Art Visit

For my art visit Michelle and I collaborated so that I can go to some art venues in Davis, especially in UCD where I will be attending in the fall. I got to do research and see places in Davis that I didn’t even know existed. The first place I visited was John Natsoulas Gallery. Then I proceeded to go on campus and visited numerous sites. One of which was Basement Gallery which displays current work of Art Students that attend UCD. Another venue I visited was the Shield’s Library Art Collection, various public art displays on campus, and last but not least the Memorial Union Art Gallery.


Visiting art versus viewing it on the computer, is like seeing the ocean and then just seeing pictures of it. When you see art on the canvas, you can see every little detail of it, every stroke, every piece of texture, how the light plays with it, the actual size, and the list goes on. When you see art in a book or on the computer, it is flat, 2D and not as interactive as art in person. Like I mentioned before when you are seeing the art in person, it is tangible, it is 3D, it is there! I know it sounds a little funny, but when you actually see the art, then you can see how real and beautiful it is. Seeing the art can make you visualize how the artist made the piece, and makes me individually at least almost feel some of the artist feelings by just viewing the art.

I was surprised in retrospect when I felt that my favorite exhibition was the Basement Gallery. It wasn’t fancy, it wasn’t in a central located place, but it was real and I felt like I could connect with the artist, maybe because of their ages and the way that they thought similarly to me, I really don’t know. Another interesting aspect of this Gallery, was that the canvases were the wall, or the floor, the artist just made their art there, and that was another thing that I found that I connected with. I felt like this gallery was not a sophisticated one with cheese and crackers to distract me with, but that is was raw, and just put the art out there to be enjoyed and viewed. My favorite piece of art by far, was the most creative and not to mention the potentially most delicious one as well. The work was about 5x8 feet, and the medium was PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY! The artist name was not displayed for that piece of work, but I commend them on their ingenuity. It is my favorite work because of the medium, and because of the “aliveness” of the piece. You can see the jelly dripping on the wall, and it was even on the floor. It makes you see that anything can be used for art. I took the meaning that peanut butter and jelly go together, and maybe these two individuals are in a relationship, or some how connected with each other. When you think PB&J, it is like milk and cookies, it just goes together. I loved this piece because it made me think about art outside the box. I mean who would ever think of peanut butter and jelly as an art medium, but it just showed me that anything is possible.


Overall I really enjoyed this art visit experience. It definitely surpassed my expectations. First off, I don’t remember the last time I went to a gallery, and this time I actually was assigned to go to them so it made me feel a little different. When I would go to these various venues and I saw the other people there I thought to myself, wow, thsese people come not because they have to, but because they want to. For this reason I feel like I will make art visits part of my life, because I truly enjoyed all the art I saw and absorbed. Another thing that made this art visit better than any other one that I had previously been to is because I actually had knowledge to apply to each of the pieces I saw. I could think to myself, I like how this artist used these colors in such a way, or what medium they used. I knew terms I could apply to each and every piece and that really amazed and excited me. All in all I would like to say that this visit put all of the things that I have learned in this class into context, because I was able to see what art was all about.

What I've Learned from Art

Wow, first I would like to say I can't believe we are already here at the end of our class. To be honest at first I questioned what I would take away from this class, but I am very happy to say that I have learned a lot, and finally understand why this class is called Art Appreciation. I can now describe art not just as pretty, but I can apply terms like color, hue, contrast, with the actual knowledge of their purpose and outcome.
When I thought of art I thought of the process of making it and viewing it, never anything in between. Now I see that art has more of a purpose than just to look pretty, and be there. Artist can convey ideas, messages, concepts, and whatever they choose. An artist's canvas is what he sees and feels, and he can convey these messages in a variety of ways. Not only are there no boundaries to where art can be displayed, there are also countless techniques and varities of art.
This is another thing that astonished me about art. There are so many different varieties of it, from painting, printmaking, camera art, to sculpture, to conceptual art, it is whatever you think. That is another thing I took away from this class, art is whatever you want it to be, and it doesn't really matter if others think it is or isn't, everyone is free to think whatever they want. In example, conceptual art, take away what you want from it.
Ultimately I will take away from this class the concept that art does not need to be defined by a textbook or other people. Just like Picasso, and other upcoming artists who did not adhere to traditional methods of art and created for themselves a new form of self expression, I see that art can take any form, and has a unique beauty from every person's perspective.
Another amazing thing about art is that over time meanings and other such things change. For example, hundred years ago a women with a bulging belly is a good sign of fertility, but now that just means they like to eat. Art is a little picture in time that grasps a message then, but also can take on different messages when put into different contexts.
Art can not be defined. It can be enjoyed, viewed, created, among many other things. I am glad to say that I took this class because now I have a different and wider perspective on art, one where I can better understand concepts, techniques, and ways artists convey thier ideas.
Lastly I would also like to talk about the medium in which this class was taught. I loved it. Just how art is ever changing, technlogy and methods of teaching change, and I like how we got to incorporate many different aspects of internet learning, and hands on experience like the collage and the art visit.

Conceptual Art

Conceptual art is something that is arbitrary. When an artist creates a piece of the art they have different messages they want to convey. A conceptual artist creates an ambigious idea and wants the viewer to articulate their own opinions. The artist sets up a foundation, and then the viewer is like the architect, and every person has thier own design. As for the fact if I enjoy conceptual art, I think I would, but maybe not as much as all the other art styles we have learned about. I am sure I can think of ideas and concepts artists would like to convey, but I enjoy it more when there is something so visually pleasing I become lost in all the intricacies and amazing use of color, light, space etc.
I was wondering when I could ever speak about this artist whom I just learned his name: Marco Evaristti. This Chilean born artist had an exposition in Denmark where he put fish in a blender, and in the end blended them up. Initially when I thought of why someone would do this, is to show the analogy that someone else is in control of their lives, and do all animals have to suffer this button of death. When interviewd he said the reason was to test people's boundary of right and wrong, I think it is wrong to kill animals for no reason, eating them would be a long story....but what do you guys think, is this conceptual art????

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/3040891.stm

Before I beging here is another Dove video that was very good: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.psfk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/photoshop_before_and_after.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.psfk.com/2008/04/warning-airbrushing-kills.html&h=240&w=250&sz=10&hl=en&start=10&sig2=CneH1-HeWhzLb-_sdjEjoQ&tbnid=51FcsGL2OdbhwM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=111&ei=tURdSPL-K4GaoQTA0LXMBA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbefore%2Band%2Bafter%2Bphoto%2Balterations%2Bof%2Bmodels%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

To begin with I admire the fact that both Aziz and Cucher's Dystopia series as well as Keith Cottingham's Fictitious Portraits series challenge the media and our concepts of actual photographs. At first I was very confused and thought Aziz and Cucher's series were actually people until I read his descriptions and saw that he is challenging our ideas of what people are, and how much the external flesh and what not actually matters.

I really enjoyed this weeks lecture because I always knew that photographic alterations were taking place but I never actually knew the extent. I was quite shocked that National Geographic would put its credibility into jeopardy by altering photos of nations. Also I knew models were changed but the dove video really threw me for a loop. It made me see that, I am sorry to say this, but a someone who looks like they haven't slept for two weeks, a face with dots of pimples and "impurities" can be turned into a beautiful face. I guess that gives the hope that anyone can be a model. As for all these models and thier beautiful faces and bodies, yeah right, see the picture I posted above, you yourself need to be confident of your own bodies and minds then these half naked, so called "beautiful" people will not bother you one bit.

I also went and found another dove video which I posted the link to, that also shows the influence of media, subconciously skewing people's sense of reality. SEE IT.

Going back to the picture that I posted. You can see the difference that the before and after images. The artist of this photo changing emphazises symmetry and takes out any flaws by adjusting lighting and fixing the contrast to make the women more visually pleasing. Make up does wonders too so don't forget that. Her hair becomes darker the black more vibrant, the folds of her skin and cellulite all disapper with the magic of applying more light here and less light there. It is a kind of magic art, playing with technology to make images perfect. Plus bigger boobage never hurt, I guess...

IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ANYTHING JUST GO TO THIS SITE. A FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHER SHOWS BEFORE AND AFTER IMAGES OF CELEBS AND YOU ROLL OVER THE IMAGE TO SEE THE BEFORE THEN THE AFTER!!!

http://glennferon.com/portfolio1/index.html

My favorite painting

Before I forget let me give credit where credit is needed. The artist of this painting is Sahar Madadi, I am unsure of the title, though I know it is a painting of me, Misha Zahedi, the painting was created in 1999, and the type of paint is oil.

So here is some background on the art and artist. The artist of this painting is my cousin, whom has been interested in art ever since childhood. I remember I adored her as a child. She was born and raised for most of her life in my parents native country of Iran. I remember that every time I visited Iran I would love to go to my cousin Sahar’s room because she would paint on her wall, and have many of her artworks on her walls or floating about her room. She studied art in high school, in most countries you have a “major” in high school, and later when she moved to Belgium she pursued a degree in art.

Now why am I the figure in the painting, let me tell you? So when I visited my cousin, and my aunt in Belgium, my cousin one day told me she wants to borrow me and so she does this creative make up on me and takes pictures. I was her mini-model, I was eleven at the time. So then from these numerous pictures, she makes paintings, and this is one of the ones that she has painted from the picture as you can see. It is weird because she has actually sold some paintings of me, so I guess I could be hanging it people’s living rooms…strange. I have another one too, I think I will take a picture of it and share it as well…

The medium of this painting is oil. It is quite a messy process quite frankly because I have viewed my cousin using this medium before. The smell is very distinct, and as we read, toxic. As you can see from the painting there are a variety of techniques used from gradual blending, to distinct outlines of hands and writing in the background. Using oil painting allows for this variety of effects like subtle gradation and special effects. Looking at the painting I can see parts where my cousin utilized impasto as well, where the texture is rough and thick. As for the durability and permanence of oil painting I would agree, it gets on clothes it does not come off, and it is as beautiful as the day it was painted. It is no joke that is takes forever to dry, I remember sneaking into my cousin’s room and touching paintings that she had worked on, and I swear everyday I went the painting would still be wet! Another reason my cousin loves using oil painting is because of its forgiveness in making mistakes, and the fact that the color stays true during drying and overtime.

I was glad I could share something personal in this weeks blog! I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Thomas Kinkade...Artist?

Thomas Kinkade can be called whatever he wants. In my mind he is not so much an artist but someone who has mastered people’s desire for “art.” Sorry but when the older folks boast about their Kinkade work, I just look at it and think, it is so ugly, how would anyone pay so much money for it? But no one is forcing people to buy Kinkade’s work, so if they want to pay thousands of dollars for a painting that he didn’t even paint then go ahead. I honestly don’t know what to say because he is smart in that he can make so much money off literally telling other people what to do. He is business smart it seems too; trying to rip off various people by tricking them with baits of religion. Once again, you fell for it, I am sorry, read the fine print. He is an economist not an artist. He can maneuver the stock market as well as canvases. I don’t see how the art community is so outraged by this guy. I mean if you think he is not an artist then fine, but he can sell anything he wants, and if people buy it then good for him. Yeah it may not be unique, but he has learned to curve people’s demand and has made a successful business out of it so I congratulate him. If people are stupid/smart/whatever the hell they are, then it is there business not mine. I honestly can not think of anything more to say about Thomas Kinkade yet alas I have half way to go.

I am going to talk about what I think it means to be an artist. I can’t go without saying that someone who bases their life solely on the profits of their created work, is unpractical in my sense. I mean how can you live day to day depending on people to buy your art. Sure if you want to be a teacher then fine, or work for a company, but I don’t understand the fact that if you love to do something why and how could you part with your pieces of art. I mean if it is something you have passion for then why are you trying to profit from it. You say I need to live, to eat, to have housing, then why not do something practical and have art as your pastime. I can’t understand because I am a person of practicality if someone has a counter argument I would love to hear it.

Next: I may sound like I am ragging on art, but I myself love to create art. I love to take photos, I love printmaking in fact, also making things like vases out of glasses and so forth. I just don’t understand how people can derive their sustenance from it. I commend them if they can, and aspire to, I just don’t understand what goes on in their mind. Here were my thoughts.

Analyze That!

In Picasso’s painting there are many formal elements of art that I am going to discuss. First I am going to talk about the newer concepts which are applicable to this piece of art. There is definitely motion; the figures are “caught in the midst of action” they are running about the beachside holding arms and rejoicing their surroundings. Moving on to the color and light of this picture, the first place the audience’s attention is focused to is the women. They have an array of different values, especially on their clothing. When looking at the portion of the dresses that meet, you can see that the artist has lessened the contrast between dark and light, not only creating depth, but shadows and dark hues. Picasso also uses the techniques of crossing-hatching and hatching to create the illusion of depth and shadows. This is most apparent on the limbs of the females. Looking at the painting there are not that many hues, and for each hue that is used, there is not much variation in the tint. For example the blue ocean is only differentiated by adding white. Like wise the rocky shore is used creating a gradual shift from light to dark in some areas, and then sudden shifts to show contrast and sharp edges. It is hard for me to come up with the color scheme used. I remember from studio art, and by looking at the color wheel white and black do not count as colors. So Picasso by using various tints of blues and what seems like a peach skin color, hues of orange, could be using a complementary scheme. I would not call it simultaneous contrast because he did blend the colors. One last comment that I would like to add regarding this painting is the detail in the right most women’s hair. The curly texture is so vivid and in detail. Also the shadowing and placement of the breasts are quite awkward and somewhat unnatural. They are highlighted by the fact that they have so much contrast between the chest and the actual breasts themselves. Interesting choice Sam, it was fun analyzing something that at first I thought would not have so many lively aspects!

Watch the Magic!

The two pictures I took are of the same red apple, placed in its complimentary color of a green bed of plants. I chose complementary hues because the colors are perceived as more saturated as talked about in the painting by Derain. Also I thought it would be more interesting to have a bold statement of two complimentary colors, versus and array of colors. In this way I could focus in more detail on the concepts we are learning, rather than get overwhelmed by the variety of the photo. The first picture is one that I took around 1 pm while the second is one that I took around 7 pm. The weather that day was bright and sunny with no clouds. It is obvious that in the first picture the values of the hues are much warmer as the sun is closer to us, and the saturation of the hues are much more crisp and harsh. As the sun moves further away, the value of the hues become cooler, and the saturation much softer. Your eyes also have to adjust when looking at the second picture then to the first because of the contrast of hues. The first is much brighter and vibrant, where the second one has taken in more soft values and the contrast between light and dark is not as strong. In regards to the shadows the same rules apply. In the first photo where it is taken in mid-day with the beating sun, the picture shows more harsh and severe shadows. Whereas the sunlight when the sun is close to setting, is more delicate and blended easier by the eye. Light and color go hand in hand, of course color is in fact different wavelengths of light, so they must have such and intricate and complex relationship between one another. I was amazed at how all these rules are delicately yet strictly followed by nature, amazing!

Analyze This!

Another oak tree...contour line

Here is a picture I took myself, one of many of oak trees surrounding my neighborhood, just to metnion the contour line, and the intricacy that nature has, hope you enjoy it!

Line and Space

Since I have taken art studio classes before I have been introduced to these theories in practice but not in verbal/written format, so it is interesting to apply them with out actually drawing them. But ever since I have been reading about line and space, I have become even more aware of my surroundings. I especially like to see the contour lines of oak trees, there is something so majestic and beautiful about the art we can find in nature. Another one of my favorite types of line is the implied line. It is as if you have to draw so many other lines to convey a hidden message like the letter S shown above. The artist has not directly written the letter S but through a variety of another line forms conveys this message to us through implied line. As for space this is a slightly harder topic to talk about, but it is present if everything we look at. That is why by using vantage points and what not artists can "trick" the viewer into creating an illusion of depth or size just by the placement of lines, or other objects varying in size. This is when art starts getting really cool!

Controversial Art

I think that controversy in any form benefits society because it stirs a reaction good or bad in someone causing them to think rather than just blankly stare at something. Controversy is a mismatch of beliefs, and when it is about art some people get offended that the artist can even think this way or ruin an image in such a manner and they judge and get offended. It takes open minded thoughts and beliefs in order to not get offended and I understand that not everyone can keep an open mind. This is also an explanation of why controversy arises. Every person has different beliefs and I think through art medium it is healthy for there to be arguments and disagreements about the art's context. For example this picture of Bush is among several displayed in New York's public library of top White House officials. To a select few (I am hoping this is the case) Bush may be a hero of some sorts, but to many he is....too many adjectives to describe. Already there is controversy in this piece because it stirs those emotions and makes people critically think and that is what we need more of in America, because if we could think about things and analyze them at different levels than maybe so many ignorant people would not be walking around not knowing even why Bush led us to Iraq. For this and many other reasons the artists Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese's created the 'Lineup.'
Art like any other form of expression should never be standardized or monitored by any institutional hierarchy like the government. Then something like 1984 would take place....Art is in someways like a novel, an idea is expressed, now in art it is through visual media, in books it is through the written language. Either way there is that freedom that makes each work unique and allows the creator to express their idea in which ever way they choose. If governments were to abolish that freedom then we would be living in a controlled hell, so watch out for such things as the Patriot Act....We should be free to look, read, write, and do whatever we like without someone having to know it or monitor it!
I enjoyed this weeks content the most because of the controversy and all the various emotions it created in people. I didn't know that so many people would find the Vietnam Memorial so unpatriotic or what not, and I didn't think some people would act so crazy about a portrayal of a religious figure because she is black and made of non-traditional material. For this reason I believe controversial art should always be afloat because it will make people think, and we need people to think rather than just watch and absorb TV but to actually do somethings with their brains whether they feel the art is appropriate or not.

Visual Literacy Reflections

Learning about form and content reminded me of these two images every person who has ever taken a psychology class has viewed. In the bottom image the form is black and white, but do you see two faces or a single vase. Likewise the top image is a confusing blurr of form and content. For minutes upon minutes all I could see was the face of an old lady, but after knowing their is silouette of a young woman was I able to find that image as well. These are not only mind tricks, but a different way of looking at form, and then once deciding what you see, then try to describe what the image means in terms of context.

I also enjoyed learning about representational, abstract, and non-objective images. Non-objective images are always harder to decipher meaning for me, but I am keeping an open mind, and trying not to think to myself, "what the heck? that isn't art!!!"

My Own Artwork

These are just some pieces that I have created in my years of high school. Some of my favorites are actually ones that I don't have pictures of yet like printmaking, watercolor, and a technique where there is a sheet of black paper, but then when you use a razor to make your image it will be white, so the overall effect is a black and white piece, maybe Michelle knows what I am talking about......but yeah here the grape one is acryllic, the roses are prisma color pencils, and the face is with crayon on brown crinkled paper.

"A World of Art"

Yukinori Yanagi, The World Flag Ant Farm, 1990. (Left)

The work created by Yanagi is comprised of 170 plastic boxes filled with colored sand to represent the flags of different nations. The boxes are each 8 x 12 inches and are connected by plastic tubing. Then ants were introduced to the work and they immediately began to carry the sand from one box to another via the tubing.

The World Flag Ant Farm is both unusual and unique in that it uses non-traditional forms of art. Traditionally when one thinks of art it is on some kind of canvas, painted, drawn, or so forth, but after reading the first chapter my eyes and mind have been open to new ideas and possibilities. Yanagi uses synthetic material such as plastic, and colored sand to depict flags, which are icons that in and of themselves each represent a nation. The idea of introducing ants to carry the colored sand is an exceptional idea that is innovative and unique.

I became intriguied with this work of art because of the way the artist represented his idea, or at least the way he made me think of art. This piece is changing, interactive, and depicts the ever-changing world. He shows us through this display that the world is no longer separated; each nation can have its own self-identity yet it can not be isolated from all the other nations in the world. There is a global exchange of ideas, products, people, that happen simeltaniously whether we like it or not. The ants represent this force of nature, they will move the sand from one box to another with out any guidance or instruction, just as all the peoples, products, and ideas move from one country to the next. Although each country is represented by a flag, over time this flag will change shape, color, and form, just as the real world changes everyday. This piece of art really made me think of how artist can convey a message by combining different materials and allowing the viewer to form ideas and thoughts by just providing a visual stimulus.

About Me

Hi everyone! If you already haven't seen the title to my blog, my name is Misha. This will be my last year at Sierra College because I am transferring to UCD in the fall with a biology major. After Davis I would like to go to dental school to become a......yeah you guessed right, a dentist. I graduated from Rocklin High School, represent!, in 2006, I swam all four years and played water polo, and was very involved in the campus. Here at Sierra I am Public Relations Coordinator of our Science Club, and a member of a few other clubs. I love to travel, I go to Iran every other summer because that is where my relatives are and that is my culture, PERSIAN PRIDE! I like to read, exercise at the gym, hang out with friends and family (especially my little bro, to the right is a picture of us), go shopping even if I don't buy anything, and a lot of other things. Write me, I am excited to get to know people, and learn from this class!