module 11 pt. ii: art works work for art

Chloe Carr
Module #11: Art Works Work for Art

Questions about the exhibit:
1. Title of the exhibit: Burchfield's Arboretum- A Celebration of Trees
2. Theme of exhibit: Trees

"I watched an elm tree- a star slowly shown forth and suddenly disappeared. What wanders the passing sky holes revealed!"

- Charles E. Burchfield, January 15, 1917

Questions about the physical space:

1. The lighting for the paintings are the same. They are kept in lighting that is bright but not very intense. The lighting of the paintings themselves change; some paintings of the different kinds of trees are dark, bright, and even hold different moods to them.

2. The colors of the walls are cream colored, or almost a pale peach color.

3. There weren't any exact materials for the space around the paintings besides the quote pasted on the wall with a quote from Charles Burchfield. Beside the quote is a painting of a tree painted by Burchfield himself. There was also a banner of trees on either side of one painting.

4. I found it easy, as a viewer to the exhibit, to maneuver through the exhibit. I first walked in to where I saw the title of the exhibit and the quote and what I guess was the 'opening painting' to the exhibit. In front of the title was a string of paintings of some trees, all different and from the same artist: Charles Burchfield.

Questions about the artwork:

1. I don't think the artworks were organized in any specific way, and if they were I haven't yet figured out how. They seem to be mixed; the artworks jumped from being abstracted paintings of trees to realistic paintings of trees. There was one painting that had a boy sitting in the center of a wood with a tree behind him, which seemed to be mixed in with the rest of the paintings of trees all around it.

2. The artworks are similar in that they all have an emphasis on lines and form. There are paintings that have no color, and not all paintings have all of the same principles or elements of art but all of the paintings have evident lines.

3. The artworks are different in that they have different moods to them. Some of the paintings of the trees are made from dark colors and hard lines and others are made of soft, gloomy colors and soft lines. Other paintings are made with bright colors or realistic colors. Some don't have any color at all and are simply made from shades.

4. The artworks are framed differently for each painting. Some paintings have dark framed and others have bright wood.

5. The artworks are labeled and identified by a little plaque next to the paintings that have the artist's name, year made, medium.

6. The paintings are not more than 10 minutes away from each other.

Artist: Charles Burchfield
Title: Unitled
Media: Crayon on paper
Date: 1963-1967
Size: N/A
This art work is of a tree, but it is made up of just lines. There are no other colors and the form of the trees are made up of the lines only. Lines, form, emphasis, and space are the only elements/principles that I noticed, which is why the tree stands out against all of the space around it. I think this artwork is stressing the importance of a simple form of life, since trees can sometimes represnt life

Artist: Charles Burchfield
Title: July Sunlight Pouring Down, a.k.a. Sunlight Pouring Down
Media:Watercolor on paper
Date: 1952
Size: N/A

This artwork is of a tree with sunlight that looks like it is literally pouring down on it. The tree seems to be the only one and the leaves on it are rounded and full. There are plants and flowers surrounding it. Some elements/principles of art that I noticed are color because the color scheme is almost the same throughout the work, form and emphasis because the tree stands out against everything else around it and behind it.

Artist: Charles Burchfield
Title: Untitled (Willow Tree and Rooftop)
Media: Watercolor and pencil on paper
Date: April 1916
Sixe: N/A

This artwork is of a single tree sitting on a dark rooftop. The branches of this tree are thin and look very fragile yet the drooping leaves don't seem to bring down the branches. Some elements/principles in this artwork are color because of the intense green and black, and space because there is nothing else around or in front of the tree and rooftop.

1. I enjoyed visiting the Gallery adn looking at the exhibition from a different prespective. Although this wasn't my first time vising the gallery and looking at paintings, this was my first time really giving more attention to the layout of exhibitions. I payed attention things that I wouldn't normally have payed attention to. I focused on the lighting and realized that even just that gave a certain mood to the exhibit. I payed attention to simple things like the kinds of different styles of the same thing: trees. I payed attention to the colors used in each painting and even tried to decipher the meaning of the titles of the paintings to better understand why they were painted the way that they were. I also focused on the different elements and principles emphasized in each work of art

module 11: cubed expression

Chloe Carr
11/18

Module #11: Cubed Expression


1. I decided to watch The Impact of Cubism and Expressionism because I find both painting styles to be very interesting. I've always been fascinated with these styles and I wanted to know more about their history and the most influential Cubist painters and Expressionists.

2. There were many key concepts for the video The Impact on Cubism. I especially found it interesting that the topic of Cubist paintings are not seen at first sight most times because they are shown in different angles. For example, if the subject of a cubist painting is a person the artist might paint the person by taking angles of the person's face. They might paint the profile of the person and then paint the person's body right next to the face instead of below it. The person would not look anatomically correct, the painter would paint the parts they think is most important to them.
In the video Expressionism I learned that the reason for expressionist paintings is to draw emotion. Painters during this time seeked to express themselves by painting what they feel regardless of whether or not they painting is realistic. More so than not the paintings during this time were not realistic at all, and the colors used are not realistic ones; they can be intensely dark/gloomy or intensely bright.

3. The chapters in the text relate to the videos because the text describes the time of Expressionism as a time of, "intense, arbitrary colors." The text stressed the fact that wavering contours were also very famous for Expressionism. Expressionists valued colors, lines, form, and themes to express themselves. The video The Impact on Cubism relates to the text because Chapter 21 also talked about how abstract Cubism is. The bood defined Cubism as abstract art that shows the world, but fragmented and from multiple points of view. It's not supposed to be realistic, like how the video said, but it is supposed to represent a specific subject.

4. I really enjoyed watching the videos for this Module. I learned a lot more about Cubism and Expressionism than I learned in the past. I learned more about Picasso and, Kadinsky, and more artists. I like the chapter but I think the videos put more things in perspective and showed more about both art movements/styles.

module 10 pt. ii: masked mask maksing masks

Chloe Carr
10.4.18

I really enjoyed making my mask for this module. I don't think it came out the way I wanted, but I wanted to keep it simple like the mask above looked like. My mask was inspired by Indian cloth masks from Ecuador. Indian cloth masks were made for dancers so that they could dance without fearing the devil behind them. I used the color green to dye the fabric  because I wanted to use a bright color to signify happiness, as I am a very happy person. I used yellow around the eyes of the mask because yellow is also a color that I associate with being happy. I wasn't sure if I wanted to cut out a smile in the fabric or draw one on, but I didn't think I could succesfully cut out a smile into the mask. I also added ears to the mask like there are in the first picture and the second picture. In my mask I used elements of art like color and lines. I used very bright colors for the mask and I used lines for the outlining of the eyes and the smile.

module 10: african art's line of hearts

Chloe Carr
10.4.18

1. I decicded to watch African Art and African Art: Legacy of Oppression because I wanted to know more about the history of art from Africa. I especially would like to know what influence being oppressed for decades has on African art, and how much of that influence may still be present in modern, African art.

2. From the video African Art I learned that people in Africa use art every day in their life. They use art for things like their buildings, clothes, utensils, and accessories. It's used for expression and can especially be found in African statues, masks, and other objects. Most of these objects were used in  ceremonies for art and music and dance. These specific objects are ritualistic artifacts that are held in museums and hold significance in African history. African artists base their art on their own, "mental images and perceptions of invisible forces rather than from visible objects." Mnay people look at Africa and believe they have just one style of art, but African art is very diverse as there are many different kinds of art that can be found in Africa itself.
   From the video African Art: Legacy of Oppression I learned about the African art being stored in the Belgium's Tervuren Museum. The specific art is made up of over 200 different African cultures. The art in this museum is different than that in other museums because of its influence. Unlike the art people may associate with African art, the art there has a different sense of energy to it. For example, the video showed a scuplture of a man whose face was facing front but whose body was twisted and scary thin. There were also masks that were bone white that the video described as being associated with death. The reason these forms of art are so "morbid" are because they are symbolic to oppression. The art that was being shown in this video is art that is being used to show what being oppressed had done to the. Something I found interesting was that they made masks that were supposed to intimidate westerners in battle, yet they realized it had no effect on the outcome during that time.

3. The videos relate to the readings in the text because Chapter 18 teaches about the different art forsm in Africa. One very interesting thing that I learned from this chapter is about the masquerades. The one that the book expands on is the performance of the oneyocha, which translates to "white man." This performance depicts a white man writing in a notebook while other maskers dance. The reason for this is to show what they believe Europeans are like, writing in their notebooks when they visit but never really understanding anything because they don't focus on important things. Something from the text that relates to the videos is when they start talking about regal robes that Africans wear. We saw the same traditional pattern in the video African Art, and I learned that that specific kind of pattern is for those who are sacred.

4. I really enjoyed watching the films for a number of reasons. Having already known the history behind African heritage and knowing what the hardships we've had to overcome, I really think learning more about their art is something I really enjoyed. I liked learning about African art before, after, and during the years of oppression they had to withstand. I feel like I better understand African art when it comes to their cultural art, and I better understand the meaning behind the differetn kinds of art.

module 9 pt. ii: handy hands give a hand

Chloe Carr
Module #9

1. I liked using my hand as a subject matter because I found it easy to at least copy most of the outline. I don't think the sketches of my hands are very detailed but they look like hands, which is something I'm proud of.

2. I decided to use pencil for these sketches for a number of reasons. I make many mistakes and I find it easier to erase my mistakes when I make them in pencil. I also decided to use a pencil because I am used to using pencils in my every day life. I am not entirely familiar with using charcoal and though I should have stepped out of my comfort zone, I decided to play it safe and use pencil.

3. I feel like there are major differences between the drawing I made with my right, dominant hand, and the one I made with my left, non-dominant hand. One of the greatest differences that I found is that I couldn't hold the pencil with my non-dominant hand as I did with my dominant one. The pencil was shaky and the final piece looks a lot lighter than the one I did with my right hand.

4. I am very happy with my final drawings. I do believe I could have done a lot more to make them look more realistic but I didn't know what I could have done to do so.

5. I would consider using my non-dominant hand to create artwork in the future because I would like to get more control with using that hand. I did not expect to struggle so much with using that hand to make a sketch but after this exercise I think I would like to improve my skills in that hand.

module 9: response to renaissance

Chloe Carr
Module #9

1. I chose to watch Albrecht Dürer: Image of a Master and Velazquez because I've already learned about Michaelangelo, da Vinci, El Greco, and Caravaggio in past art classes. I've only ever heard of Dürer in passing and thought I would learn about him as a painter. I've never really heard of Velazquez and would also like to know what kind of painter he was and why his art is significant in art history.

2. The video Velazquez focused a lot on the painter's life and the influence it had on his art. He was born in 1599 in Seville and by the age of 24 became court painter for Philip IV. He became friends with the king (his only friend) who gave him the Order of Santiago, or nobility. Of the many different aspects he emphasized in his paintings, he mostly captures light, energy, and air. He didn't paint movement, he painted what the video described as, "real time."
    The video Albrecht Dürer: Image of a Master was about an artist named Albrecht Durer who was most famous during the Renaissance. He held great influence over the people during his time as his art was something very different than what other artists were painting. His art, like those that started to arise during this time, was very unconventional. He painted realistically. He used shadows in faces and used colors realistically. The bodies of his subjects were not all the same. During this time, new ideas about life in general became popular, and the way artists thought about the world around them showed in their art, which was also true for Durer.

3. The videos relate to the readings in the text because chapter 16's main focus was on the Renaissance. During this time, artists focused more on the beauty of their art. The text says, "Renaissance artists sought an idealized beauty, one they created by taking the most beautiful features of numerous examples and combining them." This relates to the videos because both artists painted what they found beautiful about their subjects. They focused on the beautiful features of their subjects and put an emphasis on what they liked, whether that be distinct features or distinct colors.

4. I really enjoyed watching the films. After reading the chapters in the text book I thought I had known what I needed to know about the Renaissance and its impact on artists during that time, but watching the videos really put things in perspective for me. I especially liked learning about artists that I had never really known about. It's always interesting to learn about people who made such an impact on the artistic world and people in general.

module 8: humane humans being human

Chloe Carr
Module #8


1. I chose to watch The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure from the list of videos because I've always found Greek mythology to be very interesting. I've always found Greek study to be interesting as well so I really wanted to know about Greek art and the human figure so that I could compare it to Greek history as well as the timeline of art in American history.

2. The video How Art Made The World 1 - More Human Than Human was very informative. I think it was really centered around the effect of art on people in general. Art has been around since our ancestors and instead of fading away like most concepts have as time went on, art has only flourished. Art, the video says, has become a legacy. There are artistic cultures that carry secrets of civilizations. If there is one universal or ageless depiction in art it's the human body. The way the body has been shown thorugh art is different but alike all at the same time. We can see pictures and paintings and drawings of bodies and know what time period it was from but also know that it is a body. Different aspects of the human body have been valued since the beginning of time, which is why there is more emphasis on a specific body type in all of history.
     In The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure I learned that the Greeks used to value realistic art rather than stylstic art. Ancient Greeks valued the human body in a very specific form. They valued chisled, fit bodies and encouraged their people to excercise and go to the gym. Not only was art something that inspired and motivated them, but the people around them were also something to be motivated by. The form of the Greeks became an obsession for them, as well as what the video called "nobility of soul." To the greeks, there was great value put in the bodies of people. The way you were supposed to look is the way they created their art, and in order for their art to be realistic, people had to basically become their art.

3. The videos can relate to the text because chapter 14 focuses on the history of the way the human body is depicted in art. Figure 14.2 is of a stone figure of a woman with something over her head. Her head is covered which gives me the impression that the artist of the stone did not want the face to be the central point of the figure itself. What holds more detail is the body of the woman, the heavy size of her and the emphasis on her breasts, stomach/torso, and thighs. Because of this I think the ideal body type of women during the time this stone was created was just like the body portrayed in the stone. The way the chapter put it, in a way that can connect to the videos, is that we should alwasy study art of the past so that we may understand their values, even in something as simple as the human body.

4. I really enjoyed watching the videos. Like the readings, they helped me understand the differences in history. I never really thought that there would be such a difference when it came to doing art of the human body because I always thought that a body was a body regardless of how it is shown, but after watching the videos I have a better understanding of the different kinds of emphasis that can be seen in the depictions of the human body throughout time.