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!