Module 5 - Principals of Design

For this assignment I was unable to adhere to my original blog design. It was mandatory that the textual descriptions be incorporated into the pictures which they described. Overall, I’m not sure if it is an enhancement or a deterrent to the form and content of my original design. I only know it made this week’s entry more cumbersome. With that said, here are the concepts discussed this past week pertaining to the principals of art design. Specifically addressed here is the apparent balance of the art form; the emphasis on focal point; the repetition of shapes and colors to create rhythm; the use contrast and variety to add visual interest; the concept of visual motion and implied line; and the use of scale and proportion in unusual ways.

 

Balance 

Pomona
by Childe Hassam (1859-1935)
oil on canvas, 94.3 x 64.2 cm
Smithsonian American Art Museum

Emphasis 

Rubens, His Wife Helena Fourment, and Their Son Peter Paul
by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)
oil on wood, 203.8 x 158.1 cm
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Repetition/Rhythm 

In the North the Negro had better educational facilities
by Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000)
tempera on gesso on composition board
The Museum of Modern Art

Contrast/Variety 

Plaque: Warrior Chief, Warriors and Attendants
Nigera; Edo Court of Benin
Brass
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Visual Movement (Continuation) 

Descent from the Cross
by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)
painting
Art, Archaeology and Architecture

Scale and Proportion 

Plantoir
by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen
stainless steel, aluminum, fiber-reinforced plastic, painted with polyurethane enamel
Image and original data provided by Larry Qualls

Another example of scale and proportion:

Nithon Bridge in Edo (Edo nihombashi), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji (Fugaku sanjurokkei)
by Hokusai (1760-1849)
color woodcut
Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco

 

Along the lines of the first example of scale and proportion, by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen, is this video found on YouTube uses an innovative way in which to get movie goers out to the movies. The video displays an example of how art design can be used in advertising. London giveaway video

Module 4 - Light, Color and other Formal Elements

For this week’s post, the aspects of light, color and other formal elements such as pattern, actual texture, impasto, and frottage were discussed. Some of the concepts examined, relating to light, are used by artist to constitute 3D objects using the techniques of chiaroscuro as in the first image. This and other approaches to creating 3D portrayals of 2D objects are the topic of discussion here.

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro is the use of gradient shading and chromatic colors to depict 2 dimensional objects as if they are 3 dimensional. The shading generates contour in the surface of the object by using the perception of a light source and the resulting shadows casted by that light.

Here is an example of the 3D effect chiaroscuro produces when used in creating works of art. This woodcutting by Albrecht Durer (1471 - 1528) uses the technique to create a life like rendition of a rhinoceros. Cross-Hatching is also employed by the artist to create contour in the woodcutting.

Rhinoceros
by Albrecht Durer (1471-1528)
woodcut in black line, with blue-green tone block, 8.325” x 11.75”
Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Categories of Light

Artists use light in many ways in their artwork. The properties of light are described as being additive. This means that when the primary colors of light - red, green and blue - are added together or overlapped, they make up the spectrum of light seen by the eye. White light contains all three colors. Contrary to the additive process of light the subtractive properties of reflected light create the pallet of colors seen by mixing red, yellow, and blue. They are the primary colors. The various colors and shades created by the additive and subtractive process are shown below.

An artist who has taken this idea of additive and subtractive light properties literally and used it as the main focus of his work is Dan Flavin. Here he has used fluorescent lights of various colors to dispense his brand of artwork. If you look closely at the following picture of an installation done in the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, you will notice both the additive and subtractive qualities of light and color. From left to right the lights are made up of white, red, yellow, blue, and green fluorescent tubes in the vertical position with white light in the horizontal positions. The overall look of the light emitted is seen as white light, except where very close to the colored tubes. This is an example of the additive properties of light. The same light bouncing off the light colored walls also appears very close to white. The interesting part is where the light is reflected off the dark floor and the subtractive qualities of light are observed, where the colors of the tubes are evident, when the light reflects off the dark surface.

Untitled (to Don Judd, colorist)
by Dan Flavin
Installation in the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
from University of California, San Diego

Arbitrary Color

The idea that trees are brown and green like grass, water is composed of shades of blue along with the sky, and people range from brown to pale shades of tan, are all notions of realistic portrayals of objects we see every day.  What Matisse did in his Sketch for “The Joy of Life” was to use Arbitrary Color when painting the objects in this piece.  As you can plainly see the sky is pinkish-purple the grass is yellow, the trees are orange, some pinkish-purple, and the people are all pink with brown outlines. All of which are arbitrary to what the natural colors of the objects in the painting.

Esquisse pour “Le Bonheur de vivre” (Sketch for “The Joy of Life”)
by Henri Matisse (1869-1954)
oil on canvas, 16” x 21.5”
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Analogous Color Scheme

As seen in the color wheel on the left, there are many variations of color and even more tints and shadings of those variations. Each of the colors on the wheel can be made up of the three primary colors; red, yellow, and blue; mixed with white to tint the color or mixed with black to shade the color. The orientation of the colors around the wheel has significance as well. Colors across from one another are complimentary, while colors next to each other are part of the analogous color scheme.

Moreon color schemes here.

Here is an example of the use of an analogous color scheme in the painting by Pierre Bonnard. Notice the overall tone of the hues in the painting that surround the analogous red color scheme. As one can readily see from the color wheel the colors used are within two steps to the left and right of red, with accents of the complimentary color from across the wheel, green. 

Bowl of Cherries
by Pierre Bonnard
oil on canvas, 11.875” x 16.5”in
The Phillips Collection, Gift of Marion L. Ring Estate

Frottage in Art

The term frottage is defined as the use of a technique where one puts a sheet of paper over a textured object and, using the side of the pencil, rubs the sheet of paper to impose the texture onto the paper. This drawing by Max Ernst (1891-1976) is an example of this technique. One can notice the chain-link fence diamond pattern along the bottom. While the form is that of a fish like object, the textured look of the scales is created by, the means of frottage having been incorporated into the drawing. It looks like a number of different surfaces were rubbed to produce the desired textured effects where necessary.

Escaped
by Max Ernst (1891-1976)
Drawing
University of California, San Diego

Impasto

Many works of art are comprised of varied Actual Textures, and impasto is one of the textural effects artists use to enhance their art. The oil painting by Claude Monet depicted here is an example of impasto. The layering of paint is so pronounced in this piece that it can even be seen in this picture of the original work. The impasto is a way of playing with light by creating shadows where the paint is heaped on the canvas. Most noticeable in the yellow and tan areas of this painting, the shadows are prominent and present a sense of depth. The areas where the shadows cannot easily be noticed, such as the aqua-blue areas in the center portions along the left and right do not have the same depth and are seen as being flat compared to the yellow area.

The Artist’s House in Giverny seen from the Rose Garden
by Claude Monet
oil on canvas, 80 x 90 cm
Erich Lessing Culture and Fine Arts Archives

Module 3 – Art Elements, Line and Space

This article pertains to a few of the formal elements in art, specifically line and shape. The line is one of the most basic of elements. But, it is more than just a simple stroke of the stylus. The line has many functions in art. It can be used to define a shape, as when used to outline an object or to describe its contour. The line is frequently used in ways that may not be part of the form of the artwork, such as when it is used to depict an implied line of action or direction of vision. Lastly, the line has an expressive quality as well. The expressiveness of an artist’s line can sometimes be seen as a signature of the artist. Next we see a few examples of art that depict the various roles of the line.

Outline

This drawing by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska (1891-1915) is an example of the use of line to outline the two figures here, which are representations of the female form. The outline is of an abstract nature, but it is definitive enough to distinguish the subject matter. 

Two Figures
by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska (1891-1915)
Black wash drawings and watercolors, 8.375” x 5.5”
Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Implied Line

Although, implied line is not a visible line created by an actual brush stroke, it is a line of action or a line of sight contained in the work of art. Take a look at the Madonna of the Rocks and notice the numerous pointing gestures implying a line of vision for the eyes to follow. Also, one can notice the implied line of action the child on the left creates, by suggesting that the child is about to dive into the pool of water in the foreground.

Madonna of the Rocks
by Leonardo da Vinci
oil on canvas, 199cm x 122cm
Eric Lessing Culture and Fine Arts Archives

Expressive Line

The lines in this piece by Steve DiBenedetto are an example of the expressiveness an artist can display in the wielding of their brush. In this piece the author chose to use a lot of paint drops in varied sizes in a row to create the semblance of a line.

1947
by Steve DiBenedetto
oil on canvas, 16” x 20”
Image and data provided by Larry Qualls

The remaining examples are used to portray the elements that pertain to describing shape of the subject matter. The use of positive and negative space, visual overlapping, foreshortening and perspective all play a part in the manner in which an artist chooses to display the form. Without taking these elements into consideration certain works of art would not be taken as serious, great works, because of their lack of these elements. Here are a few examples pertaining to the shape of art.

Perspective

In 1435 during The Renaissance, Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472), provided the first theory of what we now call linear perspective. This painting attributed to Albrecht Durer, done in 1495, is one of the first examples of the use of one point linear perspective.

Courtyard of the Former Castle in Innsbruck, Austria
attributed to Albrecht Durer
watercolor on paper, 335mm x 267mm
Eric Lessing Culture and Fine Arts Archives

Foreshortening

This example of foreshortening, by John William Waterhouse (1849-1917), shows how the object closest to the viewer is slightly smaller than it should be when strict one point perspective is employed. If foreshortening was not used, the object in the foreground would be much larger and could deteriorate the overall form of the artwork, even to the extent of making it look ‘clown like’ or out of proportion Foreshortening is a technique used in perspective to equalize the proportions between the foreground and background.

St. Eulalia
by John William Waterhouse (1849-1917)
Oil on Canvas, 74.25” x 46.25”
University of California, San Diego

Positive/Negative Space

In this picture of Donald K Sultan’s work of art, one can see how the contrast between foreground and background creates a positive to negative relationship. In this piece, entitled Double Dominos, the positive and negative spaces can be almost interchangeable. One question that could be asked, “is it a portrayal of black objects on a white background or white objects on a black background?” The only indication that the latter of the two statements is more plausible, is it the fact that there is a border around the white dice. This creates a sense of the black surface being the background or negative space.

Double Dominos
by Donald k Sultan, Jan 29 1995
latex, tar and spackle on tile over Masonite, 96” x96”
Image provided by Larry Qualls

Resources

Alberti, Leon Battista. On Painting. [First appeared 1435-36] Translated with Introduction and Notes by John R. Spencer. New Haven: Yale University Press. 1970 [First printed 1956].
Online at http://www.noteaccess.com/Texts/Alberti/

Module 2 – Visual Literacy and Value in Art

These two chapters in the textbook A World of Fine ART discuss the basic terms which would be art critics use to communicate intelligently, among one another, about the works of art they encounter. The ability to concisely describe what one sees in a work of art is crucial to conveying the feeling and underlying meaning the viewer perceives, when in the presence of fine art.

A few of the definitions taken from the textbook are listed here to assist the reader in their interpretation of the forth coming concepts described in this article. Here is a partial list of art terms:

abstract - when the work does not resemble an object as the eye sees it in the real world
realism - when a work closely resembles what the eye sees in the real world
content - what the work means beyond its subject matter
ethnocentric - characterized by the attitude that your group or culture is superior
form - overall structure of the work
iconography - iconic symbols connected and recognized by specific cultural groups
naturalistic - not truly the realistic version of an object, but an artist’s comingling of natural scenes
nonobjective - when the work doesn’t refer to a natural object at all
nonrepresentational - when the work doesn’t represent the natural world in any way
representational - portrayal of natural objects in recognizable form
subject matter - what is literally depicted

Form vs. Content

Form, the actual subject of the work, and content, the meaning the artist is portraying, is not always readily apparent in some works of fine art. This representational piece by Toyo Sesshu circa.1500 is a mountain top scene in which both elements are easily distinguishable. The form is somewhat abstract, and there is not much realism in the rendition. But, the subject matter is easily distinguishable as a landscape of a mountain top, as the title suggests. The intent of the artist is apparent as well, to simply depict a landscape of a mountain top. The form and content of the following pieces will be discussed for their specific representational formats as related to the concepts they imbue.

Landscape (detail showing mountain tops)
by Toyo Sesshu  circa.1500
ink on paper, 77.2 x 27 cm
from Seattle Art Museum

Representational Art

At first glance, it is evident that the subject matter of this work of art, by Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), is the likeness of a butterfly, an object commonly found in nature. The representation conveys a sense of realism in form, but does not portray the natural surroundings in which the subject could be found. Even though, this is a beautiful example of a representational portrait of a butterfly.

Butterfly
by Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902)
oil pencil on paper
from the University of California, San Diego

Abstract Art

This is a work of art that depicts war as envisioned by Jackson Pollock (1912-1965). It displays an example of abstract art, as do many of his pieces. Upon close inspection, one can distinguish a few signs of representational elements, but they are displayed in abstraction. Looking at the obscure likeness of a human a top of the chaotic pile of rubble, it can be seen that the form melds into, what appears to be, the likeness of a cow. All in all, there is truly no distinguishable sense of realism to the subject matter which makes it a good example of abstract artwork.

War
by Jackson Pollock (1912-1965)
Pen and Ink, and colored pencils on paper 20.675” x 26”
from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
© 2007 Pollock-Kransner Foundation

Non-Objective art

Nonrepresentational art is specifically about form. The form of this painting, by Kisimir Malevitch (1878-1935), is simply of a triangle and a square. The subject matter does not represent anything in the natural world, nor does it insist any specific meaning. The art object is simply a composition of the colors and materials used in creating it, and this piece is a very nice example of non-objective artwork.

Suprematism
by Kisimir Malevitch (1878-1935)
watercolor 11.5” x 8.5”
from Los Angeles County Museum of Art (SUNY Binghamton Digital Image Collection)

Iconic Art

Jean Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) is said to be an artist whose work is “literally packed with a private, highly ambiguous iconography (37, Sayre)” as seen in this large painting entitled Felix the Cat. The cartoon cat Felix is most evident, but there is also iconic significance in the portrayal of the dark skinned woman, the African ceremonial mask and the blue bow tie. The iconic symbols here may only be readily recognizable to people of a specific time period or of a specific cultural background. But, the icons are visually apparent none the less.

Felix the Cat
by Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988)
Acrylic on Canvas 9’8” x 13’
from SUNY Binghamton Digital Image Collection

Example of Iconoclasm

One of the most popularly notable examples of iconoclasm is the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s statue on April 9, 2003, just outside of Baghdad. The destruction of the iconic statue represented the end in a reign of tyranny at the hands of Hussein.

The first abstract work by Zane Lewis entitled Watch me Slowly Death is a subtle portrayal of iconoclastic artwork. It is highly abstract, but does resemble a traditional bust portrait. Looking closely at the portrait, one can distinguish the subtle icons of a world famous perfume littering the form. The content suggests death due to the use of this product, and is evident in the title and the dark void in the face of the subject.
This second piece, also by Zane Lewis, is a more outspoken version of iconoclasm. It uses the distinguishable likeness of the Pope, an iconic symbol to the entire Christian world, spewing colored paint from the mouth to represent the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church. The colored paint spewing from the pope’s mouth introduces a destructive inference to the well redound likeness of the pope. The jading of the iconic symbol is the very nature of iconoclasm. It is very ironic that the exhibit was first displayed in Bologna, Italy, a mecca of the Roman Catholic Church.

Watch me Slowly Death, 2009
by Zane Lewis
paint and paper on Plexiglas 51” x 51” x 3”

Untitled
installation Arte Fiera in Bologna, Italy (2007)

Module 1 - 4 Roles of the Artist

Requirements

To complete this assignment I was instructed to locate 6 textbook quality pictures. Initially, four of the pictures represent the roles in which the artist approaches their work, as described below:

1. Artists help us see the world in new or innovative ways.
2. Artists make a visual record of the people, places, and events of their time and place.
3. Artists make functional objects and structures more pleasurable and imbue them with meaning.
4. Artists give form to immaterial ideas and feelings. 

Next, I was instructed to find two more pictures to represent "Aesthetic Beauty" and "Kitsch" respectively. Each of these pictures are to include as captions the following elements:

• A title 
• A description of the thought or technique represented
• The name of the artist gave the piece of work
• The name of the artist
• The type of medium the artist used to create the piece of work
• Citation of any reference material used

Each of the text box captions should be of factual content and not personal insight or opinions.

Artists help us see the world in new or innovative ways.

This fantasy artwork, by Michael Pukac, is an example of how artists take common or natural objects and purposely polarize our view of it. By shedding light on a different perspective,  the subject can be transformed into a rendition not commonly conceived by the general populous.

Seahorse

By Michael Pukac

Artists make a visual record of the people, places, and events of their time and place. 
This is a painting by Norman Rockwell created in 1944 of an injured veteran returning home from the Vietnam War. This was considered such a realistic rendition that it was used on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. Many artists chose portraits to capture the era in which they lived,  as was the tradition of many great artists. 

Disabled Veteran

By Norman Rockwell
1944, oil on canvas, 43" x 34"
Saturday Evening Post, July 1 1944, cover

Artists make functional objects and structures more pleasurable and imbue them with meaning. 

This representation of a man in flames depicts an image that creates the feeling a musical artist might have while playing some 'hot licks' on the guitar. It implies the idea of how spontaneous music can be. On the other hand, from the perspective of the audience, it displays how one might envision their favorite musician. Each of these concepts are displayed by a single artist's representation of a simple guitar.

Guitar Man

By Preston Stone

Artists give form to immaterial ideas and feelings.

Many works of art are embodied by the emotion or idea the artist is trying to convey. These works are created and designed, by the artist, to specifically portray the intangible concept it depicts, like this representation of relaxation.  This is a photographic creation by Colton Onushko of such a concept.

Rainbow Relaxation

By Colton Onushko

Aesthetic Beauty

Aesthetic beauty can be found in many settings. It can be found in architecture, in common objects, in portraits of people, and in nature. I chose to portray the aesthetic beauty that nature reveals to the beholder.

Waterfalls and Ancient Gods screensaver 1.0

An instance of the BlueChillies.com screensaver representing the aesthetic beauty of an ancient hideaway in a lush tropical paradise. Copyright © 2000 BlueChillies.com  All rights reserved.  Legal Terms

Other examples of natural aesthetic beauty found on YouTube

•  BeautifulWorld Wonderful World
• SevenWonders of the World

Kitsch

I discovered that the word kitsch is a German term that was initially used during WWII to describe artwork of an inferior quality. It is also defined as; “Art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but appreciated in an ironic way. “  I chose this piece by Thomas Kinkade self-proclaimed “Painter of Light™” from the Disney Dreams Collection, which  celebrates great moments from Walt Disney.

Pinocchio Wishes Upon A Star

acrylic on canvas

By Thomas Kinkade

Watch the first video to get a good understanding of the sentimentality behind the artist’s work, and a narration of how the painting came into being.

• ArtistNarrative - Pinocchio Wishes Upon A Star
• Another cool example of kitsch on YouTube  (must see, some seriously funny stuff!)