African Mask

There were many inspirations to choose from for this project, as each mask seems to have some unique element that I am attracted to. For this project I was looking to represent something similar to the Nkondi figure in our text; somethig that would represent the darker world of African art. The first source of inspiration was from a mask made of wood, cloth, brass belts, human teeth, and black raffia. It was titled Dan "Deangle", yet I am not sure exactly where it originated or what specific purpose it served, if any.

I think this mask captures many of the common elements of African culture discussed in our text, from the intense spiritual nature of the people to the incorporation of the magical and representation of evil sometimes depicted in their masks. I like the darkness of this piece, which is emphasized by the lifelike quality evoked from the use of real human teeth and the visual representation of real hair, these elements contrasting with the general simplicity of the facial features seen in the nose and eyes, as well as the general shape of the face. The brass bells attached to the lower half of the face provides a strong spiritual relation, and may signal the use of this mask in some form of ceremonial ritual.

This Mbala mask originates from the Pende people, and while using mixed media like the last piece, the features are more stylized or abstracted into simple geometric shapes. I chose this mask because of these simplistic forms, especially the use of curved line to depict the eyebrow, eyes, and mouth, a similar feature of Brancusi's Mademoiselle Pogany II at the Albright Knox. Like the Mademoiselle, these features are strong and the carving precise to create a symmetrical balance to the features. The use of the straw material serves to contrast the smoothness of the face and represents the use of varying texture which is seen in many African masks.

These two masks are similar in their simplistic geometric forms to represent the facial features and oval shape of the head. We see the same sense of symmetry as in the other pieces, yet both of these also incorporate a stronger sense of design depicted in the pattern of the raised bumps down the middle of the forehead and cheeks on the mask on the left, and the similar use of such texture and design depicted on the headress and cheeks to the mask on the right. I chose these for their stylized form, which I felt was a bit more pronounced than the last piece.

I constructed my own piece of wax. I really didn't sketch anything, and instead had a general idea to use simple, geometric form and highlight the contrasting use of texture seen in many of these masks. I also wanted to give off that same sense of the darker, evil side of spirituality as seen in the Nkondi figure. While I am satisfied with the result of my mask, I will go back and spend more time to refine it to the point I want it. I found this project interesting and inspiring, as the possibilities for different masks are seemingly endless. I was not happy with the flash reflecting off the wax, but these are some of the better pictures to present.

Art Exhibition Critique

For this project I visited the Albright Knox and critiqued the exhibit Artists in Depth: Arp, Miro, Calder. I had this exhibit already in mind since the work in many ways was somewhat different than I was used to or attracted to, and I felt this would give me a real challenge. While the artists each have unique styles and preferences for materials, the work is similar in that they are all abstract or surrealist works which combine visual representations of the conscience and subconscious. I was especially drawn to the work of Jean ( Hans ) Arp, whose marble piece Classical Sculpture I had chosen for the previous gallery assignment. However, by the time I left I had a stronger appreciation for all three artists.

The exhibit is located in a long corridor on the south side of the museum. You have to go down a few steps to enter the ehibit, and the dim lighting coming from either side of the ceiling gives the impression of being underground, a fitting reference perhaps given that this kind of abstracted and surreal work was not considered the mainstream when it was being produced. The walls were painted an off white with a black base trim; the only deviation from this were a couple of the recessed viewing areas ( behind the Classical Sculpture when you first walk in, for example ) and one wall in the middle of the exhibit painted gray. I found it interesting that there was an introduction of the exhibit seemingly painted on the wall as you entered, and throughout the exhibit there were either biographies or quotes of the artists placed on the walls in the same fashion. The biographies were especially informative, yet each piece was also provided a plastic plaque giving the usual title, date, and medium, and included a short explanation or meaning of the work. There was an orderly arrangement to the work, as each wall contained similar sized paintings hung mostly in a vertical manner with roughly a painting-size space between each one. The sculptures presented were either in the middle of each corridor or seemingly placed to alternate from either side at various points. The work was also organized by artist, and this orderly and planned arrangement also seemed to include the various quotations from the artists, which seemed to become noticeable after already viewing a portion of the work, and which served to either enlighten or strengthen the viewers interpretation of the work.

 View from entering the exhibit

 View from middle section turning to other corridor

View taken from the opposite end of the exhibit looking back

" The forms arrive pleasant, or strange, hostile, inexplicable, mute, or drowsy. They are born from themselves. It seems to me as if all I do is move my hands."  - Jean ( Hans ) Arp

The first piece I critiqued was Jean Arp's L'Etoile ( Star ), a polished bronze sculpture completed in 1956. I recalled seeing this image I believe in the Buffalo News as the associative image of the exhibit. Viewing it again in person, the form reminded me of a dancer with it's delicate balance and fluidity. The main form stands vertically from one side of a cylindrical base, delicately balanced as if standing on one leg. The form projects up from the base, seemingly converging at various blunted points - like that of a star -as it begins to move horizontally across space. The large , circular negative form in the middle serves to lighten the mass while also guiding our eye around the piece. The mass is further reduced by the softness of the form and the flawlessly polished and highly reflective surface. As you circle the piece, you notice that each blunted point gestures off into a different plane in space, creating a subtle sense of movement, or the potential for movement, from this otherwise fairly stoic form which appears to be captured in a certain pose. The meticulous attention to the surface of the piece reminded me of the work of Brancusi, and, not surprisingly, other pieces did as well...

I immediately associated Jean Arp's Somersault, another polished bronze piece completed in 1947, with the work of Brancusi, who intended the bases of his pieces to be part of the whole sculpture. I felt this was the case with Somersault, as the form was resting on a Brancusi-like base of stone and wood in simple geometric and stacked shapes. The base in this case serves to contrast the fluidity and surface of the form it is supporting, yet unlike Brancusi, this base was actually never intended by the artist to be part of the work, and is actually an entirely different sculpture called Socle-Colonne ( 1964, wood and marble ). It was actually the donor who paired these two pieces together, although it seems like a perfect fit. The term somersault is an accurate depiction of the main bronze form - a highly abstract figurative representation that gestures out into two different planes along the base with a torso- like vertical gesture from the middle. The form ends in a rounded, bulbous shape on top which is also leaning slightly forward. The forward gesture gives the feeling of movement, as if the form is either about to somersault or has just came out of one. The highly polished and reflective surface, and the soft curvature of the planes gives the form that same fluid-like quality and lightness that is constant in Arp's other works as well. The base adds an interesting contrast in the form of solid, geometric shapes, while also introducing different texture and color to the piece.

"I consider surrealism an extremely interesting intellectual phenomenon, a positive thing, but I don't want to subject myself to its severe discipline." -  Joan Miro

Joan Miro also delved into the realm of abstract art, and seemed especially influenced by the visual interpretation of the subconscious. His painting Le Carnaval d' Arlequin is a surreal representation of the harlequin figure which was portrayed in Italian theatre as being foolish. The painting is a chaotic, seemingly playful scene of various figures and objects interacting with one another in a room setting which is completely flat, adding to the imaginary feel of the painting. The surreal imagery, and especially the white, drooping drapery on the right, reminded me of Salvador Dali and his melted clocks. There is a strong sense of symbolism to Miro's painting, as the scene may also allude to the festive atmosphere beginning before the fasting of Lent. This festivity is shown through the playful interaction of the figures, the use of vivid color, the depiction of the harlequin figure, and even the references to musical notes in the upper middle section of the painting. The use of swirling forms, curving lines, vertical and horizontal shapes, and repetitive forms highlight an improbable balance of the composition amidst such seemingly childish chaos. 

  

Hand Drawing

So I have to admit that I am not in my best frame of mind to be completing this project right now, but I wanted to focus on something different than I was used to in these drawings. I chose charcoal because I have not used that medium in a while and felt it may be better suited for the drawing done in my opposite hand. For my good hand I wanted to emphasize the use of light and dark, and focused primarily on the shadows that defined the three dimensionality of my hand. I was surprised to find that my drawing done in my opposite hand was not that bad, as I think I was more focused and observational in this contour representation. I have done drawings in the past of my hands, but this was interesting given the use of my opposite hand to depict one of the drawings.

Week 7 Video Review

In a general sense I tried to view the videos of the artists I was not too familiar with, and this was especially the case of Albrecht Durer, a German master of woodcuts and portraits during the time of the Renaissance. There are some interesting dynamics in the work of Durer, from his work ethic and refinement to his unmatchable level of observation and seemingly different styles with the use of various media. I was especially impressed with Durer's non-idealized representation of the figure in his portrait work, and the level of realism achieved with his charcoal drawings and paintings. His self portrait painting, the same one which is in our text, is also a great example of Durer's ingenuity and narcissism, as he seems to have used the portrait of himself to showcase his complex, almost divine, system of proportion through the use of the triangle, circle, and square. Durer's woodcuts, however, seem to represent a different style, perhaps one more closely connected with the history and tradition of his German culture. While there is obviously a great level of detail and influence on the use of light and shadow obtained from his travels and exposure to Italian Renaissance artists, there seems to me to be a more stylized, almost cartoon-like representation of the figure in his woodcuts and prints. The video's display of Durer's work has given me a new appreciation for the incredible talents of this artist.

I had seen some of the work of Caravaggio, yet this is an example of how the story of the artist can make his work more intriguing. While the incredible realism depicted by Caravaggio through the use of intense light and dark and expression is by itself enough to make his paintings remarkable, the story of this troubled artist reveals the darkness to his work while explaining his devotion to making his work real and truthful. The original, dark, and seemingly rebellious nature of his paintings is a direct characterization of Caravaggio himself, who was a product of the "dark" underbelly of Rome. He had a tremendous ability to depict religious narratives in such a way as to make them real, as if the viewer was actually witnessing a live event or was actually a part of the painting. Caravaggio was violent, unpredictable, and in the end seeking redemption for murder. This dynamic and conflict of religious themes to his work and personal guilt manifested itself in his paintings, especially in his version of David's beheading of Goliath, where the head of Goliath is actually a self portrait of Caravaggio. I credit Caravaggio for letting his inner turmoil manifest itself in his work, and think that this element of honesty is one of the reasons why he is such a fascinating and masterful artist.

The video of La Primavera was interesting, and reveals the tremendous impact a single work of art can have upon society even centuries after it's creation. The debate over the meaning of the work takes center stage in the video, and it is truly fascinating how deeply intellectual, and seemingly intentionally ambiguous, artists like Botticelli were. This is also an example of a painting evoking different responses from people, as the interpretations of the work have included symbolism related to marriage, eroticism, the depiction of primitive, human, and divine love, and even homo-eroticism through the figure of Mercury. The video covers this debate, yet also highlights some of the technical genius of Botticelli in his use of egg tempera to create the translucent garments of the three graces, and the incredible detail in the representation of hundreds of flowers throughout the painting. The video accurately describes the allegory of La Primivera as a work of aesthetic and intellectual beauty.

Peer Review

http://danielle-aed200.blogspot.com/2011/06/creative-process-of-creating-element.html?showComment=1310346437831#c1961696295631052004


http://russeldl02.blogspot.com/2011/06/project-1-elements-and-principles.html#comments

I remember viewing many of the slide shows relating to the elements and principles of art as they were due. For the most part I thought many of them were very accurate and creative in their photographs. As I mentioned in my comment of Danielle's work, I think she did an excellent job on most of them, and I was especially surprised by the professional quality of her "emphasis" photograph. I thought it was a very unique representation to contrast the clarity of form against a blurred background, but the photograph also holds the viewer's attention by the inverse reflection of the surrounding landscape in the glass. The only one I really questioned was her depiction of pattern. While I think I understand what she was attempting to show, I think that particular photograph may have been better suited for another element. Like I have seen in my own work, I think there are a number of photographs in every one's work which incorporate many other elements or principles, and I think sometimes there may be more than one visual element which is so pronounced that it makes it difficult to decide in which category it should be placed.

Danielle visited a different gallery than I did, so our pieces that we selected were not the same. However, I got the feeling from viewing the pieces she selected that we may just have different tastes, and that our pieces may not have been similar even if we had gone to the same gallery. I think this is good in a way, since the whole exercise of reviewing other peoples work and comments as to why they selected the pieces they did helps me to see the work in a new light and broaden my appreciation for different styles of art. This was especially true in Joanne Limpert's selection of Giacometti's The Void, a piece I had also selected. Her reason was entirely personal though, and it just goes to show that some works of art can mean different things to people based on their own personal experiences in life. Of the artists that Danielle selected in her review, I would be interested in the work of John Tracey. While I can appreciate the intricacy of Carolyn Panzica's work, I just think there is nothing either inspirational or remarkable about her work.

It seemed like The Marvelous Sauce was a popular choice for the gallery visit. I found this piece interesting also, and had written a paper on it a few semesters ago. I also found that many people selected the canoe sculpture in front of the gallery, a piece I was especially interested in after reading about it's installation in the Buffalo News. For the most part, though, not too many people selected the works I did. I was especially shocked that nobody else chose Brancusi's Mademoiselle Pogany II, a work I feel really sticks out against the others. However, I think someone did select a work from the upstairs which was done by a high school students. This was not surprising, as the work in this section of the gallery is truly amazing, making me ask myself what the hell I'm doing with my own art, while making me realize at the same time that I just need to work a bit harder to get to where I want to be.

Week 6 Video Review

I have always been fascinated by the art and architecture of the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians, and although I always thought there styles were very different, it was very interesting to see the influence of the Egyptian statues on early Greek art. I chose the video of the Cairo Museum because of my personal attachment to the artistic expression of the Egyptians, but also because these artifacts, like I have seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, each seem very powerful in relating a story to the viewer. The video explains not only the importance of these artifacts, and the incredible amount of items still to be viewed, but also gives credit to the extraordinary efforts of archaeologists to piece together their findings in a way that recreates each piece as it was originally intended to be viewed. I think the video highlights the fact that for Egyptians, art was not just a hobby but a way of life. Everything, from the use of everyday items to the elaborate funerary chambers, seems to have been crafted with a sense of artistic pride and a simplistic style which has influenced other cultures. In this sense, the work of the archaeologists and the preservation of the museum has given a true sense of the afterlife as we continue to view and be inspired by each artifact.

The video The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure discussed the passion and search of the ideal representation of the human figure that fascinated the Greeks. However, while the Greeks were attempting to portray an ideal figure on the outside, one true to proportion and modeled in a sense of naturalism or realism, they were just as focused on relaying the inner thoughts, emotions, and feelings of their subjects. They also developed ways to create a sense of balance and movement, as seen in the flowing garments of Nike, or the controposto stances of many other works. This idea of movement was taken to new levels with the work of artists like Michelangelo, who represented figures in such a way to give the viewer the anticipation of movement, as seen with David, which added to the incredible lifeness of the art created. I chose this video because I have always been fascinated by the ability of an ancient people to create such masterful works and depictions of such realistic human figures carved from stone.

The Greek Awakening: Art from the 5th Century B.C., discusses the period of revolution in Greece during the 5th century, one which saw incredible and rapid advancements in art, architecture, philosophy and intellectual thought. I think the important aspect of this video is not just the admiration of the art and architecture themselves that were created during this period, but the actual reason why they were created in the first place. There had to be something that inspired the Greeks to stimulate this "great awakening", and I think it makes sense that they were reflecting a change in their culture, a change which focused the center of the universe on themselves rather than their gods. This video in particular gives some background to the discussion of the Parthenon, and moreso than the text goes into detail about the incredible thought behind the construction of the building.

I think the video More Human than Human was interesting in a number of ways, especially the idea of exaggerated form and features, such as the Venus of Willendorf, having a global impact and connection. It makes sense, as proposed by the work of Ramachandran, that as humans we are stimulated and interested more by what appears to be exaggerated rather than what we see in the sense of realism on a daily basis. I agree with his analysis that the representation of perfection after a while is boring, and I think the video stresses this point with the spread of exaggeration even afflicting the Greeks, who were seen by many to be dedicated to nothing less than the pursuit of perfect proportion, harmony, movement, and balance to give life to their work.

Architecture

In the first group, I chose the video Classical Architecture because I have always been amazed by the abilities of former civilizations to create enormous and incredibly decorated structures, whether exemplified by the Great Pyramids of Egypt or the beauty and power of Ancient Greece. Like a work of art, the video stresses the point that architecture is a representation of symmetry, balance, and harmony. The buildings rely on an aesthetic quality of proportion and even the use of light and dark. I have always been drawn to the combination of sculpture and architecture in these classical constructions, and find it not at all surprising that this style, which symbolizes order and pride, has been a tremendous influence on other cultures and has survived the ages. 

In the second grouping, I chose the video of Frank Gehry's work, specifically because I wanted to compare the styles of the classical with the innovation of the future. I think Frank Gehry's work represents a shift from the mundane and uniform to a more sculptural construction which emphasizes gesture and  movement through the use of curved line, color, and geometric and organic shape. Much like sculpture, or painting, Gehry's development has been a direct result of experimentation inspired by the arts and fellow artists around him. While I like the classical and monumental feel of classical architecture, as a society we still need the innovators like Frank Gehry  to experiment with new ideas, materials, and ways to enliven a space to move us into the future.

Sculpture, Ceramics, and Glass Videos

The video Through the Eyes of a Sculptor was one of the best I have seen that gives a detailed account of the process of making a stone sculpture, from the original sketch or model and the precise selection of the stone to the process of casting and finishing the final piece. I found it interesting to learn just how many skilled artists, or "craftsmen", have a hand in creating a single piece, and I think the video even expands on this idea by devoting some time to the important and dangerous role of the quarrymen in the whole process. I think this video obviously relates to the text in that it deals with the creation of sculpture and the use of different techniques, yet it is able to give the viewer a sense of the entire process and the different stages of a sculpture's development. I think when you actually see the whole process from the very beginning, and witness what the artist went through in the selection of the material and the technicality of the work, it really adds to the viewer's appreciation and respect of the artist and the final piece itself.

I guess I am a bit biased in my own preference of style and materials, since I found the video on stone sculpture much more interesting and informative than the others. I was interested to learn, however, of the various applications of ceramics in modern science and technology, including the potential use in automobile engines which would drastically increase our fuel efficiency while lowering pollution. I thought it was also interesting how they make the various types of glass, and how in general each medium discussed is a very time consuming and exact process. The video on installation art also helped to give me some background before I began my own project. I think all of the videos were informative and served to expand a bit on the readings in the text, while emphasizing the idea of process and the importance of technique.