Video - Late Gothic Art and Architecture: England


 1. I selected Late Gothic Art and Architecture: England, 1400-1547. I’ve been to England before and I’ve visited some of the major cathedrals and castles there, so I thought I might learn some more about places I’ve visited. They’re so incredibly beautiful and we have nothing like them in the US.

2. The key concepts in this video were:                              

   - This period was a very politically turbulent time.                               

   - The role of the Church was a uniting factor across the different classes and factions, and even the different countries in Europe                                                                                                     

   - Members of the nobility and wealthy commoners would compete with one another, and towns would compete with one another, in terms of the artistic beauty of the houses of worship. It was considered a way to glorify God and help reduce the amount of time they’d spend in purgatory. Wealthy patrons would commission works that would include images of the patrons in them.                                                                                                                                               

   - Many artists were foreigners and many works of art were imported from other countries 

   - Members of the nobility and wealthy commoners would also compete in terms of the grandness of their houses – their architecture, sculptures, tapestries, etc.                                                          

   -  Much of the religious art that was created during this time was destroyed when Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church.

3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text? – The text gave much more information on what differentiated different kinds of architecture; for example, the differences between Romanesque and Gothic architecture weren’t discussed in the video. The video games more information on the social context of art during this time, at least in England.

4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts? I liked this video. It was interesting to see how the politics and economics of the day led to competition which drove much of the creation of art during this time. It was also interesting to see the connections between the religious and political powers of the day in terms of patronage of the arts

Module 7 – Architecture

I watched the videos Prairie Style and Architecture: The Science of Design

1. a) Prairie Style – The video focused on the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and his influence on current architects, particularly residential architects. It described the key ideas in Wright’s style: interiors with a lot of open spaces (instead of separated rooms), emphasis on the horizontal (band of brick/stone, band of windows, band of flattish roof), and design that connects the house to its surroundings (ex: view from the house, way the sunlight hits the house, etc).                                         b) Architecture: The Science of Design – This video discusses some of the various scientific principles involved in architecture. With skyscrapers, the effects of wind must be anticipated and prepared for as much as dealing with the weight of the structure. Computer technology can be integrated into the running of homes and businesses. Development of better forms of concrete has led to architectural innovations.

2. a) Prairie Style – The video gives more detail on Wright’s style than the text does. But the text gives a better example in Fallingwater. Fallingwater really shows how Wright incorporated the surroundings into the structure, and the house really looks like it just “grew” out of the landscape, even quarrying stone for it out of the surroundings.                                                                               b) Architecture: The Science of Design – The video dovetails with the discussion of reinforced concrete in the texts. Beyond that they didn’t have a lot in common

3. a) Prairie Style – I liked how the video showed the ongoing influence of Wright’s style, which wasn’t addressed in the text.                                                                                                                      b) Architecture: The Science of Design – I really didn’t care too much for this video. The segments didn’t seem to fit together and it was 25 years old. The text had so much more on current concepts/materials in architecture.

4. a) Prairie Style – I chose this one because I’ve been to the Wright houses in Buffalo and also visited Fallingwater on a family vacation, so I thought it would be interesting to see more about Wright.                                                                                                                                                    b) Architecture: The Science of Design – I just picked the next one on the list.

Module 6 Peer Review

1.       I looked at blogs from Nick Kraatz (Photos and Albright Knox visit) http://blog4aed200.blogspot.com , Zack Matsulavage (Albright Knox visit) http://aed200artinquiry.blogspot.com and Rachel Stewart (Photos) https://plus.google.com/u/0/104326387972192867786/about.

2.       By and large I agreed with the elements and principles each artist associated with each photo. In Rachel’s photos I could often see other elements and principles; for example, in #8 with the stop sign, there was the contrast of the square right behind the stop sign and the repetition of red with the stop sign, the red awning, the car and the fire hydrant. For number 14, she could have also used pattern/rhythm or unity with the repeating bicycle shapes. In Nick’s, the circular shape made of bricks could be used to depict shape, pattern/rhythm (with the repeating bicks shapes and concentric circles), or line.

3.       Surprisingly, Nick, Zach and I all chose Niagara, by Frank Moore for similar reasons. Nick and I also both picked Rene Magritte’s The Voice of Space; Nick was interested in the colors, I noted the colors and the mood.

4.       There were a couple of images that also caught my eye but I didn’t end up using them. Zach picked Elliot’s Shelocta, PA – even though the images in the painting are intensely bright there’s something depressing about the scene. The man is alone, with no other living things around, looking sternly at his newspaper while walking. I’d be curious to know what the artist’s connection was – why this place? Why this man?

5.       I actually had a fair amount of trouble finding where people had the information on their blogs – finding the right links. Others may have had the information but I just couldn’t find it. It was somewhat useful to read the reflections, especially where we’d picked the same picture, and I did like looking at other’s photos.

6.       No one has posted any comments on my blog yet. I usually don’t find this sort of thing helpful because classmates generally don’t want to write anything critical of each other.

Module 6

1.       Videos

-          Through the Eyes of a Sculptor – One of the key things I learned was that sculpting, at least as depicted here, was a team effort. A number of people in a given workshop will work on a single piece. The sculptor will conceive of the piece and make the original model, but others may be involved in making the life-sized model, roughing out the stone, etc. I hadn’t realized how many steps were involved – from sketch, to clay model, to silicone mold, to plaster model, at a minimum, before moving on to the stone itself. The ability to find the right stone to work with, and how difficult that may be, was also key.

-          Glass and Ceramics – The video showed how versatile glass and ceramics are – both in art and in industrial/commercial uses. Glass can replace other materials in the building process (especially “green” buildings for temperature and noise control) and some ceramics can be made to be as strong as steel. And yet, both materials can be used to make delicate works of art. I’ve been to the Corning Glass Museum to see glassblowers at work and the wide variety of objects they can make.

2.       Relation of videos to text – For both videos, it was helpful to actually see the steps in making a sculpture and to actually see how glass was made. The descriptions and pictures in the text are helpful but the videos provided much more information. I also think the video did a better job of showing the team effort involved in sculpture.

3.       Opinion of videos – As noted in number 2, both videos were helpful in showing the process of making these materials and the creative process. While it was interesting to see the work involved in getting the marble out of the mountain (and the potential danger involved) I felt the Through the Eyes of a Sculptor video spent too much time on the history of the community where the marble was quarried.

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.