Why I Appreciate Art!

Wow! Where do I start? I feel like I have learned SO much. I think if we all take a look back at all of our blog entries we can see how far we really have come and how much we have learned. I never thought that just because I was enrolled in an art appreciation course that that was actually going to make me appreciate art more. When I was signing up for classes I just saw that it was an online course that would be a fun and was probably a pretty easy elective. I looked up Michelle on ratemyprofessor.com and she had good reviews and the class fit into my schedule, so I signed up.

Now I am sitting here typing this blog entry and I am glad that I did sign up. For the most part, I had a lot of fun. I say "for the most part" because tests and homework aren't exactly my hobbies, but this class had a lot more than that that made everything manageable and enjoyable. I really liked going to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. I got to bring my girlfriend and some of my family and we had a good time. I really liked viewing the beautiful art in person. I like the convenience of an online class, but you usually don't get to do anything hands-on and you can easily lose a lot of the learning experience. In this class we got to go on a field trip, watch podcasts, listen to announcements, blog our thoughts and reflections, discuss the topics on a voicethread and discussion board, and we even got to make a little collage and do some other creative assignments. Michelle really used an array of learning tools to help make this class enjoyable.

I don't think I am going to major in art, but I do want it to be a part of my life. I think it is beautiful and it is a great way to express yourself. It would make for a great hobby if nothing else. I think visiting museums is a great activity and it is calm, relaxing, and neat to look at all the beautiful works. I respect those that have natural and/or acquired talent and share it with the rest of us. I now know a lot more about the different forms of art and the processes involved in creating them. I know for a fact that after taking this class that wherever I go I am going to be much more aware of the beauty all around me. I find art fascinating and I definitely wouldn't rule out the possibility of taking an art history or studio art class in the future. This has been a fun class adn I wouldn't mind taking another art class, esecially if Michelle is teaching it and I'm not saying that to kiss up! You can tell that she really cares about her students and puts the time and effort into her classes that is required in order for all of us to get the most out of being here.

Like many of you, I'm really excited for the semester to be over so I can enjoy the holidays, but it is going to be weird not logging onto blogger and blackboard every week.

I wish all of you fellow bloggers the best and have a happy holiday season!

Matt

What is an Artist?

An artist, in my opinion, is anybody that is successful in expressing themselves. This can be accomplished in countless ways. You can't put a limit on or confine art because that would contradict what art is all about. I would say as far as society is concerned "an artist" is somebody who does art professionally and demonstrates exceptional skill in one or more forms. You may be a painter, drawer, sculptor, architect, designer, photographer, actor, musician, dancer, performer, etc. There are so many different areas of art that you can explore and develop. That is what makes it beautiful. You have so much to choose from and if you still can't find your niche, then you can combine different forms of art or even create something completely new.

I think somebody knows if they are an artist if they are able to demonstrate exceptional skill in any of the many forms of art. I think everybody has the potential to be an artist, but many of us never find our niche. I think a lot of the time people try a couple different forms of art and if they don't demonstrate a natural talent and they aren't willing to put in the extra work to become skilled, and then they just give up and say that they aren't artistic. If you are one of those kinds of people that is fine...I'm right there with you : ). However, I have enjoyed being an "art appreciator" the past 15 weeks or so.

I think society has mixed feelings about art and artists in general. I know I kind of did. There is a wide range of people in every society. We live in a capitalist society where a lot of times art is considered inferior to other studies such as business, economics, marketing, medicine, law, etc. Some people think that art isn’t life changing or of any importance at all. Art is regarded as being a hobby and people don’t think that an artist is a respectable, fulfilling, lucrative profession. You have your artistic extremes and everybody else falls somewhere in between. There are painting, drawing, sculpting, gallery visiting, and art appreciating fanatics and then there are people who can't tell a pencil from a paintbrush and maybe could care less. I am not either, so I, like many of you, fall somewhere in the middle.

I feel that it is important to have art in your life. Even if we don't always realize it, we are exposed to beautiful art every day from our houses that we live in, to the cars that we drive, to the clothes that we wear, to the music we listen to, and what we see on television. Art is all around us. We can see, hear, touch, taste, and even smell art. Art is a wonderful thing that we so often take for granted. I know that before I took this class I was a lot more naïve about art and what it meant to be an artist. I had no idea that there were so many different forms of art let alone anything about the intricate processes that can be involved. We should all be more understanding of art and artists and more open and aware of our artistic surroundings.

Check It Out!

My girlfriend Katherine's dad (probably my future father-in-law) has a master's degree in fine arts and his specialty is ceramics. Here are a few of my favorites. Let me know what you think!

If you wanna see more including a picture of Rick back in the day then follow the link. : )

http://allinto.com/ArtistPort.asp?ArtistID=453054460&ArtistName=Rick%20Childs

Reflections on Conceptual Art

This week's topic has made me ponder quite a bit. What is conceptual art? What sets it apart from the other art forms that we have already studied this semester? I am not sure if I fully understand the "concept," but if I had to take a crack at it (and I do because that is what this blog assignment is all about) I would say that conceptual art is more about the process which took place to create the art and less about the art itself. We are used to looking at a piece of art and having to speculate as to its meaning based upon what we see, the title of the work, and perhaps the artist's background and experiences. Conceptual art is different. It is like art that can speak for itself. I believe it is more bold and in your face. I think it allows for more freedom to create beyond the subject matter and technique. You get to think way outside of the box. It seems more customized and unique. It has a sort of "Awe Factor;" I like it.

My favorite type of conceptual art came from the reading. I really like the idea of works that change depending on your perspective (sculpture in-the-round is an example of this idea). David Smith's "Blackburn: Song of an Irish Blacksmith" and Giovanni da Bologna's "The Rape of the Sabine Women" are two examples in the book that implement this idea. I also like site-specific, public art where the site where you go to view the art piece was literally designed around the piece being showcased. If moved from this location, the piece loses much (if not all) of its luster and meaning. So, if we combine my favorite "concepts" thus far then we get a public, site-specific piece that changes depending on the viewer's perspective. Now, that is cool.

David Smith's "Blackburn: Song of an Irish Blacksmith" seems to be trying to convey at least two different sensations. If you look at from the front it appears "airy and open," whereas the profile view appears "densely compacted." I have to agree with the book and say that the compacted view seems as if two parts of the sculpture seem to be trying to escape whereas the frontal view appears symmetrical and balanced.

Giovanni da Bologna's "The Rape of the Sabine Women" is a very dramatic scene that evokes fear and violence. With more background of the characters I might be able to give you a deeper analysis : ) The book says that: "it is in part the horror of the scene that lends the sculpture its power, for as it draws us around it, in order to see more of what is happening, it involves us both physically and emotionally in the scene it depicts." Neato.

Yes, I am intrigued by conceptual art and it is definitely "my thing."

Two Worlds Collide

This week's topic was really fun to explore. I really enjoyed reading the lecture and visiting all of the links that were incorporated within. It was a good way to break up the reading with fun, interesting websites and videos. My favorites had to have been the Dove Evolution video and the other videos that I took the liberty of watching on that website. It was funny to see the lengthy processes that are involved in a complete "make over" or transformation from a pretty, but fairly average looking person into a "perfect" model. If you watch the other videos you can see the torture that they put people through to get a certain Hollywood look. This torture can range from more conservative changes like hair, nails, and make-up to the more extreme like plastic surgery and botox. It is ridiculous, in my opinion.

Has anybody seen America's Next Top Model? The majority of the girls on that show wouldn't even catch your eye if you saw them walking down the street and then they take them and completely transform them to the point where they are hardly recognizable. They then take those images and "touch them up" even further. The final product looks nothing like the original. I must admit, that show is actually kind of funny to watch. The shows that really make me want to throw up are those extreme make-over shows that do all of the plastic surgery. Gross!

I think it is really cool that videos and publications that are against this kind of thing have come out and are trying to inform the public about "the truth" behind Hollywood and media advertising. I wouldn't say that the manipulation of digital images has affected me as much as your average person because I probably watch a lot less television, read a lot less magazines, and listen to a lot less radio than most people, but I am definitely affected by it. I mean you can't turn on the television, go to the check out stand at the grocery store, turn on the TV or radio, or do any number of normal activities without being exposed to manipulated media and advertising gimmicks.


I think, in general, women are more affected by media and are more likely to have low self-esteem and a negative body image due to the direct influence of manipulated digital images and media in general. However, men are anything but exempt. We are influenced as well and we are given a certain expectation of women that is unrealistic and naturally unobtainable. I would say that probably 99% of images are altered or "improved" before they are printed. The people that we see as a final product look drastically different than the original photograph. They don't even look like the same person much of the time. These people we are seeing are NOT REAL. Not everybody has the perfect body. Not all girls look like Victoria Secret models and not all guys look like body builders or professional athletes. The bottom line is that this junk gives everybody false perceptions, outrageous physical expectations, and lower self esteem. However, that isn't what's important. What is really important is how much product you sell, how many viewers or subscribers you have, how many hits you get on your website, or ultimately, how much money you make, right?

I do want to comment a little bit about the Spirit Photographs because I found them amusing. I understand that when photography was still a new phenomena that it would have been really easy to buy into this belief of being able to capture an image of spirits in a photograph, but come on people still believe this nowadays? The website we looked at was just funny to me. I don't believe it for a second. I actually saw a snippet of something on the news the other day that is relevant to this topic of spirits. There was video captured from a camera at a gas station that showed a blue, hazy, spirit-looking thing flying around the cars and gas pumps and it was present for an hour or so. They interviewed people to get their opinions on what this thing could have been. Some people said it was a spirit or a ghost; some thought it was just a blur or a problem with the camera; some thought it was a blue bag that just kept blowing around. The owner of the gas station said he didn't know what it was, but he was glad it was gone because it was creeping him out. I just thought it was funny.

The artwork of Keith Cottingham and Aziz and Cucher from this week's lecture is very interesting and just further demonstrate how images can be manipulated to create something completely false. Keith Cottingham is able to essentially create the illusion of clones by taking several photographs of the same subject and manipulating them so that the final product looks as if they are identical triplets in three different poses. It is kind of neat and creepy at the same time. I just imagined that being me in the photo and got the heebie jeebies. Aziz and Cucher's "Dystopia Series" takes all of these normal portraits and manipulates them so that their eyes and mouth all appear as if they are completely sealed over with their skin. This looks like some freaky zombie horror movie in my opinion. i guess it is cool that they can do things like this, but I would be really creeped out if I was the security guard at the gallery and I had to walk by this wall at night with all of these huge, scary, portraits looking at me or "not looking at me." I would get the feeling they were watching me (even though they don't have eyes), and that they would like crawl out of their frame and eat me (even though they don't have mouths).

These works are just extreme artistic examples of what we are capable of when it comes to digitally manipulating photographs. You might or might not believe that these images were real, but I bet that "back in the day" they would have believed that the boy really was an identical triplet and that all of those Dystopia creeps were AAAAHHHHHH! REAL MONSTERS! These altered art works really aren't that extreme compared to what we are exposed to on a daily basis. We may not see many models or posters where people are duplicated or have their mouths and/or eyes sealed over, but they definitely trim waists, enhance busts, clear up skin, enlarge muscles, and remove this or add that. It is sad really, but this is the deceptive world that we live in. You definitely can't believe everything you see.

Hung Liu Reflections

This week has been very educational and enjoyable. I appreciated that the work load was a little lighter this week and I was able to just relax and enjoy looking at some paintings, reading a little bit, watching a few videos, and checking out a couple of websites. I have been having kind of a lazy three-day weekend and I hope everybody else is enjoying it as much as I am.

Paintings seem very soothing to me. I mean a painting can evoke a variety of emotions, convey many different messages, and contain a whole world of meaning, but when it comes to viewing the paintings, I think I approach them all in much the same way. I just have this overwhelming peacful feeling and I marvel at the beauty and complexity of the work. I just want to sit back and ponder its meaning. It is very easy to create assumptions about the artist and their life Sometimes we are fortunate to know a lot about the artist's life and relate that to their work and sometimes the connection is a complete mystery. I like the mysterious one's better. It lets my imagination run wild and nobody can tell me my assumptions are false because nobody really knows.

Specifically, this week I really enjoyed watching Hung Liu videos. I must admit that I couldn't get the 30 min. video to work. I was even very patient and waited for it to begin and I tried a couple of different days this week, but my efforts were futile. So, I just googled Hung Liu and I found a couple of videos. The videos I saw were amazing. I love Hung Liu's attitude and approach concerning her art. Her voice, technique, and pace were all very soothing and I was able to just sit in awe at what she was bringing to life before my eyes. She took photographs of people and she said that she would look at them very carefully to see if she could feel the soul of that person's face come out. If she could feel something special about the person in the picture, maybe something that needed to be said in the person's eyes or emotions, then she would paint the person and tell their story. She incorporated symbols, colors, and different techniques to convey different messages and make the viewer connect with the subject in the painting and understand how they felt.

I loved her painting that had three women on a scarlet background and there were flowers and other things in the foreground. She told us that during a time of war that these women and hundreds of others were taken prisoner and taken to a place and buried alive in a giant hole/tomb. The pain, suffering, and brutality of the scene really touched me and the expressions and body language of the three images were serene and haunting at the same time. The scarlet background spoke of blood, pain, and death. Despite the tragedy of the story behind the painting I got the feeling that that wasn't what the painting was all about. I got the feeling that these women somehow overcame their fate and were alive in some sense of the word.

I really enjoyed looking at all of the different techniques this week. I knew that there had to be a wide variety and that there are really unlimited combinations of techniques that can be incorporated into a work of art, but it was interesting to see a few and I was amazed at how involved and time consuming some were and on the flip side how simple and elegant others can be. I really enjoyed browsing through the websites (John Lovett's Watercolor Techniques, Sistine Chapel Ceiling, and the Buon Fresco website). I learned a lot and gained a new appreciation for the detail and work that goes into each and every painting. It can be, but usually isn't as simple as setting up your eisle, getting out your paints and canvas, looking out the window, and just painting what you see.

I love what Michelle said about the rich history of painting and I have chosen to close my blog entry by quoting that here:

"There's certainly no shortage of content to discuss when it comes to the topic of painting! It has the richest history of all media in western art. Painting has been used by prehistoric "cave people" to render likenesses of animals, by the romans to decorate the lush villas of the wealthy, by monks, nuns and renaissance artists to illustrate the Bible, by modern artists to express their angst, by postmodern artists to critique tradition, by children to have fun and by you to paint your walls!"

I love it because it is "everybody's medium" from cavemen to little children. It's fun for everyone! : )

What's up with Thomas Kinkade?

Wow! I have heard a lot of good things about Thomas Kinkade so it was a big surprise to find out about this FBI investigation and the possibility that there is some foul play going on behind the scenes of his work. Or is it somebody else's work? I don't know. I do know that I am not prepared to make any kind of assumption before knowing all the facts, but everything that I have read and seen seems either genuine or really fishy depending on the bias at hand.

I received contrasting feelings when viewing the Thomas Kinkade website (before I had read the article regarding the current FBI investigation and again after reading it) and my increased level of skepticism affected my experience the second time. Instead of being touched by the captions describing each painting, I felt a little nauseous because of the possibility of them being somebody else's words and work. I cringe at the thought of him just putting his name on everything if it really isn't his.

The same thing can happen with the video that was intended for an audience of potential future gallery owners. If I would have viewed it without knowing there is some suspicion of foul play then I would want to jump on the band wagon and open up a Thomas Kinkade gallery. It sounds wonderful. I was convinced by the music and quality of video, the beautiful images and ambiance of the gallery in the background, and most of all the genuine testimonies of the current owners. They were so sincere. The video just made it sound like it is such a wonderful company; it is a fantastic work environment; the customers are great; it is profitable; it's good for families; it's relaxing, non-stressful, fulfilling, etc. What is there not to like? Now, I wonder if all of these people have also bought in to the same scheme that tens of thousands of people have bought in to...are we all being tricked?

This whole thing reminds me of the Martha Stewart ordeal that surfaced not too long ago. If it is true that we are all being duped, then shame on him. Thomas Kinkade should be strictly punished. What those punishments will, or could be, I don't know. However, on the contrary, if nothing concrete surfaces that proves this conspiracy true and Thomas Kinkade saves face and comes away clean and innocent, then I think that his accusers owe him a public apology. Unfortunately, that probably won't happen. They would just say that he got away with it.

It would just be really sad if it were true, especially because of what he sells and who he sells it to. He is not just selling paintings; he is selling the spirit of families, holidays, national pride, fantasy, nature, life, religion, and much, much more. His target group seems to be middle class America, particularly those that are religious, sentimental, and family-oriented. If you take all of these things that are held in such high regard and use them to fatten your pocket book while covering it up with "tricky marketing" then you deserve whatever is coming to you. I just hope that Thomas Kinkade hasn't established himself as a "master of capitalism" by taking advantage of the wonderful, trusting, and God-loving people along the way.

It will be interesting to find out more as investigations progress and more information is released to the media. I want to find out how this mystery of Thomas Kinkade ends. : )

Art Visit

OK! Well if you couldn't tell by the picture...I did my art visit at the Crocker Art Museum in beautiful Sacramento, CA. I went on Saturday October 13th. The Grandma Moses exhibition was on display at the time. If you have no idea who she is, then here is a brief explanation I found in the Columbian Dictionary: "Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson) (1860–1961) U.S. primitive painter. Grandma Moses only began painting when she was in her late 70s. Her scenes of country life, based on recollections from her youth, became world-famous through prints and greeting cards.

I found the Grandma Moses exhibition pretty interesting, but the art did look very much like a greeting card. In addition to her art, she is well-known because she is a female artist that started at such a ripe, old age. Most of the stuff that we saw on display were a lot of country scenes painted on relatively small canvas and a lot of art that was put on china plates (very grandma-ish).

That was interesting, but I found my next stop (the California room) to be much more appealing.

The California room is the big room upstairs with wall to wall paintings and there is a hallway that wraps all the way around it. I really liked a lot of the paintings, but there were two in particular that really caught my eye. The first was a very large painting in an amazingly ornate frame. This beauty was painted by Charles Christian Nahl. He was an American, but he was born in Germany. He lived from 1818-1878. It painting is entitled "Love Chase" and it was created in 1869. Nahl used oil on canvas to create this very life-like representational masterpiece. I really liked it because it was realistic, fun, flirty, and in your face.

The second painting that I liked was a beautiful landscape. There were a lot of landscapes and some of them were "ginormous," but surprisingly the one that I liked the best was one that was a little more inconspicuous. As you can see, it is a pretty simple and serene scene, but really beautiful. I think I liked it mainly because I really like tropical landscapes better than mountain and valley lanscapes. The painting is untitled and it was created in 1866. The artist is Arriola Fortunato of Mexico who lived from 1827-1872.

After viewing the California room, we walked around a lot more and checked out everything, but nothing really intrigued me until I went into the room filled with modern art. There was all kinds of cool stuff to look at. It was perfect for anybody that may have A.D.D. However, you can't touch anything. I didn't like the creepy, digital, kinetic art that was basically a pair of eyes that looked back and forth. I really liked this work that was all of these tiles that had random images carved in them. From close up it didn't look like much more than that, but from far away you could see the face of our president George Bush Jr. It was pretty neat. Even after reading the description, I still don't really get how they did it.

That was very note-worthy, but my favorite work out of the whole museum was this one by Stephen Kaltenbach. He lives right here in Davis and he was born in 1940. This fascinating piece was made over the course of seven years from 1972-1979. The medium Kaltenbach used was acrylic on canvas. I found this painting to be grand in literal size, but also in meaning. I think it is of great value to include the description of the painting that was on the wall next to it:

"Portrait of my Father is the artist's major achievement in painting. In a barn near Winters, California, Kaltenbach labored for seven years creating this testament to the spiritual grappling with life, love, and loss that confronts us all. Inspired by a photograph of his father, who endured a long illness, Kaltenbach conceptualizes the fleeting moment of his father's last breath and ultimate acceptance of death. The haunting realism of this portrait is both masterful, offering homage, and poignant, celebrating the universal experience of the human bond.

At every intersection in the intertwining of abstract arabesques with details of whisker and pore is the presence of color and light. This shimmering ornament infinitely expands off the canvas, speaking to the presence of holiness in light and inspiring our own reflections upon spirituality."

I just loved reading that. This is just such a cool story and the background and analysis that you get from the description is awesome. I have a new appreciation for viewing art in person. This painting is a perfect example of how viewing art in person is better in so many ways. It was just so much more impressive viewing it in person compared to viewing it here in this blog. The painting is showcased on a huge wall and you can see so much detail and the beautiful arabesques add the perfect creative touch. You can't get the same feel from looking at a picture in a book or on a computer screen. Art can change so much depending on where it is presented, the scale at which it is presented, the time of day at which you are viewing it, the intensity of the lighting, etc.

I found my trip to the Crocker Art Museum to be really enjoyable. I went with my brother, sister-in-law, and my wonderful girlfriend Katherine. We all had fun viewing and commenting on all of the different works that were on display. I thought the trip was very possibly going to be kind of boring and somewhat of an inconvenience given my busy schedule, but it turned out to be really fun. It probably would have been boring if I went by myself, but we made a field trip out of it. We even capitalized on our opportunity to go to Sacramento by going to Chevy's on the river. I think it would be fun to go back sometime especially if they have an exhibit that sounds interesting.

Yay for the Crocker Art Museum! : )

Analyze That!

I found this picture on Heather Brown's Analyze This! and it just jumped out at me. I had to use it for my Analyze That! I fell in love with the vast array of intensely saturated color that is present (the color scheme is without a doubt poly-chromatic). It reminds me of a kaleidoscope. I was so fascinated with kaleidoscopes as a kid. I would love to see some kind of digital, kinetic art like this that can change like a kaleidoscope. That would be awesome and they could display it at the Crocker Art Museum in the modern art area next the creepy digital one that is a pair of eyes looking at you.

The medium of choice appears to be watercolor. This is my assumption because the way the colors transition and mesh together seems so fluid and natural. You can tell that the artist used a very open palette because of the wide variety of rich hues that are present. If you look closely you will notice that the placement and combination of color is very important. You have cool areas with blues, purples, greens, and then you have warm areas with yellows, oranges, reds, and this vibrant pink that really steals the show.

There are also many complimentary colors present that can usually be found side by side. This enhances the beauty and brilliance of each color beyond it's own capability. I see blues with oranges, purples with yellows, and greens with reds. This work is just so vibrant, bold, and "in your face." This is due to the composition that the artist did a masterful job of arranging. I have never seen a flower, or bouquet of flowers for that matter, that was quite this breathtaking. I love how this piece presents itself and I would gladly showcase it in my home or office : )

I love the parable of "The Prodigal Son." I found this picture on Elizabeth Bacon's profile. I enjoyed the picture and the wonderful music that was playing...I believe I heard some Newsboys. They are a good band, but anyways...

I love the angle at which this work is presented to the viewer. The horizon line looks as if it is slanting downward to the the right. I think this accomplishes a few things: My eyes seem to follow that line from left to right. It seems natural and comfortable like reading a book. I pass right by the focal point of this painting which is the weeping father's face. It also appears that the father's arms, while embracing his son, are at a similar angle to the landscape in the background. The background appears relatively plain. This may be on purpose as to not distract the viewer.

One thing that you can't avoid noticing is the emotion evoked by this depiction of a father hugging his son, let alone the parable that it represents. If you know the parable of "The Prodigal Son," then even more meaning floods your senses and maybe even your tear ducts. This isn't just your normal, every day hug. These two have gone through a lot and much time has passed since they last embraced. This represents repentance, forgiveness, family, humility, and much, much more.

I thought I would choose these two works because the one is so beautiful and in my opinion pretty simple in meaning (objective)and the other is so chalk full of meaning that you could probably write a novel just about its significance or how it makes you feel (subjective). I like them both for their simplicity and complexity, respectively. I had some fun playing "Analyze That!" : )

Analyze This!

Click the link below for a larger image!

http://utahpictures.com/images/Silver_Island/smPA260007.jpg

Watch the Magic

"Watch the magic!" is right. When I took these pictures I thought they looked exactly the same. It wasn't until I loaded it up on my computer that I saw the huge difference. The color change really is "magical." The photo on top was taken in the morning when it was a little overcast and the sun was barely peeking through the clouds. The photo on the bottom was taken in the afternoon on your average sunny day.

If you just take a look at each of the individual colors you can see the difference really is night and day. O.K., they were both taken during the day, but you get what I mean...Sheesh! Light truly does directly affect color in a big way. When you have very little light on an overcast day the colors seem more pure/vibrant. You can see the bark is nearly orange in the picture on the top and a light tan in the picture on the bottom. The slide on top is your typical primary color red and on the bottom it is a pale, faded red. In the first, the canopies look almost teal and in the other they appear green. The most obvious complimentary colors that I could see in the first picture are the blue and orange that make up the canopy and bark respectively. In the second picture your eyes seem to shift to the red/green complimentary colors. You can go a step further and analyze the change in color and light in the grass, sky, houses in the background, etc., but these are the ones that stood out to me the most.

I was also really surprised at the huge difference in the shadows found in each photo. The photo on top has shadows that are very hard to make out and they appear directly underneath each individual piece of the playground. To the contrary, the picture on the bottom has very distinct shadows that seem elongated and stretch behind the play structure. I was amazed at this transformation. It almost appears as if I took these two pictures ten years apart after the play structure had faded from the sun instead of how it really played out and the play structure is brand new and the pictures were taken a day apart.

Wow this was crazy! I'm crazy! I even took some additional pictures that I found kind of neat for your viewing pleasure : )

Gladiator

This is a charcoal drawing that my brother Todd drew a while ago. It has always been one of my favorites. It is a re-creation of the movie cover of the 1992 boxing movie entitled "Gladiator" starring James Marshall and Cuba Gooding Jr. Let me know what you think and here is a little plot summary in case you want to watch the movie : )...

A story of two teenagers trapped in the world of illegal underground boxing. One is fighting to save his father's life by using the money to pay off the gambling debts his father accumulated. The second is fighting for the money to get out of the ghettos. While being exploited by a boxing promoter the two teens become friends. An explosive ending puts the two friends in the ring against each other in a fight for survival.

Line and Space

It seems like this week we have had the opportunity to really take art appreciation to a new level. Instead of just talking about whether we like a painting or not or talking about what a painting means...we actually get to look at how the painting is put together. We have been able to scratch the surface of what it's like to be an artist and see how even great artists, like Leonardo Davinci, use the basic principles of art. These principles that we are learning help form the very foundation of art. We are learning the "laws" of art and we have seen how you can use our new found knowledge to recognize these principles in a work of art and it really does add to our appreciation of it. That is what this class is all about: learning to appreciate art.

I don't know about everybody else, but I really have felt at times throughout this week that I was looking at a whole new world. I have been looking at objects or scenes and trying to break them down and apply what we have learned. For example: I have looked at my lamp or my desk and I actually drew the contour lines in my head. Remember when we looked at our hands in the podcast and imagined the contour of them? This reminded me of when we were little kids and we used to outline our hands with finger paint. I looked outside my window at work at the street, building, and the trees below and I saw them in a whole new light. I was trying to decide if I was viewing them at a one-point or two-point perspective. This week, I also found while I was driving that I was trying to point out the vanishing point, horizon line, and the orthogonal lines of the road and the horizon. I can't decide if this is really cool and it is like I'm actually learning and applying my newly acquired knowledge to the real world...or I'm really weird : ). I think it is really cool that we can take this class and actually apply it to our lives...It's like a teacher's dream, huh Michelle? Can I call you Michelle? Do you prefer Professor, Madam, Mam, Miss, or your Highness?

Let me know what you guys think! Have you had this weird/unique experience where you are actually applying what you have learned in class to the real world? This is how education should be. It's almost sad that this doesn't happen with every class. : ( I think the word I'm going to use to describe it is: NIFTY!

Defending Controversial Art

I want to talk about the controversy that surrounded the amazing Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. The beauty and simplicity of this monument is breathtaking. The problem was that when it was being built, not everybody felt the same way I do.

There was a ton of controversy surrounding this monument, mainly because this wasn't just an artist's private work of art. This was a huge public project that affected and literally represented thousands upon thousands of people. And, these weren't just ordinary people with a small interest. These were war veterans and their families that put their own lives, or the lives of their loved ones on the line. 58,000 people died in Vietnam. A lot of sweat, blood, and tears dwell within these black walls.

There was a lot of thought and careful planning that went into the complete design and construction of this memorial. Many ideas were debated and voted on. Finally, it came down to a design contest. All of the best of the best minds in the world put in their designs and only one could be chosen. To every bodys' surprise, a recent graduate of Yale University won. This caused a few problems...

Whenever you try to get this many people to all agree on something; It is next to impossible. So, naturally, those people who don't agree and lose the majority vote, usually don't go down without a fight. People didn't like the fact that the panel that chose the winner didn't consist of all veterans. They didn't like the fact that the designer wasn't a veteran. They didn't like the fact that she was so young and lacked the experience of other architects. Last, but not least...they didn't like the fact that she was Asian.

After the smoke cleared, the design remained and the monument was built...with a slight compromise (adding an American flag on the site). It is now the most visited monument in all of Washington D.C. It turned out perfect. A lot was learned from the whole controversy. We learned a lot from this didn't we?...especially concerning stereotypes. I'm going to use the cliche: "You can't judge a book by its cover." If you don't already know this from eating an assorted box of chocolates (Sorry. Bad Joke)...you certainly know it now after studying more about the Vietname Memorial. You can't judge somebody by their race, color, creed, experience, age, etc. Not everybody is the same. You can't have these molds that you try to fit people into before you've even met them. We also learned that you can't please everybody...you can only hope to please the majority and for the others...just do your best to weather the storm.

Personally, I learned a lot about the work that goes into creating art in general, but especially at this scale. I learned that artists face a lot of criticism. Maybe this is something that comes with the territory, but still. I can take some things that hopefully everybody learned and really apply them to my life. I learned not to judge so easily. I learned that I really need to get the whole story before I form my opinion. Put yourself in the other person's shoes. A closed mind is a terrible thing.

I had a lot of fun with this analysis and learning about the Vietnam Memorial. If you haven't watched the video yet...I highly recommend it. It really brought this monument to life. If you have any comments, ideas, or in-depth analysis that you would like to share with me, please leave me a comment. Thanks : )

My Logo

This picture is "representational" in case you didn't know that : )

Well, you might realize that I have lots of "logos." Well, they are pictures of my girlfriend and I. I was trying to think if I had something that really represented me that would be cool for a logo...and I thought to myself...I think I'm pretty cool...and I think that I "represent" myself fairly well...so there you have it! GENIUS!

No, but on a more serious note...I know you are probably looking at my page and you don't think that I can be serious, but I can. Besides, the ladies dig a sense of humor, but if you don't have a serious bone in your body and you are always on stage...it can get really old fast. Anyways, I chose pictures of my girlfriend and I to be my icons because she really is my life. Now I don't want you to get the wrong impression...I'm not a big loser that lives his life vicariously through somebody else, but here is my rationale for my previous statement: Everything that I have and everything that I am is wonderful. I absolutely love my life and I am very blessed. Katherine just makes everything better. She is the icing on the cake (because she is so sweet...hehe) I love her more than....well, more than I can type in a blog, that's for sure...and besides I think you probably know more about me than you ever cared to know.

Now, I know that this blog entry is supposed to be about my Icon and NOT about me declaring my undying love for my girlfriend in front of a bunch of people I've never "met." So here goes: my icons show exactly who I am. (plain and simple) They show me when I am at my best, when I am truly happy. I don't think we get to be ourselves nearly enough. I know that when I am at work, school, church, etc. that I can't completely be myself. Instead, we take on different roles or "put on different hats" in life. We are all very good at playing those roles, but we run the risk of losing track of who we really are. We are the happiest when we just get to be ourselves. In these pictures I am smiling, worry free, and I am "myself." I think all of our icons should represent us for who we REALLY are.

Have a wonderful day and remember to be Y-O-U! : )

Week 2 Reflections

It's late and I'm kinda sleepy, but here goes nothing: I have learned a lot in these first two weeks. We have talked about interpretation, ethnocentric interpretation, form, content, representational, abstract, non-objective art, iconography and much, much, more. I have learned how to better work a discussion board, a blog, a podcast, and a voicethread. I have seen a pretty wide-variety of art samples...I like some more than others...I find the sculpting of Ron Mueck more fascinating than the non-objective art samples from the podcast we saw for example, but I appreciate them both.

I have to admit, I thought this was just going to be a "filler class" that helped me fulfill a general education requirement and I wouldn't really learn much because I didn't think I wanted to learn much about art. Boy, was I wrong. This class has been really fun. I have 5 classes right now and this is the most involved and usually that means the most annoying class, but that's not the case. This course is very organized and surprisingly personal for an online course. Once you get the hang of using all of the tech tools it is lots of fun and easy to follow. Many of my other online classes are very unstructured and just plain boring. I am looking forward to what the next 12 or so weeks have in store for us. Hopefully we all keep up with the work load and learn all we can about art and have some fun along the way : )

Critical Analysis

I know that a lot of people are probably going to do their critical analysis on "The Gates Project" by Christo and Jean-Claude, but I just found it simply amazing. I have never thought of art being portrayed this way at such a large scale. I mean I guess when I think about it there are huge pieces of art that we enjoy, but usually they are permanent statues, buildings, or monuments. This work was different. It was created at great expense and it was temporary. (It was only displayed for a matter of weeks.) It was funded completely by money that the artist couple raised themselves and I think that is a huge accomplishment in it of itself considering the millions upon millions of dollars that this project absorbed.

Now I read about a lot of the contrasting opinions that people had concerning this massive art project and I found them very interesting. Some felt it was beautiful and just a delight that the artists would bring such a masterpiece to there beloved park and make it even more beautiful. Some people just saw it as a tourist attraction and an excuse to get out with the family and marvel at the scene. Other's thought it was a giant waste of money and didn't see the purpose or the beauty of the project.

This is my opportunity to do a little "critical analysis" and let you know what I think and tell you where I fall on this scale of opinions:

I think this project was absolutely, positively wonderful. I haven't been the biggest student or fan of art. I don't follow it in the news...obviously because I missed hearing or seeing this project two years ago. It's amazing that something that is so beautiful and massive that cost over 20 million dollars to create can be completely ignored, but somehow I was oblivious to its existence. I'm just glad that I was able to finally appreciate it. Now, I didn't get to see it in person, but we do have some amazing pictures to view and reviews to read.

There are lots of different photos of "The Gates," but I wanted to do my analysis on the one that I found most fascinating. This photo of the gates is so amazing to me. I don't even know where to begin. The first thing that seems to catch my eye is the vibrant color of the saffron contrasted against the white, white color of the snow in the park. I think the color of the fabric is beautiful and loud. It demands attention. An amazing fact about the saffron fabric is that it is ever-changing...depending on the time of day that you view the project the fabric can look different. You might see a silvery glow during the sunrise, or a burst of bright orange when the sun is beaming through the fabric. When sunset and then night falls upon the park you are viewing a completely different scene, aren't you?

The point is that the gates can be enjoyed again and again. The artists intended it to be that way. You can't appreciate the whole scene from one location. You can see the beauty of the snow, or the lake, or the entrance to the park, or my personal favorite, the New York skyline over the tops of the trees with the gates winding around. I love the beauty and meaning that can be found in this particular photograph. To me, it seems like the gates are acting as both a path connecting the park to the city and also perhaps a dividing line. In the picture, there is a saffron line dividing the building from the park or nature from the city. The park itself shows that nature and metropolitan life can co-exist and by doing so everything becomes more beautiful.

I also love that this project was during the winter time in the city. I do believe that it would be beautiful during any season, but the dead of winter makes the project come alive. Everything in this picture looks cold and a little sad. The buildings look almost frozen in place and the lake is very still. The saffron gates just make this picture come to life! It's like seeing a gorgeous golden poppy somehow managing to grow on top of a hill covered in snow. It's not something that you would probably ever see, but we are seeing that same effect happen here. It's almost a symbol of spring time coming early to relieve the city from the snow and bitter cold.

I think it is important to touch on the fact that the project has also a very important historical aspect that ties it to New York City and more specifically Central Park. On the website it mentions that the park was originally intended to have gates at all the entrances that would allow the city to lock the park at night, but the design of the gates was not approved by the designers and so the park to this day is left open. Art very often times can be connected to history and it is a powerful thing. It reminds us where we came from and helps us remember the origins of everything we hold dear that very often gets taken for granted. Works such as this gates project also show respect for the past as we recognize that we owe a lot to those that came before us and they may be a memory, but they are not forgotten.

Before I conclude my analysis, I would just like to say that no matter your opinion on this project we need to all have open hearts and minds and even if we don't like a work of art, or if we would have done something completely different if we had the same amount of time and resources available...we still need to appreciate the fact that people are out there and they are expressing themselves and that in it of itself is beautiful. That's what art is all about: expressing yourself.

Thanks,
Matt

More About Me...

I've always had an appreciation for art growing up. My brother Todd is a very good artist and he has been in lots of art shows. He also went to an art school in Southern California for a while. I have been to my share of art galleries and museums and I always enjoy seeing people's work. I think I've only taken one or two art classes in my life and that was for school as an elective. I did ok and I think I might have even gotten A's in the classes, but that definitely does not mean I am even close to good. (I know I really suck at drawing people and faces for sure).

If I were to get into art I would probably only be interested in abstract art, photography, and some more of the hands on stuff like pottery. I am really looking forward to this class or "journey" that we will all be on together. The Crocker Art Museum will be fun and I find it really refreshing that this class is way more hands on and just overall fun compared to other online or "on-ground" classes. I'm ready to hit the ground running!