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.