Albright Knox

For the works at the Albright Knox that made an impact on me, I chose the following:
Lynn Chadwick, Two Dancing Figures, 1954
Iron and Composition Stone, approximately 6' x 3' x 1'
- This piece had an impact on me because I thought it resembled a combination of different areas of study into a real, three-dimensional form. It seemed as though there is an influence of primitivism or cave art and Egyptian style, while I also felt the combination of materials was interesting and worth exploring in my own work
 Fred Sandblack, Untitled ( Sculptural Study, Four Part Vertical Construction ) 1982 / 2004
Red Acrylic Yarn
- The simplicity in the use of line to create the optical illusion of three-dimensional form was very interesting and has a definite impact on me every time I see it.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Portrait of a Woman, 1911
Oil on Canvas, approx 3' x 5'
- This had an impact on me because I can't recall any other paintings representing a figure of apparent African descent.

I felt a connection with the following pieces:
Max Weber, Figure Study, 1911
Oil on Canvas, appox 2' x 3'
- I connected with piece immediately because it reminds me of many works and artists that I have been recently studying, including Matisse, Gauguin, and Picasso.
Erwin Wurm, Jakob / Big Psycho VIII, 2010
Aluminum, paint
- This piece, which depicts a form apparently trying to free themselves from an article of clothing, reminded me of getting my kids dressed for bedtime and how they sometimes get their clothes stuck over their heads.
Henry Moore, Reclining Figure, 1935-36
Elm Wood
- I have studied Henry Moore's work quite a bit, so I felt like I really understood this piece and connected with it when I saw it.
Constantin Brancusi, Mademoiselle Pogany II, 1920
Polished Bronze
- I connect with this piece more than any other every time I see it. I think it has basically everything that I admire in a work, from the use and dedication to working the materials to the simplicity of form and shape to exude beauty and spirituality.

Pieces I would like to know more about:
Nancy Rubins, Untitled, 2011
Installation of 66 Aluminum Canoes at the Albright Knox
- I read about this piece in the Buffalo News about a week or so ago and wanted to go and check it out. I found it interesting that the artist was not really talking about the work itself, and came to understand why as she explained that she want the viewer to decide what the piece is about. I was just curious about the canoe and if that had any significance.
John Storrs, Abstract Figure, 1932
Bronze, approx 3' x 1' x 8"
- This is an abstracted piece that I found interesting and wanted to know more about some of the features I found ambiguous, such as the trunk or snake-like form flowing from each side of the piece, or if there was a connection to cubism since the actual image of the figure is almost unrecognizable.
Jean Arp, Sculpture Classique, 1964
Marble
- I wanted to know more about the work of Arp because of my interest in working with stone, and because I admire the simplicity in his work which reminded me of Brancusi.
Alberto Giacometti, Invisible Object, 1934
Bronze
- Like Jean Arp, I felt like I wanted to know more about Giacometti's work and his exploration of the mystical or spiritual that seems to be the focus of the invisible object.

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Logo Design

Creating the Logo was more interesting than I thought it was going to be, since it really made me think about how I would characterize myself. The challenge was creating a unified, simple design which I felt incorporated as many of these personal elements as possible. I began the process by basically brainstorming ideas and trying to think of elements that would define both my interests and work. I thought of using the materials I work with, such as a stone cutting blade, and combining that with my initials. I felt my initials together were not easy to work with and would detract from the overall simplicity I was after, so I began to do some sketches with just my first initial. From the beginning I had some ideas that I wanted to explore, such as the use of simple, oval shapes and different types of line. After some more sketches, I liked the idea of using my first initial inside an oval form, and thought it was fitting as it reminded me a bit of Constantin Brancusi's Mademoiselle Pogany II at the Albright Knox, as well as a top view of my balding head. When adding color, I was influenced by Franz Marc's use of blue and my own blue eyes, and I contrasted with yellow so the colors appear more vibrant. Since we were currently discussing the use of the computer as a medium for artistic expression, I decided to do my final logo on my Paint application. I've never used this before, so I think I might have gotten a bit carried away and off target of my original intent of simplicity. I used the airbrush feature and reflected some of the background colors onto the logo to give it more of a sense of three-dimensionality. I think the most important aspect of this project was the preparation and brainstorming before the final piece, something I think I need to personally work on in future works.

I thought the videos were interesting and really showed how complex it is to develop a successful logo, and how things that we as consumers take for granted - like a valve in a squeeze bottle - could have such a major impact on the overall product. I also found it interesting that the heads of these companies, such as DAG, have a really good eye for art and know exactly what they want.

Value Scale and Color Wheel

I was looking forward to this project just to start getting in the habit of working with some form of medium again, although these specific projects were pretty much a basic introduction to the medium and a bit redundant to me. I think because of this I ended up procrastinating on the work and found myself rushing to get this done. In waiting to the last minute, I ended up using my oil paints for the color wheel as the stores all closed earlier than I expected to get some acrylic paints.

For this particular project I enjoyed working with the paints more than the graphite. I think the mixing of the paints and applying the color just didn't seem as tedious as the value scale. I do enjoy drawing, however, and would just prefer to actually apply that scale in my work.

For me the most important discovery was really just a recognition of how I tend to work and the way I tend to rush things through at the last minute. I think my work suffers in the end, as I become complacent with just getting things done, even if they are not completely finished in the way I really want.

The color wheel video was interesting because I basically discovered that I had the wrong colors in my wheel.  What a waste, but I updated my wheel anyway...

Color Theory

 Color is established through the refraction of light rays, and through the development of color theory may be classified as either primary, secondary, or tertiary. Each color that we perceive contains the three basic properties of hue, value, and intensity, and the harmonization of a color, or various colors, used by the artist may invoke an optical, emotional, or even physical response from the viewer. The emotional response from color varies greatly, and may depend on our individual experiences, cultural associations, and also the way colors are presented by the artist. Franz Marc, a German expressionist painter and one of the founders of The Blue Riders, used the color blue in his work as a symbol of spirituality. Perhaps one of his most famous works, The Fate of the Animals, depicts this sense of spirituality through the blue deer looking towards the heavens in the center of the painting; the deer seeming to provide a sense of calm amidst the surrounding chaos. However, the effects of the color blue, or any color for that matter, depends greatly on the way it is given to us by the artist; its hue, value, and intensity, along with the other visual elements of the painting, serve to illicit a different response from the viewer. For example, a brighter, pure representation of the color red may have a more pleasant reaction than a deeper, crimson red which may be associated with blood, anger, or death. In our culture, color is often used to describe emotion or behavior, as we can either be "red with anger", "feeling blue",  "green with envy", or a cowardly "yellow-belly". Perhaps Picasso summed it up when he said," Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions." 

The theoretical aspect of color that I find most interesting is the optical effects of color and the way our brain processes the information presented to us. Before I painted my living room, I remembered either reading or seeing something about a way to make the room look larger by painting the opposite walls a different and darker color. This is similar to the idea of a red chair placed in the middle of a room and appearing larger in scale and closer to us. This illusion of intense, warmer colors seeming to advance closer to us, and the lighter, cooler colors receding plays an interesting role in art, as well as our daily lives.

The video Color provided a useful background as to the evolution and use of color, particularly in the way impressionist artists were able to begin their "plein-air" painting with the invention of the metal tube to store the paints. As for the emotional aspect of color, I think the artist in the video shows how difficult it can be to relay a specific emotion through color. While we may process the final work and have an immediate response or feeling to it, the artist spent a great deal of time trying to use different elements and combinations of color to illicit that response. Perhaps this is what Monet meant when he said " Color is my day-long obsession, joy, and torment."

Franz Marc The Fate of the Animals , 1913 oil on canvas

Slideshow Reflections

Photography is one medium of art which I have never worked with before, so this process of creating a photobucket slide show was new and exciting. I chose to photograph some of the elements as they appear directly in nature, and some others by photographs of sculptures that I have done and have placed throughout my yard. Here is a reflection on each element and why I decided to choose that particular photograph to represent it:
Line - About a year or so ago I was using a chainsaw to carve logs of wood. I've had this piece laying in my yard for some time now and just haven't figured out exactly what I want to do with it. The piece itself looks interesting, and I chose this piece for line because the natural grain has an interesting movement and emphasizes some of the features which make this piece look like an animal, either a bear or maybe a pig.
Shape - This is a sculpture I did where I combined a found object of wood and cement. The log caught my eye because it already resembled the lower half, or torso, of a human figure. I used cement to extend the torso up in a way that provides subtle movement and feminine form.
Negative Shape - This is a sculpture I did last semester out of a slab of granite. I wanted to use the relatively flat slab ( about 4 or 5 inches think ) to create simple shapes that would appear more three-dimensional. I used the negative shown here as a way to emphasize the larger, circular shape. Cutting a hole in granite is tougher than it looks.
Color - I thought the dresses of these young girls dancing at the Memorial Day parade provided a good example of pure color. I think the green dress in the front works well to contrast the other blues and mostly bright yellows.
Intensity - This photograph reminded me of the expressionists use of pure color in such a way as to flatten the picture plane. The intense, pure color of the flower bulbs seem like blobs of color and seem to push their way to the foreground
Light - This is a clock I made of wood combining some of the works of Brancusi. The natural lighting entering near the window causes the negative shape resembling Bird in Space to really show through and dominate our focus.
Value - I chose two pieces here because I liked the effect of both. The first is a black and white photograph of a marble sculpture I carved, and which gives a sense of the contrasting value between the rough exterior and smooth interior of the piece. The other photo is of a skull I made of clay, the relatively dark photo showing just enough value change to make the skull recognizable.
Scale - This is actually a small scale model in clay of the human anatomy, which I photographed to make it seem as though this skeletal model with the beginnings of muscle applications had a sense of life, and also a feeling that he appears life size in the room.
Texture - I wanted to show the contrast between the bark of a tree in my backyard and the smoother, wax-like surface of the viny leaves growing around it.
Symmetry - The clarity of the color and shape show the symmetrical balance of this flower growing in my front yard
Pattern - This is the lattice on top of the screen room in my backyard. I think the photo is interesting in that the pattern produced by the lattice provides a barrier to the space beyond
Proportion - I used the clay skull again, which was created to scale of an actual human skull.
Space - The marble sculpture, shown also to represent value in black and white, also has a sense of movement, as the viewer can imagine the piece stepping out into the surrounding space.
Balance - I got this shot of a young girl during the parade who seemed to spend more time walking on her hands than she did on her feet.
Rhythm - The sense of rhythm here is shown by the same gestures and movements of the girls
Motion - This is my youngest son, Caiden, playing in the sprinkler the other day. I was trying to capture a playful motion and interaction between him and the water.
Unity - This is a closeup of a wood log my neighbor gave me to use in a sculpture. I haven't done anything yet, and I don't really think I even want to given the beauty of the piece already. Here I was attempting to show the use of line, color, texture, and shape creating a harmonious, unified composition.

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Video Review

The video Aesthetics : Philosophy of the Arts discusses the development of aesthetic thought and ideas and gives us a historical framework by which the relationship between art and beauty has been analyzed. Original theory begins with Plato, whose discussion of beauty in relation to theatre would set the stage for philosophical thought on this idea of defining beauty, as well as the role of art and artists in society. While Plato actually thought that artists did not serve any useful purpose in society, his work would inspire Aristotle to create his influential book The Poetics. Aristotle claimed that art, in its depiction of heroism, was good for society, and he established a set of priciples neccessary in the creation of beauty - order, symmetry, and definiteness. These elements, along with proportion and harmony, would become a theme which would dominate the works of NeoClassical masters during the renaissance and continue to be relevant to some degree as art evolved. The modern theory of art, which began in 18th century England, would see other philosophers, such as Kant, Hutheson, Friedrich von Schiller, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein develop our understanding of beauty as being subjective, and closely connected to our sense of emotions and connection to nature. While the video presents many philosophers of aesthetics who have made great contributions to the study of art, I was particularly interested in the ideas of Friedrich von Schiller who, near the end of the 18th century, promoted the importance of an aesthetic education with the intent of developing an appreciation and understanding of the arts to strengthen the moral capacity of a free society. His idea that  "art makes us more human", and his passion to impress upon society an appreciation of the arts can have important implications in modern society, especially as we increasingly look to better our antiquated and failing education system.

The video Carta: Neurobiology, Neurology and Art and Aesthetics takes a more scientific approach to understanding the creation and effect of art. Jean-Pierre Changeux discusses the rules of art creation, by which he describes as being the restrictions of potential representations in the artists' brain and consisting of novelty or surprise, the universal search for harmony, symmetry, concept, and schematization. Changeux is also primarily concerned with the creation and evolution of art by means of genetically encoded symbolic forms and the nonverbal communication of emotion, knowledge, and experience. Ramachandran also discusses this "science" of art, focusing his attention to the way the human brain reacts to imagery. Ramachandran argues for the liberation of realism, suggesting that the deliberate distortion of imagery has a pleasing effect on the brain. He also developed his eight laws of aesthetics, by which he claims are universal rules for a work of art to achieve that pleasing effect on the brain. While I found much of what both speakers discussed very interesting and helpful to my own development, I cannot help but think back to the opening remarks of Ramachandran when he stated that art and science found a middle ground in the brain. It seems to me, considering some of the fundamental and common principles put forth by the philosophers of aesthetic thought, that science has only confirmed to some degree what artists have been doing for centuries.

The readings in our text relate to the videos in the attempt to understand the definition of art, to understand the motivating factors or the need to create works of art, and to help us understand how we relate to works of art both emotional and intellectually.

Week I Blog

The process of creating a GMail account and setting up a blog was a new experience for me, but I was able to manage it correctly. I hope to achieve from this course a greater understanding and exposure to contemporary art, and in the process I hope to further my own development as a sculptor. I have taken online classes before, but this one is a new experience for me. This class seems like it may require a bit more computer knowledge than I am used to with online classes, but I think that will ultimately be a positive experience.