Module 10 Blog Posting

I chose Buddhism because that religion has always been of interest to me and I also chose to watch Chinese Art: Treasures of the National Palace Museum because it sounded like an informative video on Chinese Art.  In Buddhism, it talks about how Buddhism came to be from developing from questions, rituals, prayer and the thought of a more personal God. This religion embraced all of these. The monuments they create they are truly a heaven on earth. Also it explains how around the Great Stupa there is a walkway surrounded by Buddhist art and every step can lead to new discoveries. There is many evidence of how Buddhism spread to different areas. The Chuang Yen Monastery in New York State and the Borobudur Temple in Indonesia are just a couple examples. This video relates to the book because the book talks about how Buddhism developed and some of it’s structures such as the Nanchan Temple. I think this video did well demonstrating important fact from Buddhist culture and how the architecture and art still remains important today. In Chinese Art: Treasures of the National Palace this video took it’s audience through several pieces of art work over 5,000 years old. This film also talked about the tea bowls they created from the Zhou dynasty, which was used often during this time period. This related to the book because they explained tea bowls created in the late 16^th century. Calligraphy, also mentioned several times in the book was mentioned in this video explaining an artist’s depiction of calligraphy and it’s effect on their idealized world. This video was also very informative of the rare works of art that are rarely viewable by the public such as “Under Glaze Blue” fine porcelain and ancient Ink Stones that resemble the shape of a tongue.

Hand Sketch Drawing

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

It was interesting using my hand as a subject matter to draw, I am not used to not being able to hold the paper while I drew. 

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

I selected pencil because I work better with a pencil and the fine point. 

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

It was odd drawing with my non-dominant hand, I felt almost helpless not being able to use my dominant hand.

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

I think my hand created with my right hand was the better hand. The other hand was very light and less control was present as I struggled to create it. 

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

I think the hand drawn with my left hand almost looks creepy with the pointy fingers, there is an interesting aspect to it. Creating things with your left hand makes things turn out more interesting and different. I would probably create artwork in the future with my non-dominant hand depending on the work.

Blog Posting

 I Choose The Drawings of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance because both are amazing artists in our history. In Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance, I learned that Leonardo da Vinci had many skills such as a painter, engineer, architect, botany, sculptor and hydrodynamics etc. Also, the amount of time he put into thinking about his paintings and what he was going to create before he actually picked up a paintbrush. He also developed urban projects for Milan that had been ruined by the plague. This video relates to the book because it talks about Renaissance and the movement of art at that time. In The Drawings of Michelangelo, It is explained how his works of art can be used as learning material for students. Michelangelo's drawings revealed an emphasis his drawings had on human figures. The Sistine Chapel was one of his greatest works but also one of the most difficult. He was a christian and also had an admiral approach to the male form. This video relates to the text because Michelangelo also had an impact on the Renaissance and he was around when there were vast changes. I think the films do a good job explaining the different facts of each artist and the importance of their work during the time period they created it.

Video Blog

In More Human than Human, It is discussed how human figures we create don't actually look like us. "The Venus of Willendorf". a statue create 25,000 years ago, depicts a woman who doesn't look like a humans do. Body parts were exaggerated. Her breasts, stomach, hips and thighs are dramatically big. Her sexual origins were completely pronounced as well. Her arms are almost non-existent and her face doesn't show at all. This statue was created by skilled artists, so there is a reason why she is made this way. Today she is worth $60 million. Cultures choose to develop the body into something that would satisfy them. This relates to the book because Greek culture is famous for human statues and bringing out various parts of the body.

In Beyond the Classical: Byzantine and Later Greek Art, the 20th century is discussed and how Greek artists looked outside the schools of Munich and Paris for inspiration. They looked to their own Classical and Byzantine art. This period was known as the Heliocentric Modernism. Mixtures of European and Byzantine styles began to develop thoughout the 400-year occupation of the country by the Turks. Also, Western European architecture in the 19th century, influenced by classical Greece, began to create the now familiar cityscapes of the modern western world. This video relates to the book because Living with Art talks explains the classical world of Greece and Rome on page 332 and Byzantine art and architecture is discussed. The Hagia Sophia, a common building located in Istanbul, Turkey.

In The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure, it is determined how the Acropolis is a visual reminder of politics, philosophy and art of the ancient Greek world. Artists at that time were obsessed with the body, portraying the body in a realistic way and making it perfect. The development of the olympic games also idealized the human body's strength and beauty. Greek artists also created sculptures in idealized forms and portraits like that of Socrates. Our images of Classical Art is based on purity and simplicity. Greek statues are so realistic, it makes it hard to tell is they are a goddess or a perfect human being. The Acropolis and it's buildings like the Parthenon and the Erechthion, are the most obvious reminders to us now of the revolution in art and architecture in Ancient Greece, but it was more so sculpture and the way the Greeks learned to depict themselves was at the heart of that revolution. This video relates to the book because it is also discussed the emphasis the Greeks put on the human figure. "Warrior A" from the book was a bronze statue that is the idealized image of a virile male body, the anatomy of this figure was from looking at hundreds of athletic physiques.

I choose these videos because they all relate to the human body and I think it is very interesting the way different cultures viewed themselves and others around them. These videos did a great job explaining the first images known of the body being created to how the ancient Greeks created these works of art.

Module Seven Video Review

In Frank Lloyd Wright's Prarie Style talks about how Frank Lloyd Wright designed the homes he created. He designed mostly single family home with horizontal lines that feel as though they "grow out of the land". His houses fulfill an open concept. The Tomak House in Illinois shows harmony between the buyer and architecture. This house is very unique because the living spaces are located above. He was very interested in an open concept. The opposite of Victorian homes at that time. This video relates to the text because it talks about how he made the house based on it's surroundings and elements. He had many windows in his houses to follow the path of the sun and allow substantial sunlight. I choose Frank Lloyd Wright's Prarie Style because I am familiar with his style of housing. I think this film does a great job showing off Frank Lloyd Wrights work and showing how his buildings are part of a landscape. There is one located in Buffalo called the Martin House and it truly is a remarkable place.

Last Call for Planet Earth: Sustainable Development and Architecture explains how the way we are designing buildings needs to change in order to protect our fragile environment. The training center at Herne-Sodingen of the Ministry of the Interior is an architectural concept for the ecological renewal of the Ruhr region. It's greenhouse effect exemplifies passive solar energy. The idea of this place which includes a restaurant, library and other key living needs, was to pose as a small town that could live on their own and control the temperature within using natural resources. This video relates to the text because the type of materials used are based on the surrounding factors, like how the Herne-Sodigen training academy is located in an area that doesn't get much sunlight so it is made of all windows. I think this film does a good job explaining how the different economically friendly structures relate to their environment. Using a home that is made from wood and glass and insulated with straw and no harsh chemicals to seal the materials can be very eco-friendly. I choose this film because I am very interested in green energy and how it is being used to improve our time here on earth.

Installation Art

Installation art is an art form in which an entire room or similar space is treated as a work of art. Installation can be the placing of a work of art in a specific location. Installation art can be made of several different materials of the artist’s choice such as cardboard, adhesive tape, aluminum foil, etc. People make installation art to make an environment viewable to the public. I found Richard Wilson’s 20:50 to be very interesting. This installation was created in 1987. It consists of a lake of sump oil and confusingly reflects the ceiling of a gallery in London.

I really feel a connection with Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The Gates. 1979-2005. This work of art if very pleasant and bright and I like that it is located outside. In my installation I am going to explore Nature and the Environment. This art will be located outside because I feel I need this piece to be located in an open area. The materials used were plastic, wood, rubber, cloth and metal. When looking at my installation piece you may just see some chairs facing each other, look closer and you can see different elements used to give a different view. They are facing each other to represent communication. The old wood pieces used around the outside are to define and connect this space and make it all united as one. There are different objects within the space that people use to interact for fun with other people. A Frisbee, ball, bean bags, ping pong balls and a bowl you would use to snack on things are all things I considered brought people together. 

Video Reviews

The first video, Through the Eyes of the Sculptor talks about Michelangelo's impact on culture in Italy. Emmanuel Fillion talks about creating new work and how he has been creating sculptures since he was a little boy. Fillion first sketches his designs in clay then begins to sculpt. He chooses to work on a marble surface that will become flawless in the end. In the second video, Glass and Ceramics, it talks about how glass is heated and turned in to a liquid then the artist creates the shape they want it. Also how laminated glass is used in schools and sports arenas. The next video, Installation Art explains how this trend manipulates the space and sends the viewer to observe three-dimensional spaces in a completely different way. Also very interesting is Mike Nelson's Coral Reef. These videos relate to the text because they all explain different ways to make artwork.  I think these videos are very educating as far as what Sculpture, Installation and Craft are.  I now understand how the glass is actually shaped for the artist to use. Also that installation art is art that can define a space if the artist's choosing. Another thing I learned with the Sculpture video is that different artists can be a specialist in a specific area when carving sculptures such as a specialist for only hair, drapes or the shape of the face.

Blog Review

Blog #1
Blog #2

The two blogs that I viewed were done very well. I think project number one on both blogs sufficiently described the elements of design and were very creative. Blog number two shared a picture from the art gallery the same one I found to be very interesting.  The Quiet of Dissolution, Firestorm 2008, by Sonja Braas has made an impression on the person who posted this blog and I as well. It truly is an amazing piece of work. In Blog posting number one there is a painting by James J. Vullo called "Children at Work" which portrays modern times. This also piques my interest and I would like to know about that painting and James J. Vullo himself. I think it was a good learning experience to read my peers writing, it definitely shows me a different perspective and other people's opinions. I find the comments both helpful and inspiring. I am pleased with the positive comments.

Art Gallery Visit

I had a nice time visiting the art gallery today. I used the automated tour guide and really got a lot out of my visit. There were a couple piece of art work that had an impact on me. The Quiet of Dissolution, Firestorm 2008 by Sonja Braas was very vivid. The image depicts a natural or man-made disaster. If you were to look closely you can see headlights from cars trying to leave the city. This piece of work was made by taking a photograph of a strategically lit marquette. She later destroyed it. (there is a little bit of a reflection from another artwork)


Another piece of work that has had an impact on me was Taaffe, Locust Auratus by Philip Taaffe. This piece of work is about creating equality throughout the work. He used actual 24ct gold strips as the stripes in the painting. If you looked closely you can see that the pattern at the top of the painting is different from the bottom.

Seeing the wall drawing up close knowing what I know about it, It made seeing it up close very exciting. I brought my boyfriend with me and he didn't even realize that it was thousands and thousands of scribbles. That drawing Scribbles: Staircase 2006 (installed 2010) by Sol Lewitt, really gives me sort of a connection because you can't tell what it is until you look closely. This relates to life because looking at the big picture, you don't get as much out of things but when you focus on the little things or details it can create so much more opportunities. Another artwork I feel a connection with is James Rosenquist's Nomad, 1963. This painting shows how the artist focuses on images in our everyday lives. There were everyday objects in this painting such as laundry detergent, a picnic table, things to do for fun like ballet and a microphone. The "new" located in the painting was referring to the times and the wallet to the importance of money in society. That really is how things are now, everything has a cost and you need the money to pay for it. 

While looking around I noticed greek Funerary Ritual objects. I found this very interesting and I think this would be fun to learn about. The ancient greeks believed when a person died his or her spirit left the body and went to the underworld, which was rules by Hades. A coin was put under the person who passed as payment to Charon, the ferryman of the dead. 

Another piece of work I would like to learn more about is Mona Hatoum's + and - 2004-2006. This is very interesting because when you stand next to it, it is very calming. Like culture and history the circle keeps going and so does time.