Video Review

The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art
The video is derived of many art curators discussing the culture of Lowbrow art. Lowbrow art is art that was made popular in the 1960's on the underground scene. This art reflects street, punk and comic styles, and often utilizes famous people as well. These curators are discussing their subjective along with objective opinions about art of this style. They also discuss where this style stands in the art world and how artists involved in this movement have tried to make it mainstream. The art world was not very accepting to this style because it supported a culture that was not perceived well in society. They were looked at as hippies and druggies that society was wishing away. However, Lowbrow art was enjoyed by many and survived. This video relates to project #4 because it is a long discussion of an art style and many different art themes. The artists discuss a lot of personal opinions and inspirations as well as objective interpretations. It was interesting to hear about a popular style that was mainly underground and spread due to many low circuit artists. It enriched the understanding of art curator culture by providing examples of these people in action, discussing art that they know so well. 


Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach
This video discusses the Tate gallery, the most popular gallery with modern artwork. The span of work starts in the 1900's and continues through present day. This museum is set up chronologically and the exhibits are separated by artist or theme. This suggests that art was created in response to or because of prior works. The different art themes and exhibitions are discussed as well as the art curators that set them up and the challenges that they faced. The reasoning behind the categorization of the art exhibits are revealed. There were many critics for the exhibits as well, breaking down the methods the art curators used.  This relates to our project because it discusses art curators of a famous museum who are completing the large scale task that the project is meant to shadow. It provides examples of categorizing art by theme, and what criticisms circle. It deepens the understanding of the task of art curators and what challenges they face. 

Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology

This video discusses the sacred archeological remains of Native Americans and the debate of their ownership. The Native American society is fighting archeologists to leave the remains of their ancestors in their respective burial sites.  The problem lies within the difference of opinions between scientists and art curators in contrast with the Native American culture.  It is important to their culture to leave the remains as they were buried, but the scientific and art communities seek to put these artifacts in museums and as subjects of study. This is a theme that art curators also seek to represent in art galleries. It relates to the project in this way, discussing the political issues that galleries face in gathering artwork for exhibits.

George Eastman House: Picture Perfect

The George Eastman House is an establishment in Rochester, New York that holds thousands of photos, films and machines that started the world of film. The house is a museum that shows how the world of photography came to be. It leads the viewer on the journey of photography. It is also a showcase of unique photography art.  The house was that of the the creator of the Kodak camera, the father of photography, George Eastman. The curators discuss the artwork that the museum is famous for.  This relates to our project, by giving insight to the curators that run the establishment and hold the knowledge of the works in the exhibit.

Video Review

Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the '50s and '60s
I chose this film because I like the style of abstract expressionism and was interested in learning more about the style. The video discusses why there was a shift from abstract expressionism to pop art and the many artists that were part of both influences. Abstract expressionism consumed artists such as Franz Kline, Helen Frankenthaler, Willem De Koonig, and  Jasper Johns. This style was eventually rejected and Pop art became the new sensation in the 1960's. Andy Warhol is the most famous artist of this movement and also lead the way. Not long after Robert Rauschenber hits the scene, competing with Warhol. Lichtenstein is another famous artist of the era. All of these artists are described in the text as well, just in less detail. This video gives a more in depth understanding of the roles that these artists had in the change from expressionism to pop art and what factors influenced it.

Andy Warhol: Images of an Image
This video caught my attention because Andy Warhol is such a famous artist whose art has been admired for decades. I specifically like his many Marilyn Monroe portraits that have been so influential in keeping her status alive long after her death. The video discusses the artistic rising of Warhol in his path to fame. He was infatuated with Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe and found that he could make a fancy fortune off of the work. He began creating silk screen pieces as well that could be reproduced over and over. He creates portraits of his friends and himself as well and even want on to make many, many films. His works have many political themes as well. Warhol is discussed in the text as well, but the video describes his business ambition more so. 


The Art of Henry Moore
I selected this video because I have heard about Henry Moore before and wanted to reconnect with his artwork. The text does not discuss this artist. The film goes on to discuss his early life and how he was inspired by art at a young age and he followed his dream to art school. Moore became invested in sculpture with many differing themes such as mother and child, abstraction, beauty, the human body, war, religion and many more. later in his career he paid attention to drawing as well. Many of his sculptures are discussed in the film as well. His sculptures are not only one piece, but two and three pieces as well. 

Uncertainty: Modernity and Art
This video breaks down the difference in modern art from earlier generations of art. It categorizes modern art as being uncertain, reflecting the changing times that the industrial revolution brought about. Modern art is widespread in genre, to respond to the many different lifestyles made possible by technological advances of the 20th century. Political groups such as the Nazi regime rejected this style of art because it was not ideal and lacked certainty. Abstraction was very popular in this generation, starting with the influence of Picasso. The video discusses other important artists of the movement, Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian, Jackson Pollock, William De Kooning and Mark Rothko. Materialism is a strong influencer of modern art that is still strong today. Pop art is a style that leaves people in awe and one of it's leaders, Andy Warhol, is a big part of the phenomenon. As I mentioned, many of these artists are also described in the text. However, the film discussed a lot of the political influence that these artists had and how modern art was shaped by major events of the 20th century.

Art Gallery Visit: 2

Gallery Visit 2

Orlando Museum of Art

The Exhibition

 
The title of the Exhibition is XX-XY/Gender Representation in Art. The pieces in this exhibition are feminine in nature, themed around representing women in unique ways. Some represent the female figure, others female clothing.

The Gallery

The gallery is decorated with white walls and wood panel flooring.  The lighting is focused on each piece of artwork, giving emphasis to the pieces. There is also some faint recessed lighting in the ceiling. The gallery is basically one giant room with small cutout like walls dividing the room and providing spaces to display artwork. The gallery has a clean cut, modern feeling about it. It is a wide open space allowing the viewer to navigate around in from many different points in a rectangular setting.


The Artworks

The artwork is mainly arranged in squared areas for the viewer to examine at each time. Each exhibition has its own squared area. Some pieces are displayed in the middle of the floor on stands, others are posted on the walls or the dividers. The pieces are a good distance apart of maybe 10 feet. Each piece is labeled with a small index card sized inscription somewhere on the wall or on the display stand beneath the sculptures. The artwork of this exhibition is all representational of the female body. Some of the pieces are a realistic representation, others are nonrepresentational. A few of the pieces are female figures missing critical body parts, such as a head or torso. Others portray the entire face and body. 

Art Criticism

 This sculpture was done by Lesley Dill. It is called  Dada Poem Wedding Dress, and was made in  1994. The artist used acrylic and thread on paper on a mannequin. It stands as 64 x 60 x 70 in. This dress is a style from centuries before that would have been worn formally. The dress is displayed on a mannequin as if it had just made or altered for an occasion. This surrealist style dress has a paper like appearance and has fragments of words done different sizes and styles of black font. Over the left breast, there is a hole that looks as if it were a gunshot wound in which the dress bled blue ink. The contrasting colors of the white and black add emphasis to the words on the dress. There are a variety of letters and fonts used, but together they create unity in the composition. The form itself is important as well. The 'fabric' of the dress reminds me of used newspapers, or even collage style ransom notes. The dress itself has an eerie feeling about it and sense of mystery. Interpretation: It can be concluded from the title that the fragments of words on the dress as pieces to a poem. However, we do not know what the poem is or what it's about. You can try to look at it from all sides and you don't find a complete word that can hint at the meaning. We can only get a sense of the meaning through looking at the dress itself. The dress looks as if it could be an old bridal gown, possibly. It has a mysterious presence that creates interest. The term 'Dada' in the title relates to the surrealism of the piece. Surrealism is created in the odd paper style of clothing and strange patterning of letters, along with the 'gunshot hole'.

This piece is done by Andy Warhol in 1967, entitled  Marilyn Monroe. It was created on screenprint on paper and is an edition of 250, sized at 36 x 36 in. This work is representational of the sex icon on the time, Marilyn Monroe of course. This facial portrait of the model is done in a cartoon style. Pink emphasizes her key famous facial figures, the lips, eyes and beauty mark. Her skin is done in an unnatural light shade of pink. The coloring is similar to expressionism styling. The piece comes together with color, form, emphasis, value and balance as the main elements and principles used. The dark shadowing of value creates the form of her face and her features are balanced by the shading. Interpretation: This work is a recreation of the sex icon Marilyn Monroe, who has been worshiped for decades for her exquisite beauty. Warhol captured her amazing features in this up close portrait. He up played her sexy features, creating more interest in the piece. The pink coloring is supportive in representing her feminine beauty.

This pieces is titled Inch by Inch, by Edward Ruscha, an American artist, and was done between 1987-1988. It is made of  acrylic paint on canvas at 36 x 36 in. This nonrepresentational form is the silhouette of a woman in a 19th century style dress. She is displayed on the canvas as if she is merely floating, with her arms in a presenting position close to her chest. The modified figure is done in an illuminating shade of white, as if she were glowing, with an orb of light beaming around her. It makes the figure seem as tho it is a spirit of some sort or divine being that is not mortal. During the 80's, artists were making a lot of color contrasting pieces, as seen here. The contrast of the white figure on the black background creates emphasis. The focus is on the form of the figure, rather shape since its two dimensional. The floating affect provides movement as well. This piece is iconic of a ghostly figure. The artist may have wanted it to resemble someone from the past as if they are visiting us as a spirit. Interpretation: The silhouette of the woman is done in a formal style of dress, as if she is returning to us from a an earlier century, possibly from the 1800's. She is presented in an iconic ghostly form, with her arms in a presenting position, almost as if she is before us from some purpose. Maybe to give something or provide some clue to a missing puzzle.

 

Video Review

Dada and Surrealism
This video discusses the two major art movements of Surrealism and Dada. Dada is about free emotion and state of mind. Surrealism is similar in theory and offers unique ways to view the world. This video discusses six artists that were important figures of these art movements and their famous collage style work, along with paintings. The text discusses many of these artists as well, in lesser detail. The artists use different techniques then artists centuries before them in order to create twisted meanings, interpretations and interests. Distance, size, and placement really affect the perspective and depiction, along with unrealistic elements. These things separate the Dada and Surrealist styles from traditional styles. I find surrealist art to be one of the most creative, mind bending forms, because it alters reality, instead of imitating it. This video showed some exceptionally unique artwork that had an impact on the art world forever. 


Expressionism
This video discusses artists that demonstrate the style of expressionism, in which emphasis is placed on the artists feelings over objective details. This video discusses many artists and pieces made with this style. Some of the works have also been influenced by other styles, such as cubism and romanticism. The book discusses more well known artists such as Henri Matisse, and the inspirational Van Gogh. The style can be done with bright colors, strange figures and strong expressions to communicate the feelings of the artist and what message they are trying to give. The video also discusses the strange, interesting ways that they artists are inspired, which I found to be interesting, such as Anselm Kiefer, who borrowed Leonardo Davinci's scene of the Last Supper, and flipped it with a twist of Holocaust influence.

The Impact of Cubism
The style of Cubism dictates that an image is pretty much taken apart and then pieced back together. Form and association are important to this style. Picasso is the father of this style of painting, and many of the artists in this video worked under his influence. The video discusses many of the implied meanings in art work and how association between objects connects the dots. The text focuses on Picasso's journey and contribution to this style. The video discusses many artists and the paths their life took to get them to cubism and their inspirations. I didn't realized they there was a particular way to read paintings of this style, and found it interesting that the video referred to this.



The Mystical North: Spanish Art from the 19th Century to the Present
Goya is the first artist discussed in this video as the father of modern art. It is said that he lit the spark of political expressionism in art. His pictures were very dark in nature, and surrounded his life. No other artists created anything quite like he did. They had different inspirations and came long after. The video goes on to discuss an artist that came half a century later, Antoni Gaudi, a famous architect that enlightened Barcelona. Picasso followed, with his sexual experiences as fuel to his artwork, along with his superstitious conceptions. Salvador Dali is another Spanish artist that focuses on dark, deadly themes, along with sexual ones. He is recognized as one of the greatest surrealist artists. Picasso and Dali are also discussed in the text. It is interesting to learn how Dali became such an astounding artist, as I have learned about his famous works many times now. His surrealist compositions put such an impact on the modern world of art.

Mask Project

Sketches

Inspirational Pieces

This mask is visually pleasing in its balance of color and shape and use of proportion. The asymmetrical style creates interest and plays on intriguing aspects. The side with the popping purple color uses the variation to extend the left side higher than the right. This traditional mask works well in design.

This mask has a similar asymmetrical style and design that allows for a differing proportion. The golden star works well with the feathers above it, making the design look unified. The mask also uses repetition in pattern.

This mask is a symmetrical style, contrasting from the previous two. The one asymmetrical element exists in the differing amount of stars applied to each side. It uses a variety of colors and shapes incorporated in the design. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                        Final Mask

This mask was done with a tropical, Florida style inspiration. Mardi-gras is going on down here right now, so I wanted to work with that style of mask as the basis of my design. Where I work there are Mardi-gras parties every weekend where I see tons of these masks. I wanted to display the beach lifestyle in this mask as well. This is a playful spin on the Mardi-gras already playful style.  I used the idea of the asymmetrical aspect with the use of the yellow star shape and rose attached to the top. I also incorporated the idea of pattern, as the cardboard background has large, differing sized and colored stars. There are a variety of different colors used. Each of the large, ornate objects are unified in color with something else on the mask. The large gold star is the same color as the gold ribbon, and the rose is the same as one of the large red stars. I feel this creates unity among the mask. The other objects are differing hues of green, also creating unity. All of these are done on a white background, creating emphasis

Video Review

African Art: Legacy of Oppression

This video discusses the nature of African art that existed before and during the slave trade. Abstraction and symbols are strongly used in this artwork and the hold meaning to the African people. Certain features are exaggerated to emphasis themes such as fertility and power.They also took time to create extraordinary pieces with ordinary everyday objects, such as combs and cups. Westerners came and brutalized these people, and this is also reflected in the artwork. Western culture was curious about the African people and their different culture. The artwork has survived and brought new light into the world of art. The video gives insight on the deep rooted meanings and messages communicated through the abstract African artwork. It also elaborates on the struggles that these people suffered which contributed to the works and how Western people obtained these pieces. I chose this video because I find African art primitive and confusing in meaning. It helped me to understand the thinking behind the pieces. It was very sad to see the painful pictures capturing the barbaric ways that Westerners treated African people and their lack of care or consideration for their feelings and lives.

African Art
Since the first video was more aimed at oppression, I wanted to hear about African art from a more positive perspective. I find their barbaric, strange rituals to be interesting, along with the art they make to express them. A lot of the art is about movement, color, animals, and other basic life processes and routines with human life. Egyptian ideas about life and art spread across Africa, providing influence on other countries. Many statues were made to represent important rulers that were divine as the gods, such as in Egyptian art. African art was not introduced to westerners until the 19th century and it was viewed as primitive and childlike. However, the use of abstraction from African art has influenced many artists, such as Picasso. The styles of artwork vary among regions or groups throughout Africa, as described in the book in more detail. Many of the art pieces served as functional items as well. Artists were respected members of society in Africa also. African art is intertwined with magic and religion, and believed to intervine in the actual course of life. Many pieces were believed to represent spirits and give humans power over natural events. I find the connection of spirits to be interesting as well.

Buddhism
I chose this video because I really do not know much about this culture. The book gives a basic understanding of the principles that sustain the religion. The video showed how Buddhists live their lives and the places of worship that they foster. The architectural phenomenon of the many shrines, including the largest, the Borobudur Temple, and the famous Great Stupa were explored. The ideas and general meanings behind many statues and creations by the Buddhist people are examined as well. This video gave me a better visual of the practices by Buddhists and the artwork that plays an important role in the religion. Its amazing how the Borobudur Temple was once covered by lava and was able to be excavated.


Hinduism
The video discusses the general concepts involved in Hindu faith, as does the textbook. They have many symbolic meanings tied to life and death and the idea of rebirth and moving on to heaven. This culture worships many gods, and the many gods have shrines with great architecture and artwork dedicated to them carved from boulders. Much of the sculpture within the architecture tell stories about their scriptures. The same kind of work existed among cave art as well. Some of the artwork on these temples is viewed as erotic, but is nature to these people. Natural ways are very respected to these people on their sought out route to Brahma. Some of this artwork is described in the book as well. The video gives more insight to the meanings of this artwork to Hindu people. I found the video to be very informative about the Hindu religion and it gave me a better idea of their objectives.  The Hindu people seem to be very spiritual, peaceful people by nature.