculptures, crafts, etc.  The videos provided a "depth" to the concepts found in the book.  For example, the video Through the Eyes of a Sculptor not only showed sculptor's work, but also taught us about the day to day life of a sculptor - something the book did not cover.


When I was watching the sculpture video, I really enjoyed how it talked about the daily life of a sculptor.  It was interested to see his roots and where he came from - it was also interesting to see the various jobs sculptors work on.  When you think of a sculptor, you usually think of an artist who creates something like a gargoyle or a human nude - I now know that sculptors also work on restoration pieces!  I thought the Glass and Ceramics video was the most interesting, mostly because I find the medium of glass so interesting.  Finally, the Installation art video cleared up any misconceptions I was still having about installation art - I had thought that graffiti may have been considered installation art, but it is not 3D!

Blog Reviews

The two blogs I reviewed were David's and Chrissy's. 

I thought David did a good job demonstrating his knowledge of the principles of art.  I liked his use of a wooden heart for texture.  I also thought it was pretty interesting that we had a very similar picture, but for two different principles.  My light fixture was used to demonstrate space, whereas his was used to demonstrate balance.  They are both accurate, but I made sure to comment that it was interesting that two similar pictures can be applied to two separate principles.

Chrissy also did a great job demonstrating her knowledge of the principles.  I think we had a little bit more in common in terms of our subject matter since we both used cats to demonstrate texture and younger siblings to demonstrate movement.  I also planned on using nail polish to demonstrate emphasis.  I thought it was interesting that she used an icicle to demonstrate "line," when it probably also could have been used for harmony, unity, or even proportion.

David and I didn't have any pictures in common from our trip to the Albright Knox, but I did recognize a few pictures that I almost used.  I almost used Carcass of Beef in my "works that impacted me" category for the same reason that he selected it - because it was rather gory and "not for everyone."  I also almost used The Quiet of Dissolution because I liked how it demonstrated a city on the verge of being destroyed.

Again, Chrissy and I seemed to have more in common.  Chrissy took a picture of Ten Formal Fingers and said she was disgusted by it - I felt the same way!  Also, we were both very interested by Sol LeWitt's piece since we studied it in class in an earlier week.  Since it covers an entire staircase, we were both amazed by the sheer scale of the piece of work and by the amount of time and precision the artists who completed it must have used.

As I mentioned before, I was rather disgusted by Ten Formal Fingers and Carcass of Beef.  They pique my interest because they are, for lack of a better word, gross.  To be honest, I would like to know what possessed the artist to make these pieces in the first place considering their rather disgusting nature.  I'm still not sure why Ten Formal Fingers creeps me out so much, so I'm especially interested in that one.

It was nice to find another student who I had something in common with (Chrissy), even though we picked almost all different pictures.  Although I enjoyed reading David's blog as well, it seemed as though we had a different perspective on life in general.  Since they both did their projects, I did find the experience and their opinions somewhat valuable.

I actually really enjoyed reading the comments left on my blog.  Christina left some really valuable insight!  I was happy to hear we were both intrigued by the same picture at the Albright Knox (Untitled Flood).  Furthermore, I was kind of flattered that she enjoyed my slideshow so much, mostly because she complimented my cat, my guitar, and my little brother rocking out on the drums - three things that are pretty important to me!

Logo Design

I was actually quite challenged by the logo design project.  It's really hard to symbolize everything about yourself into one simple picture.  Of course, I took the most important thing about me, my music, and emphasized it in my logo.  I felt very accomplished afterward, but trying to symbolize myself was very frustrating!

As far as creative process goes, I just thought about all of my interests and tried to emphasize them in a sketch.  I brainstormed and eventually came up with the idea to use my own guitar, a forest green Fender Jazzmaster, as a basis for the logo.  From there, I added a swirly musical staff, which i colored purple for "mystique."  It was tough to incorporate my name into the logo, but in the end, I just decided to use the guitar's neck as a guide and it ended up looking pretty cool!

The most important discovery I made while creating my logo is how much emphasis I place on the musical aspect of my life.  I could barely think of another viable interest to incorporate into my logo (video games?  I think not).  Without music, I don't know how I would define myself - I'd say that's a pretty epic discovery.


The Powerpoint gave me the most valuable information of all the resources; although the others were helpful too, I liked the Powerpoint because it gave a lot of extra information on the history of design.  I liked the chronology of characters and the ideas for getting started.  The Graphic Design: What’s in a Logo? video was my favorite.  Seeing as how I'm a Public Communications major, all of the information in the video was important to me and it emphasized that redesigning a logo can help to redefine a company’s identity.

Albright Knox

On Friday, I ventured out into the snowstorm to visit the Albright Knox.  I didn't think we were allowed to take pictures so I found most of them online (Blue Velvet and Nana were not pictured online, so I found similar works of art by their artists, Ed Moses and Niki de Saint Phalle respectively).  Also, I couldn't find any information on scale anywhere at the gallery.

Which artworks made an impact/impression on you?

1.) Andy Warhol, oil on canvas, 100 Cans, roughly 3' by 5', 1962.

I was surprised to see such an iconic work of art here in Buffalo.  It was interesting to find out that the Albright Knox had some extremely famous paintings that I recognized.  I appreciate how simple of an idea 100 Cans is and I like the fact that it is so popular despite being so repetitive.

2.) Niki de Saint Phalle, mixed media, Nana, roughly 3' tall, 1965.

Right behind 100 Cans was this extremely interesting sculpture.  I was surprised to see such a chubby figure, but I was almost mesmerized by it when I saw it.  Besides the interesting figure of the piece, I liked the hearts that decorated the body - it gave a good reason to title the piece Nana.

3.) Sol LeWitt, graphite on 3 walls, an entire room, Wall Drawing #1268: Scribbles: Staircase, 2010.

Since we learned about Sol LeWitt's work earlier in the course, it was interesting to actually see it close up.  I was amazed by the control of value the different artists used throughout the piece - when the wall needed to be black, it was black!  I was also amazed that there were no smudges throughout the piece.

Which artworks did I connect with?

1.) Jehan Georges Vibert, oil on wood panel, The Marvelous Sauce, roughly 5' by 3', 1890.

Besides being the most realistic painting I saw during the entire visit, I connected with this painting because I am Italian and sauce is a very important part of my life!  I have tasted sauces many times with my family with the same results.  I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw this one.

2.) Ed Moses, acrylic on canvas, Blue Velvet, roughly 7' by 4', 2008.

This was my favorite work of art from the entire visit.  To be honest, it reminded me of my bedroom.  I loved the colors and I loved the technique Moses used throughout the piece.  It was mysterious and interesting to look at.  I wish it was for sale because I probably would have bought it!

3.) Barnaby Furnas, urethane on linen, Untitled Flood, roughly 12' by 6', 2007.

This was a close second in terms of my favorite piece.  I loved Furnas' use of sweeping strokes and vibrant reds.  Despite there being a gigantic, shiny silver work of art in the middle of the room, this painting immediately caught my eye.  I was also interested to see that Furnas is a younger artist, since many of the works of art I saw were either very old, or painted by older artists.


Which artworks would I like to know more about?

1.) Ellsworth Kelly, oil on canvas, Blue, Yellow and Red, roughly 1.5' by 7', 1969.

This was the first piece I really stopped to look at.  It was so simple - the three primary colors painted in equal proportions on a crooked canvas.  There wasn't much to the painting other than that.  I am interested to see if all Kelly's paintings are like that and, if so, the inspiration behind painting such simple works of art.

2.) Brice Marden, oil and wax on canvas, Red Yellow Blue Painting No. 1, roughly 4' by 4', 1974.

Right after checking out Ellsworth Kelly's painting, Brice Marden's painting caught my eye.  The two paintings are so similar, I initially thought it was going to be another of Kelly's works of art.  The paintings were done five years apart - I wonder if Marden took any influence from Kelly.  I was mostly interested in this piece because of the striking similarities between the two and I would definitely like to know if there is any connection between them.

3.)  Paul Pfeiffer, LCD video monitor, DVD, and metal armature, Long Count III (Thrilla in Manilla), 2001.

I really didn't expect to see something like this in the Albright Knox.  At first, when I looked at the LCD screen, I thought it may have been an optical illusion.  It kind of threw off my equilibrium for a moment until I saw the metal arm behind it.  It was also interesting to see that the boxers on the screen were completely transparent, though still visible.  This piece was just bizarre and I would like to know how Pfeiffer removed the boxers from the video so successfully.

Week 4 - Color Wheel/Value

This week, our objective was to create a color wheel and a value scale.  I was initially surprised when we were asked to use cyan, magenta, and yellow paint instead of red, blue and yellow.  It was interesting to see a "real" color wheel.  I have made several value scales in the past...  it is always so hard to get the final couple boxes to look right!

I liked working with paints.  There is something so satisfying about finally mixing the correct color after fiddling around for so long.  Furthermore, for some reason, I find working with color much more fun than working with black and white.

The most important discovery (and I'm pretty sure this will be the same for the entire class) was that our thought of a traditional color wheel is wrong.  "Red, blue, and yellow" is all I have heard since I started learning about art.  Cyan, Yellow, and Magenta is definitely a new concept.

In addition, the information about the color wheel is also the most important thing I learned from the videos.  I really enjoyed these videos!  They were simple, straightforward, and extremely easy to follow...  and best of all, they were short!  They definitely kept my attention span.

 

I took my Sony Cybershot camera and became a photographer this week!  Since it was insanely cold outside, I did my best to find great examples of each of the elements and principles of art in the indoors.

Line - I took a picture of one of my guitars - a Fender Mustang with a competition stripe.  I think this guitar is a great example of "line" because the competition stripe cuts straight through the body of the guitar in an interesting way.

Form - I took a picture of a treasure chest to demonstrate form.  It is clearly a 3D object with volume since it is holding objects.

Color - I love the colors in this picture of my band.  The blue from one of our lighting rigs is very intense.  This project gave us a good opportunity to take some new pictures!

Shape - I thought my brother's bass drum was a good example of shape.  The drum itself is a cylinder, but the skin is a circle with another circle cut for a microphone.  It is a good example of both 2D and 3D shapes.

Texture - This is a picture of my cat, Vivi.  I like the several different textures in this picture - her fur, the feather, and the rug.  You can tell how soft she is!

Rhythm - This is a picture of a bulletin board posted in my house.  One of our rooms has several leopard print materials and I thought it was a good way to demonstrate rhythm.  The colors and patters clearly repeat.

Proportion - These two birds are a few pieces that my grandmother owns.  They are both bluebirds but one of them is larger than the other which is a good demonstration of proportion.  It is almost like a mother and baby bird.

Balance - I laughed when I saw the zen garden since ultimately, I think balance is a great way to describe a zen garden.  The motif of the frog repeats and there are stones throughout the sand.  The sand also has a repeating pattern throughout the garden.

Movement - This is my younger brother, who I must say, is a beast on the drumset!  This picture clearly shows him playing since his sticks are slightly blurred - it makes you wonder which drums he's going to hit.

Emphasis - Since Valentine's Day is coming up soon, I thought this was a very appropriate way to explain my understanding of emphasis.  The sole green heart (which always seems to happen in these boxes) brings the viewer's eye right to the center of the picture.  From there, you can read all the corny messages.

Space - This is my mom's favorite lamp - she loves hearts.  Besides the hearts that are on the glass itself, she thought the way the lamp was shaped reminded me of a heart.  I thought the space between the two lights were reminiscent of a heart which is a good way to demonstrate how space can be an effective tool in art.

Variety - In the spirit of art, I took a picture of our colored pencil collection.  There are a number of different elements to this picture.  Besides all the different colors and brands of colored pencils, there are also a few pens, erasers, and scissors throughout the box.

Harmony - Though it was painful to go out in the blistering cold, I made a bunch of footprints in the snow to demonstrate harmony.  The similarity of the footprints in the otherwise smooth snow is a good demonstration of the element of harmony.

Value - This is a picture of a chandelier.  I loved all the shadows on the walls - the duality of the bright, white lights and the dark, interesting shadows on the wall was a good demonstration of value.

Unity - Finally, my demonstration of unity is a disco ball.  The disco ball is made up of hundreds of little mirror tiles that come together to create one big piece. 

Week 3

Color can have various effects on our emotions.  In the book, I learned that restaurants often have the color red somewhere in their logo/place of business because it increases appetite.  I also learned that cool colors like blue can have a calming effect on the body and can lower blood pressure.  I was surprised to learn that the hue, value, and intensity of a color can affect the way it is perceived.  For example, in the “color” video, an artist named Mark Rothko used deeper hues of red, like deep maroon, to evoke anger and other negative emotions to customers of a restaurant.  This is fascinating to me – how is it that one hue of red can leave a customer with a stronger desire for food and another hue of red can completely shut their interest off?

I have always been interested in the two different kinds of color, additive and subtractive.  One would assume that shining several multi-colored lights together would create an unattractive shade of brown.  This is not the case!  When a red light, a blue light, and a green light are shined on the same spot at the same time, they create white light.  On the other hand, if one were to mix red, green, and blue paint together, the results would not be as pretty.  This aspect of color is amazing to me – depending on the medium that color exists in (light or ink/pigment), it reacts differently. 

In the color video, I was most impacted by the artist that June was trying to take influence from - Mark Rothko.  Rothko wanted to provide an emotional response to his work using only color.  His work now hangs in the Tape Gallery in London, even though they were originally made to decorate the Four Seasons restaurant in New York.  Since he hated the restaurant so much, he purposely painted works of art that, in his own words, would “ruin the appetite of any son-of-a-bitch who ate there.”  He wanted to make the diners feel as though they were trapped in a room with all the windows and doors bricked up.  Although I personally liked his work, I was intrigued that an artist wanted to instill such anger and frustration simply through the use of “angry” hues like dark maroon, etc.  I actually laughed at the fact that he had such a bitter reaction to a restaurant.  In addition, I enjoyed how June applied the paint to her canvas in large sections and how she was indiscriminate about applying and removing paint.  Her method was very interesting and was actually quite inspiring – I wish I could write songs like that!

In the feelings video, I appreciated David’s message that without kings or religion, we would have more freedom to express ourselves.  However, I found myself much more intrigued in Goya’s work.  His work was said to be “uncomfortable” which is an apt description of his paintings – but that’s why I am fascinated by it.  Goya was a “normal” artist before a sickness in his life left him deaf and apparently very bitter.  His art became very “dark.”  In essence, Goya was picturing his own nightmares in an effort to try to face them head on.  Some of his “black paintings” were astounding – the old man eating his child was quite disturbing.  A theme that I found in his work was thick, smothering earth - I liked his constant use of quicksand/swamp imagery.   Even when he wasn’t painting a swamp or quicksand, the ground in his art looked convoluted and swollen like the hill in The Shootings of May 3^rd.

Week 2

Aesthetics - I learned that Plato's idea of aesthetics revolves centrally around "beauty" and what we consider beautiful.  In essence, the manifestation of something beautiful attracts us to it.  I also learned that Kant's idea was that aesthetics brings sensibility and reason together and that ultimately, aesthetic beauty was a feeling.

CARTA - Most of my key concepts revolved around Ramachandran since I found his lecture the most interesting.  Perhaps my favorite quote from the video is when Ramachandran said "art is about asserting individuality and science is about discovering universal principles...  the best place for them to meet is in the human brain."  Later on in the video, Ramachandran talks about "peak shift" and how they can teach a rat to understand that a square means no food and a rectangle means food, but when presented with an elongated rectangle, the rat will pick that.  

As I said in my discussion board post, I think Plato, a fifth century philosopher, was one of the most important philosophers to have a theory on aesthetics.  His idea was that "beauty had everything to do with aesthetics.  His idea that the manifestation of beauty is what ultimately attracts us to something is the concept I related to most.  Moreover, Plato paved the way for many other innovative philosophers like Kant to develop other interesting theories about aesthetics.

To be honest, I could barely understand Changeux, so I didn't take very much from his lecture.  From what I understood, he was trying to make a connection between the evolution of man and the evolution of art.  He related the discovery of man-made tools to what would eventually become art and aesthetics, which I understood and is an interesting concept.

I did, however, enjoy Ramachandran's lecture.  Ramachandran's said that art wasn't always about depicting an exact replica of something (in this case he was talking about an Indian sculpture of a woman and suggested that one could create an accurate representation with a $5 dollar camera).  Rather, art is about creating a "hyperbole" of an object in order to create a pleasing subject for the human eye to look at.  Furthermore, Ramachandran states that "peak shift" can also be applied to humans.  Peak shift in rats is similar to how humans do caricatures of one another (as in a characature of Obama might have large ears and a skinny lower face) but also states that it is how one might make an effective portrait of another (he then referred to the slightly hyperbolated sculpture of a woman from earlier and stated "you take what makes a woman 'womanly' and you amplify it").

The video on aesthetics gave me a background on philosophers who came up with the theory of aesthetics, rather than Getlein's book which mainly discussed the concept of aesthetics.  Instead of just learning about the concept, I now have knowledge about the philosophers behind it like Plato, Kant, Nietzsche, and Weitz.

The CARTA video had a similar affect, but focused more on the scientific/neuroscience aspect of art.  Ramachandran was able to express that there was a reason that aesthetics was important in art - our bodies and physically react to something when it is aesthetically pleasing.  Though some of the concepts went way over my head, I was able to get a better understanding of the science of aesthetics as a whole.

Unfortunately, the only part of the videos I really got into was Ramachandran's lecture.  I had a tough time understanding Changeux's thick accent and slow English which made his concepts rather frustrating to understand.  Furthermore, philosophy is a subject I've never quite grasped; although I understood Plato's philosophy and some of Kant's, I found that I took more history knowledge away from the Aesthetics video, rather than knowledge of art.  This is unfortunate since I am really enjoying the readings in the Getlein book.

For me, Ramachandran and Changeux's lectures gave a background to the concept of aesthetics.  Now I understand where aesthetics originated philosophically (besides Baumgarten's original definition) and some of the science behind what makes something aesthetically pleasing.  Overall, the videos were meant to supplement the reading as extra knowledge about a topic that Getlein was covering in his book.

Week 1

The process of setting up a gmail account was easy as I have done it before for a previous class.  It was, however, my first experience with setting up a blog.  Luckily, it was user-friendly and I didn't have too much trouble.

I expect to learn about a variety of different forms of art as well as an assortment of influential artists throughout history.  I also hope to learn about a few of my personal preferences when it comes to art.  I know I like impressionist artists, but I'd like to learn more about other styles.

I am excited to take an online course.  This is my first experience with an online course and hopefully it will be a good one (I'm sure it will be).  It's nice to take a class while I'm at home in my cozy bed.