Week nine drawing

1)  I found it extremely difficult to use my hand as a subject matter.  Even though you only draw using one hand (usually), I think that I use my other as a stabilizer.  Typically I use my other hand to hold the paper and manipulate it how I need it.  These drawings are horrible in my opinion and I feel that if I had a different hand to use as a study they would be a little bit better.

2)  I used a pencil because that was the material that I had. 

3)  Drawing is not my strong point and when I had to use my non-dominant hand the result was not good.  I think you can easily see which hand is my dominant and which is not by looking at the pictures.

4)  As I stated in question one I do not thing using my own hands as a study was a good idea.  The results I think speak for themselves.

5)  My non-dominant hand is something that I usually do not use and don’t plan to use in the future.  I am envious of people who are ambidextrous.

The drawings are very faint but if you look close you can see them.

Week nine videos

1)  The videos I chose are:  The Drawings of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance, The Power of Art: Caravaggio, and La Primavera (Botticelli).  All of these videos were chosen because they were topics that were discussed in our book.  Also the artists are ones that I learned to like based on their works that are in our textbook and I wanted to learn more about them.

2)  From the The Drawings of Michelangelo video I found it interesting is that Michelangelo denied the similarities between his work and Ghirlandaio even though the video can point this out.  In Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance I found it interesting that people in general in these times apprenticed with others at such a young age.  Leonardo Da Vinci apprenticed with Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence.  In The Power of Art: Caravaggio I learned that Caravaggio became an overnight success by bringing his experience to “The Martyrdom of St. Matthew”.  La Primavera (Botticelli) is a video that was very interesting and that I learned that Botticelli learned how to use drapery to add movement to his works from his apprentice, Fra Filippo Lippi.

3)  All of the videos that I watched were very similar to our readings for this week.  The artists and the Renaissance discussed along with key concepts were discussed in comparison to our textbook.

4)  By getting different perspectives we learn a lot more about the subject.  You cannot rely on one source for all of your opinions on topics because your ideas will end up being biased.  That is why having the videos in our week are essential to our learning.

Week 8 video post

1)  I chose each of the videos based on their title.  I chose the Gothic Architecture video because after reading in the textbook I found myself staring at the intricacy of all of the buildings with their peaks and points everywhere.  I chose the Cataclysm video because the idea of the Black Death is intriguing to me.  The Black Death was so horrific to a period of people and it came on so fast it is so interesting to learn how it gained so much control so quickly.  The final of the three videos we had to pick I chose the Greek Art and the Human Figure video.  I chose this video because any type of sculpture of the human body is art work to me.  The human bodies in all its forms even though they are all the same, vary vastly.

2)  In the More Human than Human video I found it very interesting how many statues that we accept as human like are not truly human.  In this video they take pictures of statues and translate them to normal human beings and what appears seems absurd.  In the Late Gothic Art and Architecture:  England, 1400 – 1547 video I learned that the many Gothic style churches that are still around are social centers as much as religious centers.  In the Cataclysm:  The Black Death Visits Tuscany video I found how the plague was transferred from area to area very interesting.  In the The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure video I found it interesting how that even in the classical period the people focused on the idealized person as we still do today.

3)  All of the videos relate to the text because they discuss similar matters.  Both the video and the textbook talk about the Gothic style, human statues, and the idealized and natural human sculptures just to name a few topics that are similar.

4)  I find that the films are very beneficial to our learning.  Each video provides different materials that were not discussed in the textbook.  Also it seems that the videos are better able to elaborate on the topics better than the textbook can in my opinion.

Week 7 video post

1)  One of the key concepts or ideas that I learned from the Prairie Style video was that Frank Lloyd Wright was so influential especially on people like Ron Thom and Dan White.  One of the key concepts that I learned from the Architecture: the Science of Design video was how much wind can affect a skyscraper.  I did not know that in high winds certain skyscrapers can move three meters.  One of the key ideas that I learned from the Classical Architecture video was that the fight between classical and modernism in architecture is still alive.  I thought that modernism was much more popular but after this video I am doubting that.  One of the key concepts that I learned from the Call for Planet Earth:  Sustainable development and Architecture video was the living roof.  This roof has a grass floor on it and it helps by keeping the heat in the winter and the coolness in the summer.

2)  All of the videos add a depth to the different types of architecture, the materials used, and how the creations of one type of architecture greatly develop the other.  These are all things that are talked about in our textbook.

3)  Each film that I watched has great information that it provides.  These films have similar information to our book but they expand on certain ideas and provide different reasoning why certain things have been done.  Getting different points of view on architecture and reasons why people create architecture is beneficial to the learner because you cannot rely on just one source for all of your answers or else you get a biased viewpoint.

4)  I chose the Last Call for Planet Earth:  Sustainable development and Architecture video because of the four videos it sounded like an environmental video similar to the Green architecture idea discussed in our book.  I am very interested in preserving our environment otherwise we will exhaust our resources before our children will have the opportunity to create their own architecture. 

Week six installation post

Step 3

1)  Installation art is an artwork that fits in a designated space and draws your attention towards it and commands the space.

2)  Almost any type of material can be used in installation art.  Most of the art is three dimensional so material used is three dimensional.

3)  Installation art is created for any reason that art is created.  It is expressive and has great meaning to the creator.

4)  The installation art that I found most interesting was Reconstructed Icicles, Dumfriesshire by Andy Goldsworthy.  This was most interesting to me because it is natural and is found in nature.  I am fond of almost any art that is found in or from nature.

Step 4

1)      The piece of art that I found most inspirational was Reconstructed Icicles, Dumfriesshire by Andy Goldsworthy.  This was most inspirational to me because it is natural and is found in nature.  I am fond of almost any art that is found in or from nature.

2)      The theme that I am going to use is Consumerism. 

3)      The materials that I am going to use are premade objects created from paper, wood, and cloth.

4)      The installation is located in my residence because I have limited area to use for the installation and I found an area that could be used in the installation as well along with adding other objects.

Creating the installation was a project that I enjoyed.  I often changed my mind on which piece of consumerism I was going to focus on however my supplies were limited so that’s how I was able to narrow it down.  I also kept adding and taking things away on the specific was that I wanted to present the work.  Creating this work gave me a much better understanding of installation art and how difficult it can be.

Week six video

1) The main concept I learned from the Through the Eyes of Sculptor video was that a sculpture from a stone usually first starts with a sketch followed by a clay model and then a plaster cast before a stone is even touched.  The main concept I learned from the Glass and Ceramics video was a statement that ceramic materials can be stronger than steel.  The main concept I learned from the Installation Art video was that installation art itself is an individual concept and changes dramatically with each artist.

2)  The videos directly relate to the readings because they discuss sculptures, ceramics or crafts, and installation art which all were discussed in the chapters that we read this week.

3)  All of the videos that we have seen in the course so far are beneficial to the text that we are reading that week and I feel sometimes even explain the concepts a little bit more thorough.  These videos give alternate explanations for works of art and visually show how works are created.