self portrait

 

 

Well, I apologize for how awful my self portrait is, I wish I was more talented and could draw better! With that being said, I really enjoyed this project! The gallery that I "went" to for this project was the google art gallery that was an option for us this assignment. I chose the inspiration pieces because out of all the self portraits, those three just really stood out to me the most,

I chose to use just a pencil on sketch paper for this project because I know I am by no means an artist and I wanted to choose the "safest" way because I knew if I added paint, it would look even worse than it does now!

The biggest challenge was creating my face. There are so many lines that I could not incorporate properly within my own drawing so that was absolutely difficult!

I think that picture represents my fun side. It was taken on a bright beautiful sunny day and what else could possibly make me happier, especially after this long winter.

I definately tried to incorporate the element of line in this drawing. It was hard getting the exact texture of my hair but I tried to make thicker lines for my hair to make it look more realistic.

I enjoyed doing this, it was a fun challenge even though it was awful! I really enjoyed this class and this was a perfect project to end this class!

final blog!

1. What were you expectations for this course and where they met?

I was not really sure what to expect for this course at first. I was not prepared for the amount of work that I was going to encounter for this course. My expectations were met in the sense that I did learn a lot about topics that I would not have learned about otherwise.


2. Now that you've been through this course, What is art? How would you define it now compared to your intial posting?

At the beginning of the semester I thought long and hard about a good definition of what art is. Now, I realize there is no proper definition. Everything is art. Even things around my house can be considered art. I think I have a broader understanding as to what art is and that it is okay to not have a perfect definition for it.


3. Who was your favorite artist in your original posting and who is your favorite visual artist now? If there is a difference, why do you think so? If you have the same favorite artist, why do you think so?

I had trouble with my first blog so I was not able to post who my favorite artist was. However, if I had to answer now I would say by favorite artist is Monet. I really got to explore a lot of works by Monet and I can not think of a painting of his that I do not like.

4. Now that you've completed this course, how do you feel about taking an online course? Is your answer the same as it was in your first posting? How is it the same or different?

I have, and always have liked taking online courses. I personally do not care if I have interaction with my classmates and I am just more concerned about getting my classes done. This course, did have a lot of work in comparison to my other online courses. 

my art exhibit reflection

I actually really enjoyed creating my own art exhibit.
For my process of creating this I did a lot of research on artists before  I came across the museum of modern art website. I found the majority of the artworks from that website. It was so informative and not only did I get to see the works of art, but I also got to read about the story behind the artist and learn the story behind the works of art.

I took a lot into consideration when choosing these works of art. I tried to pick artworks that were different from each other and different works of art that chose to use different elements of art.

My hopes for my exhibit is whoever views it, gets the feeling of my theme that nature is art.

week 13 and 14

The Lowdown on Lowbrow: 
This was actually a really fun video to watch! It explained so much about pop art. I learned that pop art is fun art. It is so different and unique from other styles of art that this type of art, in my opinion gives artists so much freedom to do whatever they want with their creativity. This video was very helpful in terms of preparing for our powerpoint because the interview with the curators shows why certain works were exhibited in the way that they were. I think this video is really going to help me in terms of creating my own "exhibit"

Displaying modern art:
Modernist ideas played a really big role in reshaping the presence of art in museums and galleries. This video was very different from the previous video. It was very interesting looking into the moMA because it is such an important art gallery that is known all over the world. This video was also helpful when considering my own exhibit that I have to curate. I really enjoyed watching the video. 

An acquiring mind:
This was an interesting video to watch about Montebello. It was the perfect time to watch this video since I have my own project to curate. Being the director of moMA was a very important job in which a lot of responsibility is required. It took a lot to upkeep this enormous institution and it was inspirational to see that I am going to have the opportunity to do something similar that he did (but obviously in a much smaller scale. )


All of these videos were good and helpful to watch and I am excited to start my own project!

module 12

Video Reviews:

Abstract Expressionism and pop:

Abstract art is so unique as the space within the painting can often times seem empty, yet there is so much going on within the painting that space itself is an important aspect of the painting. The video did a really good job of explaining how important abstract expressionism and pop is. There is so much character to this type of art style. The video did a very good job explaining this style of art and I felt that it went into a lot more depth then the textbooks and it was nice to see the different works of art during this era. I absolutely learned a lot from this video

Hockney on  Photography:

David Hockney- "its all about now"

It was interesting watching this video and seeing Hockney's work and the journey through his photographs. It was interesting watching him grow as a photographer. The video showed a lot of photos that have never been seen before. It was so interesting hearing the passion behind the camera. "You are looking at life through a hole." This art is so special because you capture a special moment in time. This video did a good job explaining the importance of photography.  I learned a lot from this video.

module 11

Matisse and Picasso:
 I really enjoyed watching this video. I like how the beginning of the video seemed like an actual film with the translation. This video showed the interesting relationships between Matisse and Picasso. From this video, I learned that they both had interesting journeys in order to become the type of artist that they became. The videos were very similar to the text but they gave a lot more description. I liked this particular film and I am glad I chose it, it made me understand their lives a lot more.

The Impact of Cubism:

I am so glad I watched this video because I was not too familiar with Cubism and the impact it had on today's art world. I learned that this style of art is the most influential style of the 20th century. My favorite piece of art that was featured Electric Prisms. I liked this video because as opposed to just reading words on the textbook, because the works of art came to life. I liked this video a lot and it really expanded my knowledge on the impact of Cubism.

art gallery visit #2

Anselm Kiefer: Beyond Landscape

The theme of this exhibit is nature. The landscape and flowers within the different pieces of this exhibition is the biggest theme, in my opinion.

This exhibition had other works around it that were very similar in theme. Landscape works of art were surrounded by Kiefer's work. The walls within the museum were overall, very colorful due to the nature of the works of art surrounding this exhibition. I think the exhibition definitely considered the viewers opinion while viewing these works of art. As far as movement goes, my eyes were very drawn to all the works of art and I just kept wanting to go from one to the next.

These different paintings and works on papers all worked well together in that they were all focused on the theme of landscape. There were many artists works put on display during this exhibit. One of my favorites was by Van Gogh, because his works of art always stand out to me. The artworks were all well labeled and there was no question whose work of art belong to who.

Works of art:

Der Morgenthau Plan: Anselm Kiefer
photograph on canvas
110 1/4 × 149 5/8”- size
If I were to be inside this work of art, I would imagine for it to have been windy, dark, colder day. 
I think this work of art was paired well with the others work of art due to the landscape theme

Die Milchstrasse: Anselm Kiefer
Emulsion paint, oil, acrylic, and shellac on canvas with applied wires and lead
150 x 222 inches- size
There was such a great element of light in this picture in comparison to some of the others on display. I think the artist was trying to say that he does not only have a dark side, and there is some light in him if you look further

mask design

I really enjoyed making this mask. I used the african masks as an inspiration for my first couple of masks. The mask that I ended up going with for my final design I imagined a hunter using in Africa with the red dots as blood of the animals. I really find African masks to be beautiful.

module 10

Chinese Art video:  Through this video we got to see over 5000 years of Chinese Art. I chose this video because I have always attracted to how Chinese art looks. Something very interesting about this video was seeing how different types of art changes throughout the different dynasties within China. It seemed as if with each dynasty the art changed dramatically. It was interesting reading about art within different dynasties in the textbook, however actually seeing the art video form and learning in depth about that piece of work was fascinating.  What made this video special, in my opinion was the beauty of all the works of art. For some reason, Chinese art just always stands out to me.

Islamic art: Africa and Central Asia: I chose this video because there were a lot of Islamic art videos to choose from so I definitely wanted to see one of the videos. Islamic art is so beautiful and interesting and unique. I don't think that Islamic art looks so different then other types of art. Islamic architecture is so stunning. While the textbook does a good job explaining Islamic art, but actually being able to see it on video, you get a feel for the culture. The music in the background of the video made me feel like I was actually there. This video absolutely expanded my knowledge on Islamic Art.

module 9- hand drawing

Well, this project only confirmed what I already knew.  That I can not draw, at all. It is embarrassing that you can't tell which hand is drawn by which! Oh well, it was still fun! It was strange looking at my hand as a subject. I didn't realize how veiny or hairy my own hand was! Or that I really should stop chewing on my finger nails. I used a pencil because I thought I would feel more comfortable using it. I probably wouldn't have been as comfortable with charcoal. It was strange creating a drawing with my left hand. My hand was so shaky and it would not stand still! I think this experiment would have been more successful if I was actually better at drawing. I will never use my left hand when trying to draw ever again!

Module 9

The Drawings of Michelangelo:
I selected this video because when I think of the Renaissance Michelangelo and Da Vinci are the first two artists that come into mind. In the British Museum, there are 90 drawings by Michelangelo. It is so interesting that these drawings were hidden during his lifetime yet they are on display now. As the narrator states "Michelangelo would be horrified if he knew you were looking at them." It amazes me how even though Michelangelo would have wished for no one to see any of his work, he is one of the most famous artists. I think this video was more informative than the textbook and you really got into the mind of Michelangelo rather than just reading words from the textbook. This film absolutely added knowledge to my understanding of Michelangelo, I learned a lot about him that I never knew about.

Leonardo Da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance:
I really enjoyed this video as well. As previously mentioned, the reason why I chose this video is because Da  Vinci is an artist that everyone has heard about and is famous for his work within the Renaissance. From watching this video, it is clear that Da Vinci is a genius. "the exploration of the true" is a concept that Da Vinci explored and often worked with.  This video really gave a good look in to Da Vinci's life. Getting to know his background really shows you why he worked the way he did. The words of Da Vinci and Michelangelo, are so different yet they are both so beautiful.

module 8

More than  human
"Images dominate our lives." An interesting quote to start the video. They tell us how to feel, how to think and ultimately, the define us. But why? Why do they have such a powerful influence on us?  This video did a really good job of explaining that question. I learned many things, but most importantly I learned that the answer to the question, why these images have such a powerful influence on us. We need to look back thousands of years in order to discover the worlds most wonderful treasures.  I think that this video was very helpful in helping me understand the chapter better.  Like the chapter, this video better explained the time periods throughout art and why they are important when learning about the history of art. This video really adds a lot of depth to my understanding on art and why it is so important.

The Birth of the Middle Ages
I chose this video because to be honest, when it comes to art during different time periods, I am least familiar with it in terms of the middle ages and I was hoping that this video would help expand my knowledge. This video explained that even though the middle ages were a very long time ago, they are still very much alive. In Cameroon, life is very similar to the middle ages and the video did a good job of explaining how the middle ages worked and how life in this village works with the influence of the middle ages. I think watching this video was very helpful in expanding my knowledge about the middle ages. In comparison to the chapter in the book, I think this video gave a lot more information. It broadened what I know about the middle ages however I do still have a lot to learn in terms of art during the middle ages.

module 7

Last call for planet earth video:
 This video was very interesting to watch. In today's world, the sustainability of the Earth is so important. The video really stressed how important an architecture's job is when it comes to being considerate of the Earth. I think this video related perfectly to the readings in the textbook. Both the video and the textbook explained methods in which you can be responsible in creating architecture that benefits the world. This film did expand my knowledge on architecture because reading it in a textbook is one thing, however being able to watch interviews with actual people who explain it is beneficial. I chose this video because this part of the book really interested me as I think that since the industrial revolution, so many buildings have gone up that it has to be hurting the Earth.

Architecture the science of design:
This video was short but very informative. Who knew that so much goes into buildings and architecture. I can't even imagine all that it takes to be an architect. This video really showed all of the details that it takes to create artwork like a building. Some of the buildings really are like art. This video was just as informative as the textbook, but like always, seeing it rather than reading is more helpful to me. It made me learn more about what it takes to create buildings. I chose to watch this video because I knew it was going to be informative and really give a lot of details and to what it takes to create architecturally beautiful buildings.

peer review

http://learnigsomethingofart.blogspot.com/

http://ginaisart.blogspot.com/

These were the two people that I chose to do my peer review on.

For both Julissa and Gina, I really agreed with the photos that they chose for their elements of art project. I think Gina captured a lot, you can tell she was able to go out on the town to take really nice photos. Like myself, it seemed like Julissa was more limited to staying at home and did the best that she could with her surrounding.

For their art gallery visits, we did not have any of the same photos. However, I could totally see why they chose the pieces of art that they chose. Those works of art did catch my eye while in the gallery however I just chose to write about something else.

There was a photo that Gina uses in her art gallery visit by Kieffer and she describes it as going back to a simpler time. I completely agree with her. I wrote to her in a comment that you want to leave the room that you are in now and go to wherever this painting was done. It is so beautiful.

It is always nice to be able to communicate with your peers and compare your thought process to theirs. It is nice to see how although we all have different opinions, we can still relate to each other and understand why we chose the works of art that we chose. 

module 6

1 Through the eyes of a sculpture:
"Everything has to interact with technicality" That was an interesting quote from the first video. When talking about sculpting, you have to consider all of the elements. How will the marble interact with everything? What type of marble do you want when using? All of those things have to be considered before even creating a sculpture.

I think this was very accurate to the information given in the textbook. Sculptures have to be strong and have important meaning. Sculptures can last for forever and it takes a lot of creativity to come up with it. The artists have to be able to visualize it in their heads, otherwise there is no way that they can create it.

I liked this film a lot. You really were able to get into the mind of an artist and see all the hard work that goes into creating a sculpture. There are so many steps. For some reason, I just thought an artist would get a block of marble and bam! Out would come a piece of art. But no, there are so many different steps!

2. Glass and ceramics
"Heat causes the sands crystallized structure to break" It is only after this step that the glass is ready for blowing. The long hollow rod that the glass maker has to put all of the material on was so cool. Watching it inflate and turn into a bubble while turning it constantly with a marvel.

Although the information in the textbook was very accurate about glass and ceramics, nothing compares to watching it happen in front of your eyes. It is beautiful watching a glass being created from the  original material that it starts off as.

This film was very interesting as well. I had no idea so much went into glass making. Just like sculpting, I had no idea that there were so many different steps that went to into glass and ceramics.

Art Gallery Visit

I really enjoyed my visit to the Albright Knox Gallery. It has been a long time since I have been there and while there are a lot of differences, I still remember a lot of the same works of art being there.

1.  Which art works made an impression on me:
Tulips and Buttercups by Andre Bauchant: oil on canvas.  I love this painting. I love how beautiful it is- it is not the typical painting of flowers- it seems so much more modern then normal paintings of flowers and perhaps that is why I love it- because it is not typical.

Untilitled from the portfolio flowers by Robert Mapplethorpe: photograph. Like the painting I previously mentioned, this photograph for some reason just spoke to me. I have seen this photograph somewhere before and I really like it. I love how the flowers almost seem to glow. I love how there is not a lot of color yet it is still so bright.

2.  Which artworks do I feel a connection with:

For some reason I felt a big connection with Convergence by Jackson Pollock: oil on canvas. This painting just reminds me of a lot of  the paintings that my grandmother has at her house which is why perhaps  I feel a connection with it. It reminds me of being a child and looking and being intrigued with her paintings.

Self Portrait with Fedora Hat by Vincent Canade: oil on canvas. I am always intrigued with how people see themselves. I love self portraits and wish I was artist enough to create one myself.

3. Which artworks would I like to know more about:

En scene by Picasso: pastel on paper. I would like to know who the woman is on the stage. Is she a singer? Is she in a play? Is she someone famous? I wish I could have been there when he was painting it in order to learn more about who this woman is.

100 Cans by Andy Warhol: spray paint and pencil. Oh, where to begin with this one. I just don't understand this work of art. I would like to know what Warhol was thinking about while creating this work of art.

As embarrassing as this is, I forgot my camera while I was at the art gallery. I looked up all the images on the internet but did not want to plagiarize while using the photos from the web on my blog.

module 5

There was a lot that I considered before creating my logo. First, I thought of all the logos Ii have seen in my life and what they meant to me. Then I thought about things I liked and how I could incorporate it into my logo.  I had a lot of "rough drafts" before I came up with my final logo idea. Creating the main shape was my biggest issue. I was not sure what I wanted my main focal point to be. The biggest discovery that I made was there are a lot of words that mean alot to me  and I anted to somehow incorporate them into my logo. The most important thing I learned about logos is that your logo is the picture that people think of when they think of you. For example, when I think of Starbucks I instantly think of their logo. I wanted my logo to fully represent me and I think it does!

color wheel and scale

I really enjoyed creating the color wheel and the color scale.  Creating the scale was actually pretty difficult! I found it hard to create a square that was just slightly darker than the previous square yet slightly lightly than the square ahead of it but I had a lot of fun creating it.

I actually enjoyed using the pencil when creating the color scale. Who knew that a pencil could have so many different shades to it? Who knew a pencil could create a completely black box, it is just something that I haven't thought of before.

As silly as this may sound, the most interesting discovery while creating the color wheel was that mixing two colors could create another actual color. Of course I knew that mixing a shade of blue and yellow would create green, but I have never actually done it before, so to do it, and to see it happen before my eyes was quite interesting.

I liked watching the videos for this assignment. I enjoyed the color wheel video because I felt excited and anxious to create my own color wheel while watching it. It was amazing seeing new colors form due to the mixing of other colors.

photo bucket project

http://s30.photobucket.com/user/abbyratner/library/module%203%20slide%20show

 http://s30.photobucket.com/user/abbyratner/slideshow/module%203%20slide%20show

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://s30.photobucket.com/user/abbyratner/embed/slideshow/module%203%20slide%20show"></iframe>


I really enjoyed creating the photo bucket slide show. I have never used photo bucket before and I found it to be a useful tool in creating my art project. It was interesting going through my home and finding works of art that compared to the elements and principles of art. Who would have thought that all of these elements were in my home the whole time and I never even knew it!

It was crazy how art is everywhere!

module 3 blog

" We don't see things, we see light." This first sentence, a part of My art Studio: Elements of Art had me intrigued. It is crazy to think that without light, objects have no appearance. Colors play a huge role on emotions. The example that the elements of art website gives about the stop and go sign and what would happen if the colors were to switch. What would you do at a green stop sign? Or if boys were represented by pink? How would that affect gender roles. Why aren't foods blue? Why are we grossed out by blue foods? It is amazing how all of these aspects of color play a role in our emotions. "The complex emotional responses evoked by colors are not easily reduced to a set of rules or a series of formulas." We have no way of knowing how or way colors impact us the way we do.

The part of color that fascinates me the most would be optical effects. It is amazing how when looking at the value portion under the optical effects sections, those black circles appear amongst the white circles. Personally, I enjoy looking at optical illusions and I never really even thought about how much color impacts and plays a role in optical illusions.

In the color video, it was fascinating to think how color can affect your emotions. When the artist June visits old painting to see where her inspiration came from, we see what a huge role color played for her and how color played a huge role in her emotions that it really impacted her own piece of artwork. I think the colors that she sees in Venice, also play a big role on her emotions.

In the feelings video, what played the biggest impact on me in regards to color impacting emotions was the scene in the church with all of the stain glass windows and just realizing how truly beautiful they were. The stunning colors and the sheer beauty of the colors were incredible. Being Jewish, it is not often that I find myself in a church so seeing these images, ones that I am not familiar with,  I really get to appreciate the beauty of it.

module 2

 These videos and articles were very interesting. Some interesting topics that were covered in the first video was that although Aristotle was Plato's student, there opinions on art and poetry were very different.  When the article discussed the Mona Lisa smile, I found that part to be most interesting. It is amazing how when you do look around her face, her expression seems to change. You have to rely on your peripheral vision so much especially when looking at this particular painting. The Mona Lisa has always been one of my favorite works of art, because I find it beyond beautiful, so learning about how her face changes depending on where you look at her it so interesting to me.

In my opinion, the most important  philosopher that was mentioned was Plato taught that "the there is an idea of beauty in which all things are beautiful." Plato argued the manifestation of something beautiful attracts the person that sees it. This is very interesting and true, we are intrigued by the idea of beauty. Plato held a low opinion on artists and poets which is interesting coming from a man such a Plato himself.  Plato mistrusted poets because he believed the spoke about things that they didn't know about. "Plato famously denied that poetry was art."

It was very interesting when Changeux was discussing how important the function of the brain is when looking at aesthetics. There are many mental processes that occur when looking at art. It was interesting when he showed the picture and asked if it was a mans face or a woman and it was hard to tell depending on how you were perceiving it. Ramachandran was studying visual aesthetics because he wondered why certain works of art had such an impact on the human mind. He was very interesting to listen to in terms of why certain works of art are even considered works of art. People have different likings, and individual peoples cultures are why some people like certain works of art and other people don't like it.

I think the videos and the article really go together and make sense. After hearing the speakers talk about how we rely on our brain when it comes to art, and then reading the article and learning about how your brain works to distinguish color, luminance,  and most importantly why we like art, which I think was touched upon by the speakers as well.

I really enjoyed watching the two videos and reading the article. Personally, I enjoyed the article because how the articles described how your brain works in terms of deciphering lines, and faces , etc. it was interesting to learn about how much you rely on your brain in terms of looking at art. I definately learned a lot more from these two videos and article.