Take home final assignment

              Samara Golden is an Artist that created a piece called "The Flat Side of The Knife". Based on the title of this installation my interpretation of it is,  a knife is a dangerous tool the flat side is shiny and smooth but as it gets closer to the edge its jagged, which means means it's rough point.
             Based on this information from the title and viewing this this piece which includes a video of the ocean and musical instruments, will chairs, surgical equipment in a huge mirror that is used to reflect what's underneath. This is basically showing what is above is the same below, the mirrors gives us the illusion that there is a third level. This is called "layers of consciousness" which also helps with the illusion of space.I believe that the mirrors was a great add to the piece, it was a great way to add more levels when there was only 2.
              There is a small section on the lower level of her piece, where it was more of a comfort zone it included a sofa and a t.v. In an interview Samara mention that the couch was from her hometown Michigan. Also said that the lower level was her favorite. continuing on with the interview she also specified that this piece is the deepest she has ever created and also the largest installation she has ever done.
              This installation was the most personal to her because about 10 years ago from creating this she suffered with pneumonia and death was imminent, this piece represents the environment and her experience around her the way she was feeling at the time. She refers to this art piece has layers of consciousness because having a near death experience messes with the subconscious mind,which now I believe that is the reason why the lower level is her favorite because it was memories and that's what the preconscious mind holds thoughts feelings and memories.
               I believe her name fits well into this piece also, Samara means protected by God. For her to over come this near death experience really is amazing, God gave her another chance at life and she decided to share this experience that she was going through with us. It makes me look at the world in a different way, I will never take anything for granted because at any point I can have my life taken away from me.

           

Online assignment # 9

Intro: Kiki Smith is an extraordinary artist.  She was born in Germany in 1954 but was raised in New Jersey. Kiki and her sister helped out her father who was also a sculptor with his projects which was her first experience with art. she was brought up in a catholic church and, her observations to the art work around her combined with the religious belief that she was following, it had an impact in her works the she has created. A lot of her pieces has a purpose of storytelling and beliefs she also creates them in a way that you the view can create your own story with her art of art so its not limited. 
       
The art works I will be speaking about during my presentation:
1. Lucy's Daughters
2.Moons
3.Banshee pearls/ Untitled
4.Ginzer
5.Ribs

Bibliography:
1.http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A5486&page_number=7&template_id=1&sort_order=1
2.http://www.pacegallery.com/artists/442/kiki-smith
3.http://www.moma.org/explore/multimedia/audios/281/3187
4.http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/kiki-smith

Online Assignment # 7

Cubism is a form of art that has geometric shapes. It has many different angles, in a sense it is a way of showing realism in the art piece but in a different aspect. Others describe it as “depict the world as it is and not as it seems.”Many of Pablo Picasso's piece were in a cubism style. For example one of his pieces called “Still Life with liqueur Bottle”, in this piece you can see the many different shapes he painted to create one piece in fact in the piece and can see the liqueur bottle in the bottom left. Although there is a lot of shapes and piece going on this artwork, you don't lose sight of the main focus. This was created in Horta de San Joan, August 1909. Its an oil painting, that's is 81.6 x 65.4 cm big. There is not an specific background information of to why he painted this piece, but judging by the title I can assume that, he means when in doubt or when feeling low people tend to go for a drink and some how it keeps them going in other words they rely on drinking.

Pop Art is a movement that started in the 1950’s , it was a combination of representing popular culture, current news, and advertisement. Michelangelo Pistoletto born 1933 , created a piece called “Man with The Yellow Pants” in 1964 this piece was made out of Paper, oil, and pencil on polished stainless steel. Its size is 200.3 x 100 cm big. This piece was created to have anyone who see it , to be part of the art piece and no matter who and what is around. The piece seems to always change depending on what's going on around it.

Online assignment #6

               
             Kiki walker, is a artist that believes art is a what's going on inside you and the artist is the one who makes those feelings, emotions, thoughts come to life. Its a way to express what your feeling in a way others can see rather than trying to put to words. Walker had a tough time when she was a child to read so the best way for her to understand what things were saying was by looking at things so it can give her the sense of what's going on around her. She also creates drawings of thing but then later makes them into a sculpture she believes in different way to make the image come alive, in her own words she states " they get to live again, they get to have a life outside just one version". She mentions that there is a type of relationship with the group with her sculptures, meaning that it's just more emotions when its laying down or more closer to the ground rather it standing up.

            Kiki walker was in an environment where there was a lot of death around her which influenced most of her work and style. There was a period where she has done some work on dead bird and some of her work was for the death of her sister and cat. There's some dolls that she makes that to her it , she strongly believe that it doesn't need to be precise nor perfect , she even admits to walking around with them knocking them over so that a few piece will break off. She explains that she does that because then it gives the piece a personal meaning it could b e for her own or it can have a personal meaning for someone else.

            Kiki's work is a combination of others working with her its not just her doing everything, she's amazing at what she does but also admires others who have great talent that she isn't able to part into her own. For example she loves fabric and adores the way the fabric workshop & museum does it and how they are able to take one's work and transfer it to the fabric piece, she works with them in order to get her desired look. It isn't just one form of art kiki forces on she does multiplies such as blankets, jewelry, drawings and sculptures and many admire that she works 24/7 there isn't a certain place where it's like i start and finish here and when i go home ill think of more ideas, because she works anywhere and everywhere her mind is art.

Impressionism and Post impressionism

Online Assignment #5
          
           Impressionism was started in the 1860s, it was a modern movement in painting. According to the online lecture "HarmonIntroImpressionismPostImpressionism" the artist drew what they saw with their eyes rather than what their mind knows. The impressionist often viewed the world as a gift its beaut had an objective but not much about the emotional aspect. Some would capture the emotional bounds between kids and their mothers but it was more of the connection on how she saw them spending quality time with one another. Most of the artist would capture middle class individual enjoying the most entertaining points of their lives of others. Also Japanese patterns were very popular during this time period which is often reflected in the impressionist art works. As well as photograph, it was sort of copied in impressionism art for example the cut off as through it didnt have space to fit in the frame.

           Artist started to change the way the did impressionism, it was more and more influenced by the Japanese culture. Also the use of color started to become a way to express the energy in the painting. Another way impressionist did their art works were by using the color to fill in the space that wasn't being used but by choosing a right color to do so, as I mentioned it helps to express the energy of the painting. Often times their works include shapes and a lot of the things around them like its really been influenced by the culture.

Assignment #3

    Renaissance is an approach that came along in Europe when religion became fairly popular during  the middle ages. They named this period Renaissance which means "Rebirth" because of the recurring interest of art and classical Greece and Rome. This was a new transformation that created the modern society also renewed understanding that turned around European medieval world. There are two different forms of Renaissance art because the people of the south kept the religious aspects and the north had more of a Gothic feel in their artworks.

   "Venus and Cupid" was one of the many paintings done by Lorenzo Lotto. He was born during the Renaissances period in Northern Italy specifically Venice. This painting was done between 1480-1556 preferably mid-1520s, the story that is being told in this piece is, Venus is with her son Cupid and some of her features were probably inspired by the bride from the ancient marriage "epithalamia" ."Venus has a shell above head and the rose petals resting on her lap are her attributes, the ivy is symbolic of fidelity and the myrtle wreath was worn by the bride. Cupid’s action, an augury of fertility, confers a mood of light-hearted wit. for a cultivated couple in either Bergamo or Venice.". The formal elements in this piece are color which has a mix of warm which is the red and cool which is the blue those pop out the most in this piece. To my understanding the art piece is balance because there are two people in the painting but each are on either side.

   Baroque was a style of art that was during the time period of 1600 to 1700 which was influenced by the techniques from the renaissance period. This style was more dramatic, had a lot more emotion and a great scale of energy that reflected off the artworks. The artist that used this style had an abundance of light and shadows beaming off their creations. Baroque was a new form of expression of the religious faith, it was personal and mystical.  

   "Self Portrait" by Salvator Rosa was painted roughly around 1647. This piece was a gift for Giovanni his friend but later was told it was himself in the portrait. In this piece you can see a lot of emotion in his face, hes focused in what he is writing. Also in this piece there a lot of dark colors and very little highlight on the ball and as well as his cheeks. Rosa is from Italy, Naples  

online assignment #2

         According to the online lecture "HarmanIntroDesignPrinciples"there are several different ways that artist can unify their artwork. The use of color and shapes, repetition, patterns and using one item to bring together the whole piece.  For example "planetary prayers" by Alex Grey in this piece he uses colors blue, red, white and purple continuously throughout the piece. He also adds In a few eye shapes, the vains running through the face moves out of the body and into the background which transforms into lightning.

        The way artists use asymmetrical balance in their artwork is by using directional forces which means in the piece there would be a few elements that are moving in one direction which then balances the asymmetrical piece of art. Colors such as warm and cool colors help bring focus to one side which help even out the piece without it being the same on the other. Using small forms to balance larger forms is also another way. For example in "Jockeys before the race" by Edgar Degas it seems to me that he uses the smaller horses in back to make the horse in the front more important in other words the focus of the piece. Also the color choices, everything in this piece is more settle and cool then theres the warm color of the horses which is bold

          The use of scale in ones art piece can either make it a humorous where the viewer will not take the object that is might to be greater to seriously but still understand the concept of the artwork. Some of the scale art pieces sometimes exaggerate items that are known to be much smaller. There are meant to represent something much greater in some pieces. There are some pieces that has used the viewer of part of its concept whether the piece is tiny or the piece is big. For example " the EYE" by Tony Tasset has a humorous feel to it which is placed in the park where it will attract more attention.