Andy Goldsworthy

This image shows Andy Goldsworthy's work titled "Sidewinder" which he completed in 1985. It is a piece of "earth art" which is Goldsworthy's primary medium. This type of artwork is very interesting because the "supplies" available are very limited. The artist has little control over what materials they can use and have to go with what is available at the location. Additionally, the works change over time as materials grow and die/decay. He grew up working on a farm on says that that experience was much like the process he goes through as an artist producing works from nature. He often works with only his bare hands and tools that he finds/makes rather than using machinery to help shape the things he works with.

Louise Nevelson

This image is of a sculpture called "New Continent" which was completed in 1962 by Louise Nevelson. She was known for creating assemblage works that were composed of wood, usually painted monochromatically as well as other sculptures intended for outdoor display. Assemblages, such as this one, allow the artist to take things that are otherwise ordinary or seemingly not useful pieces of junk and create wonderful, expressive pieces of art. While not all assemblages are made this way, they all are whole pieces composed of smaller things that are assembled together in a cohesive manner. She was a noted feminist and her style broke the gender barriers in sculpture work by utilizing what would seem to be a more masculine style and medium.

Luiz Jiminez

This sculpture, by Luis Jiminez, is located in Denver, Colorado, just outside of Denver Airport. It is a great representation of Jiminez's work: it is a sculpture, made through casting, which is colored vibrantly, and made for the public to see. The casting process allows an artist like Jiminez to create multiple, identical works and to produce the works, as is the case with this one, in multiple, individual pieces, and then put the pieces together to form the final work. Interestingly enough, Jiminez was killed when part of this sculpture fell onto him and damaged an artery. He was influenced throughout his work by his Hispanic culture and themes from his cultural surroundings were prevalent in his sculptures.

Jerry Uelsmann

The title of this image is "Myth of the Tree" and it is a photograph taken in 1963 by Jerry Uelsmann. It depicts a face overlaid onto the base of a tree. This shows Uelsmann's classic style of photo manipulation. This method, which required extensive work in the dark room, allowed Uelsmann to combine several negatives into one single image that would not otherwise be possible to produce. He worked as a photography professor at the University of Florida. His love of photography is prevalent, as he continues to produce works using old and new negatives to make new composite photos.

Annie Leibovitz

The picture here is a photograph that was taken in December of 1980 by Annie Leibovitz. It depicts, the legendary member of the Beatles, John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono. This photo is one of the most famous pictures that Annie Leibovitz has taken and was used on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. It is also the last professionally taken photo of John Lennon, as he was murdered only a few hours after it was taken. Leibovitz is known mainly for portrait photography, a skill that she has developed over the years and learned to master as a member of the staff for Rolling Stone magazine. Portrait photography allows Leibovitz to create a personal, emotional connection with the viewer by getting up close with her subjects, often celebrities, and capturing the subjects' personalities in a photo. She is known to push the boundaries on what is viewed as acceptable for publication in a magazine as she has produced several controversial photos throughout her career.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

The image above is titled” INDIA. 1966. IDIA. Rajastan. Jaipur. 1966. Market.” and it was taken by Henri Cartier-Bresson in 1966. In the image, Cartier-Bresson captures a group of Indian women walking through a marketplace with baskets of goods held atop their heads. He was known as an artist who captured everyday moments in black and white photos, and that is exactly what appears here. He traveled the world, capturing the moments that he witnessed as he went along. He also spent time in and around Paris due to the fact that he was stationed there during his mandatory military service. Because of this, he was influenced by some of the finest artists that Paris had to offer. He also is one of the most well known photojournalists of all time. His choice of photography as a medium allowed him to instantly capture moments in a single image, something that is important for photojournalists because it allows them to tell a story visually.

Jasper Johns

Jasper Johns used Encaustic to paint this work titled "Flag" in 1955. Encaustic requires the artist to work quickly so that the wax that is used stays liquid and is able to be manipulated before drying. Johns used Encaustic in several works to give his works a very tangible and realistic appearance. It is said that he painted this painting after seeing the American flag in a dream. He was part of the Neo-Dadaist movement, which placed emphasis on the work itself rather than the concept of producing the work.

Charles Burchfield

The work above is "Rainy Night," a watercolor painting by Charles Burchfield that was done in 1930. Watercolor, as noted in the textbook, is a very expressive medium. Burchfield used this medium to depict average, small town happenings and industrialization during the Regionalist movement. Spending most of his time in the "Rust Belt," he incorporated the things he saw around him into his works.

Jackson Pollock

The picture above shows a work done in 1954 by Jackson Pollock titled "White Light." It is an oil drip painting which was a popular medium used by Pollock. He produced many of his works by laying a canvas on the floor of the studio and dripping painting and using other objects like glass, sand, etc. to produce a textured surface to the work. The oil paint can be layered which allowed Pollock to add drizzles of paint on top of others to create his unique works. He has been quoted as saying that he liked to work with the canvas on the floor because "...On the floor I am more at ease. I feel nearer, more part of the painting, since this way I can walk around it, work from the four sides and literally be in the painting." Although this technique may seem like it is random, Pollock insisted that he was purposeful in how he dripped his paint and that everything he did, he did for a reason. Something to note: Pollock was an alcoholic. The fact that he tried to drink away his problems may be connected to the idea that he was "at ease" when working with painting. In other words, much like alcohol, the method of laying the canvas on the ground and "being in the painting" was something that comforted Pollock, which is something that he needed.

Diego Rivera

The image above is a photo of a fresco wall painting done by Diego Rivera in 1930. It is titled "History of Mexico: From the Conquest to the Future." The subject matter here is very important because Rivera is from Mexico and was one of the key figures in the Mexican Mural Movement in art. Fittingly, this work depicts many historic events in the history of his native land. Additionally, the medium, fresco, is great for producing murals like the one seen here. Not only does it produce a nice image, but due to the way it is incorporated into the plaster of the wall, it becomes a very durable and long lasting work, making it a great choice for recording history through a mural.

Rembrandt van Rijn

Seen above, "Cleansing of the Temple" is an etching done by Rembrandt van Rijn in 1635. It depicts Christ in a temple, removing corrupt individuals from the sacred place. Being a Renaissance artist, Rembrandt used biblical scenes in much of his work. Etching requires a lot of attention to detail as it involves carefully creating various lines by exposing the metal plate that is being etched with acid. The result is a detailed image which looks almost like a drawing. Rembrandt was known as a very skilled etcher and the use of contrast in the light and dark areas which depict the shadows in the image are a true measure of just how much detail he put into his work.

Albrecht Durer

The image above is a wood engraving print done by Albrecht Durer in 1520 titled "The Virgin with the Swaddled Child." As can been seen in the details of the image, the grainy end part of the wood is used to produce the image. This wood grain leaves a textured appearance which can be seen above, specifically in the dress of the main figure and the background. Durer was a Renaissance artist and so he did a lot of works that dealt with religious figures, a popular subject of the time. Such is the case with this work here.

Scale and Proportion

Below is an image of the Jeff Koon sculpture called "Balloon Dog" which was completed in 2001. The reason that this is a good example of scale and proportion is because of how immensely huge the sculpture is. According to ARTstor, it is roughly 10ft x 12ft x 3.75ft in size. This is obviously much larger than an actual balloon dog would be. This difference in size allows the viewer to see the balloon dog in a way that they would not normally. A regular balloon dog would be small enough for the viewer to hold, whereas this one is big enough to the point where they could ride it. This difference in scale gives the viewer a different perspective as to what balloon animals are like.

 

Contrast and Variety

The image below is "Untitled, 1950-1" which is a photograph taken in 1987 by Louise Lawler. Much like the example of her work found in the book, this photograph contrasts two different objects in order to create variety in her work.

Indicated by the yellow arrows, a bench is in the foreground of the photograph. This bench, rather plain in nature, contrasts greatly with the artwork, indicated by the red arrows, that is hanging on the wall in the background. These two items are very different: one has a practical use as a place for people to sit, whereas the other is an aesthetically pleasing, yet non-functional piece of art that hangs on a wall. The differences between these two creates variety in the photo where they are placed in close proximity to each other.

Repetition and Rhythm

Below is an image of "Squiggly Brushstrokes" which is a 1997 painting by Sol LeWitt. It exemplifies repetition that creates a rhythm within the painting.

 

I've placed several yellow arrows to point out all of the white colored squiggles throughout the painting. I chose the white ones because they seemed to contrast most of the other colors which really made them stand out. From the number of arrows, it is clear that there is plenty of repetition in terms of color. Each line is also a squiggly shape. While they are not each the same exact shape, each squiggle is part of the general squiggle shape pattern found throughout the entire piece. The repetition of color and line/shape in this painting creates a flow and a rhythm for the viewer to enjoy.

Emphasis

The image below is a tempera painting done by Giotto around 1300 titled "Crucifix" and it depicts Jesus on a cross. This image shows emphasis through its use of a main focal point as well as a few other points that draw the viewers' attention.

 

As seen by the red arrows, the shape of the cross naturally brings the viewer to Christ's head as it is located where the horizontal beam and the vertical beam intersect. In addition to the shape of the cross, Christ's body itself brings the viewers' eyes to his head because his head is located between his hands and at the top of his torso which is where the viewer follows his legs up to. The blue and yellow arrows indicate where secondary focal points occur. Each is the apex point of a triangle and also one of the end points of the vertical beam in the crucifix. The triangular shape indicated by the arrows is an example of the visual movement that is used in this painting in an effort to create emphasis on certain focal points.

Balance

The image below is a 1610 painting by Michelangelo called "Doubting Thomas (Incredulity of Saint Thomas)" and it shows asymmetrical balance.

 

 

 As the arrows show, the painting can be divided into two sections both vertically and horizontally. The yellow arrow splits the painting into two balanced sections. Both above and below the line, there is a great deal of light very close to the arrow. These areas of light essentially cancel each other out. The same can be said of the dark areas in the corners of the painting. Since each side of the arrow contains a similar amount of darkness, balance is achieved. Looking at the white arrow, we can see that there is balance between the areas to the left and right of it. The arrow is off center due to the amount of darkness there is on the right side of the painting. It is counterbalanced by the bright light that appears at the far left.

Visual Movement (Continuation)

The image seen below is "The Hurdy-Gurdy Player" and it is an oil painting that was completed by George de la Tour sometime between 1628 and 1630. It is a great example of visual movement as the arrows on the second picture show.

 

 

Below, the arrows, alternating between the colors white and red, show the pathway that the viewers eyes take when looking at the painting. The combination of light and shadows takes the viewer on a path that starts near the toe of the musician's left foot, travels up his left leg to the bottom of the instrument, follows the light up to the top of his head, goes down through his chin and right hand until it reaches his right knee where it cuts back down toward his right foot before finally following the shadow from his foot to the original point that we started at. This clear pathway that takes the viewer throughout the painting and then back to the original point is a good example of how visual movement can be implemented into a piece of artwork.



Impasto

Impasto is "paint applied very thickly to canvas or support."

Above is an untitled, 1961 work done by Robert Ryman. It is an oil painting on unstretched linen. In the image, you can see the brush strokes that the artist used as the paint as been applied very thickly to the linen, giving it an actual, physical texture. The way Ryman applied the paint appears to have created layers of paint on top of one another, giving it the look and feel of a textured surface.

Pattern

Pattern is defined as "a repetitive motif or design."

One of Andy Warhol's most famous paintings, "Campbell's Soup Cans," is a group of synthetic polymer paintings on thirty-two canvases that were completed in 1962. This is a great example of pattern because it is just the same image repeated onto 32 different canvases. As a whole, they become one piece of patterned work featuring a single design repeated many times.

Complementary Color Palette

A complementary color palette would be a range of colors consisting of colors that are opposite of each other on a color wheel (i.e. blue and orange).

 

 

Seen above, "Wall Drawing 853" is an acrylic painting by Sol LeWitt from 1998. It consists of three panels, with each panel consisting of two complementary colors placed side by side. To the left, green and red are placed together. In the middle panel, blue is seen above orange. All the way to the right, the complementary colors purple and yellow are juxtaposed.

This image was found at http://www.massmoca.org/lewitt/walldrawing.php?id=853

Primary Color Palette

A Primary Color Palette would best be described as a range of colors consisting of red, yellow, and blue.

This here is "Bear" by Brice Marden. It is an oil painting that was completed in 1997. This clearly uses a primary color palette because it is comprised entirely of reds, blues, and yellows, which are all primary colors. There are no other colors within the painting, meaning that it does not contain any secondary colors, further verifying that Marden used a primary color palette.

Cross Hatching

Cross Hatching is when "one set of hatches (parallel lines) are crossed at an angle by a second, and sometimes third, set of hatches." The closer that the hatches are together, the darker the area in the drawing appears.

The image here is "A Sibyl" by Michelangelo Buonarroti and it is a pen and ink on paper drawing from around 1520. This is a great example of cross hatching because, as a viewer, you can see that there are several instances throughout the work where hatches meet each other at an angle in order to create a sense of depth. In the mid-section of the subject, you can see that it is very dark. This is where multiple hatches are drawn very close together. In areas where it is not as dark, the hatches are further apart. The key difference between cross hatching and hatching is the fact that, as is the case here, there are multiple sets of hatches that cross each other.

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro is defined as "the use of light and dark to create the effect of three-dimensional, modeled surfaces."

 

 

The image seen above is "Liberty Leading the People (July 28th 1830)," an oil painting by Eugène Delacroix fro 1830. This is a good example of chiaroscuro because of the way Delacroix produced his shadows. The contrast between light and dark along the faces of several of the people in the painting, the legs of the lifeless bodies in the foreground, and the breasts and shoulder of the main, central figure. The projection of a shadow on these round, modeled surfaces serves as a fine example of how chiaroscuro can be used to create a three-dimensional feel in a piece of artwork.

Disorienting or Chaotic Space

Disorienting or Chaotic Space can be described as the manipulation of perspective by artists in order to project an image that appears to distort space as it is commonly known to exist. An example of this can be found below.

In the picture above, a photograph by Paul Strand from 1917 called "New York," uses shadows to produce a somewhat deceiving appearance. The shadows of a nearby structure causes viewers to actually see the structure but then it turns into a street/sidewalk with people standing on the corner. His use of the shadow distorts space and alters the viewers' perspective of what they are seeing. They go from seeing a physical structure with depth, to seeing a shadow on a flat street, to once again realizing a third dimension with the introduction of people on the corner.

Foreshortening

The book defines Foreshortening as "the modification of perspective to decrease distortion resulting from the apparent visual contraction of an object or figure as it extends backward from the picture plane at an angle approaching the perpendicular."

The image above is "Reclining Nude on Green Couch" by Philip Pearlstein. It is a painting that was done in 1971. It is a good example of foreshortening because the reclining position of the subject caused the artist to distort perspective by resizing parts of the body such as making the lower leg in the forefront much larger than the arms and head in the distance.

Line Orientation-Horizontal

Horizontal Line Orientation can essentially be described as a line or group of lines that present a clear and precise shape to an image, giving it a controlled appearance. In the case of the image below, it is a series of lines that define the work as a whole and give it a horizontal shape and "direction". The entire work is viewed as one consistent whole, that is presented horizontally.

The image above is "Apprehend" by Bridget Riley and it is a tempera painting on canvas that was completed in 1970.

Contour Line

Contour Line is defined as "the perceived line that marks the border of an object in space." Based on the description in the context of the book, it is a line that gives dimension to shapes.

The work seen here is "Gonella, the Court Dwarf of the Dukes of Ferrara" and it is an oil painting on oak wood produced by Jan van Eyck with an unknown completion date. This is a great example of contour line because of the use of line to give the subject's face a three dimensional appearance. The lines in the cheek and forehead give "Gonella" some character and dimension and, in doing so, serve as a great example of contour line. Also, there are various other contour lines that show the different layers of clothing he is wearing, adding further to the depth of the image.

Implied Line

The book defines Implied Line as "A line created by movement or direction, such as the line established by a pointing finger, the direction of a glance, or a body moving through space.

The sculpture above is "Mignon" and was made from bronze by Auguste Rodin in 1925. As seen in the definition above, the direction of a subject's glance can create a line known as implied line. Such is the case here. The eyes of the subject create an optically stimulating presence that causes the viewer to see an implied line based on the direction that the subject is looking in.

Outline

Outline is defined by the book as "the edge of a shape or figure depicted by an actual line drawn or painted on the surface. The picture below does a good job of showing what an outline is and how it can be used in art.

This is "Figure 1" and it is a lithograph on wove paper made by Jasper Johns in 1968. The reason that this is a good example of outline is because the number one is clearly outlined, making it stand out from the background, giving it a distinct shape by a physically drawn line.

Iconoclasm

This is an iconoclastic image. It is titled "Purging Pope" was made by Zane Lewis in 2007. It is iconoclastic because it takes a religious figure, the Pope, and destroys his image by making it appear as though he is vomiting. While the Pope is considered to be a religious icon, the idea of depicting him throwing up is an iconoclastic move made by the artist.


Image from http://www.emvergeoning.com/?p=98

Icon

The work above is an oil painting from 1610 by Michelangelo titled "David with the Head of Goliath". It is certainly an iconic work because it contains the iconic biblical characters David and Goliath. Both characters have been the subjects of many works of art because of what they and their story represent. As such, they have established themselves as icons in the art world.

Nonrepresentational

Above is "Four Squares", a 1915 painting done by Kazimir Malevich. This is considered to be a nonrepresentational piece of artwork because it is simply four squares put together as the title would imply. There is nothing about this piece that is from the natural world, making it a nonrepresentational piece.

Abstract

This piece is titled "The Dream" and it is by Pablo Picasso. It is an oil painting produced by Picasso in 1932. This can be accurately described as a piece of abstract art because, although it depicts a real object, it does so in an unrealistic and abstract fashion.


Picture obtained from www.picasso.com

Representational

This piece of artwork is titled "Self-Portrait" and is an oil on canvas painting done by Rembrandt around 1660. This is an excellent example of representational artwork because it depicts Rembrandt in a very realistic manner, showing great detail on his face as one would see in real life.

Form v. Content

The work above is "Fountain" from 1917 by Marcel Duchamp and it is a "sculpture." The form of this work is a urinal with a name and date painted on it. The content associated with this artwork is the idea that Duchamp had that anything could be art simply because he deemed it to be. As such, he turned this simple urinal into a controversial piece of art.

Kitsch

The masterpiece we see above is "A-Z Thundering Prairie Dog" made by Andrea Zittel in 1996. It is composed of wood, steel, wiring, and insulation. There are also a microphone, an amplifier, and a loudspeaker included in this piece. If this isn't kitsch, I don't know what is. This piece is so over the top and crazy that it draws everyone's attention. Whether it be the prairie dog shape, or the voice changing microphone/amplifier combination, this work is certainly an interesting piece that captivates the interest of many. It differs greatly from the norm. It's kitschtastic.

Aesthetics

This work is "Into the Darkness (from Retrospective in a Box). It is a lithograph from 2009. The book defines aesthetic art as artwork that stimulates a sense of beauty in the viewer. This piece certainly does that. With a number of concentric circles and a wonderful combination of colors, this work invokes a sense of beauty. There is little going on in the work other than looking beautiful for all to see and enjoy.

See the World in a New Way

The piece above is by Faith Ringgold. It is called "Die Nigger, Flag for the Moon" and it is an oil painting on canvas from 1969. It clearly challenges the viewer to see the world in a new way because it takes a positive image that normally instills a sense of pride (the American flag) and reshapes and reforms it into something that displays a derogatory term and projects a very negative image. This challenges the ideas of what the American flag truly represents and causes viewers to think about how they think of the flag.

Reveal Hidden Truths

The work above is titled "Tiwi People Burial Ceremony (Pukamani) Poles" and it was created by Australian Aboriginal artists. It is a wooden sculpture that was made in 1984. It exemplifies the idea of revealing hidden or universal truths because, like most aboriginal work, it shows the presence of an Ancestral Being. The various symbols used throughout the base of the pole show the history and life of the Ancestral Being and the face represents the physical appearance of the Being.

To Give Tangible Form to Ideas/Feelings

This picture is "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci (Oil on wood, 1503-06). This is a good example of the role of giving a tangible form to ideas and feelings because while there may seem to be very little taking place in this portrait, there is actually a lot to take in. This work is famous around the world and one of the reasons is because of how much there is to interpret in this work. There are debates on who the subject really is, whether it is a man or a woman, what the reason is for the smirk on the subjects face, etc. With so many ways to interpret this painting, there are many feelings and ideas that each interpretation can give an onlooker. For instance, if the subject is based on a historical/biblical figure, what is da Vinci trying to say about that person? Clearly, he expressed some sort of ideas in this work, but due to cloudy interpretations, what those ideas are and how they come across can vary from viewer to viewer.

Record the World

The picture above is "Cathedral Square, Milan" by Gerhard Richter (Oil on canvas, 1968). This picture serves as a great example of the role of recording the world because it captures what was going on in the Cathedral Square at the time that the artist was there. The people, cars, buildings, and everything else that was in the Square at that moment is captured on canvas. Thanks to the artist fulfilling the role as a recorder of the world around them, that moment has been recorded for future generations to see.