4/30/10 Art History I

Today's Class- Today I returned the graded midterm exams, and we reviewed them thoroughly. In the second half of class we started our study of non-western art, beginning with the art of ancient India.

Important concepts-

*The similarities of ancient Indus Valley civilization and those in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Aegean.

*The general characteristics of ancient South Asian figure art.

*The introduction of Buddhism to Asia.

Homework- the next article for your current events arts journal is due Tuesday, May 4th.

Extra Credit Update-

A reminder that the last day to turn in an extra credit assignment is Friday, May 7, 2010. None will be accepted after that. The options include a museum or gallery visit and the specific assignment that goes with that, or attending the May 3rd critique night in Ocean Grove and completing the related assignment. For those wanting to go to the critique, it's at the Jersey Shore Arts Center, on the corner of Main Avenue and S. Main Street (route 71) in Ocean Grove, NJ, 07753. (It's a large brick building that was once a high school) The group meets from 7 to 9 pm.

For next class 5/4/10- Bring a notebook and Book 3 (A View of the World), as we will continue our look at the art and architecture of Asia.

2D Design Transforming Book Project

How To Complete the Assignment- Students need to choose an example of a color 2D artwork from the history of Fine Art. This painting will be reproduced in a changed form using one of the following strategies often found in children's books.

Pop Up Book

For a pop up book, choose a painting that can be reproduced in a 3D format, as in the two examples above. In each case the composition is divided into 3 layers of picture elements in front of a background. When closed, all parts are contained within the book covers. When opened to 90 degrees, the scene is revealed.

Pull Tab Book

In a pull tab book, the painting is reproduced on paper as closely as possible. A portion of the painting is cut out and put on a sliding mechanism. When pulled, it changes that portion of the painting by pulling a replacement part into place. In the above example, the piece of fruit in front of the face is replaced by the Mickey Mouse face.

Folding Flap Book

The folding flap is found near the center (vertical or horizontal). When the flap is folded one way, the image looks like the original painting. When folded the other way, a change is revealed that matches the parts not covered by the flap in either direction. In the above example, the tiki heads and pink elephant are revealed and become part of the scene.

Transparency Book

With the transparency book, a changed version of the painting is painted first and mounted in the book cover. A piece of transparent plastic is mounted over the painting. Then you paint over the plastic just enough to cover the changes and make it look like the original. In the above example, the second one (the woman in underwear and stockings) was the changed one, painted first. With the plastic down (first one), paint covers those items to make the image look like the original nude, while the rest of the scene shows through.

All books must include a cover- mat board works best, but any heavy cardboard should work. Mat board is available in the classroom. Don't worry about how to construct your book- I'll help you with that in class next week. Before then just concern yourself with choosing a painting and an idea.

4/27/10 Art History I

Today's Class- Today I gave the second midterm exam, covering all of Book 2. I expect to have the exams graded and returned by Friday's class.

Homework- The next current arts article for your journal is due on Tuesday, May 4, 2010.

Those who have not yet turned in their independent research assignments should bring them in as soon as possible.

For next class 4/30/10- Bring a notebook and Book 3 (A View of the World Part One). We will look at the art of South and Southeast Asia and Ancient China.

4/23/10 Art History I

Today's Class- Today we finished our look at Gothic art, dealing with illuminated manuscripts and paintings. A review sheet was distributed and we spent most of the class discussing vocabulary and artworks from Book 2, which the upcoming midterm will cover.

Important Terms- historiated (adding narrative elements to an area of an artwork that would otherwise be plain or decorative)

Important Artworks- Abraham, Sarah, and the Three Strangers (Psalter of Saint Louis)

Homework- The next current arts article for your journal is due this coming Tuesday, April 27, 2010.

Those who did not turn in their research assignment today should bring it in as soon as possible. The longer it is late, the lower your grade will be.

For Next Class 4/27/10- I'll be giving a midterm exam covering all of Book 2, from Early Christian through Gothic. All of the relevant vocabulary and artworks are on the review sheet handed out today, and are also listed on these blog posts going back to 3/16/10. The format for the exam will be the same as the first one, a mix of vocabulary and essay questions. Bring writing implements and be on time.

2D Design Random Subject Collage

Tangled Men

Today's class- Tonight we started a new graded project inspired by the early 20th century Dada movement. Two aspects of Dada are combined in the project, collage and random chance. Students selected words from two bags, which were combined to create a phrase. The randomly chosen phrase is the theme for the collage.

The Project- The first step is to get a randomly chosen theme. Contact me by e-mail and I'll pick a phrase for you, or wait until next week and receive one in class. The collage will be your interpretation of the phrase. Consider all the possibilities of the words. The piece should fill a sheet of your 18"x24" paper, and must include collaged materials, drawn images (pencil, markers, etc) and paint. The theme phrase must be part of it as well. Above and below are some student examples from previous semesters. Collages will be graded on whether they illustrate the theme, use of all the required elements, and how well aspects of color and composition are used in the piece.

Dangerous Roots

Give Us The Pragmatic

Nothing Remains of Planet

Homeland Complex

Melancholy Moment

4/20/10 Art History I

Today's Class- Today we continued our look at the Gothic period. Cathedrals reach their ultimate state in terms of height and complexity. England, Germany, and Italy all adapt aspects of Gothic style to churches in their lands. During this period we see sculpture start evolving back to the more realistic forms last popular in Ancient Rome. The economic rise of cities and the demands created by widespread construction helped shift art production away from monasteries and into professional workshops.

Important Terms- hall church, illumination, modeling, tempera

Important Artworks- Reims Cathedral facade, Jamb figures from Amiens Cathedral, Jamb figures from Reims Cathedral, Nativity reliefs from Nicola and Giovanni Pisano

Homework- The next article for your current events arts journal is due next Tuesday, 4/27/10.

The independent research assignment is due at the beginning of class on Friday, April 23, 2010.

The next midterm exam, covering all of Book 2, will be Tuesday, April 27, 2010.

For next class 4/23/10- Bring Book 2 (Medieval Art) and a notebook. We will finish our look at Gothic Art and then spend some time reviewing for the next midterm exam.

4/16/10 Art History I

Today's Class- Today we began our look at the Gothic period in architecture. The movement begins and has its greatest strength in France, a growing political power in the era. Meanwhile the Holy Roman Emperor has begun to lose influence, allowing Germany and Italy to fragment into independent cities and provinces. Across Europe cities are growing, becoming centers for the arts and learning, taking over that function from rural monasteries. Intellectuals learn to reconcile the rational inquiry of Aristotle with the faith based instruction of the Church, and revolutionized learning in many different areas of study. Most of the major aspects of Gothic style had existed in previous buildings, but now they were brought together for the first time and used to a greater extent than ever before. The new style was so admired that Gothic buildings quickly replaced Romanesque structures, especially across Northern Europe.

Important Terms- guild, lancet, oculus, plate tracery, stained glass

Important Artworks- Abbey Church of Saint-Denis, Chartres Cathedral, Rose of France window (Chartres)

Homework- The next current events art article is due Tuesday, April 20, 2010.

The due date for the Independent Research assignment will depend on when the second exam is scheduled. It will either be Friday April 23rd or Tuesday April 26th. Whichever day the exam isn't will be the due date for the paper. I will give the firm dates for the exam and the paper during the next class.

For next class 4/20/10- Bring Book 2 (Medieval Art) and a notebook. We will continue our study of the Gothic period- more architecture, plus sculpture and 2D work.

2D Design Limited Palettes Project

How to complete this project- Find a black and white photo of an actual thing/scene, ideally with a nice range of light and dark tones. Use pencil to divide a sheet of your 18"x24" paper into 4 equal quadrants. Do a basic compositional sketch of your photo in all 4 boxes. Then use your acrylic paints to color all four, using these combinations:

1) Monochromatic- Any one color of your choice, plus black and white. Match the exact values in the photo.

2) Complement Pair- Choose a pair of complementary colors. Use the warm color to represent lights in your painting, the cool color to represent darks, mix the two for middle gray. You may use white and black to push values toward highlights and deep shadows.

3&4) For the two remaining boxes, choose 2 of the following 4 options:

A) Blue/Yellow/Black/White- Use blue (with black as needed) for darks, yellow (with white as needed) for lights, and various green mixes for the middle tones.

B) Split Complement/Black/White- Any color, plus the two adjacent to its complement. (For example, yellow/red-violet/blue-violet) Choose appropriate warm and cool colors to represent lights and darks.

C) Analogous- Any 3 adjacent colors on the rim of the color wheel (such as blue-green/green/yellow-green or red/red-orange/orange) plus black and white. Choose appropriate colors to represent lights and darks.

D) Triad or Quad- A triad is any 3 equally spaced colors on the color wheel, such as the primary or secondary colors. A quad is any 4 equally spaced colors (every 3rd along the rim) such as orange/red-violet/blue/yellow-green. Again choose appropriate colors to represent lights and darks.

In all 4 combinations, use the colors to match the original values as much as possible. Be consistent from one to the next. For example, if a background is a light color in one, it should be in all of them.

Above and below are some examples of completed student projects.

4/13/10 Art History I

Today's Class- Today we finished our look at the Romanesque period of western European art and architecture. As time moved forward, architects experimented with vaulting systems in an effort to make bigger and stronger buildings. Representational sculpture and painting still shows strong influence of Byzantine and Islamic art, but some hints at a move toward more naturalism begin to appear.

Important Terms- chevron, moat, polychromy, tapestry, trumeau

Important Artworks- Reliquary Statue of Sainte Foy, South Portal- Priory Church of Saint-Pierre (Moissac), Last Judgment tympanum (Saint-Lazare, Autun), Christ in Majesty, Bayeux Tapestry

Homework- The next article and write up for your current events art journal is due next Tuesday, April 20, 2010.

It is recommended that everyone read Chapter 16 (Gothic Art of the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries) to familiarize yourself with the material.

For next class 4/16/10- Bring a notebook and Book 2 (Medieval Art). We will start looking at the Gothic period in European art.

4/9/10 Art History I

Today's Class- Today we began our look at Romanesque Art, the art and architecture of western Europe during the 11th and early 12th century. In particular the architecture shows the influence of traditional Ancient Roman architecture more than the Byzantine styles that dominated in eastern Europe. A close relationship between the Church and local political leaders (kings, dukes, lords) was mutually beneficial. Pilgrimages and Crusades caused people to travel to foreign lands and exposed them to new ideas and material goods, which in turn encouraged more trade. All of this influenced the trend of building larger and larger churches, which would continue into the Gothic period.

Important terms- aisle, ambulatory, apse, arcade, gallery, lantern (dome), portal, sanctuary, transept, vaults (barrel, groin, rib)

Important artworks- Cathedral of St James (Santiago de Compostela), Abbey of Notre-Dame (Fontenay), Cathedral complex at Pisa.

Homework- The next current events article for your journal is due next Tuesday, 4/13/10.

The independent research assignment is due April 23, 2010, two weeks from today.

Extra credit assignments must be turned in by May 7, 2010 to receive credit, but may be turned in before then if you finish it sooner.

It is recommended that you read chapters 15 (Romanesque) and 16 (Gothic) in your textbook to familiarize yourself with the material.

For next class 4/13/10- Bring a notebook and Book 2 (Medieval Art). We will continue our study of Romanesque art and architecture, and maybe start looking at Gothic art, the movement that succeeded it.

2D Design Color Temperature Project

How to complete this project- Draw two 10"x10" square boxes on a sheet of your 18"x24" paper and set it aside. On separate paper, start making a variety of colors using your acrylic paints. When dry, you can cut these into pieces no larger than 1 square inch. Arrange them so that you have 100 different colors in each box. When you are satisfied with the arrangement, glue them in place. The goal is to have your two large boxes represent two seasons of the year, based on the temperature of the colors inside. For example, summer would be represented by a collection of all warm colors, winter by all cool colors, and spring and autumn by an equal mix of warm and cool. You may create colors with two particular seasons in mind, or just make colors, arrange them in boxes, and decide what seasons they represent. Examples of the project from previous semesters can be seen above and below.

4/6/10 Art History I

Today's Class- Today we looked at early Medieval Art, defined as the art and architecture of western Europe from the 6th century through the 10th century. The art shows the results of the mixing of multiple "barbarian" cultures with the remnants of the Roman Empire, filtered through the traditions of Christianity. Architecture of this period is mostly variations on traditional Roman and Byzantine structures, but sculpture shows an interesting variety of cultural influences. Illuminated manuscripts may be the art form that best represents this period of western art.

Important terms- animal interlace, boss, cameo, cloister, colophon, expressionistic, manuscript, parchment, picture stone, reliquary, repousse, rune stone, scribe, vellum

Important Artworks- Cross (Church of Saint Giulia), Sutton Hoo Purse Cover, Chi Rho Iota Page (Book of Kells), Palace Chapel of Charlemagne, Page with Saint Matthew (Coronation and Ebbo Gospels), Stave Church (Borgund, Norway), Doors of Bishop Bernward

Homework- The next current arts journal article is due next Tuesday, 4/13/10. The independent research assignment is due Friday, 4/23/10.

It is recommended that students read Chapter 15 (Romanesque Art) to familiarize yourself with the material.

For Next Class 4/9/10- Bring your notebook and Book 2 (Medieval Art). We will begun our study of Romanesque art and architecture.