A large part of my cultural heritage includes the love and respect for the United States.  While we are not a military family, we admire our country.  We are all proud to be part of such a diverse nation.  Our freedom to believe what we want and say what we feel is essential to being an American.  This is a quality that is passed down from one generation to another.  Quintin Perez depicts this patriotism in his art.  He includes history, nature and freedom.

United States

Quintin Perez

January 30, 2009

http://www.artelista.com/en/artwork/5475624867699523-proyectodelmuralunityindiversity.html

Family dinners have always been important throughout my childhood.  On Sundays my grandmother cooked dinner for her whole family.  My aunts and uncles would all be there.  My mom also felt it was important to gather together for dinner.  Growing up, she cooked dinner almost every night and we were all expected to be home in time to eat.  She often made extras in case we had friends with us.  No one was ever excluded from our dinner table.  Bob Dornbert’s Family Dinner depicts this special time so well.  To this day my mom cooks dinner for all of us at least once a month.  This is a tradition that I will continue for my family and hopefully they will as well.

Family Dinner

Bob Dornbert

http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/family-dinner-bob-dornberg.jpg

 Bathroom Selfie reveals the real life of a married couple.  The glamorous ideals that is portrayed in society is not realistic of the day-to-day activities of married couples.  The comfort that is felt between committed partners can create some strange situations.  There is so much truth in this portrait.  This realism is found throughout my family.  We don’t live with idealistic views of what life is about.  You definitely do not ask a question if you don’t want the truth spoken.  This genuineness is throughout my family and undeniably our culture.

Bathroom Selfie

James Needham

2016

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/this-painting-of-a-couple-in-a-bathroom-with-the-man-on-the-toilet-and-the-woman-brushing-her-teeth-perfectly-sums-up-marriage-2016-6

The question of whether or not Memes represent art is a tricky one.  They are simply made with a photo along with some type of quote in a text box.  It’s difficult to classify that as art in comparison to some of the great art works like Michelangelo’s paintings in the Sistine Chapel.  However it is important to remember what makes art.  One aspect of art is the ability to make people feel or question their environment.  Memes can definitely make people laugh or smile or look at the world around them a little bit differently.  Although Memes seem silly in regards to the fine art world, they are an example of the evolving internet world we are living in.  Memes are created in order to share a person’s feelings with other people they don’t know.  That classifies the work as art.

Jenny Holzer was initially an abstract painter, but she struggled to communicate what she wanted to within abstract works.  She then created “Truisms” which are short sayings that quickly convey a belief.  The sayings are only a few words long, but they express significantly more than that.  In order to present these, Holzer created an electronic display that would scroll through these “Truisms” using different colors and techniques moving from one saying to another.  These displays were hung at eye level.  Some viewers simply read the “Truism” that was presented as they continued on their path, while others would stand and read one after another.  This was an effective way to touch more than simply the art goer.

My personal “Truism” is a saying that originated with my husband’s great grandmother.  When he was a child his great-grandmother would tell him that she loved him.  He would reply with “I love you more.”  Her response was always “You can’t measure love.”  This is now a saying in my house.  My younger children don’t quite understand why love can’t be measured, but they will.  I want my them to know that love is infinite.  There is no end when love is involved.  Whether it is in relationships or any other aspect of life.

Starry Night was created by Vincent Van Gogh in 1889.  The painting is of the French city at night with a bright yellow moon and stars in the sky.  Van Gogh often painted landscapes either around him or from memory.  He often wrote letters to his siblings about his paintings and felt as though the night was filled with more color than the day.

When trying to understand the meaning behind Starry Night, it is helpful to explore it in a psychological analysis.  Van Gogh was working with another artist, Paul Gauguin in 1888.  When the relationship came to an abrupt halt, Van Gogh was upset and cut his ear off.  He was then placed in an asylum for mentally ill patients.  He created over 150 paintings during his stay and Starry Night was one of them.  The swirling patterns of the clouds seem energized representing Van Gogh’s own struggle with mental illness.  The stars are such a contrast from blue to yellow that it gives the sense of hope.  Possibly that is Van Gogh’s own hope portrayed in the painting.

Another analysis that is interesting when studying Starry Night is contextual.  When the city is viewed closely the buildings are all dark, however there is contrast in the windows with bright colors giving a sense of comfort.  The town is calm compared to the movement represented in the sky.  The church is in the center of the painting with the steeple at an exaggerated height.  This symbolizes harmony.  There is also a cypress tree to the left of the painting which signifies sorrow.  It could be Van Gogh’s sorrow for his situation and illness.

References

Starry Night

Khan Academy

 Moma

Artble

As a side note, I wanted to share with you why I chose this artwork.  My kids elementary school art teacher collected bottle caps and re-created Starry Night in the hallway at the school.  The caps are screwed to the wall and the children were able to help with this large project.  I have always loved what she did and wanted to know more about the piece.  We have an amazing art teacher!

Each item in the photograph means something to me.  The quilt used as a backdrop was made by my husband’s great grandmother who I was fortunate to know.  She was an amazing family woman.  The sign in the middle was made by one of my good friends and is representative of my marriage.  The jar on the right with our wedding bands was made by my husband’s grandmother.  She filled the jar with sand and shells from the beach where we married and place our wedding invitation in it.  It always reminds me of our special day.  The watch on the right was given to me by my middle son when her was 5 years old.  He gave it to me because he liked all the sparkle.  The face cracked within the first week.  It reminds me how fast time flies by.  The bandannas along the bottom represent my children.  The pink for my daughter, white for my innocent middle son and blue for my youngest.  After understanding what each item is in my portrait, I would want people to understand how important my family is to me.  My immediate family as well as my extended family.

Willem de Kooning

Woman 1 1950-1952

http://www.moma.org/wp/moma_learning/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/478_1953_CCCR-303×395.jpg

Formal Analysis:  There appears to be a human with diamond shaped eyes.  The arms and legs are not well defined.  There are circular objects on the chest which possibly represent breasts and a second set of eyes above the right shoulder.  The contrast between multiple colors surrounding the person and the light grey of the upper body and face draw the viewer to the center of the painting.

Biographical and Psychological Analysis:  Willem de Kooning was born in the Netherlands in 1902 and dropped out of school at the age of 12 to pursue his career in art.  He moved to the United States in 1926 finally calling New York home.  Initially, de Kooning painted still figures and was given the opportunity to paint a federal art project.  He was very successful with this project, but was forced to resign due to his lack of US citizenship.  He returned to his abstract works.  De Kooning was married in 1943 to his apprentice.  Their marriage was filled with alcohol induced rage.  They separated in the late 1950s only to reunite 20 years later.

In Woman 1 de Kooning used newspaper on his canvas while painting so that the paint would last longer.  He worked on Woman 1 for two years constently working the paint on the canvas.  He would cut out women’s lips from magazines and place them on the painting.  Woman 1 depicts an angry female figure with exaggerated breasts and small head.  It is evident that there is passion within this piece with aggressive lines.  Knowing the background of de Kooning’s relationship with his wife and alcohol explains the confusion represented in this painting.

My Interpretation and Opinion:  I believe Woman 1 represents the chaotic marriage of de Kooning and his wife.  He finds her sexual which is evident in the large breasts.  There is also anger in her face possibly due to the alcohol induced arguments they had together.  I see it as a love/hate relationship.  He worked on the piece for 2 years changing the look of the work possibly due to his consent changing feelings of his marriage.

My initial feeling to Woman 1 was full of chaos and confusion.  I was not sure if the figure was a woman or a man and why it was so ugly and angry.  It was difficult to see what the artist wanted the viewer to know.  This piece of work could have a strong connection to someone who lived a life of uncertainty in life and love.  After researching de Kooning and Woman 1, I have a better understanding of the piece of art.  I have respect for the artist and work, but I do not find it appealing.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/later-europe-and-americas/modernity-ap/v/willem-de-kooning-woman-i-1950-52#!

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2002/aug/24/art

http://www.theartstory.org/artist-de-kooning-willem-artworks.htm#pnt_4

When describing the subject of art there are three categories that it can be classified; representational, abstract or non-objective.  If a piece of work is representational it means that the subject is easily defined.  For example, the dog looks just like a dog with no exaggerations or distractions.  The subject of an abstract piece of art my have some distortions, but it the viewer is still able to identify it.  When a piece of work is difficult to identify it is said to be non-objective.  These subjects are meant to make the viewer feel the subject rather than immediately see what is being portrayed.  Many times art can represent more than one of these classifications.  There is a continuum that the subject can fall into between representational, abstract and non-objective art.

1.  Artist Wesley Wofford, Title Great Dane

This piece of art is clearly representative imagery.  The viewer can easily see that the sculpture is of a dog and more specifically a great dane.  There is detail to the musculature of the dogs body and face.

2.  Artist Mark Ulriksen, Title Jolly Roger, Date 2014

The Jolly Roger still seems mainly representative as it is easily identified as a dog.  There are features of abstract with the exaggerated nose and face on a smaller body.

3.  Artist Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, Title A Dog, Date 1913

This art work could be representative or abstract.  It has more abstract features than the previous piece with the simple outline of the dog, but less abstract features than the next piece of work because it is clearly a dog.

4.  Artist Edward Ruscha, Title Dog, Date 1995, printed and signed 1994

Dog fits the definition of abstract.  It is identifiable as a dog, however the detail is blurry.  The blades of grass draw the viewer to the silhouette of the dog’s face with the contrast of the black and beige.

5.  Artist Roger Hilton, Title Two Dogs, Date 1973

This artwork has features of abstract just as the previous piece did with an added feature of non-objective imagery.  The viewer can identify the shapes as dogs, however there are distractions from the images with the shapes and colors.

6.  Artist Elizabeth Murray, Title Up Dog, Date 1987-1988

Up Dog includes even more features of non-objective imagery.  It is slightly identifiable as a dog.  The lines create shapes that give the artwork a sense of an animal, but the viewer must look closer to see the dog.

7.  Artist Robert Motherwell, Title Goya’s Dog, Date 1975

This piece of art does not create the image of a dog, so it is a good example of non-objective.  The viewer may have a sense that an animal is involved in the art, but it is not identified as such.

This is a Thomas Kinkade print that is hanging in my dining room.  I find myself daydreaming about this little cabin in the woods.  It brings me peace and calmness.  An escape from the hustle and bustle.  Kinkade uses actual directional lines in the river and walking paths to move the viewer’s eye throughout the painting.  While following the lines, the viewer will notice the more subtle details like the fact that all of the trees and bushes are blooming.  The river is positioned in a diagonal way to give the impression of movement.  The smoke trailing out of the chimney guides the viewers upward.  Kinkade also uses contrast with the muted colors of the ground and the bright yellow in the cabin windows.  Someone is inside enjoying nature.  I believe Kinkade wants the viewer to imagine themselves actually being a part of this painting.

While I have always enjoyed this print, learning the elements and principles of art has truly made me look closer at the details of what Kinkade is trying to portray.  The contrast is certainly one of these principles that I took a second look at.  I wasn’t sure why I was drawn to the bright yellow lights coming from the cabin until I learn about contrast.

This piece is hanging at my work.  The first thing I feel is strength from the vertical lines.  There is unity represented by the repetitive pattern of wooden beams on the left and lights on the right.  The viewer follows the contrast of the white reflection on the floor to the bright light at the end of the hallway.  Perhaps the photographer is trying to portray that there is a light at the end of the tunnel no matter how harsh the situation is.

At first glance I didn’t notice the vertical line of the reflection that was drawing me toward the end of the hallway.  It was only after my analysis of the pattern that I noticed the contrast of the reflection on the floor.

A personally define art as anything that has the potential to engage another person. If a photograph, painting or sculpture has the ability to encourage feeling in people, then I consider it worthy of being called art. I have seen graffiti on buildings and overpasses and thought, “Wow! How did someone paint that simply with spray paint?” The questions about who, what and where fill my head. Example. This image makes me wonder, what is the artist trying to say? Has the man in the image been stagnant so long that he is becoming the forest or does he love the forest so much that he wants to be a part of it? How did the artist successfully incorporate the trees in the background? This graffiti represents a piece of art to me. It causes me to think and ask questions.

The definition of art is subjective and for each individual to define for themselves. Each person’s feeling for a piece of art is determined by their life experiences and their state of mind during their first encounter of the art. For the sake of Art class, the definition of art has some guidelines. The piece of work should speak to people and should be created with a purpose. Art should take an everyday event and interpret it in a different way. The artist should spend time trying to convey a point to the viewer and express their individualism. Art should not be a random design although some pieces of art may seem random until further investigation. I agree with these expectations of what art is, even though I didn’t think about the definition as thoroughly until viewing these assignments. The point that stuck out to me the most was Leon Botstein’s point that artists create things that have no words.

I do not believe that art has to be what I perceive as beautiful. I may view a piece of art that depicts a painful sorrowful emotion and not see the beauty of it. Others may see the raw emotion and determine that there are attractive qualities to the suffering that they can identify with.

Hi!  My name is Brittany.  I graduated from Georgia Perimeter College almost 13 years ago as a Registered Nurse.  From the beginning of my career, my goal was to return to school and obtain my Bachelor’s degree in Nursing.  My goal was delayed a bit after having 3 children, but in January I began my journey towards this goal.  I will complete my final core classes by the end of the Fall 2016 semester and begin my bachelor’s study at the University of Alabama.

Most of my spare time is spent with my family.  My 3 children keep me on my toes, but if I have free time to myself I enjoy reading.  My favorite types of books are mysteries.

I have no artistic ability and no experience in the world of art, which is why I am excited to be a part of this class.  I look forward to learning about what makes up art and how to understand it.  Good luck classmates!  I know this will be a fantastic semester.