I found this picture on a site called artwomen.org. Again, my initial response was one of not being very attracted to the piece, in the sense that I didn't like it. It's another odd one for me. I didn't really understand it at first. On another site, it said that Barbara Graf(the artist of the piece) is a feminist artist and that "Barbara expresses that her work is based on the dissection of the human body as a shell that is filled with emptiness." Well, that sounds a bit depressing, but it makes it more understandable to me. The piece does have a shell look to it, because of it's color.
Again, not my favorite piece but art is subjective.
*Note: quote taken from http://www.susanjablonmosaics.com/glass-tile/women-artist-links.html

Charles Sandison (pictures from his site)

I like color. Well, I like certain color combinations and certain colors. In art, one can have color or one can have black and white. I mean, there are other options too. One can have just white, or black and blue. But one can choose something that is primarily black and white opposed to color. Am I making sense? I'll give an example. One of the artists I chose for my earlier presentation was an artist who used video projectors. Some of his projections were done with color(like the one at the DAM) and others were done with black and white(you can see them if you go to his website). I think both types are beautiful in their different ways. Color can bring certain moods. Bright colors can grab your attention. Black and white is dynamic because it's different. A black and white photo, compared to a color photo, may stand out. Thankfully we have color in real life, and to make art in black and white is to make it different than what we usually see. It's to make it stand out.

Fruit People...

If you went to the DAM(which most of us did), you may have seen an artwork titled "Summer" by Giuseppe Arcimboido. I have to admit, when I looked at that painting I was a little repulsed. It looks weird. It just does not seem very aesthetically calming to me. It's odd. So after the initially "this is weird" thought, where do we go from there. Well, I will attempt to sound mature and talk about what I learned. In a biography on Guiseppe I found this "A majority of scholars hold to the view, however, that given the Renaissance fascination with riddles, puzzles, and the bizarre (see, for example, the grotesque heads of Leonardo da Vinci, a fellow Milanese), Arcimboldo, far from being mentally imbalanced, catered to the taste of his times." I can hang with that. I mean, it's not something I would like to hang on my walls, but to think of it in that way makes it seem less "threatening" to me(not that one should be threatened by art). In our book, the author talks about an observer not simply walking away from a painting because they don't like the way it looks (or something like that). I am guilty of this...I can judge an artwork and not try to understand the artist or context of the work. Sometimes, trying to understand may not help and sometimes we may not want to understand or can understand. Yet, if we do try, maybe a little step at a time, we won't become so intimidated by art. Well, not all of it. Honestly, I still don't like his art of fruit people, and it still freaks me out a little bit. I can handle it when I think about it in a certain way. Maybe it's better to just let it go, turn away, and say "talented artist...not my cup of tea".
*note: quote taken found off of http://www.giuseppe-arcimboldo.org/biography.html

Gene Kelly

picture 1 from www.pictureshowman.com/.../Singing_3.jpg
picture 2 from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000037/bio credited to be from mptvimages.com


Have you ever seen Singin' in the Rain? One of the stars of the movie was a man named Gene Kelly. Gene Kelly wasn't originally on screen. In fact, he started on Broadway first and then went to the M-G-M Studios world to do one movie. He was required to do it because of his contract. Gene Kelley continued on in the film world, however, and was in other movies, such as Pilot #5 in 1943 and On the Town in 1949. He was also a producer and director. He was a director for Singin' in the Rain in 1952 (which he also acted, danced, and I believe sing in) and he also directed A Guide for the Married Man in 1967. Gene Kelley was an artist that worked in various fields. he was talented, and passed away in 1996. For me personally, I know him best from his role in Singin' in the Rain. If I remember correctly, he tap danced in the film, and dancing is something that I can relate to him on. I can respect him as a dancer, actor, and I can respect him in other areas as well. He is an inspiration, although I did hear he was mean at times. *Btw...if you haven't seen Singin' in the Rain, I think that it would be a worth while film to watch*
*Note: There was information in this that was found off of www.imdb.com*

The Lion King: Broadway

In my last blog I talked about one of my favorite movies "The Lion King". What is awesome is that this movie was brought to life. From an animation it went on to become a Broadway Production. It opened on November 13, 1997 at New Amsterdam Theatre. This production included music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice. The director was Julie Taymor and the choreographer was Garth Fagon. The original Rafiki, one of my favorite characters in the Broadway production, was played by Tsidii Le Loka. the original Simba was played by Jason Raize. The Lion has won Tony awards, including an award for best musical, best scenic design, best lighting design and best choreography. It also won other awards, including the 1998 Theatre World Award. Not all the lyrics were done by Tim Rice. Some of my favorite songs, including "he lives in You" and "Shadowland" were not given lyrics by Tim Rice. It has toured in different states and can be seen in other countries.
I was able to see this production in Oklahoma, and it is really amazing. I loved Rafiki's voice, although I don't remember who played her. The costumes are unique and what is cool is that this production uses puppets. You get to hear original songs form the movie, and also some other songs. It's a production that tells the Lion King story in a fun and awesome way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoOiKg4pc-I&feature=fvw A clip of a performance from the show in Londond
*Note: Most info found off of http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=4761

"The Lion King"

In my last blog I talked about "the king", but now I would like to talk about "The Lion King" *Roar*. The Lion King is one of my favorite movies ever. Most people know about "The Lion King" because it is a popular movie(at least i think it is). It not only is a popular movie, it is a movie that belongs to very popular company's, Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Pictures. So here's some movie information found on the imdb site about one of my favorite movies.
On June 24, 1994, the Lion king was released in the U.S. This animated film was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. Some of it's writers include Irene Mecchi and Johnathan Roberts.It won 2 Oscars, including a win for the original song, "Can you Feel the Love Tonight". It was also nominated for other awards as well(including 2 more nominations for the Oscars) and won other awards (including 3 Annie awards). Some of it's cast include Matthew Broderick as adult Simba and Nathan Lane as Timon. If you have not seen the Lion king and have no idea what it's about, I can say that it is a story about a lion and his journey to become the rightful king of his tribe! Yes, that statement does not nearly do it enough justice, but although it's an animated film, I just like it a lot. I like the story and even the simple struggle's the lion faces. Even animated movies can inspire us and can effect us positively.

"the king"

What do you think of when you see the phrase "the king". Maybe you think of one of the most popular artists in music in America since at least the 1950's. His name is Elvis Presley, but most people can know who you're talking about if you simply say "Elvis", or "the king".
His full name is Elvis Aaron Presley and he was born in Mississippi in 1935. Elvis grew up as an only child, but he actually had a twin brother who was stillborn. Elvis moved in 1948 to Memphis, Tennessee. He graduated in 1953 from Humes High School. It was in 1954 that Elvis would begin his career in singing with Sun Records Label. Later his recording contract was sold to RCA Victor. Elvis would make music that would influence artists, and people in general.
He was also in at least 32 movies as a starring role. he also served in the army. He received 3 Grammys, gold and platinum awards, and also the Grammy lifetime Achievement Award when he was 36. Elvis was also named by the United States Jaycees "One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1970"(Overview). Elvis passed away on August 16, 1977 at his home in Graceland. Elvis was and is adored, and I think part of the reason he is, is not only because of his significant impact on the music industry, but also because of the good man he was. It seems to me that Elvis really was a good guy. I never knew him personally(obviously), but I appreciate his faith and the gentlemen that it seems he was. Also, my grandma adored Elvis, so he will always have a special place in my heart as well. His voice was beautiful, and although he is gone, there are still songs we here, movies we watch, tons of merchandise and even his home we can visit to remember, honor, and learn about this amazing singer, artist, and person.
*Note: I received most of many of this information off of the "Overview", under his biography on Elvis' official website and took the pictures from his website as well.

"History is about research and analysis, it clarifies and classifies, whereas poetry describes the mess that historians try to clear up." -Walid Bitar, History and Poetry.
Poetry is an interesting form of art. Instead of visual elements such as a painting, or a drawing would use, poetry uses words to paint the picture, or share an emotion or story. It, like all art, can either amuse or entertain. It can be simple in words, or it can be more "upgraded" in it's use of language. While some may say one poem is not as good as another poem, I think any sincere tasteful poem is a good poem. I feel like a grandma in not liking "distasteful" poetry or art, but there are things out there that i think I would rather pass on. I wanted to share one of my own poems from when I was in High School. In my life, poetry has been more of an outlet and expression a lot of the time. This was a poem I wrote my junior year when one of my best friends was about to graduate. I added more to it later though.

"Time"
What day is it? What month?
How did this happen...time went so fast.
I look at the pictures and I'm different
Than who I use to be
I was so young, but I felt so old
Getting older every moment
Every moment...a memory
Don't forget me, for a minute
lets stop running and just fall down
Crash into the earth and be on solid ground
Together
All the moments I'm not with you
All the memories that we won't have
I don't want to regret so please
Be with me...as time goes by
I can't stand the thought
Of not having seized the moment
All the moments we could have shared
That could be memories...
Let's be together
For a moment

Performing Arts

When we think of performing arts, what do we think of? When I think of performing arts, I think of "performance".(Excuse my obviousness). Performing that includes using our own bodies. Usually this means being visible to the audience in some sense. We are apart of the art. I grew up in performing arts, in a sense. Although I've made the occasional drawings growing up, I am more familiar with things like dancing and acting. While we could sit and draw someone, or even draw "something", we can also put on a performance piece and express something with our bodies and ourselves. I think that one can like both aspects of art. We can enjoy the stillness of the Mona Lisa, although her eyes might creep us out as they follow us about, and we can also enjoy the show "Wicked" and television show "Glee". One of the differences between the two includes interaction. A performing arts piece can be more interactive with the actual person while an artwork can allow the person to view the piece without necessarily viewing the artist.

Transportation.

While there are many technical elements to art, for me, apart of the beauty of art is it's ability to help, encourage, question, and basically, impact it's viewer. Have you ever had a drawing that transported you somewhere that you liked? At times we can get so lost in the rough patches we go through, that even a simple painting can give us hope by transporting us to a place, or a memory.This is an oil painting that I found at www.oilpaintingsgallery.com by John Atkinson Grimshaw titled Humber Docks, Hull. It is a landscape painting in both the realism and naturalism category. Look at how he makes the water sparkle!This painting reminds me of going on vacation to places like California. There is something about water and nature that I really like, and it's painting like these that can remind us of those places that we really liked.

Dance

How many of us dance? Perhaps, it's not a professional ballet performance, but instead just a head bop in our car on our way to school, or from school. Dancing to me is a form of expression, it is a skill, and it as an art. Dancing, like drawing, can be simply done for fun or for performance. For me personally, it is a release. I use to dance for a bit, and you have to practice a lot. That is, if you want to partake in a dance class. Sometimes people don't have to be apart of a dance class to get really good, just like artists. Some practice on their own and get good that way. Although they may be lacking in technical elements and in areas that are understood by most "dancers" or "artists" to be good skills...they can still do a fantastic job at what they do. Dance can be fun...but it really can be a lot of hard work for those who want to advance in it. Dancing is like art in motion.

Graffiti (part 2)

Detail of wall painted by PERSUE x ENUE x JAES at the Writerz Blok, San Diego
(http://chriskeeneyphoto.com/blog/2009/05/culture-shock-san-diego-graffiti-life-photo-shoot-at-the-writerz-blok/graffiti-art-writerz-blok/)


So, what else is there to this thing called Graffiti? Well, the word Graffiti itself is simply the plural word for a latin word. This term, according to what I read, was used for writings on walls in Rome that took place way before teens started to write on subways and other things in the 1970's in New York. It was here that our modern Graffiti form originated from. There are female and male writers. One common thing that a writer will have is a tag. A tag is something that you use as your signature, it's like your writer identity. These will usually have about four or more letters. Well, there is just a little more information on the subject of Graffiti.
(some information found at "Graffiti Intro", http://www.graffiti.org/faq/graffiti_intro.html)

Graffiti: more than an "art"?

"Many writers object to the terms "graffiti," "artist," "spraycan art," "graff," and other common terms used to describe the imagesThe best year we show at Art Crimes and those who make them. Although these terms are weak or have undesirable connotations, we think the currently preferred term, "writer," does not adequately set graffiti writers apart from book authors or journalists, which causes some confusion outside the community. Phase 2 prefers "style writing," which is a better but lesser-known term. This site uses "graffiti," because we think this word still has the most recognition and precision and using it makes Art Crimes more findable with search engines." -Art Crimes
When I searched for information on graffiti art, I came across an interesting website called "Art Crimes-The Writing on the Wall" at www.graffiti.org. Here you can find tons of artwork and and those who make them. As confirmed by the site's "About Us" page, grafitti art is mostly done illegally. While there may be some markings here and there that we see on public walls around us, and while there has been a word for it called "vandalism", not all "artists" use spray paint to simply disrespect a business by spraying it's walls or to "tag" a fence as their territory. In fact, there are many true artists who do not wish to be called artists at all. They prefer to be called "writers".
There is something in me that has started to adore this type of "art". As I began to just dip my pen into the ink...so to speak...of really learning about this "writing", I found it interesting and something I might start to like. I think apart of that reason is because it can incorporate writing and because it is so different from other art forms. I read a quote from one of the first founders of this "art".
"The best year for graffiti was 1973," he ruminates. "Styles were coming out. We got into this thing with colors. First it was two colors, then three colors, then four. What makes me a powerful artist, " he states, " is that my paintings are alive, strong and very bright. The color combos make it. Balance: each color as strong as it is enhances the color beside it, going back and forth. Giving style and balance and movement, that is what makes a good artist." -from (http://www.bronxmall.com/tracy168/past.html)

Like all art, I think there are definitely some works of graffiti that I might not respect very much because of the content, and with graffiti art there are many times when there is a message and a point that will cause it's viewer to agree or not. However, this art from that started in the Bronx, has been used to bring positive messages, and bring attention and remembrance to very important moments.

Shades

In 6th grade I had an art class, I believe, almost every Friday. One class I started to draw the building from outside. Our teacher also had us draw something inside of the building as well. It was a nice day and I remember that the sun shined brightly.
What I would like to point out is how on the outside I could see more easily and quickly the contrast between the light illuminating the building and the shadow cast by the place that the sun was not reaching. Have you ever tried to draw something on a bright day and noticed this? Or have ever just been walking on a summer day and seen the contrast from the shade under the trees and the open areas where there was NO running from the sunlight?
On the inside of the building there were lights and shadows also, but in being outside on a bright day I could really see contrast between shadow and the light compared. Inside where I drew it was much dimmer. I think that is part of the reason that adding shades to a painting or drawing can help make it more realistic. It's a simple thought, but true. In real life there is shadow, and when we draw these small aspects of what we really see into a picture, it can bring that picture to a new dimension. What would the Mona Lisa be without shading? I wonder, if we took shading out of some of the most renowned paintings in the world, would they still have value to us?

Art, art...how doth thou do?

        Hello! For a quick introduction, I am Genesis and am 19 years old. I have one older sister and this is my second semester at CCA. So, what is this thing we call art? 

        As I sit in my living room there are different colors around me. On one side of me there is a white wall with a pretty white curtain and in front of me there is a red wall with a beautiful picture that has words such as "France", "en vogue", and "noir" . In this picture the focal point is a dress that is hanging from a hanger and takes the appearance of someone actually wearing it. Among other items in our living room is a glass table, black picture frames, and cute little square boxes on our wall that act as mini, decorative shelves. My mom is an excellent designer and very creative. This living room's flair can be credited to her.

       In our living room you can also find a magazine and find books that have a cover that consists of, perhaps, drawings and/or photos, and words in phrases or titles. Could this be considered art? Could the decoration of our living room be considered art? How about sports or even making necklaces. What is art?           

      According to the Websters Dictionary Online, art is "1 : skill acquired by experience, study, or observation, ". To me, this would make sense. We do use the word to refer to skill. Perhaps like "the art of war" or "to learn to trust another human being is an art". So, maybe decorating a wedding hall or even decorating for a party like a Quinceneara could be considered an art because it is a skill...a craft. Would that make it like art in the sense of what Leonardo did? I think in a way it could because even our book mentioned how an artist works at things until they are "just right", and even someone arranging flowers does this. What do you think? The very last definition is "6 : decorative or illustrative elements in printed matter". Could this mean magazine covers could be considered art too? I admit, I'm stretching this one a little bit but maybe it could be? When I think of art I think of things like dancing, creativity, music, and drawing. Of course there are other things like writing, acting, and photography...but maybe even drawing on your shoe could be art. Then again, maybe it;s the intention behind "why" one is drawing on their shoe and "for what reason" that makes it art in some eyes...hmmmm

       Either way, art is a beautiful and potentially powerful thing and we at least know some, if not yet all, of what it is like.