Video Review

The first video I chose was on “African Art”. Based on the video, African art is based on the tradition of the culture and is found throughout everything, from clothing, to clay pots, sculptures and other everyday objects. African art, much like most cultures is based on ritual and created for ceremonies. The idea behind most African thought is that all figures and animals have a spirit is held within them. They used art to exemplify their imagery of what they think these spirits look like, using such as rock art and carvings of animals and humans. The readings talk about rock art just a little bit, but both the text and the video go into explaining the early carvings of humans and animals, and how they were stylized, but recognizable. They may have just been carving symbols with no real meaning because it is unknown whether or not they had meaning.

The next video I chose was “The Great Wave – Japanese Artwork”. I was very interested in Japanese art, and the “The Great Wave” was a major art piece in their culture. The woodblock print was used to create a series of images that was over lapped in several different colors. The vibrant lines give the giant wave detail and depict and source of chaos that are about to in gulf the Japanese citizens on the boat. It almost looks as if the wave is an army that is about to attack the people because the ends of the wave look like hands or claws. The video and the text both get into this style of Japanese art, like that was done by Kano Eitoku during the Momoyama period even though “The Great Wave” definitely in more detail than most works.

I also chose the “Buddhism” video. From my concept of the religion, it is based on the idea that time is important, and all beings are condemned to suffer an endless hell like events, endless they can gain release. Followers must then shy away from any sort of desire that may cause this fait by cultivating nonattachment and follow a moral and ethical path. The term from the video, “tanha”, is the action that Buddhist follower’s perform in order to extinguish the immoral desires. What I learned from the videos is the Buddhist religion is made up of two groups, the Hinayana and the Mahanyaha. The Hinayana were Monks who wanted to take a boat to cross over into nirvana and the Mahanyaha decided to seek companions and wait for a boat to come. It was very interesting it get more background on the religion because it has a lot of history, but I didn’t know very much about it. With this video and the text, it was good to find out more about it. The formal background I read in the text about the main idea of “breaking the cycle” was explained more with the video. To have followers that are willing to give up elements of life in order to pass into the next realm, it takes a great commitment.

Lastly I chose the “The Islamic art” video. It discusses the key idea of Islamic art based on the fact that images of humans and animals were forbidden to be portrayed. This was because the Islamic followers believed that worshipping idols is not allowed according to the Qur’an. Instead, images of plants, flowers, and patterns were primarily used in Islamic art. This relates to the readings in that the readings emphasize the use of geometric patterns and script in Islamic art that made it very beautiful. Architecture in Mosques and places of worship were also emphasized in both the readings and video. It makes me think just how different every culture to each other, like where idols and gods are loved in Greek culture, in Islam they aren’t in art.

I like how these films gave me a better understanding of each one of these art styles. I’m not going to act like I have learned a lot of background on these styles before I took this course, but along with the videos and the text I now know why these cultures exemplify the images they do, and why they are so famous. I think these videos helped me out a great deal in my understanding.

Art Gallery Visit #2

The Exhibition

1. The title of the exhibit was "Clyfford Still"

2. The theme of the exhibit was works done by the artist Clyfford Still, an American painter who lived from 1904-1980 that worked a lot with Abstract Expression with his work

The Gallery

1. The lighting in the gallery was fairly light throughout the entire place, but extra light was shined on each one of the paintings to put more emphasis on them. 

2. The walls were strictly white, most likely to contrast with the colors of the paintings.

3. The interior architecture of the exhibit was plain, as the only thing that it had were a couple benches to sit on. Besides this, it was basically made of three rooms (2 small room and a larger room). Not a whole lot to it.

4. All the art were wall paintings, and each labeled at a single spot in a clockwise order. So the movement of the space was mostly a clockwise viewing. Look at one, move to the right, and so on. 

The Artwork

1. All the art works were done by Clyfford Still's, with each small room having 4 paintings each and several more in the larger room. The paintings were in 2 different sizes, either about 6.5 ft. x 6 ft., or 9 ft. x 8 ft., and not in any order throughout the exhibit.

2. Each artwork started on the same tan canvas and framed with the same wood finish. The method of abstract painting was a common theme for all of Still's paintings

3. Besides the size of the paintings, the choice of colors were about the only thing that was different. Still's had a array of color choices he used from painting to painting. Some would have minimal paint and a lot of canvas, others were painted throughout the whole thing. Some were darker with choices of black and blue paint, others focused on being lighter with red, yellow and white paints.

4. Each painting had the same exact simple wood frame, not too large, really just enough to make it look minimal. 

5. Each painting had a label to it on the wall with painting information. In the smaller rooms, each painting info was posted together in one spot, but let you know that the labels from top to bottom went clockwise with the paintings. In the larger room, the labels were posted right next to the paintings. 

6. All the paintings were pretty spaced out, as it was common that each wall only had one painting on it. This put about 10-15 ft. in between each painting.

-Clyfford Still, "October 1950", oil on canvas, 1950, 6.5 ft. x 6 ft.

What I see is a lot of abstract thought with Still's. The colors do not seem to be in any sort of particular form. It more free and has no direction. Best described as a non-representational art piece. What it really reminds me of is the Doppler Radar for the weather that we see on the news every night. What I think Still's is trying to say is just be free, just let the brush do the work.

-Clyfford Still, "November 1950 No. 2", oil on canvas, 1950, 6.5 ft. x 6 ft.

This painting is less involved than the first painting. The only colors that are present black, yellow, and a lighter tan than the canvas. This one also does not seem to have too much direction or any particular form, and is non-representational. This painting doesn't seem to remind me of anything really. What I think the artist is trying to stay is kept it simple and don't over complicate things.

-Clyfford Still, "November 1954", oil on canvas, 1954, 9 ft. x 8 ft. 

This painting follows the abstract style of Still's. What I see is not a lot of paint, with a lot of the color focusing on the white. The black takes up very little, and also goes for the orange. This too is a non-representational painting. This painting reminds me of a cloud over the western desert mountains. What I think Still's is trying to say in this is that everyday images can be put on canvas, even if they do not directly look like the image itself. 

These are photos of the exhibit at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery

4. I thought going in with a clear mind that I did look at the exhibit in a much different way. Still’s artworks may not seem to complex, and with a bias mind I probably would have never entered that room on the gallery. With the questions and Art Criticism guidelines, I was able to open my view to art in a much different way. The way each painting was placed in the room, to the similar frames, to the free flowing images, it all meant something. With a biased mind, I would have never realized any of this.

What is installation art?

A form of art in which a space is presented as a work of art that can be entered, explored, experienced, and reflected upon.

What materials are used installation art?

The materials used in installation art can be anything the artist wants. An example of the materials used in one installation is the materials used in Thomas Hirshhorn’s installation Jumbo Spoons and Big Cake. He uses common, inexpensive material like cardboard, adhesive tape, aluminum foil, and wood. It’s mostly the work of putting all these things together that is the beauty of the work not what’s actually in it.

Why make installation art?

Installation was made into art because of the changing times. Art can manifest itself in many more ways then the 18^th century philosophers who invented the category every dreamed. Art can be presented in so many different ways and installation is one way for artist to do this.

Which artist/installation did I find most interesting?

I think the installation created by Ann Hamilton to be very interesting. I feel like I get what she is trying to say with all this stuff going on behind the women and the women still doing what she was doing like it was not there. I really understood this picture and think it is very interesting how Hamilton did this.

From the material reviewed, is there an inspiration piece that I feel a connection with?

One of the pieces I felt a connection with was Thomas Hirshhorn’s installation Jumbo Spoons and Big Cake. I love how he put the most random things together but still had a message come across and a reason for doing so. His image is of world problems and that is really important to me.

What theme do I want to explore in my installation?

The theme I was thinking about exploring was Self. I want to create an installation that shows all about me.

What materials will I use?

The materials I will use are sports equipment, school stuff, native American material, clothes, shoes.

Where will this installation be located and why?

My installation will be located in my room because it is where I spend the most time and where I have everything that is mine.

Describe my Installation:

The first thing I put into my installation is a Wayne Gretzky poster. The next thing I put on top of the poster is two hockey sticks crossing each other and a lacrosse stick crossing them in the middle. I place a Chicago Blackhawks puck in my lacrosse stick. Next I folded my Buffalo State Hockey T-shirt and placed it in the top right. The next thing I added was a picture of my dad holding me when I was little. I placed a carving my dad made me from soapstone next to our picture. I placed a dream catcher in the installation next. I placed a trophy I had won playing hockey in my installation as well. I also included two very important key chains to me. The first is a player pass to the National Championships for hockey. The second is my name tag to where I work, Hard Rock Cafe. The very last thing I included were my hockey skates.

Analyzing my Installation:

Wayne Gretzky is my all time favorite hockey player and I have had this poster in my bed room since I can remember. I used my two game sticks that I use for every game I play and I also play lacrosse so I added that to it. I added the Chicago Blackhawks puck because they are one of my favorite teams and won the Stanley Cup this year. I play hockey for Buffalo State and it is a huge part of my life. My dad is the most important person in my life and has always been there for me through everything. The carving is one of my favorite things I own. My dad used to make them when he was younger and my grandma recently gave them all to me. The dream catcher represents my culture, which is Native American. The hockey trophy represents all the years of dedication I have put into hockey and the reward I get from it. The keychains are important to me because going to the National Championships was one of the best times of my life and something I will never forget. The Hard Rock Keychain is important because I spend 90% of my time working there and I also really enjoy it though. My hockey skates are so important to me. I would rather wear them then any other shoe in the world and they have helped me achieve so much in my life.

What are your thoughts on the planning and creation of a site specific installation?

My thought on the planning and creation of this site specific installation is that it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed sharing myself with people. I liked creating something that was all about me and it being somewhere were I could see it and my family and friends could see it as well.

Video Review

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

Through the Eyes of the Sculptor: This video was very interesting to me because I learned how much time, hard work, and dedication go into a sculpture. I think it is very intertersting that the the artist does so much of their own dirty work, for example picking out the marble right from the quarry! I would think most artist go to stores and just purchase marble.

Glass and Ceramics: This video taught me more then I ever knew about glass and ceramics. I had no idea that the person creating a dish and glazing it would put their whole arm into the glaze. I also enjoyed when the video discussed how to keep glass from changing colors and the concept of glass blowing.

Installation Art: From this video I learned that installations take a very long time to do and that they aren’t permanent.

Prairie Style: I think the houses in this video were so cool. I would love to have that many windows and enjoy everything outside. I wouldn’t even mind people seeing in. I really enjoy the outdoors and I enjoy seeing all types of weather and nature around me outside.

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

I think the videos relate in a way to the readings. I think they kind of explained things in a different way and gave me a better understanding of the readings and also a different look into the text.

3. What is your opinion of the films?

I think the films were very good. I mean sometimes they would get boring but I think I just enjoy reading better. I have a better thought process when I look at words and videos are good for a picture in my head but sometimes I overlook what they are saying or trying to say. I really enjoyed the sculpture video. My family is really into native American carvings so I also find anything like sculpture very interesting and tend to pay closer attention to it. I also enjoyed seeing the different buildings in the architecture video. I think there are really gifted people out there who are able to create such wonderful things and I really do enjoy learning about it.

Review Peers

http://arteducationballsm001.blogspot.com/

http://bojasc72.blogspot.com/

2.) ballsm001: Yes we had a few similar images, such as “Convergence” and “Yellow Jesus” I think we decide on the same images because of the imagery they both possessed. “Convergence” was huge, but was so stunning to look at, and the “Yellow Jesus” was just eye catching because of the history behind the imagery but the figure of Jesus was so abstract.

bojasc72: In project #1 we did not have any similar pictures; she has a different style than me and I don’t expect everyone to be the same. But project #2 the “Nomad” painting by James Rosenquist was what we had in common. I agreed that the colors and the 3D aspect of it drew me in. It was just a very well done piece that caught both of our attentions.

3.) ballsm001: I like the piece “Child’s Blue Wall” by Jim Dine, because it was a piece that got my attention at the Albright-Knox but I decided on other paintings to use. It just so simple but with the addition of the light it reminds me of my childhood bedroom, just like how Dine used his son’s room as inspiration.

bojasc72: I like the use of the cat as “texture” because the picture alone made me imagine the feel of the cat. Also, the picture of the tiger’s eyes for “emphasis” was very striking because of the contrast of the bright blue eyes to the lighter fur of the tiger. In project #2, I like the piece “The Marvelous Sauce” by Jehan Georges Vibert. It was a very well done painting because it was so detailed. The men in the painting looked life like, almost as if it was a photograph and not a painting. It showed me just how talented the artist Vibert was.

4.) I did find it refreshing to look at both blogs and their projects because there is only so much that I look at during my time doing my own homework. I like to see other people’s take on art, mainly because it expands my horizon. I found it very valuable because I got to see more examples of fine art and how my peers viewed them.

 5.) I did find them helpful. It gave me the feedback that I need to go on from here and have a better understanding that my process of work is the right one. It’s always good to hear what people have to say, because it keeps me honest with myself. Whether the criticism is good or not, I know how people feel about it now. 

1. I grew up playing basketball my entire life, and as a Native American, it's a sport that is very popular at home. I played with a youth basketball team since I was 8 years old, called the "Native American Youth Organization". I created this logo as the new face of the basketball organization, because the original one was getting outdated. So I was approached to make a logo and here it is. 

2. I knew the logo needed a few things, like the basketball, headdress and the symbol in between. The symbol is the "Hiawatha" belt, a symbol that stands for all the nations of the Iroquois. I incorporated them all together to become unified as one eye-catching logo. The Hiawatha belt had to be purple because that's just what it is, but I used the bright orange for the basketball to get it to stand out even more. 

3. The most important discovery I made was my process of drawing. I've all ways been a drawer, but for something this special to me I wanted to do a good job on it so I worked on it for awhile. I went through a lot of rough drafts before I settle with this one, but over the process i discovery my technique of detail, especially with the headdress.

4. The most important thing I learn was make it memorable. Companies and groups don't want a logo that's not going to catch a viewer's eye. I had this thought in mind the entire time. The videos were of some help, but my motivation was my old team.didn't want the basketball organization I played with for so many years to not look good. They loved it so I'm happy.  

Art Galley Visit #1

Romare Bearden, "Return of the Prodigal Son", Mixed Media and Collage on Canvas, 4 ft x 5 ft, 1967

This piece of work really leave an impression on me. I think it looks so cool and unique. I think this artist went out of the box and really wanted to say something with this work. I really think it is cool how the artist used different mediums to make people. I think this would take a lot of hard work and patience and I can appreciate that.

Giacomo Balla, "Dramismo di un Cane al Guinzaglio (Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash)", Oil on Canvas, 2.5 ft x 3 ft, 1912.

This picture leaves an impression on me because I really enjoy the technique the artist used to show the dog in motion. I think this would be very difficult to do and really appreciate the effort that was put into it. I also like the black and white.
Marisol, "Baby Girl", Wood and Mixed Media, 6.5 ft x 2.5 ft, 1963

I want to learn more about this piece of work. I think the big baby is kind of scary looking and I wonder why there is also a little baby doll on its leg. The two seem really random and I am not sure what the artist is trying to portray.
Tom Wesselmann, "Still Life #20", Mixed Media, 3 ft x 4 ft, 1962

This piece of work makes me want to learn more about it. I want to know why there is food and beverages painted and a sink connection to it with a medicine cabinet. I do not get how they are related and would like to know why the artist connected the two.
Philip Elliot, "Shelocta, Pa", Oil on Canvas, 2.5 ft x 2.5 ft, 1943

I want to know more about this picture. I want to know what is under the bride. I want to know why one house is on the other side of the bridge and why this man is walking all alone. I also want to know how he is reading a newspaper and walking at the same time. There are so many questions that come to mind when I look at this.
Adam Swift, "Niagara Falls", Oil Rubout on Canvas, 2.5 ft x 2.5 ft, 1943

I feel a connection to this work because I am from Niagara Falls. The falls is one of my favorite things in this area and I really enjoy going to walk around at the falls. I think most people take it for granted but I really enjoy this great wonder we live so close to.
John Wesley "George Washington and Three Indians", Oil on Canvas, 5 ft x 5 ft, 1963

I feel a connection with this piece of art work because I am Native American. I also did a thesis paper on The Pickering Treaty which was a treaty between the Seneca Nation and George Washington so this picture represents this to me.
Emile Fu, "Fishhawk", Acrylic on Canvas, 2.5 ft x 3 ft, 2009

This picture left an impression on me because I really enjoy the colors used in it. I love the bright color of the bird and fish and that they are the same. I also enjoy the background colors as well.
Paul Gauguin, "The Yellow Christ", Oil on Canvas, 3 ft x 2.5 ft, 1889.

I feel a connection with this work because I believe in Jesus Christ and really enjoy learning his story. To me this picture depicts people following him and I consider myself a follower of Jesus Christ as well.