Art and Appreciation PDF

Monday, Jan 13th Notes Intro to Humanities Humanities- the human race, human being collective In the humanities, we study how people process and document the human experience. Knowledge of these records of human experience gives us the opportunity to feel a sense of connection to those who have come...

Monday, Jan 13th Notes Intro to Humanities Humanities- the human race, human being collective In the humanities, we study how people process and document the human experience. Knowledge of these records of human experience gives us the opportunity to feel a sense of connection to those who have come before us, as well as to our contemporaries. Humanities include: Fine arts/Visual arts, architecture, music, theatre, dance, and cinema—literature, philosophy, and history. Aristotle - concerned with earthly things Plato - concerned with the overall picture and ideas. In science, new discoveries and technologies often replace the old. New art is often inspired by and does not invalidate earlier human expression. What is art? Can you define it, or do you “know it when you see it?” 1.​ Art can be a visual record of the people, places, and events in a specific time and place. 2.​ Art can be functional objects and structures that are pleasing physically and aesthetically, elevating them and imbuing them with meaning. 3.​ Art can be extraordinary versions of ordinary objects 4.​ Art can give form to the immaterial, hidden, or universal truths and spiritual forces 5.​ Art can give tangible form to feelings and ideas 6.​ Art can refresh our vision and help us see the world in new ways Hopper- lonely bar/diner in NY (Phillies) Aesthetics – Greek – sense perception ​ a set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty ​ relating to good taste or having a heightened sensitivity to beauty; a philosophy of what is artistically valid or beautiful ​ For the Greeks, the concept of aesthetics embraced all handcrafts – applying the rules of symmetry, proportion, and unity – equal to weaving, pottery, poetry, and sculpture. ​ So obsessed were the Classical Greeks with their concept of beauty that they fashioned mathematical formulas for designing the ideal in architecture. Math was thought to be the controlling force of the universe. The Golden Mean was a standard of proportion for Architecture The Golden Mean (also called the Golden Section) is found repeatedly in nature and is used by visual artists as a tool to create balanced compositions. The Golden Mean is the ideal standard of proportion and balance in life, nature, and art. The Fibonacci Series are numbers that have a close relationship to the laws of natural growth – each succeeding number is the sum of the previous two. 1+1 =2, 1+2 =3, 2+3=5, 5+3=8, 8+5=13, 13+8=21 and so on indefinitely. These numbers correspond with the Golden Mean, and Golden Rectangle, and coincide exactly with the laws of natural growth—rams horns, elephant tusks, pine cones, sunflower seed heads, etc. Beauty is unabashedly linked to art BUT WHY? Does something need to be beautiful to be art? What is the definition of beauty? And does it pertain to a piece of art solely from a formal standpoint or the objects and concepts it depicts? Think back to our earlier discussions of Plato and Kant. Electrodeposition Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa enchants viewers but reflects a Western standard of beauty from the Renaissance, as does Botticelli’s Venus. We see how standards change over time and culture. When we look beyond classical Western, European standards we see the standard of beauty includes and considers body modification, scarification, body painting, tattooing and adornment Value judgements involve intensely personal standards, but some opinions are more informed than others and represent a more authoritative judgment. We can thoroughly dissect any work of art and describe what it comprises by describing and analyzing the Elements (line, shape, value, color, texture, space) and Principles (unity and variety, economy, emphasis, balance, scale). We can observe how all of these factors affect how people and their response to an artwork without ever passing a value or opinion judgment. We can also evaluate its artisanship and communication Artisanship: evaluating art of the artists' mastery of their chosen medium. Communication Evaluating art on what the artwork is trying to say Goethe (German philosopher - approached the critical process by asking a.​ What is the artist trying to say? b.​ Are they succeeding? c.​ Was the artwork worth the effort? January 15th Lecture notes Roles of the artist and the creative process 1.​ Artists make a visual record of the people, places, and events of their time and place. 2.​ Artists create functional objects and structures that are pleasing physically and aesthetically, elevating them and imbuing them with meaning 3.​ Artists create extraordinary versions of ordinary things  4.​ Artists give form to the immaterial, hidden, or universal truths and spiritual forces -​ The Nkisi nkonde from Kongo was used to pursue witches, thieves, and wrongdoers and activated by a Nganga - ritual specialist and communicator. These figures represent animism. Animism: a belief that objects, places, plants, and animals possess a distinct spiritual essence. These beliefs were seen as a threat by Europeans. Knissi Nkonde figures are still made today. Tania Bruguera dressed as a nkonde in a performance enacted in Havana and the Neuberger Museum of Art in NY. 5.​ Art can give tangible form to feelings and ideas, from joyful to dark and melancholy. 6.​ Art can refresh our vision and help us see the world in new ways. January 22nd (E-LEARNING) Lecture notes Style, Form, Context, and Content Style: Realistic - Representational, Naturalistic, Objective Expressionistic - German Expressionism, Neo-expressionism Abstract - Stylized Non-Representational - Non-objective Style- In the visual arts, style refers to distinctive characteristics and medium associated with the work of an individual artist, a school or movement, a specific culture, or a time. Medium or Media - the materials used to make the art or design, ex. oil on canvas, charcoal on paper, clay, wood, etc. Art Movement (School) - a group of artists, designers, or architects that make things in a certain way, with similar materials, or for a common purpose. Often related to style. Renaissance, Cubism, Impressionism, and Mid-Century Modern, to name a few. Realism - refers to portraying people and things as they are seen by the eye or really thought to be, without idealization or distortion. Trompe l’oeil - Art that is SO realistic, it can fool you into thinking it actually is the subject being depicted. From French, meaning “Fool the Eye” Representational Art- Art that “re-presents,” or presents again, the world as we see it. To create a recognizable likeness but not necessarily be in a realistic scenario or setting. Expressionistic Art - form and color are freely distorted by the artist in order to achieve a heightened emotional impact. ABSTRACTION - The term abstract applies to art that departs significantly from the actual appearance of things. Forms and figures are purposefully simplified, fragmented or otherwise distorted. Abstract art is rooted in nature, even though the finished product may bear little resemblance to the source that inspired it. Non-representational - Art that does not represent or otherwise refer to the visible world outside itself. Also called non-objective Kirchner - self-portrait with model, self-portrait as a soldier**** could be extra credit Lecture Notes January 29th - Style, Form, Context, and Content Art and meaning: 3 key terms related to meaning: Form, content, and context Form; The way art looks, including all visual aspects of the work that can be isolated and described - size, shape, materials, color, and composition Content: What a work of art is about. What it means. Context: The web of connections to the larger world of human culture. What was going on at the time? How did it influence the artist? The context of a work relates especially to its subject, matter, and its underlying meanings or themes Things to consider when interpreting context” Subject matter - what is being depicted Elements of the composition - line, color, value, texture, shape, and space Underlying symbolic meaning and themes. Alergorical - artwork in which the subject or various elements that form the composition, are used to symbolize a deeper moral or spiritual meaning such as life, death, virtue, justice, etc. **A white figure carrying a cross flying in on a ray of light Lily = Mary’s virginity, 3 Lilies = Trinity. White towel = purity. Pot hanging in niche = Mary as a vessel for the Holy Spirit. The candle just extinguished = a specific moment, or is divine light now incarnated? Gabriel tells Mary that she will be the mother of Jesus. Pages blowing – the rush of angel’s wings? Or transition according to the Word?** Vanitas is a genre of still-life that flourished in the Netherlands in the early 17th century A vanitas painting contains collections of objects symbolic of the inevitability of death and the vanity of earthly pleasures. Context has a profound influence on style. Distinctive attributes of the culture influence the style of works of art. A work's time and place in history, as well as the place in the artist's personal life, influence context.