Iconography

People see icons every day; as they walk down the street, driving, even just looking at other people's clothing they are seeing logos. I feel that one of the most recognizable logos was created for the pharmacy. Everyone knows that the symbol Rx means that the store itself is a pharmacy, or it contains a pharmacy. This symbol has been reduced to two simple letters, R and X. These are just letters separately, but when seen together they become something entirely different. Without having to see a picture or a complete word, people know what it means. That is what makes this a successful logo.

Image Citation:
http://toyvax.glendale.ca.us/~tts/ (7 December 2007)

A sign conveys a message through objects, actions, events, or patterns. Prominent signs are traffic signs, warning us to slow down or stop. Another type of sign that some people acknowledge is an action that makes a person believe that certain things happen to certain people at certain times. A symbol is usually a tangible object that is meant to represent something that cannot be seen. A heart or a Cupid’s arrows have become symbols for love, a smiley face for happiness, etc. A logo is a symbol that has been made specifically for a company, or organization. Logos try to describe the business in the simplest way. An icon uses only images, no words, to represent objects and feelings. All of these words, sign, symbol, logo, and icon, all work with one another to be successful.

Works Consulted:
"icon." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 07 Dec. 2007. .

"logo." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 07 Dec. 2007. .

"symbol." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 07 Dec. 2007. .

"sign." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 07 Dec. 2007. .

First Day of Performance Art

Performance art is suppose to involve the audience, capturing their reactions and expressions. When each set of partners went outside, an audience was drawn in immediately. It was raining, and four to six students were holding mirrors and making faces. The few people that were outside were underneath umbrellas, but we were not; rain was falling on our mirrors, making it harder for us to see one another and us. When we switched pieces, the strange looks and laughs continued from the small audience. The reactions would have been different if the weather was more pleasant, bring more people outside, and if the number of groups was larger.
I do not really understand performance art. I realize that it is supposed to get the reaction of the audience, but is that not the point of most art? For the most part, works of art can be interpreted several ways, depending on who is viewing it. In my mind, performance art is theatre, not two people doing something ridiculous in a crowded place. Even though this is the way I feel, I can still appreciate performance art, just not necessarily as much as “traditional” art.

Performance Art

My performance art piece.

Marcel Duchamp

Marcel Duchamp worked on this piece, The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even, for eight years. After all that time that he spent on it, he did not feel it was complete. The materials used in this piece are two glass panels, fuse wire, dust, lead foil, paint, and mirror plating. During a move, the glass panels were dropped, causing them to break. Duchamp liked the breaks and decided to keep them as part of the work. The abstract installation makes viewers become entranced, unable to see enough. First, you see the entire object as one. Then at a second look, each individual component is examined. Interpretations are made and changed several times. It is hard to be satisfied with your first thoughts of this piece. Even the title of the piece makes the viewers think differently about it then their own instincts urge them to.

Works Consulted:

Stafford, Andrew. "1923: The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even - Also known as The Large Glass." Making Sense of Marcel Duchamp. 2006. 11 Nov 2007 .

What is Happening to Museums?

Going to museums was a major part of my childhood. Every summer my mother would take us around to the different museums and historical sights. My sister and I were raised to respect the artwork and history that we experienced. I cannot imagine having done all of that exploring solely on the computer. Getting to take part in the reenactments in Williamsburg, Jamestown, and battlefields is what made the experience exciting. Therefore, even if museums were to put a majority of their exhibits on-line, I would want to have to opportunity to see the pieces in real life. Being able to stand in front of a painting allows the viewer to decide how they should look at it. The distance, point of view and lighting effects all determine the beauty of a piece. The same is true with all works of art. They were made to be seen with the naked eye, not on a computer screen. When it comes to the artifacts displayed in museums such as the Museum of American History, a viewer would have no feeling or sense of size and age if they were to view them through a computer screen. I feel that zoos are probably the only type of museum that could not be affected by on-line exhibits. Sure you could see pictures of the animals and read facts about them but you would not get to watch their individual attitudes or watch them being fed and played with.
Building larger museums will not help to save the personal experience of visiting museums that the internet is attempting to take away. As the museums grow in number and in size, more works of art are shown. This, however, does not solve the problem of over population. The only way to help that problem would be to expand the museum but not add more pieces. Spreading out the existing exhibits would allow more people to view them in a more pleasant atmosphere. It is more important to take care of the pieces of art that the museums have already acquired then to simply want to have the largest number of acquisitions. I also feel that museums should not put their staff’s employment at risk just to expand their buildings. Museums lose much of their appeal if they do not have a proper staff to manage it.

Islamic Art

Islamic art and architecture have impressed historians and onlookers for many centuries. Islamic art does not include human figures because they do not believe in idolatry. By creating patterns, the Muslims stay clear of incorrect symbolism. It is believed that the patterns also show the “unchanging laws of God (Islamic Patterns).” Most Islamic patterns begin with a circle, symbolizing one God. The most prevalent shapes in Islamic art are the circle, square, rectangle, hexagon, and the star. Their ability to create works of art out of repeating simple shapes over and over is a spectacular feat in my mind.

Works Cited:
"Islamic Patterns & Geometry." Salaam. 2004. Salaam. 28 Sep 2007. http://www.salaam.co.uk/themeofthemonth/march02_index.php?l=3.
Works Consulted:
"Patterns & Symbols." Salaam. 2004. Salaam. 28 Sep 2007. http://www.salaam.co.uk/themeofthemonth/march02_index.php?l=3.

Gestalt

Gestalt is a German word that means many parts making a whole. The parts on their own do not make an image, but when they are put together the image appears.




IMAGE CITATION:
Kator, Andrew. "Quick Tips in Design." About This Particular Macintosh. 2003. 27 Sep 2007 .

Composition Image

What is value?

Everyone has their own idea of what value is, and even what their own value is. Some people believe that they deserve to be treated as professional artists as soon as they start, while others realize that they have to work to earn a title. My dream is to be a free-lance photographer and have my own studio, but I know that in order to make my dream a reality I have to strive in some jobs that I may not want. Majorities of people, no matter their profession, have to start at the lowest position and earn promotions. As you work your way through the field, you have to be able to show that you can make even the most boring jobs interesting and maybe even enjoyable. For artists, some of the jobs may not even have anything to do with art, but in society today everyone has to have a steady income to survive. However, when the jobs are in the art field, a true artist should be able to take any project given to them and make it their own. They should be able to add their own soul into a project, even if they are not excited about it. At the same time you should be keeping a portfolio, making contacts in other organizations, maybe even other fields of study.
Connections that are made throughout your life are of great value. Many of my own personal work opportunities have come from either connections I have made on my own, or connections my parents have introduced me to. I have jobs lined up for when I am home for breaks from college. I would not have these chances if it were not for the people I have met throughout my life. The old saying that who you know is more important then what you know can be true at certain times. Knowing the right people can get you a job, but being able to thrive in that position is what helps you retain that position or even raise you higher.
The value of everything changes over time. You have to be willing to change in order to keep your own value at its peak.

Assignment 3 - String Project

The string project that we completed showed us that lines could go in any direction and by mixing several lines together, shapes are created. We also saw how adding in other objects such as stools, chairs, computers, and tables allowed us to vary the shapes much more easily.
During the string project, we all worked separately and did not necessarily explain what we were doing to each other. Had we all worked together and communicated more, our strings would have been more united instead of extremely chaotic. Our project would have been more creative as well if we had worked together. Emilia created a man on the floor using the string, but had we talked to each other more we would have been able to incorporate the design into the entirety of the project.
Once our project was completed we were shown images of the same project finished by three other classes. As we were viewing these photographs, we began saying how much more creative their string designs were. Other classes used people in their design and stacked chairs on top of one another to give more height to their design. We made these comments without having seen our own design from above. Most of us did not stand on the tables and see all of the strings from a higher perspective. From the other classes' images, we saw many ways that we could improve our own design. We also kept in mind that we had to clean everything up, so we tried to make it not as complicated. Had we not cared so much about the cleaning up aspect, our project could have been much more elaborate.

Line vs. Shape

Which of the images (a,b,c,or d) are lines?
All of these images could constitute a line. The thickness and direction of the line may change, but all the images create lines. Image A would get thicker at the top if it were extended, but it would still be a line. If you look at it in a certain way, it seems to be a line or path that is in perspective, getting smaller as it reaches the horizon line.

Which of the images (a, b, c, or d) are shapes?
The thickness in which each of these images were made allows all of them to be shapes. Image D and C seem most like shapes to me. At first glance, image C is recognized as a rectangle, and image A is a triangle. We are taught to think this way from before we start school.

What makes a line?
A line is a focal point for your eye; it leads your eye around the space it occupies.

What makes a shape?
A shape is an image that is created by lines. They may be curved lines, or straight lines. The type of lines used; however, do help to determine the mood of the image created.

Critique 1

Throughout the image, created by Wassily Kandinsky, there are both implied and direct lines. The implied lines are created by two colors meeting each other. The black lines in the composition are lines used to split up the shapes even more; they also help to create movement through the piece. Many of the shapes are positioned next to their complimentary color on one side, blue and orange, purple and yellow. Contrast is brought into the painting through the different shapes, some are straight, hard lines, while others are smooth, rounded shapes. The black lines stand out not only because of the much darker color, but they appear more solid than the other colors. This is also seen by the colors change in value while the black stays the same darkness.
The lightness of the shapes makes the image seem soft and comforting. By not have borders surrounding the shapes, even the straight edges seem more relaxed and soothing. I feel as though the value changes throughout the colors increases the meditative feeling as well. It seems to say that on the outside things seem dark and sturdy, but as you get further away from outside influences, things become softer and more open. The black lines show that there will always be outside forces wanting to break into anything around it.