Andrew Wyeth Christina's World Analysis

The Cronon argues that individuals have to change the way of our thinking about wilderness. Cronon’s article Getting back to wrong nature or the trouble with wilderness describes that the wilderness, as individuals see, has no direct relativity to nature. He is of the opinion that people have excluded nature from their Western Culture. The main idea of Cronon’s text is that people can find a solution of their environmental disturbance if they stop thinking of wilderness as “a dualistic picture in which the human is completely outside the nature” (Cronon). The concept of wilderness in people’s mind was of an aggressive and horrifying desert.

In “The Trouble with Wilderness,” William Cronon illustrates the paradox within the notion of wilderness, describing that if wilderness is that which lies beyond civilization -- beyond humankind, then so is the notion of nature outside the realm of the human... that humans are therefore, unnatural. Further, he explains that if our concept of nature (and ultimately our concept of God) is outside of humanity, then our existence is synonymous with the downfall of nature. That wilderness is purely a construct of civilization is central to this argument.  For example, Cronon asserts that “the removal of Indians to create an ‘uninhabited wilderness’---uninhabited as never before in human history of the place---reminds us just how invented, just how constructed, the American wilderness really is” (pg.79). Instead of in isolation from civilization, Cronon finds that his most spiritual experiences with nature have always been closer to home… a sense of wildness (versus wilderness) can be found in one’s backyard, gazing from a front porch, and in the melding of the human experience with mother nature. One of Into the Wild’s final scenes drives home this idea by altering the literal point of view that main character, Chris McCandless, has had of both himself and of the world since the beginning of his two year journey.  Into the Wild attempts to dramatizes Cronon’s argument to rethink wilderness; we will examine how the film succeeds, and where it fails, to support its premise.

On Saturday, November 4th, I visited the Denver Art Museum in Denver, Colorado. The piece of art I decided to write about is called “A Mountain Symphony (Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado)” This two-dimensional oil on canvas painting was completed in America in 1927 by Sven Birger Sandzén. This painting has not been on public view since 1927 and is located in the Denver Art Museum in Denver, Colorado. It was a “Free Day” at the museum, so I decided to attend by myself. I was unable to get a picture of myself in front of the work of art I decided to write about, but I did get several pictures of the artwork and a picture of myself with the “Free Day” sticker. I decided to write about this work of art because it was the only piece in the museum that really stood out to me and really caught my attention. A Mountain Symphony is a lively, beautiful landscape painting with a vibrant pallet filled with luminosity and broad brushstrokes. The sculptural quality of the paint surface reflect the influence of turn-of-the century modernist techniques. The balance of color and light brings happiness and joy to the viewer.

Daniel Ridgway Knight was an odd American artist who loved to paint relaxed French peasants in luscious landscapes. Ironically, he lived during a stressful time when the Industrial Revolution displaced numerous farmers and polluted the environment. He seemed to ignore the harsh truth and shut himself in his imaginary serene world. For instance, In the Premier Chagrin, translated as The First Grief, Knight paints two healthy girls conversing on a stone wall in front of gorgeous fields. At first, it appears as merely a pretty painting that is nicely contrasted to show depth and realism. Yet, with a closer look, this contrast in the colors and lines of the landscape and the figures creates tension to suggest the painter’s conflict between longing for serene freedom and feeling trapped within the stiff society.

Art is able to evoke different feelings and emotions to each person that sets their eyes on it. The act of ‘looking’ is simple, but a lot comes from it. Where the eyes are first drawn to, the duration that the eyes are focused on a specific detail, and the thoughts that flood one’s brain when viewing art is all significant. These actions say more than the piece itself, it reveals emotions of both the artist and the audience. Art can be expressed through infinite forms, but the underlying importance is not with the art itself. It represents a place in time, displaying what was noteworthy to an individual in their own life. It serves as a lasting creation representative of human imagination with the ability to bring out a multitude of emotions from whoever views it. When art is created it represents the creativity of the human mind compacted into a physical object. Art has little usage aside from pure observation, yet it has prevailed throughout time, showing its importance to humanity. Art provides a lens into humanity, showcasing the human ability over time. When studied through history, art is a view into the development of humans and their interests. Through something as basic as commonly using symmetry to transitioning to asymmetry, the European’s perspective following the Renaissance is revealed. The making of art is solely up to one individual and their creativity. It is the pinnacle of

For example, the first painting that stood out to me was, “The Earth Matters”, by Lisa Jennings. The woman in the painting is holding the world in her hand, as she’s stands in a field of tall grass. There is filled space in the field from the tall grass, and empty space in the sky, because of it being clear and blue. The woman has no face, therefore she cannot see her future, but as she gazes down the earth must be important, as she holds it in the palms of her hands. Another painting that stood out to me

Students through the process of art appreciation will build connections through the exploration of textures, lines, colour and shape when describing, analysing, interpreting and judging the artworks before them (3 chosen images). They are asked to describe what they see, the artist’s use of colour, lines, shapes and texture. They then move onto analysing; what catches their eye, is the composition balanced and do the paintings look flat or do they have depth. The discussion then progresses onto interpretation where students are able to express what type of emotion they feel when looking at the pictures, perhaps the kind of sounds they might hear if they could step into it, and why they think the artist chose this particular subject to paint and what may have inspired the artist.

Artists often paint as a way to make money on the side or as an enjoyable activity on a rainy day. However, artists like Kendra Baird use it for a much more powerful purpose. Baird states, ¨Each painting has a personal meaning to me. Sometimes it's obvious; sometimes it's buried within what simple elements represent to me. My subjects can be as simple as a few birds perched on a tree branch, or as complex as a woman losing her identity in the struggles of life.¨ Many of us, throughout our lives, blindly follow those in front of us--never stopping to think about those around or behind us, or experiences that have led us to the point in our lives where we stand now. This painting entitled, “Offering Truth”, by Kendra Baird illustrates the feeling

On September 26, 2017 I visited the Dallas Museum of Art where I saw “The Fountain of Vaucluse” by Thomas Cole. The oil on canvas painting, displays a rocky landscape which captures the beauty of nature and civilization while also provoking thought in the viewer. An individual’s nature to hope for something better than the current discomfort he or she is experiencing is portrayed through Cole’s use of color and environmental contrast in this piece.

Reading William Cronon and Neil Smith, I came to understand that each of the two authors introduces us to a different approach of human conceptual relationship with nature. In The Trouble with Wilderness, William Cronon speaks about how we reject our responsibility toward nature and the potential danger existing in our conception of wilderness (or nature).  On the other hand, Neil Smith in The Production of Nature introduces us to how humanity transforms the nature in the process of producing commodities.

In his essay, The Trouble with Wilderness, William Cronon discusses the importance of preserving wilderness. Nature has been deteriorating since the introduction of the human species, and Cronon attributes this issue to the destructive nature of humans. The essay begins with his thesis “the time has come to rethink wilderness” (Cronon 1). He challenges the reader to find the difference between wilderness and wildness. Cronon’s biggest fear is violating the holiness of nature.

Breathing within the space of the painting one can feel the touch of the wind and the tickling of the grass. Such a strong suggestion comes from the naturalistic rendition of the subject and the size of the painting. Gaze, need to check the gaze, talk abut meditation to tie with nicole.

“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.” - Plutarch. As Plutarch once said, painting is poetry because it sends a deeper message of what is represented. Every place has its artists some known some not that known, this essay has the purpose of noting Jessica Monroe, a local artist from the Valley who’s work, on my point of view, should be more recognize by other people.

The young, innocent, promising lives of our past drive emotions through artistic expressions that can be displayed though many outsources. I met my lifelong friend on a day that seemed inevitable to find absolutely nothing. Upon our day to view the art gallery, I entered the gallery feeling very negative that I would view any pieces of art that spoke to me directly. I thought, what possible piece could spark any emotions whatsoever within this “old soul”. I imagined walking in to the gallery to find out that the artistic expressions of others meant little to nothing to me. I was wrong in my assumptions and found a beautiful painting named “Console” by Barlow Palminteri. Tasked with describing what the painting looks like, what it means to me, as well as my

The use of geometric shapes in this painting allows the subject to be viewed in both a recognizable and unrecognizable state at the same time. Overall, geometric shapes and patterns play an essential role in what the viewer sees, which is further supported by a powerful color palate.