What is living with art?
to make art live by letting it engage our attention our attention, our imagination, our intelligence
Aesthetic
the branch of philosophy concerned with the feelings aroused in us by sensory experiences
Aesthetic experience
experiences we have through sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. Aesthetics concerns itself with our responses to the natural world and to the world we make, especially the world of art. It addresses issues like: what is art, how and why it affect us?
What is visual art?
the art that addresses the sense of sight, as opposed to music or poetry which are arts that appeal to the ear
When was Paleolithic cave paintings first discovered?
in the late 19th century
Scholars different interpretation of why they had been made?
-The thought when it was discovered in the late 19th century was that they had been made purely for pleasure during times of rest from hunting or other occupations
-Early theory held that the images were a form of magic to ensure success in hunting
-Recen
Shamans
Religious specialists who communicate with a parallel spirit world, often through animal spirit go-betweens
How were the paintings made in the paleolithic era?
Charcoal, naturally tinted red and yellow clays (ochres), and a black mineral called manganese dioxide served as pigments. They were ground to a powder with stone mortars, then mixed with a liquid that bound them into paint - blood, animal fat, and calciu
What is the impulse for creating works of art? What drives us as humans to do this?
Art is created according to what matters most to the artist, his core values
To construct meaningful images and forms, to create order and structure, to explore aesthetic possibilities - these characteristics seem to be part of our nature as human beings.
What do artists do? p.7 - 10
-Create places for human purpose: Stonehenge was created as a place where a community could gather for rituals; Maya Lin created the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as a place for contemplation and remembrance
-Create extraordinary versions of ordinary objects:
Maya Lin p.10
Vietnam Veterans Memorial (1982), graduate student at Yale, Chinese-American ethnicity (caused controversy), simple design that was cut into the earth, names of dead listed in chronological order. Lots of controversy- people believed Maya Lin should not d
Vietnam War p.6
Thousands of young men and women lost their lives in a distant conflict that was increasingly questioned and protested at home. By the war's end, the nation was so bitterly divided that returning veterans received virtually no recognition for their servic
Vincent Van Gogh, The starry night, 1889, oil on canvas, 29" x 36" (created near St. Remy mental asylum 13 months before his death at 37 MOMA)
Vincent van Gogh. 1889. Expresses feelings as he stood on the outskirts of a small village in France and looked up at the night sky. Painted shortly before suicide.
Vincent Van Gogh
Born in Zundert, Holland / Son of a minister
Art interest at age 27
Moved to Paris in 1886
Left Paris for Southern city of Ales in 1888
worked with painter Paul Gauguin
Had an argument with him and cut his ear off, sent it to a prostitute
seek help in asy
What is the meaning of Culture is king?
The core values you grew up in shape every decision you make. Culture is connected to how people make art because of the different materials, certain kind of stones that they don't have in other places, styles (has to do with the culture), what the politi
What is art?
Art expresses emotion, culture (political, Religion, values);
helps to preserve history, documents (before the invention of camera);
use of different mediums to express something, express emotion, culture, political, values
Medieval period
Not everyone could read, only the elites so imagery became very important to illiterate (serves as direction)
During the medieval (dark ages) - the majority of people were illiterate. The people who had power: the church, kings, elites and their families.
What is beauty?
is something that is appeasing to the eye, emotional attachment felt. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Venus figurines of Willendorf; 25000 BCE (NE Australian)
Exaggerated key body features, body proportions (Breasts, Stomach, bottom, sexual organs); arm is almost non existent, face is not shown (Nomadic culture); - discovered in 1908
Size matter - it wasn't meant to be on a pedestal, in the center of a home.
Th
Egypt 5000 BCE
Obsession with consistency, order, structured, organized, stability (the Nile river) proportion is very important; which is very important for the imagery - shows each part of the body from it's clearest angle. They are showing idealized to show power.
Wh
Greece 2500 BCE
Fixated on athletic human body (the perfect body - be like a god); beliefs that looking good and in shape makes them closer to their gods (King Pharaoh)
Beliefs: If you look good, you were good
The gods were idealized and were immortal but like human they
Compare / contrast: Egyptians & Venus figurines of Willendorf
Rigid and stable / have much more dimension - lots of curves
What is creativity?
The ability to produce something that is both innovative and useful within a given social context (broad def.)
The ability to generate numerous ideas, many of them quite original, then to analyze their ideas, selecting the most promising ones to develop.
Stonehenge, 2000-1500 BCE, Salisbury Plain, England 80 Miles southwest of London (height of stones 13'6")
Paleolithic to neolithic period. Marks a graveyard. Many theories as to why it was built =>Calendar to tell us the season (Agriculture)
Tells them when it's time to plant, harvest; ritual activities centered around agriculture; it's important because it w
Stonehenge
Most impressive and haunting works to survive from the Stone Ages
Structure in the south of England
Consist of several concentric circles of megaliths (very large stones, surrounded by a circular ditch)
Was built in several phases over many centuries begi
Why was Stonehenge built and what purpose it served?
purpose remains a mystery. Scholars guess, but there is no definite proof. Has been claimed that it was an ancient temple, while others say it was a calendar, a graveyard, used for funeral rituals
For us, it stands as a compelling example of how old or ho
Shiva Nataraja, Lord of the Dance Hindu God 11th century
11th Century Bronze. Hindu god dances the destruction and rebirth of the world. (circle of life, dancing on ego, stepping on it; Lotus {flower that grows on lake - action of enlightenment, rebirth, purity - grows towards the light})
Figure is moving withi
Lion Panel of Chauvet Cave. France 25,000 BCE, Cave arts
Cave Painting. 25,000 B.C. Oldest paintings we know of. Not sure why they were painted but probably to feel more connected to wild beasts. To encourage them before a hunt.
What paintings are considered the earliest works of art?
humans have produced decorative art for as long as we have existed as a species. Early cave paintings are one example
Men were painting images of animals all over cave walls. Why animals? they were hunters. It reveal the importance for early societies of
Why do we study art?
because by doing so we learn about our own creative expressions and those of the past.
Representational art
Descriptive of a work of art that depicts forms in the natural world. Representational art present figures or objects in a recognizable manner and may be considered figurative art (represent a likeness)
Ex: Picasso art showing "First communion
Style
Refers to the handling of distinctive elements and particular media throughout the various artistic periods. Style is a various artistic periods. Style is a result of the choices the artist makes. It reflects what's going on in the culture at that time (t
Content
What a work o art is about, its subject matter as interpreted by a viewer. (order of things)
Composition
The organization of lines, shapes, colors, and other art elements in other art elements in a work of art. More often applied to two-dimensional art; the broader term is design.
Iconography
The writing of images. Formally called, the study of the subjects and symbols, and arts Ex: Van Ecyk's Arnolfini Double portrait
How does quinten Massy's painting "Grotesque Old Woman" illustrate ideas or questions concerning "art and beauty?
The painting "Grotesque Old Woman" shows an old woman posing for a picture in traditional ways of portrait during the Renaissance (hand on a wall, turned to the side). Her dress seems to indicate that she is royalty. At first when you look at the picture
What was the Maya Lin Video about?
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What was the main theme of the Maya Lin video and how does this relate to our discussion of visual elements and principles of design?
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What were some of the problems Maya Lin had to address and what was the controversy?
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Describe Maya Lin's work? (what was is made of, what does it look like and how do the elements give the work meaning?)
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