Line & Shapes

I was in Real Estate for several of years before changing careers and a lot of our job was based on space, line and colors. Of course we dealt with contracts and escrows and all that fun stuff but our first and foremost job was to create curb appeal, to sell the home. Showing home to many clients I find that they all had an idea of how they wanted their space within the home and the shape or structure of that home. When you fist pull up to that home the eyes scan the outline of that home. It has to feel and look like an ideal home before you even want to walk in. Then your eyes start to follow the outlines on the home the roof lines, door and window lines and other shapes that can be identified on the home. When you look at the face of the house the shapes on the house has to make since to you. Do you like circle, square, rectangle, or even triangle shaped windows? Is the décor or the framing of the home creating a piece of art to you? These are the thing that we look at when creating a picture, a 2-dimensioal space to a client. Looking directly on a house from the front you may not see the true potential until you catch all angles. You stand back and look at the house from an angle and the mass opens up, you since see a 3-dimensioal space and start to wonder its volume. Before you get ready to walk in your eyes scan a series of contour line, you scan the trees, bushes, flowers and the skyline that settles on the roof. Now you walk into the house and what ever the size of the home, your eyes focus on the vanishing point. This way you can get of feel of the depth of the home. Colors of the walls might catch your attention or the different contour textures of the flooring might draw your attention. As you walk through the house your vision could be drawn to the different frame works of each room creating an overlapping depth of farthest room to the closest room. A home to me has so many analytic line, but the content within creates expressive lines. For example a couch full of color and personality, maybe filled with soft rounded pillows, could create a warm comforting feeling. The organization of the tables, chairs, rugs and other expressive pieces within the home is what creates emotion or lack of.

Every time I walk into a building, house or space my eyes automatically wander expanding my linear perspective. Take a picture of that moment or space and again on the picture the angles will draw your eyes to the vanishing point. I think this happen for me because I am always looking to more, what can’t be seen.

I find that I am, like most everybody is, visually attracted to things and know more about how simple line and shapes can create a world of wonder.

The picture to the right is full of shapes, some of them overlapping but becuase the angles on this picture doen't have linear perspective it is 2-dimensional in some parts and 3-dimensional around the door.

Controversial Art

I am very torn with these questions on controversial art for many reasons, one is the way I grew up and the other would be my altered but bias point of view. I am a modest person but I don’t punish those who decide to live more adventurously. Sometimes I envy those that are free to express in “controversial” ways. When judging the artwork of Edouard Manet, “Luncheon on the Grass” I feel feminine. I like this painting for what it hides. This painting says sex but in a modest casual way. When I look at some of the very exposed artwork of Robert Mapplethorpe like, “Cock” I feel embarrassed (A painting that I will not display in my blog). I don’t think that they should be banded but my opinion is some forms of expression should be kept to ones-self. I do not go around screaming controversial words in conversation to express how I feel and I prefer not speak to someone who uses controversial language. In artwork it is ok to express one feeling but I would prefer to look at ones that I don’t feel controversial to. Most of my feeling of controversial art is mostly toward slandered x-rated artwork. We never spoke of these things around the house growing up, it was to be secret. Although, my ideas have changed quite a bit as my experiences grow these captured feeling keep me from enjoying artwork that exposes my secrets of naked anatomy. I hope that I can enjoy the ideas of very exposed painting, one of these days but for now I am still not able to break out of that shell.

There are many benefits to stepping out. The freedom of thinking independently allows for the creations of new ideas. Controversial thinking allowed the New America to free slaves, lead America to war for independence, creation of all technology and many more. It all started with the idea to be different and to have a clear picture to an outcome, the masterpiece. Without independent thinking and the ability to act on controversial ideas the world would be stagnant, our ability to evolve could be altered. When all work needed to be painted in a gallery/indoors, I am sure that, the light available will be limited to candle light or florescent lighting which could then limited the potential of color. When a painting or sculpture is completed in ultra violet ray from the sun you are capable of casting natural shadows a whole new prospective could be produced. Also, if most artwork is an expression of emotion or an event than the atmosphere that the painting is completed in, is reflective in the painting. A painting of the “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo DaVinci looks as though it would have been painted indoors but the paining of “Grain Stacks” by Monet captures the great outdoors. A lot of controversial idea are great and lead to great things but some don’t always lead to greatness but non-the-less are different ideas that support fresh and new.

Visual Literacy Reflections

I love the work of Ron Mueck.

He portrays great reality along with a since of curiosity. Based on our lectures for this week his sculptures are representational. Each one of his sculptures make me want to intrude on the thoughts that each sculpture posses. The older couple at the top has identical characteristics of the elderly. These two seem to be so distant form the modern world, and unaccepted of conversation. You can also since that these people have been together for a long time. They dress the same, act the same, and even share some of the same expressions. This artwork's visual information would be in content but their expressions would create form.

This next sculpture, The Mask, is also representational. The face make me think of what kind of nationality this man is. He has a large head that is squared of at his crown as well as his chin making him have very distinctive characteristics. The visual information about his physical characteristics would be content and to wounder if this man is sleeping, dead, or just thinking would be in the information of form.

This next sculpture states so much. It is of a giant man that is striped of all his dignity. He is alone in a corner with an expression of deep thought. In today society a large white male is a stereo type of power but this statue creates a since of loss and depression as if something lost. This is one of the most powerful statues that I have ever seen. I just want to sit next to him and start a conversation about his life.

Lost in Art History

Williamsburg

If you ever have the chance to go to Williamsburg in Virgina I highly recommend it. Especially if you enjoy architecture. Most of the buildings are made of beautiful red brick. The outside of the buildings are mostly rectangular shape but the windows make each building come alive. The insides of the buildings were mostly dark making it hard to get an accurate view of the entire room.

At times is seems as thought the dark shadows are creating a feelings of someone watching you. With the smell, age, and history that each building possesses an emotional detachment comes over you and you become part of the building. You feel as though you are living the past. Some of the mercantile shops along the dirt roads gave examples of the kinds of things there were needed for this neighborhood. I saw a blacksmith, shoe maker, bread makers, doctor shop and agriculture shop. I have too many picture to post them all but I thought that these photograph s would give a great example of reflective art work. The inside of the building would create a great abstract painting. A place like this is full of great art.

A World of Art

This realistic but fantasy type painting was painted in 1863 by Albert Bierstadt. Albert Bierstadt was a German-American artist that painted mostly landscapes of the American West. Albert was involved on many journeys of the Westward Expansion after the American Civil War. Most of his paintings were very detailed telling stories with his enhanced knowledge of luminism. In the painting The Rocky Mountains you can clearly see that the sky is luminated and within the luminism is a dreamy looking Rocky Mountains. This painting was not meant to resemble reality but just to show off a beautiful landscape. The Matterhorn set in the luminism makes it look so far away but so close. With the light coming down to connect to the waterfall at the base of the incline to the mountain range makes the Matterhorn seem closer. It almost seems as if the painting were cut in half, part dream and part reality. The lower part of the painting is filled with western colors of browns, dark green, and tan a true western theme with out gaudiness. There is an Indian tribe that has settled here, in the plains. The Indian tribe is going about their everyday lives. Kids are playing, hunters are on horses, and even some of the women are preparing a deer for a feast. What I find odd is that the tribe in perspective to the painting is so small. It is almost like they are not to be noticed. To me, the artist is trying to state that humans are just smaller entities to a grander scheme.

I don't find this to be a painting that I would hang on my walls but it is a painting that make you think about the scale of Earth's greatest landscapes. I can imagine lying on the grass in the plains area of the painting and staring up at the mountains, in a day dream. It would be a great place to take a nap and listen to the waterfall in the background.

About Me

I find that I am very particular in my likings of art. I love color and when I look at an art piece the colors is what draws me in. The subject of the artwork then is just the add bonus. The color for me is the emotion and the subjects reveals a story. I think that the second that you see an art piece that you either like it or don't. Subconsciously you make a decision within seconds and then you consciously fall in love with it's meaning, to you. The Mona Lisa for example has an emotional darkness but her face and the slight smirk showing on her face, give you the feeling that there is a dark secret she is not telling us.

This piece, Die grossen blauen Pferde, (The Large Blue Horses), is brilliant giving off an emotion of freedom, togetherness and expression of love. The colors draw you in and the close group of houses in shapes of hearts give me the sign of family. I have also notices that all primary colors were used making this a very visible artwork to the human eye.

Most of the time I will get stuck looking at the same pieces over and over again which represents my love for classic, renaissance art pieces and will not expand my horizons to other pieces that could spark an emotion. I hope that this class will help me to be open to the large array pieces that I know are out there but haven't been exposed to. I know that there is art that could be produced by food, structural art work from inorganic material and the art work for a medial purpose and all need and will be liked by someone but not by all. How does one artist try to appease the views of the masses for career purposes? Doesn't a great piece of work need to be liked by most for it to be considered a great piece? This is probably why artist have the tag "starving artist". I look forward to expanding my horizons.