Seminar On Art Theory Themes Throughout Contemporary Art

Two sculptures, among others, lie in the outskirts of the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden at UCLA. One of them, The Walking Man, is a bronze sculpture created by French sculptor Auguste Rodin in 1905. The other, made more than 100 years later, is T.E.U.C.L.A., a large scale steel sculpture made by minimalist sculptor Richard Serra. Although it may seem like these works have more differences than similarities, both emphasize the processes of their creation and are major movements away from the classical tradition of sculpture. However, The Walking Man and T.E.U.C.L.A. also differ in several aspects that reflect their respective artists’ personal portrayals of modern sculpture. These aspects include: mode of production, composition and the arrangement of volumes, the play of light and shadow, and visual experience. Together these elements of formal organization work together to convey meaning in both of these works. Rodin’s deliberate rejection of refinement and disregard for the direct translation of the unformed to formed in The Walking Man represent the process and spontaneity of reality, while Serra’s use of curvature and aperture in T.E.U.C.L.A. models the spaces people move through and the perceptive skills they use in life and nature.

When cavemen were around, they used art as a way to record their huntings and stories. As the world became more civilized, art became a valued part of a sophisticated society. The early 20th century believed art should reflect only beauty. However, people experienced traumatic events like World War II, and 9/11 and artists took these experiences creating art that was drastically different from the beautiful meadow fields. Ever since then, art has become more provocative leading to debates on whether some contemporary art today is art. Although many people dislike contemporary art, controversy exists because art reflects current culture and our culture has controversial events and every person has a different has a perspective about it.

The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh is consistent of his typical artwork. He uses the lines free and loose making it an expression of his contour lines. The spacing between the stars and the curving contours making it a dot to dot effect. Van Gogh’s, The Starry Night” portrays his personal emotion. He writes to his brother about his painting almost as if he would be confused himself about the painting. The village is dark but at the same time it is peaceful compared to the dramatic sky life. In Sol Le Witts, Wall Drawing it uses an ordered form and symmetrical form called classical lines. The line Sol Le Witts uses is considered a connection between two separate points. Although

Just like everything else in life, art has its critics. Art criticism is the expression used to describe the act of making selective judgments, both positive and negative, about an art piece. Just as art is so diversely expressed and interpreted, those who critique it also have various methods and use various standards when criticizing an art piece. There are many theories critics use to evaluate art but there are three basic theories most commonly put to use by professionals. The three basic theories are: formal theories, contextual theories, and expressive theories. Formal theories focus on the formalities of art. Critics using formal theories pay close attention to the making of a piece, how each section of the art piece works to form a visual experience that may or may not attract the attention of those who come across it. Formalists’ attention is centered on the formal organization rather than the themes, which they deem irrelevant. Contextualists, on the other hand, value the theme and its relevance to the times in which the artwork was created. The contextual theories deal with the context in which an art piece is used; what it symbolizes concerning the culture and values of the environment. Lastly, there are the expressive theories. Expressionists are more concerned with the artist and the personal expression put into the work. Also, because art is a method of communication, expressive theories

Examining the formal qualities of Homer Watson’s painting Horse and Rider In A Landscape was quite interesting. I chose to analyze this piece as apposed to the others because it was the piece I liked the least, therefore making me analyze it more closely and discover other aspects of the work, besides aesthetics.

Form of "afterlife insurance" in order to trick the soul into staying alive in the event of the body's destruction

In Grandview Boulevard, completed in 1974 CE, the artist utilizes painterly brushstrokes. The shadows of the trees that are painted dark purple appear to have more painterly aspects than the rest of the composition. From far away, the painting seems smooth and sleek, but up close, the individual thick brushstrokes can be seen. The implied texture of the leaves in the painting is sturdy and prickly, and the texture of the yellowed grass appears to be dry and coarse, however, the actual texture of the painting itself is smooth. The artist also uses both curvilinear and geometric lines. In looking at the trees in the painting, they are composed of primarily geometric lines (excluding the leafy top) that run in a

The space between sections, the gallery provides, allows viewers time to reflect on Aguilar’s three sections of the exhibition. He captures his extended California Indian family in a romanticized and melodramatic light. There is unity, the feeling of harmony, between all parts of Agular’s way of honoring his California Indian community. When walking from left to back, the first series is titled, From the Heart of California Native Existence. Aguilar illustrates how he blends ancestral manners and beliefs into today’s California Indian People with black and white portraits of veterans and a buck. The following area is named, Ancestral Design with Nature as the Medium narrates the art of basket weaving. Lastly, In Song and Dance We Embody the Dreams of Our Ancestors honors the Native American Indians in the photographs. Their community is withstanding strong, along with ceremonial

1. It was hard to get the feet to look realistic. The detailing part was hard to. Like you had to get all the contrast, structure, movement, and realism. It was hard especilly because in my painting my feet were small. Another hard part was getting the right shade. Like ppaint the feet a color and then make it a little darker for the areas that neede shading and dimension to give a realistic/ contrast to distinguish the difference. It was hard to get a shade that wasnt dramatically drker that the feets color.

The first two art pieces shown for this course were very interesting, The Royal Acquaintances Memi and Sabu and the Statue of Gudea. They are very interesting to observe at the very least, because they have such a rich history from a time period that not many artifacts survived from. Looking at the dates of the objects they are actually about 500 years in difference, but the common person probably wouldn't have guessed that just by looking at them.

In the poem One Art, the speaker reflects over the many material things that she has lost in the past, like her mother’s watch, and even bigger things like houses. By the end of the poem she ends up confronting and reflecting over the loss of her loved one, which in turn shows a more intense side of loss for her and how she as a person deals with it. Elizabeth Bishop uses repetition, and her own interjections to help convey her belief that loss is an everyday part of life, but it is how you deal with it that changes the situation. Bishop uses her repetition to describe an aspect of loss, and how it changes and affects people over time.

Rembrandt has often been referred to as "The Painter of Light" for his innovative and influential approach to depicting light. Describe Rembrandt's approach to depicting light in painting. How is it influenced by Caravaggio's tenebrism and how does it differ or improve upon that technique?

Art in the nineteenth century can be described as very traditional, similar, romantic, and simple. Stepping into the twentieth century, artists turned to color, angles, and new incredibly unconventional styles. Major art forms such as cubism, futurism, fauvism, non-objective, and the international style were born. Artists became more creative and inspired by the new age. All three styles rejected the traditional ways of nineteenth century art and entered the new century with unconventional and revolutionary techniques and pieces that have changed the way artists think and create still to this day.

For my Cultural Encounter project, I visited the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA). The museum hosts an exhibit called “Art of The Ancient Americas”, which consists of remnants from the indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South America. These artifacts showcase the unique styles, intricate technique, and profound symbolism prevalent in indigenous American artwork, and give valuable insight into the culture and history of these ancient peoples.

of art as a finished product, signed by the artist and authenticated by the art market,