Final Studio Project explanation

For my studio project, I applied similarities and differences of my studied artist, Sol LeWitt's artistic techniques. Because LeWitt often wrote a set of "rules" to go with his artwork, I did the same. I set a "rule" for myself while making the project. The rule was to draw 50 lines for each piece of art. They could be any size, color, or texture, but they had to formulate a pattern.
Within the rule, I am following LeWitt's use of lines and pattern. I am also following his idea of using written rules in artwork. I am focusing on the idea, rather than the art itself, with the knowledge that once my idea is applied, it is no longer my original idea.
Though I am influenced by his use of pattern, line, and rules, I am doing the opposite of how LeWitt would have applied the piece. First, I, the artist, am the one physically making the art piece. I am following my own rules. LeWitt would have never done so, and would have given the rules to other artists to apply. Second, LeWitt often left his patterned wall pieces without color, or with directions on how to use color. Here, I am allowing myself to use whatever colors of sizes I want. This is going against the minimalist trends in LeWitt's artwork. Furthermore, I used paper and paint to complete my piece. LeWitt often used walls or wood as material in order to make a structure or piece.
Once I finished my project, I realized how difficult it was to follow one's own set of rules. I often wanted to break them, or go back and change the rule. In result, the idea behind my art work was automatically changed the second I began to physically apply it. By struggling with the rule, I gained more respect for LeWitt's idea of using others to preform his artistic idea. I believe he did so because it kept the original idea more in tact, rather than wanting to go back and change it.
In conclusion, I completed my final project by both following and contradicting Sol LeWitt's trends and rules found in his pieces. By doing so, I believe that I gained more knowledge and respect for the artist, and the meaning behind his artistic trend.

Blog Post: George Kubler - The Shape of Time

Blog Post: George Kubler - The Shape of Time

In this piece, Kubler discusses the traits of great artists. He touches upon the differences between talent and position in sequence. Talented pupils begin at a young age, and their skill out-shines their peers. While others have a hidden, or talent that has yet to be discovered. In result, time and opportunity plays a great deal in who is deemed talented.

The point I found to be most interesting is when Kubler pointed out that the artist used to be a rebel and an entertainer, and now they are not. To be a rebel, one must take effort away from their work, which artists are not willing to do. And, entertainers have professional common goals that an artist is excluded from. The artist is lonely, and works as a craftsman of “wonderful and frightening” surprises for his immediate circle.

I found this point in the text to be the most interesting because he is explaining the growth of the artist, and how artists have a small and lonely immediate circle. He mentions before that art is an invisible chain, almost always based off tradition. And, though an artist’s work is almost always to amuse the audience, all-important audiences come from a lonely class. This reminds me of many musicians and actors that lived to entertain others, but lived a very lonely life. For instance, Michael Jackson spent almost the eternity of his life amusing an audience, yet his life was lonely. Kubler says that an artist is no longer an entertainer, nor a rebel. In result, they are lonelier than ever.

Tufte- Escaping Flatland

While reading the Edward Tufte piece, “Escaping Flatland”, I had several insights on what 2-D represents to the viewer, how it is limited, and how it benefits society.

I believe that two dimensional images are limited because communication between the readers of an image and the makers of an image takes place on a 2-D surface, though we as people live our lives through 3-D. This means that within every flatland there will be a limit in dimensional capacity. While looking at an image, the viewer cannot look at the whole.

            Though two definitional images are limited, image has allowed the most complex objects to be tangible to the average being. This has helped society develop, gain facts, and obtain knowledge regarding the world around them.

For instance, the mapping of sunspot distribution, the modern butterfly diagram, or maps of the solar system has allowed the average being to be more knowledgeable regarding an abstract idea. Image can make something complex more understandable. Simple designs further the knowledge of ideas, and allow them to be more straight forward.

In conclusion, though two-dimensional image is limited in certain aspects, societies knowledge of the world continues to grow. Just because a picture’s perspective may have a capacity, knowledge for the world around us does not.

            

Whitescapes

Ad. Breakdown: Phase One (Print Media)

Ad. Breakdown
Phase One: Print Media
Original Photo Used

Ways of Seeing

An insight I gained from the reading was that time and culture are constantly changing the perspective of an image. Today, one will look at a piece of art in a way nobody looked at it before, and is viewed from a completely different perspective or point. This makes art so powerful because as the image ages, it's meaning may change with culture. The author relates this back to the perspective of a work of art being in the eye of the beholder.

Another insight I found from the text was the authors view on art of the past. He claims that art of the past no longer exists as it once did. Now, there is the authority of language of an image. I found this to be enlightening because I agree with the author when he says that this cuts off an entire class of people. In result, the entirety of art's past is a political issue in interpretation. I never looked at art's past from this perspective, and I found it an interesting approach to art's true meaning in modern day.

In conclusion, I believe that time, culture, and language have authority over art of the past, where the actual piece of art doesn't have a significant amount of authority.

Baltimore Museum of Art

Though the Baltimore Museum of Art displayed many thought-evoking works of art, my favorite was  "Physiological Diagram", a synthetic polymer paint by Andy Warhol. This was my favorite art piece due to the history behind it. Warhol produced this piece in the 1980's, a time where the public had a growing fear of HIV/AIDS, and a time during his aging. In the 1960's Warhol suffered gunshot wounds from the attempt to take his life, and was left with scars on his stomach for the rest of his life. In the 80's, he became interested in new age medicine. As one can see, the painting focuses on the abdominal area where Warhol suffered wounds for the rest of his life. This was my favorite work of art that I saw because it allows the viewer to step into the artist, Andy Warhol's thought process. The viewer is allowed to see what he was thinking of throughout that era.

I also find the colors to be interesting. He paints the body a shocking red color, such as the color of blood. I believe he could have done this to grab the viewers attention, but also to relate it to HIV/AIDS, which can be transmitted through blood. This makes the painting much more universal because it shows that everyone has blood, and is at risk for HIV/AIDS.

I believe "Physiological Diagram" resembles what art truly does, which is unify and relate.

Julio Fine Arts Gallery

Last Friday, I went to the Julio Fine Arts Gallery located in the Andrew White College Center. Though this was not my first time attending the gallery, it was my first time focusing in on the work's meaning. A piece that especially caught my eye was called "White Noise: Lulu." The artist provided meaning behind the painting. She includes the aspect of music through a different medium. Her piece of art was supposed to show the different reactions each person has to music. I found this to be an interesting topic because all feel music in different ways. Music evokes emotion to everyone, but in different ways. She showed two different people listening to the same piece of music, and there is a distinct difference in their facial expressions.

I related this to myself because I feel different emotions than others when I listen to a certain song, and vice versa. I especially find art that shows human emotion to be interesting because everyone can connect to it. In result, this piece of art stood out to me the most. 

Italo Calvino- Visibility

Italo Calvino points out the idea that imagination has two modes of thought. One, is that imagination is an instrument of knowledge, while the other argues that imagination is the identification with the world soul. Calvino sides with imagination as the identification as the world soul.
 He does so because imagination is a way if gaining knowledge outside the individual. He mentions the Neo-platonics originating the idea of imagination as a communication with the would soul romanticism and surrealism I agree with Calvinos stance on imagination being the identification of the world soul because unlike reading and writing, it isn’t learned. Image is charged with meaning, which is universal. He furthers his point by stating that even while reading a scientific technical text, the reader still will unexpectedly create an imagine in their head based off of imagination.
Furthermore, because everyone has a different imagination or vision, it unify the world because it helps us see things from a different perspective. We all have future images, which connects the world in a more empathetic way.
 I find this to be a unifying concept because every person in the world does this without any control. It is natural that this occurs no matter what the text, language, or person. In result, imagination ties the world together in a universal and natural language. It is not an instrument of knowledge, yet a tool for the universal soul.

The Whole Ball of Wax by Jerry Salz- Review

After reading "The Whole Ball of Wax", by Jerry Salz, the importance of what art can do to shift society stuck out to me from a different perspective. I now believe that art can be used as a medium of change. Salz refers to art as a bridge to a new vision, and the vision itself. By reading this, related this to the saying "Life imitates art." In the sense that art is the idea, while the vision itself is the reality, blemished and imperfect.
Another point that Salz puts into perspective is that art cannot be observed objectively. Like most things, art is based off of experience. Taking his input into consideration, I agree that everybody has different experiences and opinions. In result, it is impossible for art to have a singular and objective meaning. With that being said, a piece of art can never be understood.
Salz claims that art is a way of having empathy for others, gaining knowledge that one didn't think they needed, and learning more about yourself. When observing art, one is looking past the canvas itself, and getting a glimpse of what the artist intended. The way they interpret that, and the way the art makes them feel is based off of perspective. Art teaches one pieces of history, or bits of man -kind that they never knew, or wanted to know. He uses the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial to bring this idea to light. The memorial is supposed to channel the unified remorse by using the one thing American Society loathes, which is abstract.
In conclusion, Salz stresses that art can be anything that is the bridge or medium to a new vision and the vision itself, because is is a form of communication that makes one feel, relate, and react.