Final Blog Post!!!

In the final reading of our text and the last couple classes, we have discussed the inter-relationship or the interconnectedness of man with animals and technology. I stressed the idea of "networks", and how humans are made up of cellular networks but also how we interact within broader definitions of the term network. These days within the art world there are theories that center on man as a cyborg or the idea of man as a hybrid type of machine...this is due in part to our ever growing dependence on forms of technology...we are connected to our cell phones, laptops, mp3 players, which are in turn connected to much larger networks...and it is this connection that links our human flesh and bone with circuits and wire...therefore mingling our souls with machinery....something to think about!
In class we watched both Tim Hawkinson and Mel Chin on art21. Both artists use technology in their art works...Hawkinson, incorporating more crude, mechanical or kinetic elements that reference the human body and Chin using science and advanced technology as primary elements in his work. These two artists, although working in different ways, talk about the human condition in their works...social communities, our own bodies, emotions, and environmental concerns in our immediate surroundings. Take a moment to revisit those links and look over/read their work and info then respond to one or more of the following :

How much do we model the systems/structures we make-whether freeways or the Internet-upon systems within our own bodies?

Because of ecological changes as well as technological changes, how is art different now from art work created in the 1950's?

How do these two artists above, show us the good and bad results of man's fascination with machines?

Do you believe that you are interconnected with much larger systems of knowledge and networks and that in some ways you rely on machinery/technology as much as you rely on your body?

Blog Post # 6

In the past week we started talking about Romanticism and Romantic era landscape paintings by Hudson River School Painter Thomas Cole and his peers. We learned that this style of painting was simply about showing beauty and the awe in confronting the sublime within nature.

We also looked at a two photographers, Robert Adams and Ansel Adams. Robert Adams became interested in documenting how the western landscapes of North America had been shaped by human influence. Much earlier in the 20th century, Ansel Adams began creating fantastic black and white photographs of the west before man's intrusion. All three of these men had a similar focus when dealing with their subject matter...beauty.

Take a moment to click on the links then compare and contrast these artists...Respond to one or more of these questions when you compare/contrast.

Please explain how each of these people represented the landscape.

What makes them different besides the medium?

Did they have different agendas in their art?

Is it enough in our current culture to just pursue beauty without any other content attached?

This post requires a mandatory response from you the student...If you are unable to post a comment here, I expect a solid paragraph in hard copy format...thats paper for you non-blog comment people. No handwritten responses.
Due Date: 9:00 am, this Friday morning.
No late papers or comments accepted!

Blog Post #5

Called by The New Yorker art critic Peter Schjeldahl "the most efficacious American political illustration since 'Uncle Sam Wants You,'"Fairey created a series of posters supporting Barack Obama's 2008 candidacy for President of the United States, including the iconic "HOPE" portrait. He also created an exclusive design for Rock the Vote. Because the HOPE poster had been "perpetuated illegally" and independently by the street artist, the Obama campaign could not risk any direct affiliation with it. Although the campaign officially disavowed any involvement in the creation or popularization of the poster, Fairey has commented in interviews that he was in communication with campaign officials during the period immediately following the poster's release. Fairey has stated that the original version featured the word "PROGRESS" instead of the word "HOPE," and that within weeks of its release, the campaign requested that he issue (and legally disseminate) a new version, keeping the powerful image of Obama's face but captioning it with the word "HOPE." The campaign openly embraced the revised poster along with two additional Fairey posters that featured the words "CHANGE" and "VOTE."
Fairey distributed 300,000 stickers and 500,000 posters during the campaign funding his grassroots electioneering through poster and fine art sales. "I just put all that money back into making more stuff, so I didn't keep any of the Obama money," said Fairey in December 2008. In February 2008 (ten months before Election Day), Fairey received a letter of thanks from Barack Obama for his contribution to the campaign. The letter stated:
"I would like to thank you for using your talent in support of my campaign. The political messages involved in your work have encouraged Americans to believe they can change the status-quo. Your images have a profound effect on people, whether seen in a gallery or on a stop sign. I am privileged to be a part of your artwork and proud to have your support. -- Barack Obama, February 22, 2008"

In January 2009, the "HOPE" portrait was acquired by the US National Portrait Gallery and made part of its permanent collection. It was unveiled and put on display on January 17, 2009.

...Shepard Fairy appropriated this image from an associated press news release photograph...A large percent of Fairy's works originally start out as images that he is culling from TV, newspapers, magazines, and advertisements. He then takes the images and makes stencils by enlarging and then tracing them. The stencil is then used as a template where he spray paints through it to leave the image where ever he may choose. Fairy comes from a graffiti background, where this process was used for "tagging".

In February of this year, Shepard Fairy is opened his first ever major solo exhibition at Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art.

Does Shepard Fairy's use of images from the media change how we see him as a legitimate artist? Does Mr. Obama's comments in his letter to Fairy help legitimize this way of working?How So?

Are images from the media open to change and public use?...by changing them slightly, are they now different images or "new" works then?

Artists throughout history studied their subjects and looked at objects when painting them...If current theory says we encounter life through fragmented reproductions, then is Shepard Fairy doing what simply comes natural for an artist today? Take a position and explain...

Your Project:

The student will use an existing artwork that is well known and change the context and/or the content of this work. Making it a “new” artwork.

This can be accomplished through:

use of the computer (photo shop, paint)
collage
hand drawing
photo copier

Due: Next Monday…3/16

Mid Term Break

STUDY...RELAX...TAKE A BREAK.

Blog Post #4

Up to this point we have looked at mediums, material usage, artists, Formalism, and a broad understanding of our current perception of art and how it is defined. The second half of this course will deal with more complex and specific frameworks that involve contemporary art. We will also be reading chapter 4 of your text to further help us understand how we, the viewer, come to derive meaning from works of art.

On Monday we will watch Janine Antoni on art21 and she wonders if the viewer would be able to pick up bits of the stories, that she felt were embedded in the materials she used. She talks about her work and the underlying ideas and symbolisms behind them. When we see objects like Ms. Antoni's "Eureka",which is actually a bathtub filled with lard that she made an impression of her body in, we often wonder...what is this?...why would anybody do this?...and is this really art?! But, hearing her explanation and how it is related to a story about Archimedes, we understand the piece more and also accept the piece as what constitutes art.

Currently in Kipp Gallery, just outside our doors, we have an exhibition by Clayton Merrell. In Mr. Merrell's own words, he says the work is "landscape painting" and "hopes that the viewer will be a little confused and begin to ask questions". During my installation of this exhibition with Mr. Merrell and from hearing his lectures, I came to understand how the formal qualities of his work are tied directly to the content. I would like all of us to explore this exhibition, think about all the elements that make this work up, and use it as a point of discussion on the blog and also for some carry over into our class. As we talked about, meaning changes by the way we encounter art work, and for many of us, we only see art as images on pages or computer screens, so lets take advantage of this exhibition...please take the time to visit the gallery and look at the installation yourself and then respond to one or more of the questions below.

When you visited the gallery did you understand what the artist was trying to communicate, or what the art work was about...the content?

Does the written word add to the public's experience of art? What helped you in this specific installation?

Is something written that accompanies the art work necessary?Do writings, like an artist statement or explanation on a wall, limit our experiences in an exhibition? How?

Once you understood the content of the installation were you more interested?
What aspects of this installation did you find interesting...formal qualities?...content?...material use?

Did the exhibit appeal to you in an aesthetic way?

Blog Post #3

In the past couple classes you have been introduced to the basic art elements and the principles in which they are composed, structured or organized into a work of art. We have seen that these concepts within the language of art are arranged into a composition so that they can make sense to the viewers. These elements and principles are the visual tools that an artist uses to lead the viewer's eye around an art work. Looking at art through this particular framework is called Formalism. In Formalism you are concerned with only the visual elements of a work of art.

Although contemporary art relies on frameworks that are attached to much more conceptual issues, it is still valid (and a great place to start) to recognize the strictly visual elements and principles that the artist has employed. There are many artists who believe that understanding the formal elements leads to understanding the content and other deeper conceptual ideas about a work of art.

In your text book, chapter 2, you will find a list of 6 questions(they are the same ones I had in my lecture) that I want you to use to help you respond to one of the pieces of art posted either above or below. Ask yourself one or more of these questions and respond to how the artist has used certain elements and principles. People are bound to see things differently so it is OK to respond differently to the same question that another has responded to. Sometimes, as I have seen from your many comments, it is easier to sit and think first, then answer the question in writing...this format allows that to happen...and in turn helps strengthen your ability to verbalize your ideas. Keep your list of elements and principles handy and visually observe the compositional structure of one of the pieces...comment by using one or more of the questions from the book or make your own observations. Be brave...help yourself as you help others through your comments. The images can be seen larger by clicking on them. ...Top image: Jeff Koons...in order of appearance: Frank Stella, Georgia O'Keeffe, Wendy Walgate, Barry mcGee..google these artists if more info is needed.

Artist Research Project

1) Find 5 works of art that interest you. These pieces can be any type of art work . 2-D, 3-D, Technology based, Nature based…the important part here is that these are 5 works of art that some how you identify with or react to in some way…This is a research based project.

2)Write a brief paragraph about each.

3) Also include a picture of each piece chosen.

The following information must be included within each paragraph:
a)Artist name
b)Medium
c)Material used in the work
d)Time period work was created in and or style
e)What makes the work interesting to you; explain why you chose that particular piece.

Due 2/9/09...all late papers will be graded down one letter grade...I will only accept papers one day late.

Blog Post #2

The following is an excerpt from Christo and Jeanne Claude's website. It is an explanation on how they view the work and was also written by them. The website is very in depth and covers their entire career. Take a few minutes to browse their site and then respond to the questions at the bottom in bold print.

The temporary large-scale environmental works (both urban and rural environments) have elements of painting, sculpture, architecture and urban planning.
For instance the Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida,1980-83. could be seen as giant flat paintings (shaped canvases).

The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris, 1975-85. could be seen as a very large sculpture, in a traditional sense of antique folds and draperies, however the bridge, while wrapped,remained a bridge, a piece of architecture. Cars were rolling on it, boats were passing under the wrapped arches, the public was crossing the bridge, walking on the fabric.

The Umbrellas, Japan-USA, 1984-91. has to do with urban planning. 3,100 umbrellas, each two stories high, 59.3 square meters (638.17 square feet), spread on a total span of 49 Km. (30 miles) by a width of 4 Km. ( 2.5 miles) along roads and highways, adjacent to barns, temples, churches, gas stations, schools, habitations and cattle.

Once the work of art has been read for what it really is, then the process preceding the completion is easily understood.
Nobody discusses a painting before it has been painted.But architecture and urban planning are always discussed before completion. People discuss the possibility of a new bridge, a new highway, a new airport before those are built.One of the numerous permits to be obtained from various government agencies, in addition to the 25 ranchers in California and the 459 rice field farmers in Ibaraki, was the 200 pages book from the Ministry of Construction in Tokyo. They worked for one year, together with our engineers, to finally grant us a Permit to build 1340 houses (shaped canvases creating settlements as houses without walls).Our projects are discussed and argued about, pro and con, before they are realized.To understand our work one must realize what is inherent to each project. However, there is an important difference between our works of art and the usual architecture and urban planning, we are our own sponsors and we pay for our works of art with our own money, never accepting any grants nor sponsors.

Their monumental undertakings have always been controversial. This controversy stems not from the subject matter, but because of the encroachment into public space. After viewing some of the projects by these two, would you be opposed to a large scale Christo project happening on our campus?...In your hometown?...why or why not?

Put yourself in the shoes of a public official and consider what types of issues that you would have to take into consideration before giving one of Christo's projects the green light...please explain.

Within our current system of Art, there are many other people involved besides the actual artist. Please give examples of others that contribute to a work of art being seen by the public.

Blog Post #1

Recently in class, we determined that institutions like museums and galleries are who define what art is, and from this weeks lecture we have seen that art as we know it has changed greatly and developed into much broader contexts. Chapter 1 in your text book divides up art into several categories like Fine Art, Popular Culture, and Kitsch. In our class we will be considering all types and not just Fine or High Art. The reason for this is that my understanding of art today is not limited to what I see in a museum or gallery, that within theories like, Visual Culture, all of what we see on a daily basis is taken into consideration. Contemporary artists are keen on understanding the blurring of categories of art...that there is a good deal of grey area to work within and to create new ideas from. For example, lets look at contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami .

Most recently he was given a very large exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Murakami wants to occupy the space between high art and popular culture...he produces paintings, installations, large scale inflatable art, designer handbags and many types of commercially available objects. His work is a blend of different cultures and different styles but it always reflects a self-conscious consumerism. Please visit the two links I have provided, google for more info if needed, and respond to one or more of the questions within this post.

If an artist works with a team of people to complete large projects and/or to produce objects that are not unique, but are for public consumption, does this diminish your definition of what an artist is? Please explain.

What is more important in your definition: (1)the artwork's meaning or (2)its aesthetic appeal?

Why do you think that Murakami continues to produce objects that we might think of as kitsch or far from the realm of high art? Do you think his large scale paintings and sculpture should be enough?