Documenting The Arts

      This week I continued doing some setup on my site, as well as adding my Post-Modernism analysis to the list. I found it helpful to write out all the requirements for the project, including word counts required for each assignment alongside the word count that I have actually written. I think that next week since there will be less work for blog posts and feedback, I will start to go back and revise my critical analysis pieces to match the project requirements. Other than that, I'm feeling pretty good on my work so far, and hope to stay on track with decent time management. Image: Question; Source: Pixabay

  Image: Marilyn Monroe ; Source: Pinterest     In the piece Marilyn Monroe  by Andy Warhol, Post-Modern values are exemplified through the use of color and repetition, which brings about ideas of industrialization.     Warhol's use of color in this piece creates differences in the otherwise identical four pictures of Marilyn Monroe. This creates the idea of uniqueness, but this is not the idea that Warhol desired to display. The opposite, the repetitive nature of the pictures is where Warhol's intentions lie. Each image, differentiated only by color, are meant to represent Warhol's disdain for manufacturing and mass marketing. He hoped to display Monroe as an object through which to represent society's consumerism. Each item manufactured on a large scale, worshipped by society as a unique good, which in this instance devalues the individual worth of Monroe, but on a larger scale devalues the worth of unique or artisan products.     These ideas ar...

      This week we started our studies in Post-Modernism. I found the work very fun, but I still think I enjoyed Modernism the most. I enjoy the abstract, free thinking nature of the two eras, and I hope that my infographic reflects this. Link to infographic Image: Living Dwelling; Source: Pixabay

      This week I began work on my website, uploading my four assignments and laying the ground work for the rest of the project. I'm enjoying the way my website is coming along, although I've never done anything like this so I am a little unsure about whether or not my setup is too simple. I think that what has been most helpful for me is making a hand written outline of my site, with the details of each assignment taken from the ATAP overview page. I think for next week I will start to go through my previous critical pieces and expand them to meet the requirements for the final. Image: Web Design; Source: Pixabay

  Image: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1959; Source: Trendir     The above work, the Guggenheim Museum, effectively displays the values of Modernism while appealing to a wider audience, all through design and aesthetic characteristics, which brings about ideas of today's fluid working environment. The Guggenheim's tiered, circular upper portion serves two purposes. The first provides a spiraling interior used to display artwork in a way which allows the audience to flow through the work in a sequence. The second is to emphasize the freedom within Modernism. The building rejects the square-cornered boundaries of the surrounding city, instead focusing on dynamic curves which invite viewers to explore freedom of expression. The museum houses works of art, while it's own exterior is a Modernist work, creating a feeling of interest and artisanship within onlookers. The fluidness of the buildings exterior and the purpose-built interior lead to contemporary...

      This week we begin Modernism, which after my initial research I have found to be my favorite of the movements we've studied. I enjoy the free form aspects to writing and art within Modernism, as well as the architectural stylings of the time period. Below is the link to my Padlet infographic on the topic. Link Image: Texture Abstract; Source: Pixabay

      I believe in free time. I'm sure most people do, but I approach it from a different direction. Free time can be put to use for both enjoyment and enrichment, a combination I'm sure most would separate as near opposites.     Near the end of my sophomore year of high school, I found myself with an abundance of free time. My friends weren't hanging out as often because they (unlike me) focused hard on their school work and understood what GPA meant. I hadn't joined any clubs at school, I didn't have hobbies, other than playing video games, which I wouldn't really count. My free time was expansive and empty. As boredom set in, as well as some light depression, I sought out activities. As my birthday approached, I set my sights on the coolest thing I could think of: the bass guitar. I watched videos, tutorials, reviews, everything I could to assist in the purchase process. I presented my findings to my parents, who were amazed that I sought out something creati...

      This week, with the start of Romanticism, I again found it interesting to analyze a painting for my work of art. I think that soon I will start to back track through the different movements that we have studied to find paintings separate than those I have already analyzed and write similar assignments on them. This way I will have a base line analysis, and I won't start to fall behind as we continue to move through the time periods. I enjoyed that each movement seems to be a reaction to the last, and I wonder if I could focus a portion of my project on the reasons for change and revolution between the movements. Image: Idea Brain; Source: Pixabay

Image: American Progress ; Creator: John Gast; Source: Invaluable     In the image above, the painter, John Gast, seeks to connect the viewer to the American idea of Manifest Destiny through aspects of Romanticism, such as the power of nature or emotion. Through these connections, Gast poses questions of expansion and control, topics which can be applied universally.     Gast's first selected Romanticist trait is the power of nature. In the image, the setting of a vast sprawling field with mountains and rivers provides the basis for Gast's message. The American movement can be seen chasing out a group of Native American's, displaying the idea of Manifest Destiny. The industry and developments of American civilization is changing the landscape from right to left, showing that manifest destiny would impact the powers of nature in a significant way.     Emotion is displayed within the representation of an angel, spearheading the American movement. While this d...

      This week we followed up The Enlightenment with Romanticism. The era falls directly after The Enlightenment, as a reactionary movement to the rationality of the Enlightenment. It focuses more on emotion and the unpredictability of nature. Link to infographic Image: Painting Country; Source: Pixabay