Albright Knox Art Gallery Visit

1. Artworks that made an impact on me:

Frank Moore’s Niagara, 1994-95, oil on canvas, 60” x 96 1/4”: Initially this painting caught my eye due to the beautiful colors. I’ve see the falls many times and I thought he really captured the falls on a bright sunny day, almost like a photograph. But then I caught the chemical formulas rising out of the mist and details of all the factories and chemical plants in the background. The frame of the picture is actually copper piping, including two knobs. I thought, what a clever commentary on the environmental effects on an American icon.

Mark Bradford’s Mississippi Gottdam, 2007, mixed media on canvas, 102” x 144”: The huge size of this work is certainly eye-catching. From afar, you can see the wave-like structures. Up close you can see it’s a collage. Reading the plaque next to the painting, it says that Bradford incorporated debris from Hurricane Katrina into the collage. So the work gives a sense of the destruction from the hurricane and the incompetence of the response to it.

2.  Artworks I feel a connection with:

Jeanne Silverthorne’s Under a Cloud (artist’s proof), 2003, rubber, synthetic hair, aqua resin, Styrofoam, Cloud (12”x5”x10”), Figure (4”x1 ¾”x3”): According to the plaque, this work was modeled after the artist’s mother, who struggled with depression. I’ve had my own struggles with depression. I could identify with the oppressive weight the “cloud” brings over the tiny figure (which is finely detailed).

Vincent Van Gogh’s The Old Mill, 1888, oil on canvas, 25 ½ ”x21 ¼”: As I’ve noted before, I love Van Gogh’s work. I think he was the first artist I learned to recognize. Here, I love how the picturesque old mill with the peasant couple contrasts with the intense colors and brush strokes, making even the clear sky look a bit turbulent.

3. Artworks I’d like to know more about:

Rene Magritte’s The Voice of Space, 1928, oil on canvas, 25 ½ “x 19 ½ “: The work looks so ominous – I was wondering what the artist was thinking. I found it interesting that there are at least 4 different versions of this painting – the one in the Guggenheim is brightly colored in daylight, and the orbs are meant to be bells. Why did he make such different versions?

Erwin Wurm’s Jakob/Big psycho, 2010, aluminum and paint, 47 ½ “ x 15 3/8 “x 42 1/8”: This caught my eye because, despite its strange positioning, it was clearly humanoid. What is s/he trying to do? Is this some strange piece of clothing they’re trying to get into? Or out of?

    Logos  

    1.      Since a logo should represent your identity I thought of myself as an older, nontraditional student who works and has a family in addition to taking classes. I need to be balanced and provide strong support for my loved ones.

2.       I brainstormed ways to depict balance, strength and identity. I decided I wanted to use my initials/identity as part of the logo and connect them in some way. I experimented with different typefaces on my computer and then copied them on the paper. My first effort conveyed strength and balance, but I felt it was too static. 

As I continued to experiment, I tried tilting the L before connecting it to the W, creating a more dynamic sense of balance. 

But as I thought more about the issue of “balance”, I should have included the concept of juggling and the flexibility needed to balance. So I continued experimenting with typefaces and decided to try lower case and italics – the forward tilt of the italics gave more of a sense of flexibility and forward movement. To bring the concept of juggling I added three balls (representing family, work and classes), each one of the primary colors (since all of the other colors flow from them). 

I felt then that I had a good combination of dynamic balance and flexibility that are so important in my identity.

3.       The most important discovery I made was to continue experimenting. I kept looking at different typefaces of upper case letters in different orientations, not getting what I wanted until I tried lower case and italics.

4.       I thought the video “What’s in a Logo” was very helpful in seeing the creative process, especially the dialogue between the creative team and the client. That was really the most helpful part for me. The powerpoint was helpful as a summary of the things to consider in the process.

Color Wheel & Value Scale

Value Scale 

Color Wheel

1. I thought the value scale was harder. I wasn't sure if the gradations between the levels was right given how subtle the changes were. It was hard for me to tell if there were really differences between 2 adjoining levels. I realized it took a lot more concentration to do it than appeared in the video.

2. I liked the paint/color wheel more. Fundamentally, I think color is more interesting and pleasing to look at than black & gray.

3. The most important discovery, as I noted above, was the level of concentration required for the value scale.

4. I had no idea that yellow/blue/red were not the true primary colors. The color wheel video was fine, but I think it would have helped if the value scale video showed more than just making the first level.

I've created a slideshow on the elements and principles of art at Photobucket . I took pictures in a variety of places where I thought I'd see a variety of structures, colors, etc.

Line - Field at the UB North Campus: Weeds at trees at various angles in the wind
Value - Tree framed by other trees across Ellicott Creek (Ellicott Creek Park) - various shades/tints of green across plants and water
Shapes - Grove of lilac bushes create triangular shape, also seen in roof of garage
Forms - Still life - Pyramid of circular oranges with apple and avocado, rectangular writing pad
Space - Galleria Mall exterior and parking lot
Color - Varying shades of green and blue, contrasting with the warm colors of the people in the creek (Ellicott Creek Park)
Texture - At the beach: varying textures of sand, seaweed, rough and smooth stones
Balance - UB North Campus: Symmetrical architecture reflected in water
Contrast - UB North Campus: The greens and blues contrast with the white monument in the center. The wind-blown trees and grasses contrasts with peaceful birds and boat in the water
Movement - Ellicott Creek Park: The viewer's eyes follow the curved path along the water to the branch that curves over the path, over to the other side the creek.
Emphasis - Ellicott Creek Park: The birdhouse is centered in the picture, the lines of the branches point to it as well.
Pattern - UB North Campus, Solar Array: The repeating horizontal shapes of the array, along with the repeating vertical light poles.
Proportion - Ellicott Creek Park: The proportions of the casino ruins to the people walking through them and the trees are natural and realistic
Unity - Ellicott Creek Park

1. Describe Color and its effects on emotions - Specific effects tend to vary by culture. In general though, "cooler" colors like blue and green tend to be associated with calmness, but also with sadness and more subdued emotions. Reds and oranges are "warm" colors, often associated with strong emotions.
2. What is a theoretical aspect of color that most intrigues/fascinates you? The text's information on the studies on color and behavior, as well as emotion, is fascinating. For example, it notes a shade of pink that can reduce aggressive behavior and that blue lights were associated with fewer suicide attempts in Japan.
3. In the Color video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and its effects on emotions? As I noted before, Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists. It was interesting how he used clashing but very intense, and "unnatural" combinations of colors to depict his intense dislike for a cafe.
4.In the Feelings video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and its effects on emotions? It was very interesting to see the contrast between Goya's "official" paintings and those he made privately. His frustration and disappointment come out in his private paintings with their dark and blurred colors, using "warm" colors to depict horrifying scenes.

Philosophy & Neurology of Art

1. From the video on Aesthetics - we're introduced to aesthetics as the branch of philosophy that studies beauty and art. It traces the development of the Western concept of aesthetics from the ancient Greeks to modern times. It discussed how the concepts of art and beauty are influenced by the culture of the times - politics, scientific understanding, religion, etc.
- From the Changeux video, we're introduced to how neuroscientists try to explain the experience of art. He argues that the evolution of art reflects the evolution & genetic development of humans as a whole. He points out that there are a number of areas and pathways in the brain that are involved in the perception and interpretation of visual images, including areas linked to emotions. While there are so many neural connections allowing for different possibilities for representations made by artists, there is also evidence for biologically based "rules" regarding art.
- Ramachandran builds on this to articulate some of these rules. Our brains are "hardwired" to group similar colors within images together and we get a "jolt" of pleasure when we decipher images. The act of searching for meaning in visual images shows activity in parts of the brain that are involved in pleasure. The brain tends to respond more strongly to images we recognize, but are distorted or exaggerated.
- The article builds on the information in Ramachandran's video, noting for example that a part of the brain connected to emotion responds more strongly to blurry images

2. I think that Weitz's theory is most important.Morris Weitz was a 20th Century philosopher who believed that you couldn't come up with a definition of art because it was always changing. He felt you could come up with a set of "resemblences" (buidling on Wittgenstein's work). So instead of trying to define art, we should concentrate on trying to understand its roles and the ideas it represents.

3. Changeux and Ramanchandran's views are summarized in number one.The most interesting fact I learned was the many connections and different parts of the brain involved in the processing of visual images, especially the connections to the emotional parts of the brain. This would help to explain the emotional responses we get when viewing works of art.

4 & 5. I really enjoyed the Ramachandran video - he was able to explain these complex scientific principles in a way that was understandable and enjoyable. The other videos were dry, though informative. As noted above, the CNN article built on Ramachandran's video, providing additional examples of the neurological basis for our responses to art. This complements the text in that we see a neurological basis for why artists make various choices in order to evoke particular responses.

1st Post - 6/2/16

Hi all,

Setting up Gmail was easy but I had a bit more trouble with Blogger. I finally figured out that I needed to start in Firefox, instead of Chrome, to set up the new Gmail account and Blogger.

I've never taken an art course before, so I'm not sure what to expect. I like to go to galleries from time to time, so I hope now I'll have a better appreciation for the work and thought process of the artist as s/he develops a work of art. I hope I'll be able to look at a work and notice/understand details that I didn't before.

I've taken several online courses before; some very good, some pretty boring. I miss the interaction of the classroom, but I like the flexibility of being able to work on the material when it works for me.