EXTRA CREDIT REFLECTION BLOG

1. Which assignment did you ENJOY working on the best and why?

The assignment that I enjoyed working on the most is creating the African mask because it was fun and easy to create and I think I really tried hard on it.

2. Which assignment did you ENJOY working on the least and why?

The assignments that I did not like to work on were the video blog assignments. The reason why I say this is because the videos were very long, we had to watch several of them per a video blog review assignment and most of them were very boring.

3. How did you like using blackboard?

I really enjoyed using blackboard because I didn't have to go to class. I also liked using blackboard because it allowed me to be flexible when it came to what assignments are due, meaning I can hand them in whenever I wanted before the due date.

4. What is your opinion of the discussion groups in this course?

For the most part they were boring, but easy to do. I liked the last few forum discussions because it was flexible due to the fact that we had a choice of questions to answer. I really didn't like the idea of responding to two people because sometimes I didn't have a response to their posting, so I had to force one out.

5. Did you participate in any of the extra credit projects in previous modules? If so what is your opinion on them?

Whenever extra credit is given in a class, I always complete it, so I did all of the extra credit assignments that was offered in this class. My opinion on all of the extra credit assignments is that they were all easy and interesting except for the Elgin Marbles assignment.

6. If you had the opportunity to change this course: What would you keep? What would you remove? What would you add?

Out of all of the assignments I would keep all of the art projects that we've done this semester because they were fun to do. I would also keep the art museum visits because it gave us an opportunity to look at different media’s of art in person and for the most part it was very enjoyable.  The assignments that I would remove is the video blog reviews  because watching two to three videos that were usually 45 minutes or more would be a little too much and like I stated in question number 2 the videos were sometimes boring. When it comes to adding assignments, I would add anything because there were too many assignments and one more would be very overwhelming.   

7. Would you recommend this course to your peers?

Yes I would because this class is easy and you have several extra credit opportunities to complete to boost your grade; this can be helpful if my peers are not good with quizzes

8. Please list any other comments you would like to share

N/A

REFLECTION BLOG

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

Yes my expectations for this course were met because I know that I would receive an “A” and with my completion of the entire extra credit assignments equivalent to 1 percent of my grade for each assignment completed, made this a reality.

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

In my first post, I defined art as “Is a way to express yourself, feelings etc” now my definition of what art is a way of life, expressions, all types of feelings etc.

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

In my first post, I did not have a favorite artist, but now I do. My favorite artist’s name is Vincent Van Gogh because I love the piece entitled The Starry Night and the piece entitled Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette.

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 initial posting? How is it the same or different?

In my first posting, I stated that this was not my first online course, and I usually enjoy doing online courses because it requires no attendance, but the drawback from this is there are no professors constantly reminding you whenever an assignment is due. In some cases I prefer online courses over in classroom instruction because I do not like going to my class every day. 

GUERNICA

Pablo Picasso

Guernica 

Oil on canvas

349 x 776 cm

1937

1. Use the vocabulary you have learned in class to describe this artwork or performance in detail

The type of artwork that is seen in the picture entitled Guernica by Pablo Picasso is Cubism. The reason why it can be considered Cubism because it has the characteristics of what qualifies to be Cubism; these characteristic are a restricted palette which is black, white or brown, has its own internal logic and the fragments are drawn in multiple points of view. 

2. What process were used to create this work? What social influences might the artist be responding to and why?

The process that was used to create the picture entitled Guernica was to get a large canvas board and to use oil paint. The reason why Pablo Picasso made this artwork because it was a way to show viewers the bombings of Basque town called Guernica by German bombers. 

3. What is the relationship of this artwork to the time and society in which it was created? Describe the symbols used to express this relationship

The relationship of the work towards the time is that it can be considered anti-war like and protest art. The reason why I say this is because the painting was created by Pablo Picasso as a way to respond to the event of German bombers bombing Guernica, Spain.  The symbols that are used in this painting are incident individuals and animals suffering. 

4. Identify elements in the work that evoke a persuasive or emotional response. Be specific about what those responses are and why.

The elements that are used in this piece of artwork in general are lines, shapes and colors. When it comes to the elements that show an emotional response is the suffering. The reason for this is because you can practically see suffering in every person or animal. An example for suffering for a human is if you look closely towards the left of the picture you can see a mother holding what it seems to be a dead baby in her arms. An example for suffering for an animal is the horse towards the center of the picture looks like as if it has gotten hit by something and is about the fall to the floor and collapse. 

5. Evaluate what you perceive to be the strengths and weaknesses of the artwork. Apply discipline specific vocabulary and concepts when describing your point of view.

My perception for the strengths in the artwork entitled Guernica is that Pablo Picasso has done a great job showing the suffering of people in response to the bombings by Germans in Guernica, Spain. The only weakness that I could think of is that the suffering could have been seen more clearly if it were done with a different type of media or different theme of art, rather than using cubism. 

SELF PORTRAIT

Three portraits

McCallum Tarry

Show me where you bought me from

Oil on lien and toner on silk

46.25 x 35.50 inches

1945

Charles E. Burchfield

Portrait Study in Spring Landscape

Watercolor, charcoal and graphite on paper

28 X 34 inches

1976 

Bruce Jackson

Guard with Snake- Cummins

Black and white photograph

13 x 19 inches

1975

My picture before

My final product

Questions

1. Why did you select the inspiration pieces?

I only see one picture at the Burchfield Penny Art Center that comes close to what a self-portrait is, so I had to go on the Burchfield Penny Art Center website to look for other self portraits. 

2. Why did you select the media to create your self-portrait?

I decided to use a computer to take a photo and then grayscale the image because I’ve always love to grayscale my images in Facebook, so that was drawn to me and my art exhibition project consists of a grayscale theme, so this was another factor.

3. What challenges did you face in creating your self-portrait and how did you overcome them?

I didn't have any challenges at all when it came to creating my self portrait because I knew I wanted to grayscale it as soon as I seen the assignment up;  my computer acted correctly while taking the photograph and then filtering it to make it grayscale. 

4. How does this piece represent you?

It represents me by being in my environment (my dorm room or my room back in the Bronx) where I feel the most relaxed. For the fact that it is grayscale it represents me because I tend to wear a lot of dark colors (black and dark gray) and it seems appropriate to reflect on my choice in clothing since clothing does represent people.

5. What elements and principles of art did you apply in this work?

When it comes to elements, I've used colors because you can see the different types of grays and blacks that are being used in my self-portrait. When it comes to principles, I've used unity because the different shades of colors move in harmony. I've also used patterns because if you look towards the back, you will see my blanket on my bed and it has a swirly like pattern on it.

6. Did you enjoy working on this project?

No, because I pretty much take photos all the time of myself and for half of those images I tend to filter with them such as making them grayscale or mirroring the image. 

7. What do you think of your final work?

My final work looks like a lot of my default pictures on Facebook. Using the computer to snapshot the photo and then to grayscale the image was very convenient because it came out perfectly and it only took a few minutes instead of taking hours to do. 

 

REFLECTION FOR THE PROJECT

In order to complete this project I first came up with a few ideas for the theme that I wanted to present in my project; I narrowed it down to pictures consisting of grayscale, shades of red or shades of green. Since looking up pictures that had shades of red or green would be very difficult, I decided to go with grayscale. When I found my theme, I went onto google to look for pictures. At first finding the first few were very easy, but after a while I did find more pictures, however, these pictures did not have information on them such as the year it was created, the media used or the name of the art piece. Since looking for these pieces of artwork has became more challenging, I had to refer to the art textbook of this course in order to get the rest of this done; I also decided to look on the Burchfield Penny Art Center  and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery website for more pictures to complete it. As soon as I put all of the pictures onto the powerpoint, I filled in all 15 of the pictures with their respective information. Lastly, I put a description of what the picture is, the analysis of it such as the elements and principles used in the picture, my interpretation of what the artwork is and a reason for why I chose this piece of artwork. To add more information on to the powerpoint, I put a introduction slide which is used to introduce the project, a conclusion slide to conclude what has been seen in the presentation and a reference slide to site the pictures and information used in this presentation.

Overall, the presentation was very easy because I somewhat assumed beforehand to put the pictures up on powerpoint followed by putting the pictures information and analysis on it. Honestly, the only trouble I had with this presentation was finding pictures because as I stated earlier, it became easier, but it became more difficult to find the information for these pictures. When it came to the layout of the powerpoint, I knew that making it black, white and grey were the appropriate choice for this project.

VIDEO REVIEW BLOG

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned?

The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art
1. Lowbrow is a person regarding as uncultivated and lacking in taste
2. Supposedly Robert Williams says he came up with the term lowbrow art
3. Conceptualism excluded audience members who lacked training in art history

Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach
1. Art displayed in the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) displays artwork in chronological order from 1929 to present
2. Four sections are used in The Tate Modern in order to display their art
3. Abstract artist wanted to convey emotions and aesthetic effects and were not depended on figuration

An Acquiring Mind: Philippe de Montebello and the Metropolitan Museum of Art
1. Montebello guided acquisition of over 84,000 works
2. Montebello served 31 years as the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art


2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Exhibition Project? If Yes, explain how. If no, explain why?

None of these videos helped me with my creation of the Art Exhibition project because none of the videos lack the theme that I am creating which is black and white. The only thing these videos helped me in is learning about new topics.


3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of the art concepts you practice while creating your curation project?

My opinion of the films is that it did a good job explaining new concepts that I have never heard of, but it didn't help me create my art exhibition project. The first video entitled The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art gave me the idea of making a Pop Art like art exhibition because I highly doubt that there are many Pop Art like art exhibitions out there.

VIDEO BLOG REVIEW

1. Explain why you selected each of the two videos you choose from the selection above?

The first video I chose was entitled Andy Warhol: Images of Image because I've always heard positives views about his artwork, so I wanted to see more of his artwork to determine if he is a talent artist as everyone says. The second video I chose was entitled Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the '50 and '60's. because I wanted to see more examples of Pop Art.

2. For each video list/discuss the concepts you have learned

For the video entitled Andy Warhol: Images of Image

1. Silk screening consists of a photograph being blown up and put into silk screens and then transformed into paper and canvas while using ink and paint
2. Andy Warhol took silk screening as a advantage in order to make money
3. Andy Warhol's artwork addresses several causes such as race riots and the conquest of the moon

For the video entitled Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the '50 and '60's
1. Warhol and Rauschenber are two artists that became artist of the 1960's
2. sometimes abstract art can be compared to figurative artwork
3. Warhol can be considered to be synonymous to Pop Art

3. How do the videos relate to the text?

For the video entitled Andy Warhol: Images of Images it relates to the textbook by talking about Andy Warhol's life. This video also relates to the textbook by talking about silk screening which made Andy Warhol more famous and more wealthier. For the video entitled Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the '50 and '60's it relates to the textbook by talking about Pop Art's famous artist, Andy Warhol. The video also relates to the text by talking about artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Helen Frankenthalter and Jasper Johns and it talks about their artwork.

4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding the of the readings and key concepts?

My opinion for the video entitled Andy Warhol: Images of Image is that it did a good job talking about his life; it went in more detail of his life than the textbook itself. It help me understand the concept of silk screening used in Pop Art by photographs are blown up and developed onto silk screen, then transformed into paper and lastly ink and paint are used. For the video entitled Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the '50 and '60's my opinion of this video is that is also did a good job because it shown me more artwork from the artist mentioned in the textbook. This video did not help me understand the readings and the key concepts because the readings for this part of the book were pretty straight forward, meaning it was very easy to understand.

ART MUSEUM VISIT

Name: Aesthetics of Death

Artist: Alberto Rey
Theme: Mother Nature

Media: Oils on plaster over canvas glued to a wood panel

Year: 2008
Analysis: The elements that are used in this piece are colors, textures and shapes. The principles used in this artwork are movement, balance and emphasis
Interpretation: My interpretation on this painting is that the artist did a great job with the shading of the fish and blending the body into the stream

 Name: Niagara Rapids #1, NY 2014
Artist: Brian Milbrand
Theme: Mother Nature
Media: watercolor paper with video
Year: 2014
Analysis: The elements used in this painting are value, texture and colors. The principles that are used in this artwork are contrast, unity and movement
My interpretation: I really like the idea of this artwork because it has different shades of blue in it and they all go well together. I also love the idea (although cannot see it) of the actual painting and a projector is used to add a second background like appearance to it

Name: Birds, I
Artist: John M. Opera
Theme: Dark
Media: chromogenic print
Year: 2006
Analysis: The elements that are used in this artwork are texture and value. The principles used are movement, pattern and unity
My Interpretation: My interpretation of this painting is that it seems to be too simply to me, but at the same time it would be something that I would hang up on my wall because I like pictures somewhat like this.

The Art Gallery

1. What type of lighting is used?

The type of lighting that was used was ordinary light bulbs; this was used for all of the pictures that I have taken photos of

2. What colors are used on the walls?

For all of the pictures that I have taken pictures of, all of the walls are painted white

3. What materials are used in the interior architecture of the space

The only material that I've seen are walls, video (for some of the artwork) and a wooden floor

4. How is the movement of the viewers through the gallery space

The movement of the art gallery in some areas are kind of clustered while other areas were open spaced. There was also a second floor that had less things than the first page and it was clustered.

Overall Art Work

1. How are the artwork organized

The artworks are organized by theme. For example, there were exhibits based on water and it consists of water patterns and fish (such as the two pictures I posted above)

2. How are artworks similar?

The artworks are similar by being approximately the same size and being on paper

3. How are the artworks different?

All three of the pictures that I have picked have different themes to it as well as different medias

4. How are the artworks framed?

None of my pictures were framed; each were put on the wall by itself and the one with the video was a picture followed by a projector.  

5. How are the artworks identified and labeled?

The artworks are identified by their artist, title, year, media and where the piece came from

6. What is the proximity of the artwork to each other

Some of the pieces were close together while others were far apart. It depended on the exhibition located in the art museum

Overall visit

1. What did you think of visiting the Gallery and purposefully looking at the exhibit from a different perspective- the physical space, the architecture theme?

I think it was a really good experience. For some of the exhibits such as the black and white exhibit they really did a good job with it because everything was either fully black or fully white.

VIDEO BLOG REVIEW

1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above?

I chose the video entitled Dada and Surrealism because I wanted to see more examples of Dada art and what possessed these people to conduct this artwork. For the video entitled The Impact of Cubism I chose this video because I wanted to see more examples of what Cubism really is by Pablo. I also wanted to see more artists and their version of what Cubism really is.

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you have learned

For the video entitled "Dada and Surrealism"

1. The Dada movement was created as a reaction towards World War I

2. Surrealism characteristics consist of exploring the unconscious mind.

For the video entitled "The Impact of Cubism" 

1. Cubism was influenced by several things such as African tribal art and Cezanne

2. Cubism allowed Europeans living during the 20th century to represent form and space

3. Cubism can involve using memory and other elements to make art such as Sonia Delaunacy's Electric Prism

3. How do the videos relate to the readings of the text?

For the video entitled Dada and Surrealism it relates to the textbook by explaining what Dada really is and it even goes into depth by showing several examples of what Dada is, back history for their motive and how they did this artwork. For the video entitled The Impact of Cubism it relates to the textbook by explaining what Cubism is, the origin where it came from, how the artist created the piece and it shows several examples of what Cubism is just like the book. 

4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

My opinion of the two videos is that it was really good. I didn't expect each video to have many examples of what each theme of art is. It added my understanding of the readings by explaining in depth how each work was completed such as the artwork entitled "Sad Young Man on a Train" by stating that small, dark and oblique figures were being used. For the other video entitled Surrealism and Dada it adds depth to my understanding of art by explaining further what Dada really is and explain each artist reasoning for doing their piece. Overall, I enjoyed the video entitled Surrealism and Dada more. 

Blog Video review

1. Explain why you selected each of the two videos you choose from the selection listed above?

For the first video entitled Buddhism I chose this video because I would like to know more about this religion. For the second video entitled African Art I chose this video because I wanted to know about the different kinds of African art and because I wanted to learn more about the mask that we as a class had to create.

2. For each of the videos list/discuss the key concepts you learned

For the Buddhism video:

1. Borobudur is the largest Buddhist shrine in the world
2. Buddhism splitted into two groups which are hinayana and mahanyana within 100 years of Buddha's death
3. Tanha is the key to buddhist teachings

For the African Art video:

1. oldest existing art in Africa is founded in drier regions
2. Nigerian bronze castings date back from the 15th century
3. Primitive art is influenced by Picasso and modernist painters

3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

For the first video entitled Buddhism, it relates to the text because it talks about Buddha's live and talked about the eightfold path of moral and ethical behavior. The eightfold path consists of knowing the truth, saying nothing to hurt anyone, practice meditating, control your thoughts, resist evil, free your mind of evil, work for the good of others and respect life. For the second video entitled African Art, it relates to the text because it talks about the mask and the African culture in general.

4.  What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding the readings and art concepts?

My opinion of the films is that it has done a good job with things that I did not know. For example in the video entitled Buddhism, I had no idea that there were two places in the state of New York that had a Buddhist temple, or one that looks like it (one in Chinatown, NY and the other in Carmel, NY). Also in the Buddhism video, it talks about the Great Stupa and how there is art and architecture on every step. In the video entitled African Art it helped me understand ancient art of Africa and the meaning of it which is good luck for hunting.

MASK

Three masks:

Name of the Mask: TekeReason for choice: I chose this mask because I like the fact that it has several colorings on it and circles and triangles.Description: This is a moon-shaped mask that are worn by the members of the Kiduma which is a secret society that does social celebrations and rituals. This mask is created with triangle and circles and are colored with clay and paint.Analysis: The elements used in this mask are shapes, forms and texture. The principles used in this mask are pattern and contrast

Name of Mask: KweleReason for choice: I chose this mask because I like the two large horns that are displayed on the mask's headDescription: Kwele mask are known to protect against the power of witchcraft with a ritual called beete which is a ritual that purifies spirits. Kwele mask tend to have two large horns, often painted with white kaolin clay and have either a very small mouth or no mouth at all.Analysis:  The elements used in this mask are value, shapes and forms. The principles that are used in this mask are patterns

Name of the mask: PendeReason for choice: I chose this mask because I like the uniqueness it has which are horns coming out from the sides of the mask and the triangles on the face.Description: The Pende mask is a special mask consisting of human and buffalo features. The Pende mask design consists of triangular patterns which are often painted with dark and light pigments in order to create a checkerboard like appearance Analysis: The elements that are used in this mask are shapes, forms and color. The principles that are used in this mask are patterns, contract and emphasis
Sketches:

Final mask

Questions

1. Explain how you used the elements and principles in your finished mask?

For the elements, I've used shapes because I think that is what most of the African mask consist of and it makes the mask look better in my opinion. For the principles I've used patterns because its another thing that I've constantly seen on African mask and I enjoyed doing the pattern on the horns of the mask. 

2. Share your opinion of your finished mask and what you thought about creating the mask

My opinion of my finished mask is that it came out pretty well, I just wish I didn't use that much coloring for it. I also wished I used a different type of media such as water colors or crayons because the color pencils that I was using was not that good of quality. 

MODULE NINE- BLOG VIDEO REVIEWS

Videos I chose:
1. Drawing of Michelangelo
2. Albrecht Durer: Image of a Master


1. Explain why you selected each of the two videos you choose from the selection listed above?

The reason why i chose the first video is because i recognized the name Michelangelo and I wanted to learn more about his creations and what inspired him to do these creations. For the second video, I chose this one because it has the word "master" in it and I am curious to see what this "master" is going to show me in the video.


2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

The video entitled The Drawings of Michelangelo 
1. Michelangelo created crucifixion drawings which were used to explore his conflicting feels consisting of hope and dread
2. Michelangelo designs the Medici family church of San Lorenzo during 1516
3. Michelangelo designs the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel during 1508


The video entitled Albrecht Durer: Image of a Master
1. Visual expression was given to Germany by Durer and he did this by mass printing his work to support Martin Luther
2. Durer is considered to be the first true landscape artist
3. Durer shows Germany Italian Renaissance


3. How do videos relate to the readings from the text?

When it comes to the first video entitled The Drawings of Michelangelo, it relates to the text because throughout the book that is required for this class, it shows various works from Michelangelo such as Michelangelo's David statue. When it comes to the second video entitled Albrecht Durer: Image of a Master it relates to the text because the book also shows artwork from Durer such as the aging statue named Donatello


4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

My opinion for both of the videos is that they were pretty good to understand. For the first video entitled The Drawings of Michelangelo, it helps me understand the readings and art concepts by showing Michelangelo's techniques which are being used such as learning about the anatomy which was used to create realistic forms of the statues created. For the second video entitled Albrecht Durer: Image of a Master it help me understand the readings and art concepts by showing ways which explains to us how much detail is truly needed in order to create the aging process when it comes to artwork.

EXPLORING LINES

Drawing

Questions

1. What was it like using your hand as a subject matter for a drawing?

It felt very weird because I do not draw with my left hand, since I am a righty when it comes to writing and drawing. This project also reminded me of my days back in elementary and middle school because we were always taught as a child to use our hands to make the easiest turkey ever for Thanksgiving. 

2. What media did you select pencil or charcoal? why?

I decided to use a pencil because that was the only thing that I have in my room at this time. I also prefer pencil because it is easier to use and it is less messy than using charcoal.

3. How did it feel to create a drawing with your non-dominant hand?

It felt very weird and I wasn't happy with the result because it was too sloppy.

4. Compare and contrast your final drawings. Do you think they were successful  studies?

It shows with practice the more you draw something whether it is with your dominant hand or non dominant hand you will get better with it, so yes I do think this study was successful.

5. Would you consider using your non-dominant hand to create artwork in the future?

The only time I would use my non-dominant hand for any type of writing or drawing is when it is mandatory or something bad happens to my dominant hand because I like to be neat at everything I do, so to answer the question I would never try to use my non-dominant hand for creating artwork. 

VIDEO REVIEWS

1. Explain why you selected the video you choose from the selection listed above

I chose the video entitled Late Gothic Art and Architecture: England 1400-1547 because I love how the Gothic Artstyle looked and I wanted to learn more about the style of artwork. The other videos on the list by looking at their titles did not interest me in anyway. 

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you have learned

Key concepts from the video: More Human than Human

 1. A statute that is 25,000 years old can be valued at $60 million as of now

 2. Baby chicks are stimulated by their mother's beak if there is a red dot on it

 3. Egypt was considered a full civilization by 5000 BC and Egyptians used images of the body inside of their artwork

Key concepts from the video: Late Gothic Art and Architecture: England 1400-1547

 1. When King Henry VIII reign ended during 1547, the Middle Ages finished

 2. The concept of hell, heaven and purgatory are very significant in the Briton's lives

 3. During the Middle Ages, the church functioned as a social center and a place to worship

3. How do the videos relate to the readings of the text?

For the video entitled More Human Than Human, it relates to the text by stating that usually for the most part, statues are seen as being unrealistic. The video also relates to the text by describing a new way to create statutes. In the video it talks about an artist named Polyclitus dividing the body into quadrants and made the statute as if it was moving and inside the textbook one piece of artwork is that follows this is Laocoon Group. For the second video entitled Late Gothic Art and Architecture: England 1400-1547 it relates the to the text by showing examples of gothic architecture such as the castles and houses. 

4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

For the video entitled More Than Human, it adds depth to my understanding of art by explaining the transition between unrealistic like sculptures and realistic such as dividing the body into parts in order to make the body seem as if it is moving. For the video entitled Late Gothic Art and Architecture: England 1400-1547, it gives me a better understanding of why the Gothic architecture looks the way it does.

blog reviewing peer responses to artwork

Blogs used

blog #1: http://www.variousartwork.blogspot.com/

blog #2: http://ginaisart.blogspot.com/

Questions

1.When looking at Project # 1 (Elements and Principles), did you agree with the element of principle the artist listed with the images? Did you see other elements and principles in the images?

blog # 1: Yes I do agree with the elements and principles the artist used in her slideshow and I see the elements being used even though the pictures are not labeled. If someone that was not familiar with the elements and principles of art were to see this slideshow, he or she would be confused

blog # 2: Yes I do agree with the elements and principles the artist has used in her slideshow. For one of her pictures (the colored element) with the salt water taffy I've noticed that unity can be another principle. 

2. When looking at Project #2: Where there any images in the Peer Blogs the same as your own? If yes, what were they? Were the reasons the images was selected the same or different as your own?

blog # 1: Yes, I see two pictures that are similar to mines; these pictures are Morgenthau Plan and Mademoiselle Fiogre in the Ballet La Source. The Morgenthau Plan photo had the same reason for being selected; the reason is due to the fact that we were both able to make a connection with it

blog # 2: Yes, I see one picture that is similar to mines and that one is the Morgenthau Plan painting. The reason for picking this picture is very different from my reasoning. The blogger explains that this picture reminds her of growing up in the countryside; I cannot relate to this because I was born and raised in New York City.

3. Where there any images that your peers selected that pique your interest now? If yes, what are they and what is your connection with them? What would you want to know about them?

There are a few pictures that pique my interest as of now. The first one is Francais Clemtano's Gamma because it looks so plan, yet it is well known. I don't have a connection with this painting, I just would like to know why it is considered to be famous. The second one is Lee Bontecou's Untitles and this is another piece of work that I do not have a connection with, but I would like to know more about it. This piece of work is unique because for canvas and wire to be used is really unique. 

4. What do you think about the process of reading your peers reflections? Do you find this to be valuable in your learning?

In general reading my peers reflections was a good thing because it allowed me to see others ways in which a picture can have particular elements or principles towards it. The only thing that I found valuable from participating in this is a better understanding of what some of the elements and principles are for certain pieces of work.

5. Check your blog and read comments posted by your peers? Do you find their comments helpful?

I have not received any comments on the first two projects prior to posting this blog posting.

blog video review

Two videos I've watched: Last Call for Planet Earth: Sustainable Development and Architecture and Architecture: The Science of Design

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned

I've learned the following from Last Call for Planet Earth: Sustainable Development and Architecture

1. Air, water and earth are very important for sustainable architecture.
2. designing architecture manage energy through underfloor heating and cooling ventilation
3. designing architecture has to take geography, climate and local resources as a factor to make a sustainable architecture

I've learned the following from the Science of Design

1. Wind tunnel microclimate wind research helps scientist plan how wind will affect skyscrapers
2. There are smart apartments and it consists of a computer acting as the central nervous system
3. some elements of concrete that we normally seen are factory made


2. How do the videos relate to the text?

For the first video it relates to the text by talking about green architecture; the video explains the benefits from using this particular type of architecture as well as the uses for green architecture. For the second video, it relates to the text by talking about the materials that both the Greeks and Romans have used in order to create their architecture such as the columns.


3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding architecture?

The video that helped me understand architecture a little bit more is the Science of Design video. The reason why I say this is because architecture really does require some science in order to complete architecture. A Skyscraper is a form of architecture and scientist need to formulate the amount of wind speed for the skyscraper in order for it to not collapse. These then need to use science in order to see what materials are needed at the bottom to support this, so they would normally use metal and concrete.


4. Why did you choose the films you've watched?

I've chose the Architecture: Science of design video because I wanted to learn more about the science aspect of architecture and I wanted to learn about skyscrapers since I knew the film will mention it. I've chose the Last Call  for Planet Earth video because I wanted to learn more about Green architecture.

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned

Through the Eyes of a sculptor: I've learned the following things:
1.) sculptors tend to make a mold made out of silicon in order to complete their piece
2.) limestone that is wet is easier to cut than wood
3.) It takes a lot of patients in order to become a sculptor

Glass and Ceramics: I've learned the following things:
1.) glass and ceramics are one of the oldest man-made materials out there
2.) potash or limestone can be added into a silica mixture into its heated up and it then turns into liquid
3.) Crystallization of clay modules during the cooling process is what gives ceramics their hardness and resistances

2. How do the videos relate to the readings of the text?

For the first video entitled Glass and Ceramics, the video relates to the textbook by explaining to us the definition of what stain glassed is. Stained glass is seen in many of pieces of work such as windows (such as church buildings) and lampshades (which I have one in my house). Another way that the Glass and Ceramics video relates to the text by explaining the definition of what ceramics is which means the art of making any object from clay. The second video entitled Through the eyes of a sculptor, the video relates to the textbook by explaining the process of making a sculpture by first sketching the piece to be sculpted and then makes a silicon mold in order to make a plaster cast out of it.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics: sculpture and craft?

In general both videos were really interesting because it shown people creating these pieces of artwork and the narrator didn't talk about the topics the whole time without seeing a demonstration. In the video entitled Glass and Ceramics, it was a good idea that the video explained how ceramic pieces become hard after a while. The films add depth to my understanding of the topics by giving me information on how a sculpture is made or the creation of glass.

ART GALLERY VISIT #1

Morgenthau Plan (2012)

Anselm Kiefer

Photograph on Canvas

110 X 224 inches (279.4 X 569 cm)

Mademoiselle Fiocre in the Ballet La Source (1866-1868)

Edgar Degas

Oil on canvas

43.5 X 36 inches (110.5 X 91.4 cm)

Column Structure XXII (2008)

Robert Mangold

Acrylic, graphite and black pencil on canvas

120 X 96 inches ( 305 X 244 cm)

Untitled (Mylar) (2007)

Tara Donovan

Mylar and glue

30 X 248 X 203 inches ( 76.2 X  629.9 X 515.6 cm)

Kill Yourself (1989)

Nancy Dwyer

Vinyl paint on campus

70 X 90 inches (177.8 X 228.6 cm)

Underlife (2012-2013)

Jason Middlebrook

Steel, Fiberglass and tile

360 inches (914.4 cm)

Questions

1. Which artworks make an impact or impression on me? why?

One of the artworks that made a huge impact on me is the "Kill Yourself" art piece. The reason why I say that is because that is a phrase I tend to say to my friends when I am joking around and just because the person that made this piece work is very bold. I would honestly think that a lot of people will be outrage by this piece and for it to not be placed in the art gallery to begin with. The second artwork that also impressed me was the Untitled Mylar one. The reason why I say this is because it honestly looks a little to plain, yet it made it to the art gallery and people seem to like it.

2. Which artworks do I feel connected with? Why?

One of the artworks that I feel connected with is the Underlife art piece. The reason why I say that is because I tend to like spooky trees and that is what it looks like. Another reason is because a lot of people tend to say that I dress "spooky" or "dark" and that is what this piece is about. The second piece of work that I connect with is the Morgenthau Plan piece. The reason why I say this is because the flowers are blowing, being free and I consider myself to be a free spirit. 

3. Which artworks would I like to know more about why?

One of the artworks I would like to know more about is the Column Structure XXII piece because it seems too plain and I would like to know the background to that piece. The last piece Mademoiselle Fiocre in the Ballet La Source, I would like to why did it take the artist two years to finish this piece of artwork.

LOGO DESIGN

Art Making/Material Exploration #1: Exploring Value and The Subtractive Color Theory Blog

Value Scale

Subtractive Color Theory Color Wheel

Reflection

1. Discuss what you thought about creating the Value Scale and Color Wheel?

My thoughts for both the Value Scale and Color Wheel was the fact that I found it easy to create. Both the Value Scale and the Color Wheel took less than 30 minutes to complete

2. Which media did you enjoy working with the best and why?

The media I enjoyed working with the most is the Color Wheel. The reason why I say this is because all I had to do was trace circles and then paint them in rather than having to use the technique of shading each box darker or lighter.

3. What was the most important discovery in the creation of these studies?

The only discovery that I have noticed was the fact that a standard pencil can make 10 or more different types of shades; it also gives us an idea how famous artist use only pencil or charcoal to make artwork

4. What is the most important information you learned from watching these videos for this project? What is your opinion of the videos?

There are several things that I have learned from watching the videos and looking at the textbook. For starters, Red, Yellow and Blue are not the primary colors, but rather Cyan, Magenta and yellow are. Secondly, the best instrument to use when it comes to shading is a graphite pencil and not a number 2 pencil even though it has helped me do this project. In general the videos did a good job explaining the concepts for this project.

COLOR AND THEORY AND EMOTIONAL EFFECTS

1. Describe color and it's effects on emotions

Color can be described with a lot of words such as powerful, strong and stormy. Color can definitely be used as a form of describing our emotions such as gloomy and sad would be blue and angry is associated with red. According to the video, color is the most powerful artistic element and it is the most difficult to control; this is true for certain artists such as June Redfern when she critiques her own artwork due to the fact that it doesn't portray the right feelings.

2. What is a theoretical aspect of color that most intrigues/fascinates you? why?

The theoretical aspect of color that I find to be the most fascinated with is the fact that colors can be blended into other colors which will make a new color. I like how you can blend these colors and new shades of the existing color will be created and it usually makes the artwork or just about anything look better.

3. In the color video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and its effects on emotions?

The biggest impact in regards to color and its effects on emotions is how colors and how you paint them can truly affect someone's emotions. For example in the video, the Scottish painter June Redfern changed her artwork several times due to her feelings; she obviously felt it wasn't working for her.

4. In the Feelings video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and its effects on emotions?

The biggest impact in regards to color and its effects on emotions for this video is the creation of the Mona Lisa piece. The reason for the huge impact is because it shows that artwork can have a mysterious side to it such as the way Davinci painted it. It questions you and you can draw emotions based on the colors that are displayed in this picture.

PROJECT #1: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES SLIDESHOW: PHOTOBUCKET

PROJECT #1
SLIDESHOW LINK

Reflection

In order to complete this project I first looked in the Living with Art texture book and turned it to chapter 4 in order to see some examples of what is expected for this project. After this process, I took pictures that I felt met the requirements for each of the 7 elements and the 7 principles. When i was done taking the photos, I uploaded the photos on a old photobucket account and then edited the photos which consisted of labeling them with the required name. After this process, I just posted the link onto my blog.

VIDEO AND CNN ARTICLE

1. For each video and article list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

Key concepts I've learned: aesthetics, faces, lines, color vs. luminescence and the evolution of art becoming art history  

2.Which philosopher's theory on aesthetics do you feel is most important? Be sure to mention the philosophers name, era (time in history), and contribution to the aesthetic theory in your response.

In my opinion, I think that Plato's theory is the most important due to the fact that he stated during his lifespan of the 4th century that art can be considered a form of reality. I do agree with this because sometimes a piece of artwork can be seen as realistic to some, while non-reality to others. For the artist that created the piece, they try and create reality from there piece of work. 

FIRST POST

1. How was the process of creating the Gmail account and setting up the blog?

I had this Gmail account prior to taking this class so far, but when i first set it up it was pretty simple. Sometimes I would get annoyed with the formatting of the blog especially the color codes for the text of the blog.

2. What do you expect to learn from this course?

I am expecting to learn other forms of art other than the basic drawings, ceramics and paintings. 

3. How do you feel about taking an online course?

I really don't feel anything for an online course other than it gives me more free time because I don't have to show up in class.