Film 17: Lichenstein / Bragg

Lichenstein was inspired by a gum wrapper which lead him to start creating pop art. Like Andy Warhol, Lichenstein also used a projector to sketch his painting onto canvases. However, he did not use a silkscreen like Warhol, instead he stetched his works. I prefer Andy Warhol's artwork over Lichenstein's. I'm not a comic fan, which may have something to do with it, but I find Warhol's art much more appealing. I like the subjects and the colors he used moreso that I like Lichensteins.

When Lichenstein copied other famous paintings, he made adjustments such as straightening lines and changes colors. He manipulated other famous work to see how they would look other ways. It is difficult to see how he copied these famous worked. Whereas with comic books there is a more direct correlation and the works are much more similar. I'm not really a fan of his work with comics, personally. I do not see a problem with Lichenstein's "copying" method. As someone who can't draw (seriously, even my stick figures suck..) I still love to color and paint other images. I don't think that one's artist ability should be based purely on whether or not they can draw their own subject.

Fine artists create artwork to express a feeling, emotion, or thought they have experienced. Commercial artists, on the other hand, have to follow media and create artwork that their clients want, or art to attract a certain audiance. Fine artists though create art for themselves, not the general public.

Discussion Question:

Which type of art do you prefer to look at, commerical or fine? Why?

Film 16: Warhol / PBS

Andy Warhol used a projector to trace and reproduce images. He did two different versions of a Coke painting, one messy and the other tight. His friends suggested he continue with the tighter version of the painting. Personally, I prefer the tight version of these paintings. The lines are cleaner, which I like.

Warhol took a suggestion from Muriel Latow to paint soup cans. This lead Warhol to paint soup cans in different positions and from different angle, taking an ordinary object and making it extraordinary. I don't know what the exact dollar value of these paintings are, but I'm sure they are worth a great deal.

Henry Geldzhler pushed Warhol to paint Marilyn Monroe. He began his Marilyn work on the day that she died. Each painting he did on Marilyn is different because he first painted spaces where her face would be, then silkscreened a photograph on top it is, thus after each use the silkscreen would get clogged. I think that he was still making paintings because he was still designing the canvas, and only part of it could be considered not painting if you want to be technical.

Discussion Question:

What is your favorite work by Andy Warhol? Why are you drawn to this?

Film 15: Pollock / Evans

The biggest difference between this film and the others is that in this film we actually got to see the artist himself paint. Evans used other methods in this film.
1.video clips
2. interviews
3. narration
4. pictures
5. paintings

The Macho Modernist was a term that referred to men who were creating art, not settling down to start a family like most after WWII. Because creating artwork was seen as a delicate job at this point in history, these artists felt they needed to overcompensate by being what they considered to be "macho," things such as drinking excessively, partying, and living dangerously in general. This affected their artwork by becoming an emotional release. Each of their paintings is filled with emotions that they pushed aside other wise.

Clement Greenberg was an art critic, Lee Krasner was an artist, and Peggy Gugenheim was a fan of Pollock's work. Hans Namuth filmed Pollock painting from under a sheet of glass, which put him under a lot of pressure. He lost his inspiration and could no longer move forward the way that he wished to.

Film 14: Dali / Low

This film is the first to show the artist interviewed. Adam Low used interviews with Dali himself. He used many other methods of delivering this information.
1. narration
2. interviews
3. books
4. paintings
5. news

To me, the most interest painting by Dali is "Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of New Man." Painted in 1943, in is thought to be a parody of WWII showing a man emerging from a "new" nation as the United States is becoming a world power. The first thing that draws my eye is the body emerging from what looks to be a shell of some sort. Then I am drawn to the overall mood of the painting. The combination of warm yellow and cool grey gives the work an erie, sort of creepy mood.

Working surreally changes the interactions between art and artists because it allows for the artist to live the art they create, making the connections closer. The audience however, may not understand or connect with the this art the way they would normally because they cannot relate to the moment that the artist lived.

Film 13: Picasso / Braque / Glimcher

This film is far different than the films we have seen thus far. This is the first time in these class that the influence of film, photography aside, on art has been discussed. There was also no single host for this movie, which is unlike the other films we have seen this semester. The film used many techniques to to convey its information.
1. The paintings themselves
2. Comparison of other artists
3. Personal interviews
4. Film clips
5. Work by other artists

Picasso and Braque are the "mountain climbers." Introduced to each other by Guillaume Apollinaire, these two artists worked together, using each others criticism and ideas to finish individual paintings. This is original to this film because in other films we have seen this semester, there has been competition between two artists, i.e. Da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Scorsese, Close, Schnabel, Fischel and Samaras are all artists, with backgrounds in cubism, that were interviewed in this film. Personally I liked Martin Scorsese's insight on cubism, especially when he said "cubism is not a style, it was a revolution."

Discussion Question:
What is your favorite cubism piece, who painted it, and why do you like it?

Film 12: Impressionism / Collings

When comparing the films from this week, to the films we viewed last week, I'd have to say I preferred the film on Impressionism. I had previously chosen to talk about Monet and Manet, so having the prior knowledge of their similarities made the film more interesting to me. Otherwise, the films were very similar.

My favorite painting that was shown in this film was the Dance at Le moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The first thing that draws my eye is what appears to be a mother and daughter in the front middle of the painting. I admire the detail of each face. The second thing that I notice is the couple dancing in the middle left of the painting. They stand out more so than the other dancers. I think that this is Renoir's way to focus your eye, while still creating a very busy painting.

Impressionists, unlike realists, did not simply paint what was in front of them. They changed things, giving the paintings a much more personal edge. These painting were also, often times considered political. I think that this is interesting because there is so much political art in today's society, I almost feel that Impressionism directly influenced the development of today's art.

Discussion Question:

After watching films that cover such a wide range of impressionists, which artist is your favorite? Why?

Film 11: Monet&Manet / Marlow

I chose Monet and Manet because I have been a Monet fan since childhood, and I found Manet to be shockingly similar in an almost erie fashion. This film, instead of detailing the artists lives to explain their paintings, Marlow simply explained the paintings. 

My favorite creation of Monet's is Impression, Sunrise. It is actually the painting that named the Impressionist movement. It is a painting of the Le Havre harbor in France, or at least Monet's impression of it. 

My favorite creation of Manet's is The Luncheon on the Grass. It is a scene in the woods, two fully dressed men and one fully nude women causally eating a picnic lunch. In the background, another women bathing. 

These two paintings are vastly different. While both are considered landscapes, Monet's is largely out of focus, a more whimsical version of what it really was. Manet's on the other hand is rather realistic, nudity aside. Both are the artists impression of what is really occurring.

The storytelling approaches in the films assigned this week were much different than those we have been subjected to in previous weeks. Instead of approaching the artists and paintings with dramatic lighting and reenactments, and historical evidence, Marlow simply gave us the bare minimum amount of information necessary to understand the paintings. I find it difficult to state one storyteller as my favorite. They all have qualities that I both like and dislike. 

Discussion Question:

How do you feel about impressionist art? Would you consider yourself more of a realist or an impressionist?

Film 10: Van Gogh / Schama

In Simon Schama's film on Van Gogh, he did not use a couple of the techniques from his previous films. For instance, there are no reenactments in this film, nor did he use history to the same degree he did in his film on David. However, there were similarities. His use of the artist's personal history to add interest to particular paintings remains consistent throughout each of the films.
Personally, Van Gogh is my favorite artist that Schama has covered. I have been interested in Van Gogh since a young age, I remember my parents taking me to the Van Gogh exhibit at the Art Institute when I was younger. I find Van Gogh to be inspiring because despite his personal battles, he was still able to do what he loved to do, paint and create works of art.

My favorite painting by Van Gogh is The Starry Night,  which is an oil painting on canvas created in 1889. The first thing that I am drawn to is the swirls in the sky. I feel that it gives the painting a whimsical look. The second thing that I love about this painting are Van Gogh's color choices. The depths of the blues and the brightness of the yellows, in my opinion, create a very complimentary environment.

I don't feel that Van Gogh painting everyday made him greater or lesser than any other famous artist. This method worked for Van Gogh, however, for many artists this approach would not work. Personally, I don't think I could handle the pressure of creating something every day. Unless it just happened to be that way. But if I made it a goal to start and finish 1 painting everyday, i would crack under the pressure and stress.

Discussion Question:
Do you feel that Van Gogh's mental illnesses made him a greater painter, or do you feel that this was his greatest weakness.

Film 9: Civilization / Collings

According to Wikipedia, Matthew Collings is a "British art critic, writer, broadcaster, and artist. His creditability is built by his education, background, and experience with art being an art critic and artist himself.
Unlike the other movies we watch, where one artist was discussed, Collings chose to discuss art over a period of time. I believe his chose to do this in order to  show how people and art changed over time. By covering the Enlightenment, Renaissance, and the French Revolution he is allowing the viewer not only to understand the mechanics of the artwork, but the history that spurred the creation of the art.
What I liked about Collings storytelling was that he used history to explain the paintings instead of supplying bits and pieces as background information. I feel that this allowed the viewer to have a better understanding of painting. I actually feel that Collings is my favorite storyteller up until this point. Maybe its because history has always been a passion of mine more so than art, but I feel that Collings allowed me to understand these pieces of art better than the other storytellers.

I believe that the image of World Trade Centers collapsing is definitely an image that survive to speak to future generations. This is one of the greatest attacks of American soil in history. I see it as a major turning point in not only American History but also global history.

Discussion Question:
Do you feel like the artwork that is being produced in our lifetimes will last as long as the artworks we have discussed in class thus far?

Film 8: Goya / Hughes

Robert Hughs, according to Wikipedia, is an art critic, writer, and documentary maker. He was an art critic for TIME magazine for many years where he developed his creditability.

I think one of Goya's more interesting works is The Nude Maja. For its time, it is highly controversial, being the first non-religious, life-size female nude work in Western art. It was made by using oil based paint on a canvas. The first thing my eye is drawn to is the expression on the woman's face. The suggestive, seductive look is intriguing. For the time period, I feel that it would be considered improper for a women to act in such a way. This leads me to believe that Goya was a very bold artist for his time.  The second thing my eye is drawn to is background. He uses shadows and dark furniture to give the woman a glowing or angelic look, which I feel is an interesting contrast to the expression on the woman's face.

Hughes approached this documentary with a no nonsense attitude. Unlike the other storytellers, he did not relay on reenactments or interviews, but he stated the facts of Goya's life and included only the most important paintings. I think that each narrator that we have seen has positive qualities, for example, Greenaway keeps his audiences entertained with dramatic elements, Bruce's use of language and interviews allows a sense of authenticity, and Hughes shows a real passion for his work.

Discussion Question:
Do you think it is possible to study Goya's artwork without studying and trying to understand Goya's personality and his personal history?

Film 7: David / Schama

The biggest difference that I noticed in Schama's approach in these two films is history. In the film on David, Schama focused more on the history of the French Revolution in relation to David and his artwork, whereas in the Caravaggio film Schama focused on Caravaggio's life. In both films Schama used similar techniques of reenactment.

I chose to take a closer look at David's  The Death of Marat. This painting was made in 1793 with oil paint on a canvas. The first thing my eye is drawn to is facial expression of Marat, he does not look like his is in a great deal of pain. The second thing I am drawn to is the fact that he's writing a letter in what appears to be some sort of a bath. I just find that strange.

Jacques-Louis David

I feel that David was a good guy. He wasn't a criminal, nor do I feel that he really did anything terrible. He did however paint things that could have been seen as controversial for the time. David's paintings portray the truth how he saw it, whether or not the paintings portrays the actual truth is something only historians can really try to answer.

Discussion Question: Which elements of David's paintings do you find most effective?

Film 6: Rembrandt / Greenaway

Peter Greenaway is a British film director, known for his works involving Renaissance, Baroque, and Flemish paintings. His extensive study of art makes him a creditable source of information.

Greenaway choose to only discuss the work of Rembrandt entitled "Night Watch" because of the conspiracy's attached to the painting. I believe that this was an affect approach if, and only if Greenaway's sole intention for the documentary was to inform his audience of this painting. However, this is not an affective approach if his goal was to inform us about Rembrandt.

I believe that Greenaway choose Amsterdam as the location for his documentary for two reasons. First, because the scene depicted in "Night Watch" is set is Amsterdam, and secondly because the original painting is stored on display at the Rijksmuseum.

His use of dramatic lighting aided in showing emphasis on different areas of the painting, and added a sense of mystery to the film in general. This is another example of mimicking the artist. Rembrandt uses brighter colors on some characters and darker colors on others.

Discussion Question:
 Do you believe the mysteries that are attached to this painting?

Film 5: Caravaggio / Schama

Simon Schama is an art historian who hosts Power of Art. He has studied and taught history and art history at college levels and is an established, award-winning publisher.

My favorite work of Caravaggio is called Basket of Fruit. This is an oil painting on canvas. The first thing I notice about this painting is how "light" it appears compared to his other works. This however is deceiving.  If you look closing, the fruit mostly appears to be dead, withered, growing mold, or infected with insects. The second thing I notice is that while somethings appear somewhat 3D, such as the apple, other things look rater flat such as the leafs. The third thing that I noticed was the detail of the basket.

I believe that Schama used dramatic lighting as a way of mimicking Caravaggio's paintings. I don't feel that this makes the Schama's stories any more or any less believable. I find it to be more of an tribute or compliment to the artist.

Discussion Question
Do you feel that Caravaggio's use of contrasting light is sometimes too dramatic?

Flim 4: Hockney / Knowledge

David Hockney is a British artist known for his works as a painter, printmaker, photographer and designer. He has a lifetime of experience in the art field making him a creditable source, however his theory that many famous artists traced their subjects with the assistance of lenses deters people from believing his stories.

The "Secret Knowledge" is a term used to describe the use of lens by artists to trace their subjects. My opinion of art work of the artists who used this technique does not change. While anyone may be able to trace something, not everyone can manipulate different mediums to give a realistic or artist look.

The models of how the lens worked I thought was very fasinating. I'm a very visual learner, and often have a hard time visualizing how things work without some sort of demonstration. I feel that without the models, I wouldn't have have truly understood the way they worked.

Discussion Question:
Do you think that drawing is a natural talent that you are born with, or something that you can learn and develop over time with practice?

Film 3: Michelangelo / Marlow

Timothy Marlow is an art historian, best known for his regular channel 5 feature. He has written many books on the subject of art and culture and is most widely known in Britain.

My favorite piece of work done by Michelangelo is the part of the Sistine Chapel called "The Fall From Grace," a depiction of Adam and Eve disobeying God. The first thing I notice about this piece is how the snake wrapped around the tree turned into a person. In the book of Genesis, it is a snake that convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. The second thing I noticed the blue background. I can't decide if its sky or water. Thirdly, I notice is the obvious nudity, something that in today's time would be censored, regardless of the fact that it is a necessary part of the bible story.

I believe that Timothy Marlow decided to include the significant locations because while Michelangelo produced these masterpieces he travelled back and forth between Florence and Rome. By doing this, Marlow created a sense of authenticity.

Discussion Question:
Do you feel that Michelangelo's religious beliefs affect his art? If so, was it negative or positive?

Film 2: Da Vinci / Bruce

Fiona Bruce, host of the BBC show "Da Vinci: The Lost Treasure," is a British journalist who studied French and Italian at Hertford College in Oxford. While most of her experience may not be with paintings, what she lacks in experience she make up for in her effort to connect with those she interviews. Showing recordings of interviews also adds to her creditability.

One painting that particularly intrigues me by Da Vinci is The Last Supper, a mural originally painted in Milan. For this painting Da Vinci used tempera paint on gesso, pitch and mastic. Having attended Catholic Schools since three year old preschool, I have spent a great deal of time staring at this piece of artwork over the years. My eye is first drawn to Jesus, who is clearly the centerpiece of the painting. Secondly, I notice the chaos  on either side of him. Da Vinci expresses the many emotions that were being felt by Jesus' closest friends and disciples. There is fear, excitement, concern, shock. Thirdly, I notice the structure of the room, the different planes and lines that Da Vinci used as tools to give the illusion of depth on a flat surface.

I believe the storyteller used parts of interviews to show that the information she was giving was creditable. The audience is probably more likely to believe the words of profession art historians rather than a journalist.

Discussion Question
What makes Da Vinci's work so important to the study of art history?

Film 1: Paint / History

According to the film, paint is defined as a pigmented liquid that dries to form a protective film over a surface. Paint is composed of three main components: Binder/Resins, Solvent, and Pigment. Binders or resins are glue like substances such as linseed oil or acrylic polymers. Pigment is the color causing agent that is often made using ground minerals found in nature. Solvents are used to smooth the surface of the paint while drying and is most often water.

It is my opinion that modern chemistry has had the most significant impact on the evolution of paint. For example, artists who use textiles apply chemistry when dying them. Some may use sodium carbonate to set the dye. Another great tool that chemistry gave the art industry is the restoration aspect. The use of chemicals in the restoration process allow the undo-ing of oxidation and other types of damages that occur to painting over time.

A painting is some sort of work of art, usually created on a flat surfaces, primary using paint. A painting can depict several things such as a historical event, a story, an emotion. I feel that is it important that painting can be preserved for thousands of years because of the historical importance. For example, the painting found in ancient Egypt gave us enormous insight into the life of Egyptians, or the cave drawings left behind by Indians gave us information on the type of animals that roamed the earth during those times. Without these visual representations I feel that we would be lacking important insights into human and earth history.

Discussion Question

What colors stand out to you the most?