Polykleitos, Spear Bearer (450 BCE)
high point of Ancient Greek classicism; Roman copy of the Greek original shows imitation as a form of flattery; marble, free-standing statue, focuses on exterior beauty
Wim Delvoye, Cloaca (c 2000)
an installation made of glass, metal and other industrial, shows more of an appreciation for modern day thought and scientific/industrial advancements; emphasizes beauty of ideas over appearances
installation
a very contemporary, room sized mode of exhibition- meant to be entered, explored, experienced, and reflected upon
Wheat Field and Cypress Trees, Vincent Van Gogh (1889)
artist believed art was worth more than could be appreciated or valued by the eye
Thirty are Better than one, Andy Warhol (1963)
critique on the nature of reproductions of art and how it dilutes the value
Mona Lisa, Leonardo Da Vinci (1503-05)
stolen in 1910 as piece of Italian heritage, gained recognition for being stolen and for mass reproductions
Enlightenment
the period in which painting, architecture, and sculpture were grouped together with music and literature as fine arts on the principle that they were all activities that require skill, genius, and imagination; philosophers begin to question what art is in branch of aesthetics
Renaissance
the period in which sculpture, painting, and architecture became known as more elevated forms of art
Fisherman's Cottage on the cliffs at Varengeville, Claude Monet (1882)
art independent of the academy, the changing culture facilitated movement to the forefront of modern art- artist regarded as unofficial leader of impressionism
Badi'uzzaman Fights Iraj to a Draw; Dasavanta, Madhava Khurd, and Shravana
made for an emperor by 3 artists; only needed to satisfy an audience of 1- tells a tale of prophet Mohamed
Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nation's Millennium General Assembly; James Hampton
found in garage after death, not made for an audience, approximately 180 pieces made of tinfoil, representative of second coming
Cabbage Leaf; Edward Weston
embodied meaning
the idea that art is always about something
First Communion, Pablo Picasso
representational and realistic in comparison with other piece "seated woman holding a fan
Seated Woman Holding a Fan, Pablo Picasso
abstract in comparison to first communion, use of shapes is greatly simplified and distorted form
Woman With Packages, Louise Bourgeois
said to portray the inner essence of a subject; abstract piece from series of pieces called "personages" - series of elongated human figures
Housepainter III, Duane Hanson
represents how abstract concepts such as "housepainter" are rooted in particular details of an individual; example of Trompe l'oeil- extreme illusionary realism- looking at ordinary things/people in new ways
stylized
describes representational art that conforms to a preset style or set of convections for depicting the world
nonrepresentational (nonobjective)
art that does not represent the outside world but finds meaning and expressive power in the elements of art itself such as lines, form, and color
style
a distinctive, recognizable ensemble of recurring characteristics; the choices an artist makes in composing their works
school styles
styles shared by a particular group of like-minded artists (impressionism)
form
the physical appearance of a work of art such as colors, shapes, and internal organization; the way art looks
content
the meaning of a work of art; what it is about (subject matter)
subject matter
the objects or events a a representational work of art depicts that gives clues to its content
Piano Lesson; Henri Matisse
represents the discipline of music; its solitary and intellectual side- abstract piece(compared to Music Lesson)
Music Lesson; Henri Matisse
represents the pleasure of music; its social and sensuous side, naturalistic piece (compare to Piano Lesson)
iconography
The story of a work of art including symbols or references of people or events - requires knowledge of a specific time, beliefs, or culture- identifying, describing, and interpreting subject matter in art
context
the personal, social, cultural, and historical setting in which art was created, received, and interpreted; to understand a work of art as created by an artist, at a specific time, and in a particular culture
Arnolfini Double Portrait; Jan Van Eyck
-a hyper realist piece with photographic clarity
-4 theories: 1) depiction of wealthy merchant marriage (dog is symbol of fidelity, 2 witnesses create documentation of marriage)
2) depicts and engagement
3) portrait of 2nd wife
4) image of first wife slipping away, painting commemorates their marriage
Assumption; Titian
photographed by Thomas Struth in the Church of the Frari, Venice; originally meant to be seen in religious mass but put into a touristy context the sacred meaning is taken away
trompe l'oeil
a style of art that is representational and convincingly lifelike; especially used to deceive viewers to perceive three-dimensional objects in works of art- French term meaning "fool the eye
Marcel Duchamp, Fountain (1917)
mass produced urinal, not retinal art, about the meaning behind the art
outsider art
folk art, refers to artwork by nonprofessional/nonconventional artists that have received no training and do not follow the norms of subject or style, art is not tailored for an audience ("art of the insane
Gayleen Aiken, A Beautiful Dream (1982)
artist from Vermont; considered outsider art
Howard Finster, Self Portrait (1980_
artist from GA, baptist minister; wanted to spread gospel through his garden, also created "Paradise Garden
Howard Finster, Paradise Garden
locally born and raised in GA, small town, local art became internationally known,composed of over 46000 piece, brings pride to town; rallied the local community
representational
art that resembles forms found In the natural world and is composed of pieces of recognizable likenesses of objects and forms
naturalistic
artwork that is faithful to visual experience
abstract
art that distorts, exaggerates, or simplifies the natural world to provide essence/universality
John James Audubon, Wild Turkey
reflects scientific priorities of 19th century, realism
Scythian Pole Top (700-600 BCE)
made by nomadic people that moved to Russia- no written word in culture- stylized- extension of abstraction
Vasily Kadinsky, Composition IV, 1911
German expressionist artist credited as first nonrepresentational artist; made 10 pieces numbered 1-10 with music as major inspiration for pieces
Tara Donovan, Untitled (Mylar)
site specific, non objective pieced
nonrepresentational art
refers to art containing no reference to the natural world as we see it; also referred to as nonobjective
style
refers to characteristics recognized as constant, recurring, or coherent (such as a culture, geographical location, or group/movement)
Kitigawa Utamaro, Hairdressing (c 1978-89)
-woodblock carving
-stylized,
-simplified, sharp contrasts of light and dark
(see Edgar Degas for comparison)
Edgar Degas, Nude Woman Having Her Hair Combed
-more naturalistic- realistic depiction
-oil on canvas
(see Kitigawa Utamaro for comparison)
Susan Rothenberg, Maggie's Ponytail
-hand and ponytail are representational pieces emerging from an abstract work
materials
what art is made out of; some of the first aspects of a work that grab our attention- can change meanings of a work
Janine Antoni, Gnaw (1992)
-extreme example of material bring prime source of meaning (chocolate/lard blocks)
-dancer/feminist artist
-chewed/spit pieces of blocks
-criticizes standards for beauty/pressure to be perfect
Janine Antoni, Loving Care (1993)
-dipper hair in bucket of hair coloring-> mops floor with ponytail
-critique of women's roles in the household
-body based material form of art
finial of a linguist's staff, from Ghana, Asante
piece taken out of ceremonial context; meant to be used in proverbial rituals of Linguists in West Africa that serve Akan rulers as translators, spokespersons, advisers, and orators, Each sculptural motif is associated with one or more proverbs
Carl Andre, Equivalent VIII
Minimalist piece(like Serra), mass made of firebricks, aroused public outcries and headlines such as "what a load of rubbish
Navajo men creating sand painting (c1939)
acting as shaman to create sand painting, sand is buried after performance to rid person of disease
Jackson Pollock, Number One
inspired by Navajo sand painting
Joseph Beuys, How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare
called his ritual-like performances "actions"; appeared in gallery covered in gold leaves, honey, and holding a dead hare- taking on responsibility as artist to remind people of spiritual/human values/ how these values point to the need for social/political change
kara walker, a subtlety (The Marvelous Sugar Baby, 2014, Domino Sugar Refining Plant, Brooklyn, NY)
an installation; evokes commentary on racism and the oppressive foundation of the sugar industry