Creating Personal Art Analysis

Attention Getter: Art can be used to express our innermost feelings and to convey ideas about anything such as society, economics, education, religion, and politics.

How does your piece of art communicate, evoke, or inspire? What do you think the artist was trying to say with his or her work?

In the contemplation of art, or rather the conceptually intangible definition it currently possess, it is imperative to be mindful that “art” has been utilized as a promotional device, ceremonial item, aesthetically purposed article or perhaps none of these or all. It is because of this vague term that Carolyn Dean, in her text, “The Trouble with (The Term) Art”, makes a case for the consequences of applying the term “art” in societies that lacked such a notion which also accounts for the Western-centric lens the field intrinsically utilizes when viewing non-Western art. The claim is deftly supported by the utilization of expert accounts in the subject, alternative perspectives for what is considered the current norm, and self-examining questions,

Since the beginning of time, artists have labored extensively to find innovative ways to convey sentiment, passion, and feeling. Telling stories and trying to unlock the minds of people through different avenues of artistic labors. Art touches and affects people in unique ways; it can have special or unusual meaning on the person depending on how one views it. Artists’ rendering of their art is interpreted in numerous ways by others who view it unless it is explained by the artist on its meaning giving a clear example of what they are portraying. Two people looking at the same painting, sculpture, portrait, or photo may come to different views on the arts meaning even though they are looking

Kehinde Wiley is a New York based artist whose paintings focus on the themes of empowering black men and combining classical and contemporary styles.

1) Discuss why people can respond differently to the same artwork. People can respond differently to artwork by making the art come alive by letting the art engage your attention, your imagination and your intelligence. With these three items mentioned can look at artwork differently, so if you look at a piece of art with the lack of attention and the next person gives the artwork their full attention that person could possibly view more in depth and see more detail than the person who pays less attention to the piece of art. 2) More than one theme might be applied to a work of art. Pick a work of art from Chapter 3 and describe how two different themes might be applied to it.

This example is not the only political statement seen in the artform, another example of art carrying a political statement is the song Flawless by Beyonce. This song is about how women are judged by a set of stereotypes that is preventing women from being successful. Beyonce’s purpose for this song is for people to get past that stereotype and to allow women to have more roles in society; however, the song did not do much in persuading the public. She manipulated her opinion to persuade society of this idea, but the idea got lost in the

Body Biography For my body biography portrait, I analyzed several aspects of my life and what pieces come together to construct the person I am. By deciding how to symbolize and illustrate these qualities and building blocks of my personality, I uncovered a lot about myself and was able to fuse this information and detail into the drawing. From my heart to my personal image, there is so much meaning behind everything I do and love. Completing this project aided me in the understanding of myself, and now others can take a glance inside my mind as well.

The two works of art that I have chosen to analyze are 1) Jordan Casteel. Miles and JoJo. 2014. Oil on canvas, 54” x 72” and 2) Aaron Fowler. He Was. 2015. Mixed media, 134” x 165” x 108”. The themes that these works of art represent in regards to the exhibit are love, family, and pain. However, they also fall into other thematic categories. The main theme that seems to apply to both “Miles and JoJo” and “He Was” is Human Experience. Additionally, these arts differ in some ways.

Shepard Fairey’s piece titled Pay Up or Shut Up is a representation of the role that money or your role in society dictate the power of your speech. This piece of art by Fairey was released in May of 2015. It is a screen print on cream speckletone paper.

Aesthetic defines beauty in a person or thing. Nature defines the natural, physical, or material world or universe and Art defines (to distinguish it from other art forms) visual art, a visual object or experience consciously created through an expression of skill or imagination. Thus, the connection between nature which allows us to apprehend that we are indistinctly connected to the universe and art enables individuals to express sentiments regarding any matter through imaginative work. People encountering trouble expressing may also try to take art as a therapy - this help individuals regulate concerns, emotions, reduce stress, and enhance confidence and mindfulness. These reasons are part of the message that I am going to convey through my artwork, as I have done the same for myself throughout my time doing art as part of my hobby and passion.

Each artist is an individual with a unique style, and although these styles can be similar in practice – the individuality of the artist often proves the discriminating factor for a successful artwork. Self-portraits are beneficial when looking at the individuality of the artist as there are two aspects to look at – the artist’s style, and the artist’s view of him/herself. The latter can provide a brief insight into the mental situation of the artist as well as any apparent influencing factors of the artwork. This view can often also include fragmental insights into the society and culture of the time. Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh are 2 artists of whom are well represented by this statement.

The images in my portrait have a lot of meaning to me. When I am outdoors it gives me a whole new perspective on life and the things around me. I like polar bears because they are a magnificent animal in many different ways. I like eating apples because they are delicious and they have a lot of vitamins and minerals that your body needs. I like to ride my four wheeler because it is exhilarating and I can get all muddy. Riding in a canoe is fun because you can drift down the river and fish at the same time. I enjoy shooting hoops and throwing football because it lets me be active and do what I enjoy.

Self-portraits have been used by artists for centuries to explore aspects of the self. They are the subjects they know best and artists have reflected this through their treatment of media, subject matter and techniques. Two artists who explore aspects of their personality and life experiences in their self-portraits are Frida Kahlo and Ben Quilty. Many of their artistic techniques can be derived from the same origins. Whilst there are similarities in self-portraits by any artist usually, you will find differences the norm. After all, this is what makes art and art form.

I plan to answer the following essential question: how can art be used to depict political views? I also hope to address these other questions that follow the essential one: Do “political art” and “propaganda art” mean the same thing? How can I make meaningful art from political perspectives that are not my own? Why do certain political symbols and images spread (the pink “pussy hats”,