Module 10 Mask project

I chose these three pictures of masks as inspiration for mine.  As you can see it is a simple combination of black, white, and feathers. Do to financial reasons I obviously can't make one so perfect as these, but I did choose to try a 3-dimensional mask. The pictured masks above all show a series of elements; texture, because the feathers obviously give you the feeling of wanting to touch them, balance, because they are pretty symmetrical for the most part, and emphasis, because feathers around the top or near the eyes are there to accentuate certain facial features. 

My mask is 3-dimensional, although the photo quality is not the best.  I found this project much more difficult than I had originally thought.  The process started with a plain, white 3-D mask I bought at a craft store. I decided to try and cover it with black felt (instead of the obvious....painting it), which involved unsuccessful gluing, followed by staples. The staples were later covered on the front with the white feathers, who were also covered by more NON-stapled black felt, to hide the sharp ends of the feathers.  To hide the staples along the bottom of the mask, I glued mini black pom-poms along the whole edge, and also under the eyes a little creating a tear duct look while also hiding staples.  The last photo shows the back side, obviously covered in staples, but you cannot see one on the front side.  This did not turn out as good as I wanted it to, the effort was there, it took at least a few hours a day since saturday morning.  I also wanted to get this project done considering we might be in trouble with power outages everywhere, and my "backup plan" might not have power either. 

Mod 9 Blog on Line-Hand drawings

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

It was a lot harder than it seemed when I first read the assignment. I'm not going to lie, I drew about 4 sketches before these ones and they barely looked like hands...

2. What media did you select - pencil or charcoal? Why?

I chose pencil because I can shade enough with pencil using my finger, and charcoal gets a little messy sometimes....especially in this case, I would have had it all over both hands.

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

It surprisingly turned out pretty well? The assignment never said that no corrections could be made with the non-dominent hand, so lets just say, for a sub par drawing, it took about 5X as long as the dominant.

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

I definitely thinks this assignment shows how reliant you really are on one hand, especially for art.  It really made me wonder how I would even manage if I were to break my right arm or something for example....maybe its not a bad idea to practice things with both hands.

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

Not unless it was a requirement.  I appreciate this assignment, but it was SO much easier doing it with my right hand, and was close to frustrating with my left, because lines were coming out darker than I wanted them for example because I am completely not used to drawing with my non-dominant hand, and the levels of applying pressure to the pencil was nearly an impossible task.

Module 9 video review blog

Albrecht Durer: Image of a Master
Velázquez

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

I selected the videos because of the length of time, actually. To be completely honest, I absorb more from shorter videos. I get bored quickly with long ones, and none of them really caught my eye this week, so I went for length of time, to try to get as much out of them as I could.

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

Albrecht Durer: Image of a Master
Albrecht Dürer, arguably the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance, was the primary conduit through whom Italian Renaissance forms and ideas were introduced into a Germany still dominated by the Gothic tradition. And, Martin Luther proudly presented 4 apostles painting, 2 of them with their own writings to the Nuremburg council.
Velázquez
A portrait of the extraordinary painter who chronicled the life and times of his friend King Philip the Fourth, who built the core of the Prado collection (which today houses almost all of his work), and who, with El Greco, Goya, and Picasso, comprises the quartet of the greatest painters of Spain. And Elas invenderas, was a mannerist piece, about the myth of Manerva and Iraqni. Dispute between the human and the goddess. Who could weave the finer cloth, The jealous Goddess Manerva transformed her into a spider and condemning her to an eternity of weaving.

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

Both videos show a lot of specific examples of art in Europe.  Artists during the Renaissance and Boroque times inspired many artists in the future.  Much art is based off of Renaissance styles since it was the time of “rebirth”, when art and architecture were coming out much greater during these times.

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

Both videos, although short were very, very hard to pay attention to. Usually I don’t mind relaxing and watching a few videos for classes, but these in particular were very dry. I can’t say I learned much, it made me go back to the book a lot to try and understand things, which is okay, as long as I learned something from this week. Regardless, they were still very educational, and not all of them can be fun and interesting. 

Module 8 video review blog

Questions and Topics for Your Blog Posting:

1. Explain why you selected each of the three videos you choose from the selection listed above.
We had to watch ‘More human than human’, and I chose:
‘Cataclysm: The Black Death Visits Tuscany’ because information about the black death seemed to catch my attention because it is different, and I didn’t know it actually related to art at all.
And I chose ‘The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure’ because the description says “Greek art discarded religious functions and moved toward human-centered concerns. Views of Cycladic sculpture and Kouros statues demonstrate an evolving realism, leading to stunning examples of the idealized human figure: the Kritios boy, the Temple of Zeus pediments, Praxiteles’ Hermes, and others.”

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
‘More human that human’- Why certain parts of the Venus sculpture are emphasized while others are dulled down such as the face and arms. The study on seagulls was interesting, how the baby chicks are stimulated by the red stripe on the beak, not their mother, or the beak, just the red stripe.
‘Cataclysm: The Black Death Visits Tuscany’- I actually did not know that the bubonic plague was transported by fleas carried by rats.  Also, it killed so many people because the population was already in a weakened state. Between 1/3 and ½ of the population died.  All believed it was the end of the world.
‘The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure’, I learned that the combination of realism and idealism is what greatly represents classical art. Also how the obsession over the human body has something to do with the Olympic games that started in 776 B.C. where the male competitors were naked, and women were banned from the site.

3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?
The videos relate to the text in the sense that they all describe different times in history involving religion and architecture. From Greece, Rome, Egypt to modern ideas in Europe in church architecture.

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

In ‘More human than human’ I really enjoy listening to the neuroscientist, Dr. Ramachandran who was shown in previous videos. His outlook on art is so different because he does not specialize in it. His opinions are so interesting because he incorporates a lot of science, and what the artists must have been thinking when they made certain pieces.
In ‘Cataclysm: The Black Death Visits Tuscany’, made me think more about the tall city walls and how they did not keep the black plague out. They were designed for privacy, and it ended up forming a ghetto of death. Building homes, fountains and walls was common after the plague, the tabernacle was build to thank the virgin Mary for driving the plague away.
In The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure I liked in the beginning when they said the art of the human form cause an obsession of people working out and going to the gym, and looking at everyone else’s bodies. Sounds kind of like people today! (For different reasons of course, haha)

Mod. 7 - Video review

Questions and Topics for Your Blog Posting:

I watched 'Prairie Style' & 'Architecture: The Science of Design'

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
Some of the key concepts I learned are:
-How important layering horizontals are in architecture, especially Frank Lloyd Wright
-Importance of windows & natural light
-Short ceilings in Frank Lloyd Wright's houses make you look outside
-He designed houses so they looked as if they belonged in nature, and grew out of the site
-Though architecture is surely an art, it is also a science and this program focuses on the scientific component.
-Skyscrapers have to stand up, not only to gravity but also to wind, precipitation, and sometimes earthquakes.

2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?
The videos related to the text in a way that they are just a more specific view to topics mentioned in the book. How the Greeks used lines in structures is mentioned in detail in the book, then you get a visual of it in modern architecture in the videos.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of Architecture?
I enjoyed these videos, especially learning about Frank Lloyd Wright. I love how he had different levels of roofs separated by glass skylights creating a natural flow inside the house. He completely changed the concept of what a house "should" look like.
The 'Architecture: The Science of Design' video amused me at first because it had such modern ideas being portrayed, but the people and computers looked like they were stuck in the 1980s. In the following question, I go into more details about that video.

4. From the group of four that you had a choice: Why did you choose that film?

Other than the Prairie style video, I chose the 'Architecture: The science of design" video because it incorporated modern ideas, such as the "smart apartment" where when you set an alarm to wake up...exactly 10 minutes before it is scheduled to go off, your hot shower starts, the temperature of the house regulates, and the lights turn on. Also, the motorized curtains open, the stereo starts playing, a relaxing voice wakes you up from slumber, heat vents warm up your bath towels, and much more. Modern ideas like this interest me very much because it will eventually be a common thing in the future. 

Material Exploration # 3, Installation

Step 3: Reflect
A. Installation art describes an artistic genre of site-specific, three-dimensional works designed to transform the perception of a space. 
B. Installation art is not necessarily confined to gallery spaces and can be any material intervention in everyday public or private spaces. 
C. People make installation art to express themselves, just like any other form of art. Piecing everyday objects together is a good way to get a view across because they are usually objects we don't think too much about. 
D. Andy Goldsworthy has been one of my favorite artists for years, he does a ton of installation nature pieces. He is in our textbook, but the piece I like the most of his is called 'Pebbles'. He is amazing because his pieces are extremely unique, and he does not harm or effect anything in nature when he is making art. Everything is natural, and stays that way.
Step 4: Plan
A. I am always inspired by things in nature, but since the weather has been awful, I did not have a chance in the past week to put as much thought and time as I wanted to do to something outside. Of course I was at work the few hours this week it was nice out. Again, the Andy Goldsworthy piece in the book would be the one I would choose that I enjoy the most.
B. The theme I decided to explore with my piece was (inside) environment and contradiction.
C. The materials I decided to use were household lamps in a remodeled bathroom (still not used-no danger involved). I wanted to mess with the lighting, and new reflections, and just make something that gives the viewer a different perception of the chosen space.
D. My bathroom was recently remodeled and I wanted to explore all the new angles and reflections in the room BEFORE all of the everyday "stuff" gets moved back in. It was like a blank canvas for me to work with unlike the rest of the house that has so much going on it would involve a very extensive thought process and frustration. 
Step 6:

4 & 5: Description: (Describe what you see). This installation piece is a series of different household lamps in and around a bathtub. I decided to do it at night to emphasize shadows, and be able to do cool angles with light reflections, making the new wall color pop. 

The principles and elements that are used, are:

Line- The tiles

Emphasis & Color- The only colorful lamp on the floor

Shape- The tiles, tub, shades

Rhythm-  The different levels of the tops of the lamps from the last view up and down

Proportion- They are all the same objects, but different in the small details.

I have chosen a "specific space" and "specific objects" to demonstrate the characteristics of that space in a unique way... a way which it wouldn't typically be seen on an everyday basis or ever for that matter... and have presented it in a manner that creates a certain mood or emotional connection with the viewer apart from what might be typically expected or understood about that space through common knowledge or assumption prior to seeing it this way and possibly bringing out some of it's unexpected aesthetic values.

6.  Site specific art, is artwork created to exist in a certain place. Typically, the artist takes the location into account while planning and creating the artwork. A site specific installation might actually be easier. I am just all out better at executing great work when I am directly told what to do and where. But on the flip side, projects like these make me come out of my comfort zone a little and do random things instead of something so planned.

Module 6 - Video Review Blog

Questions and Topics for Your Blog Posting:

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

In the video 'Through the eyes of a sculptor', I learned that working on multiple pieces at once, in stages, bouncing back and forth guarantees a fresh eye on your work all the time.  I also learned how to make a sculpture using clay first, then making a silicone impression, followed by a plaster mold.  It is a very time consuming process!  Lastly from this video, I learned that in the quarry, no marble is wasted.  Small pieces are used for loose stones for gardens, etc...while tiny pieces are ground up to a powder for food, paper, and cosmetics.  In the 'Glass and ceramics' video, the most important fact I learned is that there is research for making ceramic car engines.  They would be much more fuel efficient, less resistant, and 40% lighter.  With this economy, I support anything that promotes fuel efficiency.  In the 'Installation art' video, the key concepts I learned installation art only became a popular thing until 30 years ago, and defined by an artist, this type of art is the relationship between the images, the space, and the viewer that make the meaning.

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

The videos relate to the text in the sense that the book gives you more of a historical look at sculpture, glass, and ceramics.  The videos give you a view from the artist, and a more modern outlook on the same topics.  The videos also make you appreciate how much work is put into such projects. The sculpture video and glass video really opened my eyes to how difficult it is to be so good at them.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics: Sculpture, Installation, and Craft?

My opinion of the films, is very good.  They were much more interesting than a lot of the others we've had to watch for this class.  They add depth to understanding of the topics: sculpture, installation, and craft, by giving the viewer a chance to hear actual artists talking about their work.  Much better than listening to someone drone on about the same topic for an hour, or reading chapter and chapters out of a textbook that really doesn't give you a great idea of how it all actually comes together. After reading and watching the videos, I still don't quite understand how installation art is "art" but I will try my best to make a piece showing all of the aspects listed.

Peer review

Questions and Topics for Your Blog Posting:

1. Hyperlink the Blogs you reviewed into your Blog

http://elias0793.blogspot.com/2012/09/aed-slide-show-project.html?showComment=1349320258459#c9013479444826065512

http://elias0793.blogspot.com/2012/09/art-gallery-visit.html?showComment=1349320726118#c7764938491071020245

http://giardig13fall2012.blogspot.com/2012/09/a.html?showComment=1349322170799#c8034105256612727675

http://giardig13fall2012.blogspot.com/2012/09/https1171.html?showComment=1349322923812#c7270017025619429658

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

I agreed with the elements and principles for the most part.  There are several elements and principles in every photo, you might just need to look a little harder. The beauty of art, is that anyone can express themselves through it, and whether I agree or not, is irrelevant. Of course, there are things I would have done different, but that is why mine is mine, and theirs is theirs. 

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

None were the same. For my first reviews, it honestly didn't even really seem like he went to the gallery, the information was very limited. The second, it was funny, because almost all the images she chose from the Albright Knox I also took pictures of, but decided not to use them for whatever reason, so we definitely showed interest in the same pieces.

4. 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?

The painting 'Composition', as I stated in the comment, I would like to look up and learn more about it because it is one of those art pieces that I liked to look at, but don't understand at all where the artist was coming from or what they were going for. Especially with such a vague name, it's hard to figure out what it means. For the first student, I'd like to know more about every picture they posted!

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

It was A LOT more time consuming than I'd like. The assignment itself was a good one, but I'm starting to feel like I have no free time for my other classes because there is so much going on in this one constantly, or maybe I'm just trying too hard because it's one of the few I'm actually interested in.  I did find this to be valuable in my learning, because seeing what others had to say about art opens your mind a little bit to other options, since it's such a free for all, and no answer is wrong, when it comes to art opinions.

6. Check your Blog and read comments posted by your Peers. Do you find their comments helpful?

No one commented yet, but I will keep my eyes open, and I'm sure they will be helpful. I am always open for new ideas!