Reflection Blog

1. What were you expectations for this course and where they met?
For this course I hoped and expected to learn about the subject of art.  I wanted to learn the terms, the styles, the periods, the masters; I wanted to be able to have a conversation about art.  I definitely know so much more about art in general after the completion of this course than i did before taking it.  Not only can I recognize specific techniques and periodic styles, I also experienced creating art and putting together pieces to create a gallery and even critiquing art.  I would say my expectations for this course were definitely met.

2. Now that you've been through this course, What is art? How would you define it now compared to your initial posting?
Originally I defined art as a way of expressing oneself that can take infinite forms.  Now I would probably say the same thing, but it would have much more meaning because I have seen so many more forms that art can take.  I have seen paintings, sculptures, installations, masks, clothes, tools, crafts, carvings, prints, furniture, and so many more things all displayed as a form of art.

3. Who was your favorite artist in your original posting and who is your favorite visual artist now? If there is a difference, why do you think so? If you have the same favorite artist, why do you think so?
I did not have a favorite artist in my first posting, but now I do and it is Salvador Dali.  I love his works and the surrealist style is something that really intrigued me.

4. Now that you've completed this course, how do you feel about taking an online course? Is your answer the same as it was in your first posting? How is it the same or different?
I definitely still agree with my first answer in that there are both positives and negatives with online classes, but I had never taken an online class during semester before.  The online classes I had taken before were during inter semester and I found those difficult, but taking an online class while taking other classes, working and playing lacrosse proved to be a lot harder than I thought it would be.  I probably would not try to take on that much work in the future, because online classes put so much pressure on ones self and I struggled with that.

Art Critique Reflection

1. Which projects did you review?
I looked at all of the projects on the first page of ANGEL, which included:  Architectural Creations Throughout the World by Amanda Bolibrzuch, Through the Eyes of Women and Horses in Art by Jenn Benn.
2. Why did you select the Exhibit you critiqued?
I chose to critique the project Horses in Art because at a first glance I really liked the project.  I liked how the project had a seemingly simple subject matter, but it was developed deeply.   Also, I was drawn to the fact that this project did not only have one type of art in the gallery; there were paintings, crafts, and jewelry among other things.
3. What challenges did you face in writing the critique article and how did you overcome them?
It was hard to critique the work done; the choosing of pieces and how they were laid out and what was written about them, objectively.  I tend to put a lot of myself into my work so even though I was critiquing someone else's work I found myself trying to think of why I would have chosen those pieces and put them together in that way.
4. How do you feel about critiquing your peers work?
Knowing that other people are critiquing my work makes me a little uncomfortable.  Art is a subject that I knew relatively nothing about before this class and although I know more now I definitely realize that I do not know a great deal about art and I am not claiming I do so it is hard to be confident in my work.
5. Would you like to read the critique your peers wrote about your Art Curation Project?
I would be interested in reading the critique especially to see what I could improve on and what others felt about my work.  Although I might not like what they have to say at first I am sure that other students will be respectful and constructive with their comments.
6. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your finished article and why?
If I were to rate my article on a scale of 1-10 I would give myself a 10.  I used the information that I learned from the art critique videos and worked hard on writing the article and critiquing the exhibit as a true art critique would have done.
7. Did you enjoy working on this project?
I thought that this project was challenging, but I definitely enjoyed it because I was able to write a professional critique paper which is something I never imagined or thought about doing before.

Greenberg on Art Criticism: An Interview by T. J. Clark

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
-Art criticism is difficult
-There are no specific guidelines for how to write art criticism, one can use reason, intuition, philosophy or aesthetics
-All art criticism deals with relevance
-Art isn't just about personal taste, but the experience that an art work brings
2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Criticism project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.
I think that there were at least a few points made in this video that will be useful for my project. In particular when Clement Greenberg spoke of the importance of the experience an art work provides and its inspiration being more important and relevant than one's personal tastes will help me to look further into art works I may have chosen to look past before due to superficiality.
3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of art criticism?
I think the film was a little over my head.  A good deal of the things it covered I do not feel will have any particular relevance to my project, but it is good to have a background on criticism before trying to be a critic.  On the other hand, the information that was useful for my project was extremely useful so I think overall the video is a good one.

Greenberg on Pollock: An Interview by T. J. Clark

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
-Aesthetic appeal is more important for successful artwork than technique
-Pieces that have new style and or new techniques are not always appreciated right away
-No one can predict whether a work of art will be successful or not
-There is no set formula for creating masterpieces
2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Criticism project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.
Yes, this will help me to think about and understand what artists go through as they try new techniques, and original styles.  It helped me to realize how risky actions of artists often are, and how unpredictable the world of art is which is important to think about when thinking about how and why artists do things the way they do.
3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of art criticism?
This film is a good one for this project because it covers a lot about art criticism and how criticism and the success or failure of a work affects the artists who create them.

An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
-The Italian Renaissance returned to many of the characteristics utilized by ancient Romans
-Biblical scenes, nudes, and new views of animals can all be seen in this time
-Many Italian Renaissance artists experimented with light and shadow
2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Criticism project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.
This video could help with my project if I critique any work from the time period of the Italian Renaissance, or ancient Rome. 
3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of art criticism?
This video shows how artwork is often influenced by things that came before, whether just before or from ancient times, which is important to recognize when trying to critique something.

The Critics: Stories from the Inside Pages

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
-Art criticism although not appreciated by all, does serve an undeniable purpose to stir the pot and get people thinking
-Criticism can serve as entertainment
-Criticism can help get artists recognized, or help them get their big break
-Not all criticism is tastefully done, or done well
-Criticism is not the final say on a piece of art, no matter who the critic is that does the critiquing
2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Criticism project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.
This relates to my project because it showed me that my critique can be written many different ways, even as entertainment which I am now probably going to try to do on my project!
3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of art criticism?
I liked how this film showed that not all criticism is done well and that the critic doesn't always have a final say on a piece of art.  It gave a realistic view of criticism; the positives and the negatives.  Also, the video shows just how unpredictable how successful a piece of art can be.

The Colonial Encounter: Views of Non-Western Art and Culture

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
-Craft type art has not always been recognized  by critics
-Nationalism can often be seen in art and critics have commented on what view cultures have of foreigners based from works of art
2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Criticism project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.
I think that this could relate to my project if I end up critiquing art with hints of nationalism, or even with craft because these were two major topics of the video.
3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of art criticism?
I found it interesting and thought provoking to learn that craft art was not always respected or covered by art critics and watching this video made me interested in trying to critique craft type art.

Jackson Pollock: Michael Fried and T. J. Clark in Conversation

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
-Art critics are often able to uncover deeper meanings of art works that may have gone unnoticed by untrained observers
-Art critics do not always agree and can have strongly opposing views
-This does not make one critic right and the other wrong, they just have different schools of though
2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Criticism project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.
I will feel more comfortable trying to do my own critiquing of art knowing that even if I do not have the same views as my professor, other students or even known art critics it does not make my view wrong; I can have a different critique and that is okay.
3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of art criticism?
This video definitely added to my understanding of art criticism; just like there is no single formula for successful art I recognize that there is no one way to critique art.

Violence in Art

For this project I really enjoyed the opportunity to expose myself to so much art. The process of narrowing down what theme and which images I wanted to use for my exhibit was difficult because there is so much art out there. You can find any type of art on any topic so I had to do a lot of research. I picked the theme of violence in art because I felt moved by many of the images I found based on this theme and also I felt that this topic crosses boundaries of culture and society and could be understood and appreciated by anyone on an emotional level.

I debated whether or not to use images that all fit the same movement or period of art, but instead decided to pick an array of images with different types of paintings and drawings to show how prevalent the violence is in art.