art appreciation week 1

According to the author, the most important meaning of an artwork is

what it means to the viewer ((Some works of art come to mean something for the viewer and their own experiences, thoughts, and emotions find a place in them. ))

The famous Neolithic structure in England, made of megaliths that once formed several concentric circles, is called

stonehenge ((The Stonehenge was built in several phases over many centuries with some stones weighing 50 tons each.))

Radiocarbon testing indicates that the earliest images made by humans date back to

the Paleolithic period ((The testing accurately dated the cave paintings and pushed back the history of art several thousand years.))

We owe our access to Vincent van Gogh's thoughts and feelings about many of his paintings to

the many letters he wrote to friends and relatives. ((The letters reveal a sensitive, intelligent artist pouring out his thoughts and were an important documentation of his life and art. ))

Although Vincent van Gogh suffered emotionally throughout his life, he was able to give his emotions tangible form in works such as

the starry night ((Van Gogh wanted the viewer to experience the energy of the universe in this painting. All the other works listed were created by other artists.))

What do I ask each of you to leave at the door during this semester while taking Art Appreciation.

cynicism and a closed mind

This week's video was on Maya Lin, who at twenty-one became one of America's most recognized artists with her winning design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. What is included in the video?

All these answers are correct. The artist transforming an urban park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. ,, A park featuring a skating rink which Lin has outfitted with sophisticated fiber optic technology. ,,The artist carving layers of circles out of the pages of an atlas in order to create topographic islands and canyons. ((The video filmed transforming an urban park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A work that is part art and part architecture, the park features a skating rink which Lin has outfitted with sophisticated fiber optic technology to produce an image of the starry night sky onto the surface of the ice. "Everything I've done in life is about polarities, about two sides balancing out," says the artist. Carving layers of circles out of the pages of an atlas in order to create topographic islands and canyons, both Lin's studio and outdoor projects mark an identification with the land.))

According to the author, the impulse to create art comes from basic human interests in

all of these: creating order and structure; exploring aesthetic possibilities; and constructing images and forms that carry meaning.

The sculptor Constantin Brancusi spent his life searching for forms that were

all of these: simple, pure, and timeless. ((Brancusi strove to deconstruct his subject to its essence.))