Friday, May 10, 2013

EXTRA CREDIT BLOG

1. Which assignment did you ENJOY working on the best? Why?
I enjoyed working on the mask assignment the best because it was fun, different, not something you would think you would be doing in college and I felt like a little kid again making arts and crafts.

2. Which assignment did you ENJOY working on the least? Why?
I enjoyed working on the art exhibition project the least, because I thought that project was the hardest, took the most thought and time. I also got frustrated when I forgot information about the pieces and had to go back and find the pieces all over again.

3. How did you like using ANGEL?
I like using angel, I understand angel more now after taking an online course than I thought I ever would. It is much easier to use than I thought. I really liked how organized everything was, and I knew when everything was due. I could also get ahead certain times if I wanted to or had time to.

4. If you had the opportunity to change this course:
What would you keep?
I would keep the extra credit opportunities, such as this one. I wouldn't add anymore extra credits because the students who don't do their work shouldn't get the opportunity to get their points back for skipping an assignment. I think you offer the right amount of extra credit for students who didn't do so well on an assignment and can get their points back for that reason. I would also keep, where you offer students to turn in work late with permission. Some professors refuse to offer that regardless the situation and I think that is wrong because students go through hard times and sometimes they have trouble completing all the work. Although, I would not let students take advantage of this.

What would you remove?
I would remove the part where you have to respond to two others in the discussion forum. I don't think anyone even reads the responses, because I know I rarely ever did.

What would you add?
I would make the students upload a photo to their blog. I never knew who I was talking to and sometimes I wasn't even sure if it was a male or female because some names can go both ways.

5. Would you recommend this course to your peers?
Yes I would definitely recommend this course to my peers, one of my peers actually recommended this course to me, and I am glad I listened to her. If you have the time and can keep on track with turning things in on time, I would say its definitely worth it.

6. Please list any other comments you would like to share.
Great professor, grading is fair and even without being in class, i've learned a lot from the book and assignments given. I definitely did not waste my time taking this class.

Reflections of AED 200

1. What were you expectations for this course and where they met?
My expectations for this course were to learn some things that I have not yet learned about art such as the history and background of art. These expectations were definitely met. I have learned about how cultures have different art. I learned about cave art, gothic art, and all the different art styles and themes.

2. Now that you've been through this course, What is art? How would you define it now compared to your initial posting?
After being through this course, I still would have my definition of art; to take your feelings and put them onto paper. But I would add to it that art is a way to tell a story and to show your culture through images.

3. Who was your favorite artist in your original posting and who is your favorite visual artist now? If there is a difference, why do you think so? If you have the same favorite artist, why do you think so?
In my original posting I said that I didn't have a favorite artist, but when I usually have to pick one I chose Leonardo Da Vinci because I know him the most and know he created the "Mono Lisa." After this course, I would still say the same thing. But if I could choose myself, I would do that as well, because I am the only person who will be able to create art the way I like it, with my own interests and feelings.

 4. Now that you've completed this course, how do you feel about taking an online course? Is your answer the same as it was in your first posting? How is it the same or different?
This was my first online course, I will say it is a lot of work but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed being able to work around my schedule and completing things when it best suited me. I have actually registered for two online summer classes, and I have always told myself I would never take classes during the summer. I am also registered for two online fall classes as well as the rest of my classes that I will be taking at Buffalo State. I am glad I took this course and succeeded at it. I think it made me more organized and made me pay more attention to when things were due and I had to plan accordingly.

Self-Portrait


Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat
Paul Cezanne
The Museum of Modern Art


Charles Willson Peale Self-Portrait
National Portrait Gallery


Portrait of a Man (Self Porrait)
Jan van Eyck
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum



The first inspiration piece I chose was "Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat," by Paul Cezanne. I chose this piece because I like how Cezanne left brush strokes in painting, indicating that the picture can still be "good" even if it doesn't look like a photograph. The second piece I chose was "Charles Willson Peale Self-Portrait." I chose this piece because it is an example of a painting that actually does look like a photograph. I thought it would be a good idea to look at an example from both sides. The third inspirational piece I chose was "Portrait of a Man," by Jan van Eyck. I chose this one because it was created with a unique medium; silkTechnique: jacquard woven. I thought the medium of the piece made it interesting. I selected to use charcoal to create my piece because I think when drawing people, charcoal tends to give me the best results. When creating my self-portrait, originally my mouth looked like it was making a weird face and not smiling. I didm't realize how bad it was until after taking the picture and so then i went back, erased it and redid the whole mouth. This piece represents me because I'm a happy person and I'm always smiling, and I have a huge smile in the portrait. I used line in my portrait in the hair and the hoodie I am wearing. Value is also used in my portrait, the lights and darks in my hair and face. I enjoyed working on this project because I thought it was fun to try and draw myself. I did get a little messy though using the charcoal. I felt like I was a little kid again. I think my final artwork came out okay, I think my face came out a little too ovalm it should have been more round. It does't look exactly like me but if you compare it to the photograph, you can see the comparison. You can definitely tell this is a person which is the most important part.

Art Criticism Article Reflection Journal

The projects I reviewed were, "The Beauty Of a City by Brandon Martens, "Stories and Histories of Ancient Cultures" by Dimitar Vanev and "Reality Unhinged" by Jeffery A. Wilcox. I chose the exhibit I critiqued, because even though I hate history, this project was the most organized and well put together of the ones I viewed. The structure of this project really caught my eye. When writing the critique article, I realized if I continued writing at the rate I was, then I would exceed the three page maximum. I overcame this problem, by talking about the extra slides Vanev included in his exhibit as one whole slide because they were all basically the same type of pieces. I thought it was interesting to critique my peers work, and see what other students have come up with. But I also felt like I could not say anything bad about it because I'm sure this person spent plenty of time on the project and I don't want to criticize what they've done. Even though the project was great, nothing really bad to say about it. Yes, I would like to read the critique my peers wrote about my project, it would be nice to hear from someones point of view other than the professor. On a scale of 1-10, I would rate my article a ten, because I followed all the directions and included everything I thought would be helpful to improve Vanev's exhibit. I spell checked the article and put a lot of time and effort into it. I both enjoyed and hated this project at the same time. I enjoyed it because I am good with powerpoint and making slideshows, and because I am good at it I enjoy doing it. I hated it because it took up a lot of my time and I found it more difficult than any of the other assignments we had throughout the semester.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Week Fifteen- Video Review Blog

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

The Colonial Encounter: View of Non-Western Art and Culture

-1900s Paris worlds fair was the largest world fair with over ran for 8 months
-over 50 million visitors.
-Exposed the the underlying nationalism of the event.
-Half the area was devoted to French imperialism while the rest represented other nations' colonies.
-Three figures from the fair represent three kings of the 19th century. They remain on exhibit today.

Jackson Pollock: Michael Fried and T.J. Clark in Conversation

-Both regard Jackson Pollock as a major modern master
-This conversation took place in National gallery of art in Washington.
-This film is the two men T.J Clark and Michael Fried giving their own thought objective description, analysis and interpretation on Pollocks work.
-Clarks emphasis is on the historical role of modern art while Fried is focused on the independence of its aesthetic.

2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Criticism project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.
The film "The Colonial Encounter: View of Non-Western Art and Culture," relates to our project, because the worlds fair is an exhibit of art pieces from across the world. The film "Jackson Pollock: Michael Fried and T.J. Clark in Conversation," relates to our project, because the men are giving an art criticism of the Pollocks work just as we did for each piece in our exhibition.

3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of art criticism?
The film "The Colonial Encounter: View of Non-Western Art and Culture," goes in depth and talks about the important piece of the worlds fair. I found this video interesting because I have never even heard of the worlds fair before watching this. The film "Jackson Pollock: Michael Fried and T.J. Clark in Conversation," goes into depth on Pollocks piece, and talks about every detail. Helping you clearly understand how to arrive at an objective description, analysis, and interpretation of a work of art.

Project 4: Art Curator Exhibition Reflection

I both enjoyed and hated this project at the same time. I enjoyed it because I am good with powerpoint and making slideshows, and because I am good at it I enjoy doing it. I hated it because it took up a lot of my time and I found it more difficult than any of the other assignments we had throughout the semester. It didn't take me too long to come up with a theme. But selecting which photos to use was a process, and then finding all the information I needed for each piece was difficult. All my pieces ended up being photographs of architecture, therefore the size was difficult to find, all I could find was a "download size." Then for the year, I wasn't sure if I would use the year the building was made or the year the photo was taken because I was focusing on the architecture, not the actual photo itself. I was very confused, but after finding all my photos I didn't have time to select a new theme so I just worked with what I had. If I knew the information I included it for both the photograph and the building itself. But I had to do a little research on finding that, which took more time. Then I forgot to include the source, so I had to go back and find each piece again to find the source. But overall I am glad to finally complete the project, and I am looking forward to what my other classmates have come up with.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Module 13 & 14 Video Review

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art
-Lowbrow: A person regarded as uncultivated and lacking in taste.
-Initially it was used to images containing naked women.
-Originally meant pornography.
-Has a history in folk art

Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach
-The most popular museum of modern art in the world.
-Many abstract artists consciously tried to make paintings that were not dependent on figuration. They wanted to convey emotions, aesthetic effects or a social vision through formal means that were not reliant on external references.
-The displays are geared to make sure no one ever gets bored.
-Moving from room to room is like switching channels on a television.
-The organization/ arrangement of pieces is important as well as the architecture of each room.

Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology
-Over the past 150 years, the bones of tens of thousands of American Indians have accumulated in the name of science.
-These bones are kept at archaeological sites across the U.S and are in the possession of Museums and the Native Americans want their ancestors back.
-Laws were being passed protecting Indian burial sites.
-The Indians feel that they are less than human because their ancestors are treated this way and their bones can be dug up.

An Acquiring Mind: Philippe de Montebello and the Metropolitan Museum
-Knowledge is the engine that makes museums work.
-Interesting thing about art museums is that they are never finished.
-Philippe de Montebello, served for 31 years as Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
-8th and longest server director
-Guided the acquisition of more than 84,000 works of art.
-Born in France, Educated in Harbor.
-de Montebello says that 100% of what the public wants to see is on display at the Metropolitan Museum at all times.

2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Exhibition project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.
Yes, the videos related a lot to the creation of my art Exhibition project. The videos were all about museums, how work is arranged, and the videos talked about the architecture of the museums which is my theme. Architecture.

3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to the understanding of the art concepts you practiced while creating your curation project?
I think the films went in depth on how to arrange your art in your exhibition and the importance of the walls and the room itself where each piece is kept. This helped me chose which pieces to use and how to arrange them in my exhibition. I think these videos were very informative and helpful to each person for this project in a different way depending on the theme they chose.