Postmodern

A.) After reading this chapter in your own words, define Postmodern Art?movement

To me, Postmodernism is primarily a sub group of modernism, being that chronologically it followed that movement. It is not way replaces modernism because it holds many of the same ideas; the only difference is it is viewing these ideas in a completely different mind set. Postmodern art is a movement that was very influential is developing new styles, non-traditional views, and ways of appreciation in art. Take performance art for an example. Postmodern art does not replace modernism, it simply reintroduces the traditions and classical elements of style and takes the practice to the extreme. Postmodern art pushes the artist’s boundaries and pushes the use of the viewer. Not all art has to be made to be good art.

B.) Why is Feminism or Feminist Art considered Post Modern?

Feminist Art is placed under the Postmodern movement because historically women were not as prevalent in the art world because of institutional, educational, and economical factors that prevented the development of women artist. Because of the struggles that women have faced as a minority group, art work that is classified as Feminist is often controversial. This type of art exemplifies that postmodern theory of stepping out of the box changing some of those non-traditional views. Like the book said, “feminists endeavor to make the unnoticed, noticed.” The ideology and emotion that is often portrayed in feminist art is a feeling that was not widely portrayed in other historical movements. This change in value and idea further the concept that feminism belongs in this world and women will continue to fight for their rights.

C.) Pick one of the following artists: Cindy Sherman, Lorna Simpson or Paul McCarthy. Describe their artwork and then give reasons why it is Post Modern.

Lorna Simpson's work is somewhat controversial; it pushes the boundaries of a place that many artists are hesitant to portray, deep emotions are brought out in the strong contrast of her black and white photography. Some of her work is politically driven but it does not lack a since of elegance and intellect as she com combines the photography and text. Simpson’s work is categorized in the postmodern movement because she said herself she disagrees with the modern concept that photography is a “pure medium”. She is in favor of photography as more of a discipline without rigid categorical division. I like that her work is inspired by personal experience or from stories she has heard directly from other black women. Her work is concerned with more than just race and representation itself; it includes issues of power, identity, gender, class, and difference. This concept of not conforming to the norm and stepping beyond the traditional image is what sets Simpson apart.

D.) Find an artist on The Drawing Center’s Viewing Program Web site that relates to your drawing for this project. How does there art relate to your concept, subject and style?

I chose Pauletta M. Chanco for the artist who related to the style that I am working towards on this final project. I really enjoy the fluidity and depth of her monotypes and drawings. I am drawn to her color pallet and find that although I didn’t find her on the website until after I had started my project that the work that I am making, while does not identify with her concepts, looks somewhat similar. I am using abstract circles and layering the media to create texture and interest, as well as using a mixture of media and utensils like Chanco. Her work is primarily abstract paintings and prints but she has a series of drawings that are very interesting. Her work has given me quite a few ideas of ways that I can strengthen my final project.

Anne Pearce

I really enjoyed looking at Anne Pearce’s work and hearing the stories behind each piece. I somewhat underestimated the powerful presence of her work when looking at the slides. When she showed her work in class the next day, I was better able to see the fine detail and the textural differences in the glitter pen and the highlighter and the ink. I wish I could have seen one of her vellum “conversation” pieces in person. Those were probably one of my favorite series’ that I saw in the powerpoint. I think that I would like to work with vellum more in the future, using a style similar to what I have been doing in this current project. I will be quite honest, I was not able to pick up on the concept of some of her work but it was still very interesting to look at and her style was clearly portrayed. I also really liked the thought of doing collaborative pieces with another artist. It was interesting to see how the style of both artists was portrayed and how they were able to work together to great strong and very expressional pieces.

She was a very inspirational person to be around. Her advice has helped me to open up on our current project. I like how she talked about how sometimes you just need to sit down and draw and how sometimes she has no idea where that piece is going to go, she just starts with lines. She is a true example of doing what you love and making it work into your lifestyle. I love how honest she was and how she has adapted her work to fit into her house and the life that she wants to live. I have really enjoyed Drawing II this semester; I have learned so much about myself as an artist and about my craft. I have been able to think through a concept and then draw, as well as just freeing myself and letting the process take form. I have been able to relate drawing into the medium that I love most; ceramics.

Formalism

A.) To me, formalism is going back to the basics of the aesthetic process. It is focusing on using the elements and principles of design such as line, shape, color, etc. instead of focusing on the concept. The structural elements and the technique become superior to the context of the work.

B.) I would have to say that Piet Mondrian’s work most closely resembles the work that I consider to be the basis of formalism. It includes line, shape, color, space, rhythm, etc. It focuses on the process and the technique rather than on a definite concept. Mondrain’s work is simplistic and beautiful but yet rich and interesting. When I think of formalism, I think about the artist adhering to the basics and focusing on the principles. I don’t think that formalism has to be abstract all the time though; take Malevich’s human figures for example. But overall, I think some of the most successful formalistic works are mainly abstract pieces.

C.) I guess I kind of already went of that with Piet Mondrian’s work in the paragraph before but I will elaborate on that now. I like the way that Piet uses the use of line to create shape and form and to add rhythm/repetition. Many of his pieces contain a majority of the principles and elements of design without even have a recognizable subject. His body of work is definitely similar in style and as far as I know has a very minimal concept. The process itself becomes the concept. To me, the theory of art known as formalism is actually quite broad. For example, Malevich’s work is a lot more conceptual but still sticks to the basics by demonstrating the uses of line, shape, color, texture, and repetition. His pieces are usually more objective instead of abstract but they still portray a scene of aesthetic value and simplicity.

D.) I chose Cynthia Ona Innis s the artist whose work relates to what I am doing on this project right now. She uses mixed media like ink, paint, stains etc. On this project I am using ink, pastels, charcoal, and pen. Many of her works portray shapes in a range of colors like “healthy greens, hearty stained reds, earthy browns that suggest a physical and botanical reference amidst an environment also caught in flux.” A abstract natural feel is the concept that I am working on right now; I chose the word Place. Cynthia has a beautiful way of portraying texture in her work and rhythm which are two principles I am working on in this project.

Expressionism & Congnitivism

A.) Expressionism is when art is made with the intent of portraying emotion. Cognitivism is when art is made with the intent to create knowledge. Cognitive art entices critical thinking and thought; whereas expressionist art exposes feeling. The main differences between the two are the way the viewer reacts to the work or the intent of the artist who made it. Aesthetic value plays a roll in making both types of work, because the aesthetics are a way of communicating to the viewer.

B.) I think that Tolstoy’s believes that art should express religious or moral attitudes. Art should be made with a clear and sincere expression. Tolstoy feels that art is a human activity where one person is able to “infect” others with his feelings and portray the experience. In other works, he believes that a work of art must transmit emotion/feeling onto the viewer. Tolstoy does not feel that expression of emotion is enough to make art “good art”. Art is important to Tolstoy because it is a way of communicating emotionally to others.

C.) To Collingwood, art is a mental process. The viewer must be able to see the finished work and recreate it in his/her mind in order for the work to function as art. Works of art only exist when it has meaning to the viewer. The viewer and the artist should collaborate emotionally through the piece; the viewer should imaginatively reconstruct the artists emotions and expression.

D.) Louis Bourgeois makes work a lot of work that relates to her past/events that have happened in her life. One of the metaphors that she used was in “cell” where there were two rooms (the parent’s and the child’s). The child’s room was not accessible like the parents room; the viewer must look through a small window. She uses this as a metaphor of the child’s repressed memories of dark/sexuality/violence. She places symbolic objects around the child’s room; some of which have metaphorical meaning. Kiki Smith usually makes her work about women; not necessarily her own life events. She uses insects and moths to portray sexual metaphors. In one particular piece she uses the insects and moths to represent the female body/sexual anatomy to symbolize fragility and metamorphosis.

E.) I chose Joan Perlman as my artist. The marks made on my currents piece are somewhat similar to her designs. The pieces that I saw were made with cool colors (lots of blues like my piece). She uses paint to manipulate the surface and create texture. Perlman’s works are beautiful and abstract. When I first saw her work, there was one piece in particular that I actually thought was a glazed piece of ceramics. I have enjoyed making my marks with the different stains that work kind of like the paint that Joan uses. I appreciate the way she portrays nature and texture to experiment with her work which is kind of what I am doing with using clay instead of paper.

Realism

A.) Realistic art is art that is made with the intention of looking like what the artist intended it to portray. It is recognized as a real object, whether that be in nature or an imitation of something natural. Realism is seen as perfect and precise.

B.) Art to Plato is dangerous to society because he sees it as untruthful and emotionally unstable. Plato feels that art belongs to the state, not the people and that good art is seen for what it is—an imitation or reality. He feels that art is not as superior as things in life such as medicine, architecture, and arithmetic. Good art is simple and beautiful because of the unity or it is complex and proportionally unified in beauty.

C.) I believe that Plato would have ban a majority of Koon’s work from his society or at least from the public view. Even though he may agree with some aspects of the work, because of the very realistic detail, I believe that he still would have seen it as a copy. He would have seen it to have a strong emotional appeal which Plato fears about art. Like I stated above, Plato sees art as unstable and untruthful, so I think that Plato would have been anxious about Koon’s work because to him it would have been detracting from the truth of the object at hand. To Plato, artist should adhere to artistic traditions, but Koons does as he wishes and sets himself apart from the artistic conventions. Many of Koon’s chosen objects in his art would not be to Plato’s expectations of expectable subjects worth contemplations; for example, the vacuum cleaner exhibit.

D.) Good art to Aristotle is quite open; it should embrace the realistic nature of the object, celebrating its “beauty” but it should also engage the viewer’s attention and emotion much like the actual object would. This does not necessarily mean though that the art must be a perfect replica of the actual object though.

E.) No, I think that obscene art can be art and is placed into its own category. Simply put, obscenity is a category. Art does not always have to be realistic, or beautiful; art must be appreciated for the emotion that it evokes and the message that it brings to the viewer. Although I may not always enjoy looking at obscene art, I feel that it is still art if the artist made it with that intention.

F.) Honestly, I feel that each subject portrayed is just as obscene as the artist intents them to be. I think it is a matter of opinion on the level that the vulgarity of the piece is to each person. When I see an extremely vivid sexual image, it somewhat makes me uncomfortable because I believe that is something to be kept sacred and private between too people. I’m not saying that all art made about sex is “bad art” or that I would not appreciate the artist for the work though. So yes, in my opinion vivid sexual images are more obscene in some ones than vivid images of violence, poverty, or extreme wealth or sickness. When I see works done with these subjects I usually feel a stronger emotional tie or a desire to help instead of being repulsed by the subject matter.

G.) The artist I chose is Emily Brown. Although many of her works are focused on water and nature, she has a beautiful way of using ink to make two dimensional textural pieces. She uses ink on paper to convey the detail in the art. She believes that art should be felt physically by the viewers, interesting them and connecting them to the work in a nonverbal sense so that they might see things in a new way. My art identifies with some of her pieces because the texture that I made in the clay is actually very similar to the textures she portrays in her water scenes. I am always using ink to create depth and space in my work. Or styles are somewhat different; I am fairly new at working with ink so I am still getting the feel for it. Emily Brown has clearly well developed the skill and her magnificent work shows for it.

Beauty & Repulsion

A.) It was actually hard to find a piece that I would say is “bad art”. Sometimes the most childlike art or messy art has the greatest concept. It is hard to find pictures off the internet and fully understand the concept behind it. For the most part, I feel that concept plays a large roll in making a piece “good” or “bad”. I did find this photograph of a piece that actually produced by Pete Doherty. I am personally not a big fan of drawing with my own blood; actually I find it pretty creepy. I am open to many forms of art and a variety of media but there is obviously something very disturbing about drawing a picture of your ex-girlfriend in your own blood to signify the loss of love. I will give Pete Doherty credit though, at least he used his own blood!

As far as my “good” piece goes, I put the link to one of Julian Beever’s sidewalk chalk drawings. When I was in England a few summers ago I actually saw one of these is progress and was in awe. I think it is so fascinating how the artist brings her work to the public and is so willing to put so much detail in it, knowing it will ultimately be destroyed in a short time. It is true talent to be able to make a 2D drawing look so 3-dimensional. She shows control of her medium, depth, color, composition, and her concepts are quite interesting.

Bad Art
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/resources/2008/04/peteblood2.jpg

Good Art
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y46/Peekabooh/globe.jpg

B.) I believe that Honorific Art is art that is made with quality craftsmanship and skill for the media. It draws the viewer in, provoking questions and excitement about the work and the artist. The piece should also use the elements and principles of design thoughtfully (well thought out and with intention). To make the art honorable it most entice a feeling of greatness, not just “good”.

C.) I feel that the classificatory definition of art is a standard of what is allowed to be called art. It is when the majority of the viewing public can see that the artist made the art with intent and understanding and they feel that it is worthy of being called art. In other words, classificatory definition of art is what makes art, well art.

D.) When talking about art and aesthetics, I am most uncomfortable when I am discussing a piece that I feel I don’t have enough knowledge about. I wish I knew more about specific artists and the different types of art being made. I am usually fairly comfortable when discussing the principles or elements of design used in the work though. I think I will become more comfortable in discussing works of art once I have taken some art history classes because then I will feel more knowledgeable about the history. The drawing website we are using in this class will also help me to become more familiar with a variety of artists. Going to more galleries will also help strengthen my understanding and appreciation along with the more pieces I make and the various things I will learn throughout college.

E) I picked “Portrait of Fisher Stevens II” by Chambliss Giobbi because I feel that his figurative works portray repulsion at first glace but with closer examination, I am able to find beauty. His process is completely physiological and tedious; he has some very provocative imagines in his portfolio. When I think of beauty, I tend to lean more towards expressing inner beauty, not relying on outer beauty. I think this is something that his collages show; mutation can be complex and beautiful. As in my drawing, at first glance it might just look like a muscular man and some may think that that is beautiful but if you look deeper there is rage and abuse, both very repulsive behaviors.

Beauty & Repulsion

BEAUTY

REPULSION