Torge140's Blog

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torge140 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:03:44 +0000

This semester in art has been a lot better than what I expected. I have learned a lot through this class, and I have really enjoyed it. Even though I found pretty much all of the projects difficult, I learned something from every single one. When I finished a project I was so happy, and proud of what I had done. My table consisted of the complainers, but I know that we all enjoyed the class.

I learned lot about how to create a piece. Line is the building block to any piece of art, and the use of line is extremely important. I also learned a lot about motion, specifically from the piece that we created by choosing a song. When I was working on my project Matt told me that I needed to show motion through the sea weed at the bottom. I really wasn’t sure what to do, but then I really worked toward figuring out how to show motion though the sea weed. I had to make them go in different directions as if it were a real scene from under the sea. My grading sheet said, “great use of motion.” This comment really made me feel as if I had done a good job, and really learned one way to show motion in a piece. Overall I have really enjoyed this class, and I have learned a lot.

Week 12

torge140 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:51:45 +0000

Balance and rhythm can convey emotion in different ways. I think rhythm has more of an effect on emotion in a piece of art. If a piece is unbalanced one may feel uncomfortable upon looking at the piece, when everything is balanced the piece will be easy for the eyes to view. Imbalance can also create a sense of movement for the viewer such as in the piece Death of a Loyalist Soldier (p.237). Rhythm can be used to convey different emotions. When minimalism is used it could create a sense of sadness or wonder. When I look at North Artillery Shed (p.241) I am left with a sense of wonder, like where did everything that was in that room go.

Different elements of art can be used to create balance in a piece. Line can be used to make your eyes go a certain way. It is important to always think of a piece as a whole, could it stand alone if everything else were taken away? if it couldn’t it probably isn’t balanced. Different shapes can be added to a piece so that it could be come balanced. If something looks totally off color, line, or a shape could be added to the piece so that it will become balanced. Rhythm and balance are very important when creating a piece and conveying emotion through the piece.

Extra Credit–Tweed

torge140 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:34:03 +0000

I really enjoyed Jill Barle’s Exhibition. The first piece that I saw when I walked in was Sleeper Cell, it caught my eye because I thought it was so unique, the piece was so plain, but so cool. I really liked the gold that she used for that piece. I wasn’t really sure why she had chosen to do the cell phone, but after looking at it for awhile I moved on to the next piece. I then noticed that they all had something in common; they were made with simplicity they were all screen printed, but two of the pieces had a little extra detail on them. I was intrigued by her concept, it was all materialistic items turned into something that had to do with war. She had a piece that was a lipstick container called Warpaint I think that is a really clever way of connecting two very different things. I don’t think that I would be able to make a lipstick container into something that could also reference a war. I also really loved the piece Ten Corpses Per Seceond, it was a bright blue gun with Swarovski Crystals on it to add detail. This piece really caught my eye because I always think it is bold when people do pieces with guns or things that could be considered violent. When I looked at this piece violence was not what came to my mind at all. I just thought that it was a really interesting piece, and I really liked the way she took a gun and made it her own. I really like Barle’s style of art there was enough small detail to offset the simplicity of the work. Going to this Exhibition was a really awesome experience, and it reminded me that art can be anything you want it to be.

Week 11

torge140 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:34:24 +0000

My favorite aspect of art actually is line. I never thought of lines as being the basic building block of art. I have learned a lot about how line can be used to create a focal point, and how lines can contribute to a piece of art. When I look at different pieces of art now that I have learned about line and other elements of art, I notice things that I wouldn’t have notices before. I look at the lines that the artist used, and I am able to try to figure out why the artist placed the lines where they did, or why they used curved lines rather than straight lines.

Line is a very basic element to art, but there are so many different ways to incorporate line into a piece. That is why line is my favorite aspect of art. When an artist uses different qualities of line different textures can be portrayed. Hatchings can be used to show volume in a piece. The way the lines move in a piece can also create the overall movement of the piece. Lines can also be used to create balance in a piece of art. Line is not only my favorite aspect of art, but I also think it is the most important. So many different things can be created with simple and complex lines. It is important to take not of why an artist placed lines where they did.

Week 10

torge140 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:43:48 +0000

Unity is a very important aspect to a piece of artwork. A piece can be unified because it is referencing something that has happened throughout history. When I think about history what usually comes to my mind is wars. Many pieces are created that reference different wars that have happened. The piece is unified because it ties back to a specific event, but artists can also use other elements of art to unify a piece.

I am studying elementary education and what unifies all of the people who study elementary education is a love of children. It is also important to unify your classroom, once we have our own. Artwork could be created to show this sense of unity. A photograph could be taken of elementary education majors working with children in a classroom. A piece could also be created of a teacher working with individual students, or the whole class. Another piece could just be c all things that had to do with learning. Unifying a piece of art may be harder than one may think, but really once the artist thinks about what they are trying to accomplish a sense of unity will come through in their art. As with any piece it is important for the artist to think about line, shape, and color when they are working on the piece because one single line could be the unifying factor in the artwork. This happens in Hudson River Landscape by David Smith (p.194). One black line is used to unify the piece. It is very important to have some sort of unity throughout artwork, even if it is disunity.

Week 9

torge140 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:27:56 +0000

I think that depicting time and motion through art adds a lot to a piece. It really gives the viewer something to look at and relate to. I think that the use of blurred edges really shows motion in a piece of art. The viewer can look at it and easily know that the object that is blurred is supposed to be moving. Blurring outlines creates an illusion of motion. The use of blurred outlines is used a lot in photography. I would love to learn the techniques to be able to take photography in a way that captures motion and is blurred in the right places. When I take a picture of something that is moving, it tends to be a full blur. This could give the illusion if motion as well, but not to the same extent as blurring the outlines of an object. Blurring outlines can also be used in art with any medium to create the same affect. The piece Woman Descending the Staircase (p.179) is created with oil on canvas. I really think that this piece looks like a photograph. The use of blurred edges really makes it look as if the woman is traveling down the staircase, moving at a fast pace, and walking forward. If the piece just had the woman with nothing blurred, it would not give any indication of movement, it would simply look as if she was just standing on a staircase, waiting for something maybe. I think it is really cool to know that by simply blurring an object the illusion of motion can be created, and the viewer can clearly see that the object in the piece of art is supposed to be moving.

Week 8

torge140 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:48:34 +0000

The five visual elements are essential when creating space within a piece of art. When thinking about how to arrange a piece of work it is important to think of all of the visual elements and what you want the viewer to see when they look at it. Do you want the eye to be drawn to something specific? If so the artist should use relative space.

Line is important because when an artist wants to create actual space in a piece they must make sure that every line works together and is going in the same direction so that the viewer doesn’t have to think about what way they should be looking. The way the lines are arranged cause the eye to take a different look at a piece of art, so it is essential to know what look you are going for before you just begin to work on a piece.

Shape is also critical when creating space within a piece. If something is huge and takes over an entire piece it will look overcrowded, or give a claustrophobic look. In class we discussed Tom Birkner’s, Tailgating (p.148). This piece is a great example of a claustrophobic look because there are big objects in the front (people) and as you move back everything is very close together.

Value is also important because when different values are used the eye and be tricked or will look at the darker things first. Color can create space in many ways. The first thing that comes to mind for me is when an artist uses transparency. This creates a totally different look to the art. It creates space by opening up the objects below the things right on top. The viewer can see more, and it looks as if the piece goes beyond just a piece of paper.

Texture can also help to create space as well. I think a really good example of this is the photo of Machu Picchu (152). The objects in the front are very detailed and bright, and as you get further back the color fades away. There is also much less detail as the mountains and things get further away. This creates space because it makes it look as if the picture is bigger than it actually is, and it really doesn’t have a true ending.

Extra Credit Blog

torge140 — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:12:17 +0000

It is very important to understand creation stories in reference to art because they can be the bases of your work. The stories of the origins of the universe and humankind have come from the “metaphors of creating…and making something out of nothing.” When creating a piece of art an artist should always go back and think about the first pieces of art that were created or just the myths about creation. Thinking about these types of things will help to create a better piece of art. It is also important to know that many pieces of art helped these stories evolve. When the first works of art were created they didn’t have elaborate thing to create with, they just had to work with what they had in order to tell the story that they wanted to tell.

When I as volunteering in a kindergarten classroom the children were recreating a piece by Van Gough. I never thought that the students would be able to create such beautiful artwork. They looked at the picture and with not much help created beautiful art, they were only five or six years old. By studying previous works these young children are able to create such beautiful art. As they grow they will learn about the creation stories and since they have started creating art at such a young age they will understand that it is important to understand the stories behind art, and really look deep into it. All of us can learn more if we understand the story behind the work created, I think it is the first step in truly understanding artwork.

Blog 7

torge140 — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:49:00 +0000

When I think of art, I think of it as a way for someone to express himself or herself in a creative way. It is important that the piece of art means something specifically to the artist. This art class has helped me to learn that. I know that when a project is assigned I need to take it, and make it my own somehow. Of course, in an art class there are specific guidelines to follow, but making a piece you own is so important.

Color can be used to make a piece of art specific to a person, or even just specific to the mood they are feeling at the moment. For my project I decided to use all pinks and reds because those are my favorite colors. Using those colors is a way of showing myself through my artwork. My collage is full of the things that I love to do as well as who I am, which in turn shows my identity. Texture can also be used to show yourself through art. Some artists are known because of their use of texture, which is the way they identify with their art. The subject of the piece really doesn’t matter as long as the artist has a strong drive to create that specific piece.

Week 6

torge140 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:02:06 +0000

Texture can change a piece of art so much. When looking at different pieces of art it is important to note the texture, or even think about how a different texture could change the overall feel of the piece. When I look at Morrisse by Lynda Benglis my eyes were tricked. The sculpture looks smooth and silky, not really rough at all, but then I noticed what it was made of and I knew that it wasn’t. It still gives off the look of smooth, but now when I look at it I know that there would be sharp edges, and it may be smooth but defiantly not silky.

When I look at Bowl of Chocolate Moose by David Gilhooly I feel as if I want to eat the chocolate. The piece is made out of ceramic, but by using the correct textures it looks as though it could melt any second. Texture can change the emotion of a piece of art completely. If a piece is made to look smooth and soft the piece will probably look happy and inviting. If a piece looks rough it will evoke a totally different emotion, not as happy or something that you wouldn’t want to touch. The colors used also play a part in the emotion evoked, but texture plays a huge role.