Outside project UMOCA

Unfortunately, I was unable to join the class on their trip to Chaco Canyon. 

I ended up taking a field trip to the UMOCA in Salt Lake City. 

Unfortunatley, all of my photos were on my phone, which then died, and had to be replaced. 

Fortunately, I brought my old camera along. 

Unfortunately, I haven't developed the film yet. 

The art piece that stood out the most to me was the mural in the center of the museum. The wall was completely covered in portraits fo famous women. I recognized a handful of these faces and to my dismay, did not recognize a large percentage of them. 

There was a stack of papers, on a single chair, facing the mural, in the center of the room. It seemed to call for me to sit on and take the time to study the faces of the women on the wall. The papers on the chair were a combined list of the women's faces and what they had accomplished, what the had contributed to the world. There were over 100 women, many of which I had no idea had such an impact on the things I take for granted: cinema, teaching, politics, civil rights, boating, etc. I was overwhelmed by the fact that I had no idea who these people were. I was confused as to why these people weren't mentioned in any of my classes as a student in high school or college, and I slowly began to grow frustrated. Why was there a big focus on a small handful of noteworthy men and little or no focus on the impact of these women? 

The exhibits that filled the other rooms were focused on the individual. Photographics portraits of people covered the walls of one room. No descriptions accompanied the photographs and I absolutely loved the freedom that I had to interpret each individual face. Why were these people on the walls? What impact have they had on one person, or many people? How talks about them? 

I felt that these two pieces really tied together because of their focus on the impact that people have, and the sad fact that sometimes that impact is not presented or discussed enough. 

Failure Project

Figure drawing. 

I have never taken a class on figure drawing. 

I never received formal art training. 

This is my master's class. 

We brought drawing materials to class and did some figure drawing.  

I received a 2 minute long drawing lesson. 

Four different people taught me everything they knew in those 2 minutes. 

I was surrounded by very skilled people. 

I was very intimidated. 

What I loved the most was all the help and tips I received from my friends. 

The blank paper, the drawing tools, the amount of skill surrounding me were terrifying. 

I stared at my sketch pad for a long time. 

The thought of even starting was daunting, because I knew what it would end up looking like...

Here are my first sketches: 

I then went home and practied using my husband as a model. 

Takeaways:

I'm a perfectionist. 

I don't feel comfortable with not being successful. 

I have pushed myself a lot this semester to be ok with not being successful. 

I have learned that there are things that I am not good at, which is frustrating, but also comforting. 

Final Question 1

Abstraction: Abstract art is art that is not meant to clearly represent anything specific. Abstraction is meant to draw feelings and emotions from its viewers, without creating a realistic representation of people or objects. A large part of abstraction is the role that paint plays in the making of an artwork. Abstract art is free of form and heavily focused on the use of paint; how and where it is placed. The artwork presented above is abstract in that it is not a clear representation of a specific object. Feelings are meant to be drawn from it based on how it was created (movement, medium, placement, etc.)

Modernism: Modern art has a different approach in that art is more refined and simplified in a sense. Although modernism does not represent a specific subject (much like abstraction), it is focused on flatness and honest use of paint. Colors are respected and shapes are straight forward, as though a level of perfection is wanting to be reached. In modernism artists are to be true to paint, no realistic representation that would distract from its purity.

Color Theory: Color Theory is the theory that colors can carry feelings and emotions if used properly. It is well known that certain colors can ellicit specific feelings, and artists use that to communicate messages to their audience. A specific mood can be presented simply by the use of a scale of colors. Color Theory is a large part of modernism as it focuses on color itself, and not on the use of objects or accurate representations of them. The focus is on the use of paint and color to transmit a message.

Artwork: (I was absent due to fall break when we gathered our paintings and made a class collage. Also, my skin color paintings vanished during that transtion...However, I was excited to be able to take my abstract paintings home and create and independent piece of work)
A postmodern artits would see this image in a positive light as it is not meant to represent any specific subject, rather its focus is on form and carrying a message accross through color and placement of paint. The artwork is mainly about the paint itself and not about honest representation. Perhaps a postmodern artist would not approve of the pasting, the deconstructing and constructing of the artwork as it takes the focus away from the purity of the applied paint.

Questions for my students:
1. Would you consider this artwork to be modern?
2. Do you consider this artwork to be art? Why or why not?
3. How do you respond emotionally to this artwork?
4. Do you see a stronger focus on form or on the use of paint? 

Plexus no. 29

Walking into the MOA, one’s eyes are quickly drawn upwards; Plexus no. 29 spans the entrance. 80 miles of colorful thread, stretched back and forth across the ceiling. Sudden changes in sound cause the tightly pulled threads to vibrate ever so slightly. The use of thread gives the installation a light and peaceful feeling. The rainbow gradation also gives it a familiar feeling, an artwork that is safe to approach. In addition, the choice of medium gives the artwork life as our eyes travel along individual threads and groups of threads. As the prism of color spirals towards the top of the room, we are led to spin ourselves around and follow the movement. Size plays an important role in Plexus no. 29. The magnitude of the installation causes the viewer to be actively engaged in the artwork. A conversation occurs between the artwork and the soul, as movement and questioning are interweaved in order to gain meaning. Even from the lowest point on the ground, laying flat on one's back, one is unable to take in the entire artwork; one's eyes are forced to move about along the threads. 

1. What message is the artist trying to carry through the installation? 

2. Would the artwork have a similar impact if it was placed somewhere else in the museum? 

3. What if there was no light around it? Walls constraining? 

4. Is Plexus no. 29 part of a series? 

5. What effect would the artwork have if a different medium was used?

ART 21 Kara Walker response

Kara Walker video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRkP5rcXtys

How people are portrayed

How information is presented

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/gun-deaths/

We do not present ourselves accurately on social media.

Similarly, much of the information on social media is inaccurate or biased.

It seems that Kara Walker is depicting the representation of African Americans in society, the way they are viewed.

Not because that is who they are, but that is who we have made them.

It's as if she is saying,

"Our lives are important, but this is not who we are."

Questions to consider:
How are minorities represented online and through social media?
More specifically, how are African Americans protrayed online and through social medai?
What do you know about African Americans?
What is your gut reaction when controversial issues are brought up?

How are you portraying yourself online and through social media?
What do others know about you and your "race"?

What percentage of your life is TRULY represented online and through social media?

Art response

My life matters

This is not my life

I have been thinking a lot about my project and my presentation. 

I am wondering if I took the right approach or if I interpreted it in too much of a different light. 

Did I stay safe in my conversation?

Did I stay safe with my response? 

Did I create a controversial situation? Or did I just talk about it lightly? 

Did I steer away from things that cause me stress? 

Did I challenge myself enough?

Not sure. 

Cornel West, Bell Hooks and Michel Foucault

Who are Cornel West, Bell Hooks and Michel Foucault. What do they have to say about postmodernity, deconstruction, and race? 


Cornel West: Cornel West is a social activist. The majority of his thought focuses on "race, gender, and class in American society and the means by which people act and react to their 'radical conditionedness'. He is often featured on the media as a commentator on political and social issues."West believes that "white America" dominates today's culture, and that "white supremacy" continues to define everyday life. West spoke up after 9/11 stating that it was a wake up call for most Americans. It gave most citizens a glimpse into the fear and uncertainty that African Americans face on a day to day basis. Cornel West has little trust in any form of authority. West is very vocal in his beliefs. 


Bell Hooks: Her full name is Gloria Jean Watkins. She is an author, feminist, and also a social activist. "Primarily through a postmodern perspective, she has addressed race, class, and gender in education, art, history, sexuality, mass media, and feminism."Bell Hooks often writes of adversity related to segregation. She challenges the definition of feminism and racism and how they are commonly perceived.Her more recent publications and presentations focus on a loving community. Communities with strong relationships are crucial to developing understanding and equality. 


Michel Foucault: A French philospher whose theories addressed the the relationship between power and knowledge. He believed that these were used as a form of social control. He rejected the term of postmodernism and prefered "a critical history of modernity". Similarly to Cornel West, Michel Foucault questioned authority and domination of certain parts of society. 

art and design

In order to get a better understanding of art and design, and also to find a more effective way to word my thoughts, I decided to do a little bit of research on the topic. I was not aware of the popularity of this discussion and was excited to gain an understanding of other peoples' perspective.  
I found two points that seemed very interesting: 

So, according to a great number of people, art and design each have their specific purposes. Art starts with a blank slate and is created in order to evoke emotions and feelings within the viewer. Artists create so that their audience will feel. In contrast, design starts with a specific point, a purpose and is created in order to carry a message based on a symbol, an image, words, etc. Designers create to communicate something that already exists, but in a different fashion. 

Although I agree with some of the points above, I feel that art and design are much more deeply connected. That is why I entitled this post "art and design" and not "art vs design". Art and design are both used to convey messages and get responses (whether physical, emotional or spiritual) from their audiences. Art and design are both a way to create aesthetic experiences for people. 

As I was walking through the HFAC and soaking in all of the amazing artwork put on by the students at BYU, several thoughts came to my mind. To start off, I was truly blown away by the talent that is present at our institution. Rarely do I see so many inspiring artworks covering the walls of buildings on campus, it felt like a breath of fresh creative air! I could have walked through the halls and exhibits for hours. Second, our original assignment was to get a grasp on the differences between art and design and I felt that the more I paced the halls, the more the line blurred. I am not sure if it was due to everything being presented in close proximity or whether they all meant the same to me; an aesthetic and pleasing experience. 

Combining my short research period and my personal experience at the HFAC I feel that art and design are both meant to initially please the viewer and to carry a message. Although their purposes may be a little different, they are both tools that are used for people to make connections, with the artwork itself or a concept being presented. 

Information found at: http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/09/the-difference-between-art-and-design/

modern art and modernism

Modernism critizes art from the inside, whereas many other approaches criticize art from the outside. Rather than having a strong focus on color and composition, my take on Modernim is its focus on the process that the artist went through to reach the final product. In relation to painting: accentuation of brush strokes, placement of paint, movement of the artist's body, size of the canvas, and other art-making components are all important aspects of modern art, more so than a representation or an impression of something specific.
Clement Greenberg explains that Modernism uses art to call attention to art, which I love. I feel that Modernism gives way for the motion and movement that occurs during art-making. Greenberg also says, "The immediate aims of Modernist artists remain individual before anything else, and the truth and success of their work is individual before it is anything else."
So.
My take on Modernism is the importance of what an artist does personally to reach the final product.

In a small way, Modernism reminds me of the short video we watched at the start of the semester. In "The Gap" it is said that we are never truly pleased with our artwork. What we produce will never completely represent what we compose in our mind. In order to feel successful one must try again and again and again. Quit. Start over. Go with something different. Try a different angle. Repeat. Quit. Try again. This pull towards repetition refines our artworks (according to what we personally feel to be successful) yet also pushes us to pay closer attention to our approach, the process we go through to reach the final product. We begin to pay closer attention to how we create versus what we are creating. To me Modernism works in that way because, once again, the focus is on the process.

syncopation

"...a rhythm that disturbs our

perception of time as a regular flow, producing the feeling that time may be coming

out of joint.”

Syncopation causes us to suspend

our original inclinations or reactions to certain stimuli.

This is very representative of

contemporary art, as it pushes us to

rethink

what

we

deem

normal

or

expected.

There is often immense pleasure

found in syncopation.

Contemporary art can thus have two purposes, and this is just Amandine

drawing conclusions.

It can disturb us,

knock us off balance,

and bother us.

However, it can also make us feel complete,

 and fulfill the urge for change.

the gap

What do these two pieces suggest to you about the education of the artist? How have you experienced any of these ideas in your own creative life? 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/movies/mike-birbiglias-6-tips-for-making-it-small-in-hollywood-or-anywhere.html?_r=1

https://vimeo.com/85040589

     The education of the artist takes time. I took comfort in the video because it reminded me of the importance to fail. Through practice we learn that failure is important, and is what gets us to where we want to be. It was mentioned that our art production will take a lifetime to properly represent what goes on in our mind. I find that to be so true! When I sit myself down and try to create something, I feel that it seldom represents what was in my mind's eye. But that is a cool concept! It pushes me to try again and again. It pushes me to revisit my expectations and be open to imperfect outcomes. 

     Using an educational approach, it is important for children to understand that in a sense, a perfect artwork won't happen right away...It takes time and practice and appreciation for the PROCESS of creating something before we can truly appreciate our own art. 

aesthetic biography