Art Appreciation Exam 1
Brazilian artist, Cara Grande feather mask, 1960
simultaneous contrast: a property of complementary colors when placed side by side, resulting in the fact that both appear brighter and more intense than when seen in isolation.
Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, 1555-58
subordination: the use of emphasis to draw the viewer's attention away from a particular part of a composition Icarus who is located on the corner of the painting isn't the focal point of the painting despite being the main subject. multiple focal points: farmer with horse, ship, city in the distance, weird rock/castle formation in the water Meaning: life moves on through death
Artemesia Gentileschi, Judith and Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes, 1625
tenebrism: an especially great contrast of light and dark employed for impact and dramatic effect; from the Italian tenebroso, meaning murky
perspective
the creation of the illusion of depth in a two-dim image by using mathematical principles
space
the distance between identifiable points or planes
Value
the lightness or darkness of asurface
Paul Strand, Geometric Backyards, NY, 1917
took further advantage of the abstraction of walls, pavement, and hanging sheets. The overhead viewpoint was novel
LeWitt, Wall Drawing No. 681 C, 1993
use of line is controlled, logical, and organized unlike Van Gogh's Starry Night
Marc Quinn, Self, 1991 and 2006
used his own blood of self portrait This was in the sensation exhibit, it was shocking, gross -uses the material because it is apart of him -changing portraits of every five years-aging and death is human truths, fragile life -sensation
reception
visual stimulus going into the retina
Frederic Church, Our Banner in the Sky, 1861
-After Civil War started, suppose to look like a teared flag in the sunset, bird is flying indicating war began
Art can be censored for many reasons:
-Because its pornographic -offends religious beliefs -racism -violence
Frederic Church, Twilight in the Wilderness, 1860
-Before Civil War, uses politics, the colors are to show the war/storm coming, bird is sitting on tree waiting for the war to begin
Our perceptions of Color
-Our experiences of color are sometimes evocative or physical -some colors are associated with EMOTIONAL STATES -Blue is also associated with cold, and red with hot: an association known as COLOR TEMPERATURE
Jen Zee, Transistor, from Supergiant Games, 2014
-Video game design -Implied depth through atmospheric perspective
Volume and Space
-When artists create an image in two dimensions, (often)they are creating an illusion -Techniques artists use to imply depth--value, space and perspective
1.16 Vertical, Horizontal, Diagonal
-creates stability, strength, and authority -create calm, peace, passiveness -communicate movement, action, drama
Three-dimensional works
-have height, width, and depth -pyramids are an example -possess four of the visual elements: forms, volume, mass and texture
volume mass
-is amount of space a form occupies -a volume that has, or gives the illusion of having, weight, density, and bulk
Two-dimension art
-is flat -has height and width, but not depth -includes drawing, painting, graphic design, and printmaking
Masaccio, Trinity, 1425-26
-one-point linear perspective -vanishing point below feet at viewer eye level -viewer engaged into the painting
Form
-shapes are flat; forms are 3 dim -forms have two fundamental attributes: volume and mass
Principles of art
-the "grammar" of art -a set of rules an artist uses to organize his or her design
Elements of art
-the basic vocabulary of art -the line is a fundamental element of art
Hokusai, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, 1823-29
-uses overlapping-further away and closer to you -relative scale-waves bigger than boats -White capped waves and claws-bad storm -Mount Fuji will be fine-untouched as Japan with its future
Jasper Johns, Flag, 1965
AFTER IMAGE EFFECT- when the eye sees the complementary color of something that the viewer has spend an extended time viewing After staring at the top flag for about 30 seconds, the colors of the top flag desensitizes the retina so that the viewer sees an after-image in red, white, and blue, the complementary colors of the green, black and orange flag. With this painting, the viewer rather than the artist, "paints" the flag in its traditional red, white and blue colors.
Mary Cassatt, The Boating Party, 1893-94
ANALOGOUS COLOR- colors adjacent to one another on the color wheel -used for peaceful, harmoniously for viewer
Asher B Durand, Kindred Spirits, 1849
ATMOSPHERIC PERSPECTIVE- articulation in art, see long way in distance
Jackson Pollock, Autumn Rhythm, No. 30, 1950
Abstract Expressionism afocal
Goya, The Third of May, 1808, 1814
Areal event happening in Spain. Spanish Rebellion Artist is very sensitive of the rebels and shows it to his audience by expressions of rebels, disproportionate, and the army looks like a darker shade IMPLIED LINES: the guns are held at attention-the line between gun and body =death the hill connects down to army White shirt on rebel means innocence and hands raised represents a reference of Jesus on the cross and puncture on the hand
Art and Controversy
Art can be powerful: it can challenge or offend
Kwei studio, Coffin in the shape of a film projector, 2013
Artists make functional objects and buildings more pleasurable and elevate them or imbue them with meaning
Basquiat, Charles the First, 1982
Basquiat makes an ode to black royalty. He lists "Cherokee" on the upper right panel of the piece because it is one of jazz musician Charlie Parker's recordings. Hands pop up all over, in some places drawn literally and in other places written only to be crossed out so that the viewer may pay even more attention to it, to pay tribute to the bodily instruments that allowed Charlie Parker to become royalty. The Superman logo is prominent as well and it describes Charlie Parker's contribution as heroic. The upper left panel holds his signature crown symbol and there ends the praising of Charlie Parker. The rest of the piece faces reality: "Most Young Kings Get Their Head Cut Off." He even draws a line through young, acting on a conviction that crossing out words made people look harder.
Michelangelo, Head of a Satyr, 1620-30
Creating value using hatching and cross-hatching
Yoruba artist, Twin figure, 19th century, Nigerian
Due to the low birth weight of twins and the high infant mortality rates in Nigeria, many twin babies do not live long. If a baby dies during childbirth, in the months leading up to the naming ceremony, the parents will seek consultation with an Ifá diviner, a Babalawo. If the Babalawo ascertains a spiritual cause, he will help the parents find a carver to create an Ere ibeji figure. An Ere ibeji is a wooden carving of a male or female figure once used by the Yoruba. The figure is thought to be a focal point for the spiritual energy of the deceased twin who, according to Yoruba traditional thought, resides in the supernatural realm where he/she is cared for by a spiritual mother. These figures are carved to represent an ideal type within the Yoruba criteria of beauty and in the prime of life—neither a child nor an old person.
Kelly, Brier, 1961
Example of contour line -the perceived lines that mark the border of an object in space indicates shape of 2D or 3D form & emphasizes its flatness
FedEx logo
Graphic Design: the use of images, typography, and technology to communicate ideas for a client or to a particular audience
Kwei, Coffin in the shape of a cocoa pod, 1970
HUE- general classification of a color; the distinctive characteristics of a color seen in the visible spectrum, such as green, red, or orange -In Ghana the funerals are celebrations have bright coffins
Claude Monet, Impression - Sunrise, 1872
His art was not popular and perceived bad when alive. His art was realistic. He wanted to change the depiction of art and light Impressionists - The painters of the Impressionist movement in 19th century France whose work is characterized by the use of discontinuous strokes of color
Egyptian artist, Menkaure with his queen, ca. 2480 BCE
His broad shoulders, taut torso, and muscular arms and legs, all modeled with subtlety and restraint, convey a latent strength. In contrast, her narrow shoulders and slim body, whose contours are apparent under her tight-fitting sheath dress, represent the Egyptian ideal of femininity. As is standard for sculptures of Egyptian men, his left foot is advanced, although all his weight remains on the right foot. Typically, Egyptian females are shown with both feet together, but here, the left foot is shown slightly forward. Although they stand together sharing a common base and back slab, and she embraces him, they remain aloof and share no emotion, either with the viewer or each other.
Xu Yang, Entering Suzhou and the Grand Canal..., 1770
ISOMETRIC PERSPECTIVE- a system using diagonal parallel lines to communicate depth
Marc Chagall, The Fall of Icarus, 1975
Icarus is made the 'focal point' placed against a light sky Chagall uses bold red, yellow, and blue colors; 'primary colors'.
Tang dynasty artist, Caravaneer on a camel, ca. 618-907
Material/technique/medium used: Earthenware Function/purpose of work: This pack animal was an indispensable carrier of goods on the Silk Road that linked China with the regions to her west. In all likelihood, the demonic masks that dominate the load of the camel here were intended to ward off evil
Nara, Dead Flower, 1994
Meaning of the Style vs. Content outline: the edge of a shape or figure depicted by an actual line drawn or painted on the surface Juxtaposition Thick Lines to show Japan's love for cuteness -Response to Japan's ridged social conventions? -Reflection of adult anxiety over the loss of innocence? -Artists asks if it is the adults who are actually the aggressors -Points out that cutting down a flower is nothing compared to what adults do -She is not the scary one -Maybe she is doing everything she can to protect herself -Note the viewing angle and her small size
Magritte, The Treason of Images, 1929
Meaning: "This is not a pipe" At first we look at the painting and say of course that's a pipe, but obviously that picture is not a pipe. Both images and words can refer to things that we see, but they are not the things themselves. The artist invites us to think critically about the representations that bombard us in daily life.
Da Vinci, The Last Supper, 1495-98
One-point linear perspective -monks wanted painting- permanently on wall -Christ in center, everyone looking and gesturing at Him. -Christ is front faced, he had space
Titian, Assumption and Consecration of the Virgin, 1516-18
Painted in bold and highly contrasting colors, the Assumption of the Virgin oil painting depicts the miraculous raising of Mary, mother of Jesus, into heaven. Bidding her farewell on the ground below are the apostles, who reach up towards Mary's figure as it's lifted up by angelic cherubs amidst the clouds. The elderly, male personification of God peers down at Mary from the golden light of heaven as an angel beside him carries a crown to present to Mary. features 3 horizontal areas tied together with interlocking, symmetrical implied lines
Van Gogh, Starry Night, 1889
Post Impressionism Historical: Art that showed something about his interior life. His insanity. (Painted in asylum) - Religious iconography (Dutch Theology of Art) - didn't want to sell art, wanted to influence other artists - did his art to live simply and show his religious beliefs Stylistic: Focuses on color and choppy brushstrokes. Brings world to life with color and color in motion. Symbolism - used lots of paint, still life paintings, intense different color, rough/ blotchy brush strokes, thick paint. geometric forms, expressions, and emotion
Cai Guo-Qiang, Transient Rainbow, 2002
Rainbow=healing, optimism, rehabilitation=connection to 911 Represents a bridge between Queens and Manhatten Fireworks are dangerous, celebration, beautiful River reflects rainbow and shows a full circle
Anish Kapoor, Cloud Gate, 2004
SITE SPECIFIC Medium: Stainless Steel Sculpture Function: Kapoor's design was inspired by liquid mercury and the sculpture's surface reflects and distorts the city's skyline. example of the artist helping us see the world in new and innovative ways
Po Shu Wang, Comma,, 2005-6
SITE-SPECIFIC: Wang's sculpture encourages passersby to interact with and muse on natural phenomena, such as what sounds the movement of the earth's crusts makes or what sounds the sun makes. Acoustical waves bounce from one side of the sun to the other, causing its surface to oscillate and make a sound.
Chris Ofili, The Holy Virgin Mary, 1996
Set against a shimmering gold background comprised of carefully placed dots of paint and glitter, the central figure in Ofili's painting stares directly at her beholder, with wide eyes and parted lips. Her blue gown flows from the top of her head down to the amorphous base of her body, falling open to reveal a lacquered ball of elephant dung where her breast would be. Collaged images of women's buttocks surround the Virgin; cut from pornographic magazines, they become abstract, almost decorative forms that refuse to signify until confronted up-close. The two balls of dung beneath the canvas are adorned with glittering letters spelling out the work's title.
Demonstration against Sensation, 1999
The exhibition in question, "Sensation: Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection," was described as a slasher flick—"R-rated" and brimming with "animals sliced in half, and graphic paintings and sculptures of corpses and sexually mutilated bodies." The ensuing free-speech fight over "Sensation" would center around just that: whether the City of New York could cut off funding to the Brooklyn Museum over the controversial exhibition. The escalating battle threatened the literal existence of a major cultural institution in a way rarely seen since. On one side of the "Sensation" fight were Catholic groups and Giuliani. On the other side of the battle was the Brooklyn Museum, which refused to call off the show, backed by legendary lawyer Floyd Abrams and the New York Civil Liberties Union. And in the middle of it all, a work of art: Chris Ofili's The Holy Virgin Mary (1996), which plays off classical iconography, depicting Virgin Mary as a black woman made of elephant dung and set against a shimmering gold background replete with women's buttocks cut from pornographic magazines.
Janine Antoni, Touch, 2002
The horizon line can never truly be reached, yet it is a place that has been contemplated through culture over time
Ringgold, God Bless America, 1964
The painting itself was painted during the Civil Rights movement in 1964 where white prejudice against African American was enforced by the legal system. The painting represents the imprisonment of the American Flag. The star on the flag symbolizes a sheriff's badge and the stripes on the flag symbolizes the bars of a jail cell. The white woman is potrayed as a racist who is denying blacks the right to vote. The woman herself is a prisoner of her own bigotry.
Claude Monet, Haystack series, 1890-91
The series is famous for the way in which Monet repeated the same subject to show the differing light and atmosphere at different times of day, across the seasons and in many types of weather. Monet was intensely aware of and fascinated by the visual nuances of the region's landscape and by the endless variations in the days and in the seasons - the stacks were just outside his door. Although the mundane subject was constant throughout the Haystack series, the underlying theme may be seen as the transience of light. This concept enabled Monet to use repetition to show nuances of perception as the time of day, the seasons and the weather changed.
Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, 2500 BCE
The three primary pyramids on the Giza plateau were built over the span of three generations by the rulers Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. Each pyramid was part of a royal mortuary complex that also included a temple at its base and a long stone causeway. The shape of the pyramid was a solar reference, perhaps intended as a solidified version of the rays of the sun.
William Adolphe-Bougereau, Nymphs and Satyr, 1873
This art was accepted in this time period. Its more mythological, detailed, narrative
Marcus Harvey, Myra, 1995
This offended people in London because Myra was a serial killer, killed 6 kids He used kids hands that dipped in white/black paint and made pixilated figure He used it as a critique to media because they showed her mug shot so much
Ch. 1.4 Color
Traditional color wheel (red, yellow, blue primaries)
Caillebotte, Place de l'Europe on a Rainy Day, 1876-77
Two-point linear perspective multiple vanishing points perspective lines give off impression of moving pedestrians two figures walking toward viewer creates a line of sight lamp divides the campus in half wealthy figures based on top hats and ability to stroll through town The canvas is divided into four equal rectangles formed by the vertical line of the lamppost and the horizon line
Richter, September, 2005
abstract: the rendering of images and objects in a stylized or simplified way; though they remain recognizable, their formal or expressive aspects are emphasized Richter painted a small canvas depicting a horizontal blur colliding with two vertical thrusts against the backdrop of a clear, sky blue the abstracted nature of the work makes the reference to 9/11 - as that day has come to be known colloquially - only oblique. Even the title lacks precise detail, positioning the painting as a channel of meditation between the viewer and the experience, rather than simply reportage.
Paul Strand, Abstraction, Porch Shadows, 1916
abstraction through fragmentation, multiple points of view, and a reduction of people and objects to basic geometry. He wanted to draw the viewer's attention to the patterns of light and dark that created a visual rhythm across a surface.
Jackson Pollock, No 32, 1950, 1950 Burckhardt, Jackson Pollock painting No. 32, 1950, 1950
action painting: a style of painting that relies on the physical movement of the artist by using such gestural techniques as vigorous brushwork, dripping, and pouring. afocal: without any focal points
Yayoi Kusama, You who are getting obliterated in the dancing swarm of fireflies, 2005
afocal: without any focal points
Kongo artist, Nkisi nkonde (Power figure), Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire). Late 19th century. Wood, iron nails, glass, resin, 20-1/4 × 11 × 8"
animism: a belief in the existence of souls and conviction that nonhuman things can also be endowed with a soul. a power figure is a magical charm seemingly carved in the likeness of human being, meant to highlight its function in human affairs. A nkisi nkondi can act as an oath taking image which is used to resolve verbal disputes or lawsuits as well as an avenger (the term nkondi means 'hunter') or guardian if sorcery or any form of evil has been committed
Leonardo da Vinci, Madonna of the Rocks, 1823-29
atmospheric perspective: a technique designed to suggest three-dimensional space in the two-dimensional space of the picture plane, and in which forms and objects distant from the viewer become less distinct, often bluer or cooler in color, and contrast among the various distant elements is greatly reduced.
Paul Colin, Figure of a Woman, 1930
chiaroscuro: in drawing and painting, the use of light and dark to create the effect of three-dimensional modeled surfaces
complementary colors
color opposite one another on the color wheel
Calder, Portrait of Mr. Uhlan, 1938
contour line: the perceived lines that mark the border of an object in space
Ellsworth Kelly, Three Panels: Orange, Dark Gray, Green, 1986
shape: a two-dimensional area, the boundaries of which are measured in terms of height and width figure-ground relation: the relationship between a work of art (the figure) and the surface upon which the work is made (the ground)
Van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece, 1432
depiction of God as the major focal point of the work in the top-center of the piece God is depicted as a god of forgiveness and redemption
Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty, 1970
earthwork he manipulates nature -likes humans with nature the symbol, the spiral (universal & ionic symbol), is directly linked to the growth cycles -the spiral both opens and closes, always moving, always active -this piece is ephemeral, meaning one day it will disappear completely
George De la Tour, Joseph the Carpenter, ca. 1645
emphasis focal point is the child's face (Jesus) indicated by the light given off of the candle Joseph takes over most of the painting but the eyes should naturally gravitate towards Jesus the tool that Joseph is using is cross shaped, symbol of christianity
Anna Vallayer-Coster, Still Life with Lobster, 1781
emphasis lobster is the main focal point, indicated by the bright red colors against the dull cool colors of the jars of grapes and beans in the background. the knife which points at the lobster is another indication of the focal point light vs dark warm vs cool colors
Dirk Fowler's music posters (NY Dolls, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson)
explores figure-ground relationship
Julie Mehretu, Berliner Platze, 2008-9
features layers of place, space, and time that emerge from the flat shape of the canvas
M.C. Escher, Sky and Water I, 1938, Woodcut
figure-ground reversal: the relationship between the work of art and its background is interchangeable
Rubin vase illustration
figure-ground reversal: the relationship between the work of art and its background is interchangeable
"Spider" 500 BCE-500CE Peru
geoglyph: a large design or motif produced on the ground and typically formed by rocks or durable elements of the landscape, "land drawing" Created by an ancient civilization Visible only for the air Uses line to convey shape
Van Eyck, Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife Giovanna Cenami, 1434
iconography: the study or description of images and symbols This work is a portrait of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, but is not intended as a record of their wedding. Arnolfini was a member of a merchant family from Lucca living in Bruges. The mirror reflects two figures in the doorway, one of whom may be the painter himself. the figures are shown to prove that the two witnesses required to make a wedding legal were present, and Van Eyck's signature on the wall acts as some form of actual documentation of an event at which he was himself present.
Texture
is the surface quality of a work -the sensation of touching -artists sometimes evoke our memory of touch
Emperor Babur Overseeing his Gardeners, 1590
isometric perspective: a perspective system using diagonal parallel lines to communicate depth
Alexander Calder, Untitled, 1976
kinetic art: art that moves
Claude Monet, Water Lilies, Morning: Willows, 1916-26
kinetic art: art that moves
Hickman, The Messengers, 2013
kinetic art: art that moves
Yin and Yang symbol
looks like two intertwined commas, one half light/yang other dark/yin, a small dot representing that everything contains its opposite and will eventually become it
Martin Puryear, Self, 1978
mass: any solid that occupies a three- dimensional volume Self is an outstanding example of the artist's concern for the underlying forces that govern the formal geometries of abstract sculpture. Although built of thin layers over a hollow core, the piece looks solid and heavy--like an immense stone jutting out of the earth. Puryear described the piece in terms of its reference to natural form and to the mystery of existence: "It might have been created by erosion, like a rock worn by sand and weather. ... It's meant to be a visual notion of the self rather than any particular self--the self as a secret entity, as a secret, hidden place."
Japanese artist, Buddha (Amida), 1130
mudra: symbolic hand gestures used in Buddhist ceremonies and imagery During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, images of Amitabha were created in large numbers as a result of the popularity of a Buddhist sect known as Pure Land. The teachings of this sect emphasized the horrors of Buddhist hells and celebrated the glories of Amitabha's Western Paradise, also known as the Pure Land. Pure Land adherents believed that if they uttered Amitabha's name sincerely, they would achieve salvation, and be escorted to his glorious paradise after death by a retinue of gods.
Eliasson, Suney, 1995
negative space: empty space, surrounded and shaped so that it acquires a sense of form or volume
Barbara Hepworth, Two Figures, 1947-48
negative space: empty space, surrounded and shaped so that it acquires a sense of form or volume Into each of her figures, she carved negative spaces that add to the overall sculpture. They make the sculpture appear to have human body parts.
Malevich, Black Square, 1923-30
nonobjective: art that makes no reference to the natural world and that explores the inherent expressive or aesthetic potential of the formal (line, shape, color, etc) elements. Also known as nonrepresentational art. Malevich called his new abstract approach to painting suprematism. Suprematism is all about the supremacy of colour and shape in painting. By sticking to simple geometric shapes and a limited range of colours he could focus on the painting itself and not be distracted by representing a scene, or landscape or a person. When Black Square was first exhibited, the world was in chaos. It was the middle of the First World War and there was continuing unrest following the 1905 Russian revolution that in 1917 would explode into the Bolshevik uprising and October Revolution.
Memorials
object or building displayed in memory of person or event
Duccio, Annunciation of the Death of the Virgin, 1308-11
one-point linear perspective: a perspective system using lines that converge at a single vanishing point, typically at the horizon line, to communicate depth
Edith Hayllar, Summer Shower, 1883
one-point linear perspective: a perspective system using lines that converge at a single vanishing point, typically at the horizon line, to communicate depth
Riley, Drift No. 2, 1966
optical painting (Op Art): an art style in which line and color are manipulated in ways that stimulate the eye into believing it perceives movement
Bierstadt, Puget Sound on the Pacific Coast, 1870
representational: a style of artwork that portrays natural objects in recognizable form