Art of the Seasons

As the year progresses, different seasons emerge and therefore possess many different qualities particular to that time of year.  As I sit outside of my dorm, I am noticing all of the changes in this new environment.  Trees no longer appear quite as decorative as they loose their leaves, and they also lack color as the conclusion of the previous season draws to an end.  I am also noticing how the darker skies earlier on in the day affect my perception of the world around me.  Sometimes, everything just looks so much more different just because of a simple thing called lighting.  Even though all of these changes are taking place, I still find the world that you and I live in to be beautiful-just in a different kind of way.       

High Museum of Art

The High Museum of art offers a little bit of something for everybody.  There is both the traditional art as well as the contemporary art.  Some pieces will force you to question what the artist was thinking upon the time of creation while others may appear boring and unstimulating.  The museum design is done in such a way as to create some sort of narrative in order to guide the viewer through what may seem to be an overwhelming experience.  In most cases, there is a reason as to why a painting was completed in the manner that it was, and there is a reason for why it was displayed in a certain fashion.  The answer to these questions cannot always be explained, but it is, in most instances, justified.   

   

Science Museum in London

The science museum in London does not have an entrance fee, so many are not completely sure whether it is public or private art.  I believe that it can be both.  The science museum, while educational and informative, has a whimsical atmosphere that makes it that much more wonderful.  The exhibits are not simply for educational purposes.  They are examples of art made out of many different materials in many creative ways.  One of my favorite displays of art showed the inside of the human brain.  I think I might want to become a neurologist, so I found this brain to be informative and aesthetically pleasing.      

Orsay Museum

The Musée d'Orsay is the typical museum.  It possesses all of the qualities that one expects a museum to possess.  There are high ceilings, a lot of intricate details created from rich materials, and the walls are covered in awe-inspiring works that date back for many many years.  The museum can be more than just a building with a bunch of famous works within it though.  In fact, my brother found it quite entertaining to “pose” as if he was a part of the works in order to liven up the experience.  Private art can be a great experience, so we shouldn’t think of it as dull.  Instead, we should look for those particular museums that offer something more-something extraordinary.           

National Gallery

The National Gallery in London is not only beautiful on the inside, but it is also beautiful from the outside.  It is the perfect example of both private and public art.  A lot of museums today do not have an entrance fee, so does that mean that its contents are private or public art?  The inside of the museum is filled with a lot of art.  The walls are hardly bare, and the décor is hardly unadorned.  I remember not focusing solely on the art but on the building as a whole.  There was so much to take in that I find it difficult to even recall my favorite things about the museum.  So I am faced with the question: is it better for a museum to possess a lot-possibly too much or for a museum to possess a little-leaving the viewer wanting more?    

Notes on the Gallery Space

“The ideal gallery subtracts from the artwork all cues that interfere with the fact that it is art.  The work is isolated from everything that would detract from its own evaluation of itself.”  Recently I have noted that a lot of museums will display the artwork in an open space on an open wall.  This allows the viewer to asses the art for what it is without other distractions, other paintings, which may interfere.  Simplicity seems to be the “new thing” in terms of how and why a museum’s art is presented in a particular fashion.  I personally like this form of exhibition because it forces me to take a good hard look at the painting or sculpture without all of these other distractions.         

Museum Art

Individuals often perceive the art that is located in museums as boring and/or uninspiring.  I do not believe that it has to be considered in this way.  While the purpose of museums is often to educate and inform, it can also be a place where people come to see that which is beautiful and creative.  Over the years, when my family went to Europe, we spent a lot of time in and out of museums.  In my younger years, I had a very hard time appreciating the works of art, but I think I might have just been too young to understand them.  This past summer, I visited additional museums, and I looked at the content within them with a new set of eyes.  For the first time, I looked at the paintings as more than just paintings.  For the first time, I was mature enough to go to multiple museums in a day while still loving the experience.  Therefore, museum art--while different from public art--can be fun and exciting, interesting and rewarding.    

Halloween Costumes

Are Halloween costumes public art?  They’re everywhere, and they can be a great way for an “artist” to express himself or herself.  So many materials can be utilized to create such works of art, and so much time and dedication can go into creating that perfect look.  I believe that these costumes are art.  For instance, there’s lots of color, and the appearance of the ensemble can radically change depending on who the individual is who is wearing it.  Art is supposed to be fun sometimes, and the way one is dressed is one way for that individual to have fun and be unique.  

Experience working on visual essay

Working on the visual essay project was an interesting assignment because it made me question public art.  For the first time, I questioned that which I see and observe everyday.  I now look at things in the environment and across the globe in a new and creative way.  To my surprise, objects really do have a different “look” when photographed in a particular way: from above, from below, up close, far away, in brightness, or in a dimly lit area.  Furthermore, numerous individuals have a very extensive definition of what public art is.  I personally chose to not focus in on one particular area.  I looked at all types of public art, and then created a theme to encompass them all.     

Art in Atlanta

Atlanta isn’t always considered to be the “land of art,” but there are actually numerous displays once you start to become aware.  There are so many buildings which, from far away, create a wall against the sky which acts as its background.  There is also a lot of modern art in addition to more traditional art.  I personally enjoy it when the two become integrated.  Furthermore, due to the variety of people that inhabit the area, you can find graffiti and murals, fountains and statues, billboards and stadiums.  Atlanta has a little bit of art for everyone.  Even though the High Museum is located in our very own backyard, it is not necessary to go there if you want to experience art.  The city offers a lot—now we must go out and observe.   

Eiffel Tower

Many people would consider the Eiffel Tower to be the most beautiful building in the world.  Upon viewing this tremendous structure this previous summer, I was truly surprised by its great size and solid structure.  The entire form remained completely motionless despite any environmental change and its impact.  Underneath the tower, one can feel miniscule in comparison.  I personally never truly understood how large this great tourist attraction was.  At night, it is lit up and shines against the dark night sky, but during the day its structure remains a structure – it is a place for people from all over the world to congregate and appreciate.

The Eiffel Tower is beautiful from all angles.  From far away, the viewer can appreciate the complete work of art.  From underneath, the viewer can appreciate all of the inner workings.  While passing by, one can catch glimpses of more odd and unconventional angles through the spaces between the buildings that surround it. 

Art in Gardens

Many individuals assume that art lies within that which is beautiful.  Art can also be found around that which is beautiful.  Gardens are a great place for viewing art because it is an unconventional form of art.  Some gardens are shockingly beautiful due to their vast size while others promote perplexity due to distinctiveness and unusualness.  The beauty can be found in the type of flower, the color of the flower, the layout, the abundance of plants, and the overall feeling an individual walks away with after the viewing.  It can also be influenced based on other environmental conditions and the place that it surrounds.  Perhaps the garden comes secondary to the building and perhaps it is itself the “main attraction.”  

Please view the following images displayed in this link:

http://travelintospain.blogspot.com/2008/09/most-beautiful-and-famous-gardens-in.html

  

Biotechnology Buillding vs. Klaus

The Georgia Tech campus has many forms of art all around it.  There are more modern elements and more traditionally historical buildings.  For instance, the biotechnology building is very traditionally constructed.  Its brick exterior and straight lines contribute to its conventional style while the glass outer walls of the Klaus building add to its contemporary appearance.  Both are beautiful, but they are both very different in style and appearance.  The curved walls of Klaus also make it appear a bit more unconventional and unique.  I do not know which one I like more because I traditionally like more “customary” architecture; however, Klaus is so interesting and thought-provoking.  I regularly think of constructing buildings out of four straight walls, not one long curved one.         

Public Art - Grafitti

Graffiti is a type of public art that is accepted by some and rejected by many.  It can be beautiful and representative or it can be destructive and hurtful.  Graffiti, for many, is a form of escape.  It is a way to draw, write, and create something that reflects one’s true emotions or feelings concerning a certain matter.  Many individuals think that this form of public art looks “bad” and is not representative of the area where it is located; however, in some instances, it is actually a piece of artwork.  Graffiti can be a form of escape and it can also be a place for an artist to display his or her true artistic ability.  It can be beautiful, and it can be found in many places all over the world.    

Louvre

This past summer when I visited Paris, France, I insisted that my family and I go to the Louvre.  Surrounding the entrance is an array of very intricate and ornate buildings; however, the area in which people enter through is very modern.  Both are beautiful, but I must say the modern entrance is a bit more unexpected.  

The paintings inside the Louvre are, for the most part, very large and grand.  The Mona Lisa, one of the biggest attractions, is significantly smaller and a little disappointing in terms of size for me.

 

I really enjoyed my visit to the Louvre, and I would certainly recommend it to others.  There is a little bit of something for everybody and a little bit of everybody there.  It was beautiful to see people from all over the globe congregate to view some of the greatest works in the world.  There were so many responses in so many languages to the same pieces of artwork.  The impact it had on us all was limitless. 

      

Bodies Exhibit

Many individuals would find the content in the bodies exhibit to be quite controversial and even slightly gross.  I personally find the exhibit to be a display of the beauty of the human body.  I have never personally visited the exhibit; however, I would like go to since I am a pre-med student who finds the intricacies of the human form to be enthralling. 

The bodies exhibit is for a mature audience who can see beyond the “flesh” in order to appreciate the beauty that lies beneath.  Some of the displays are more vivid than others, and some show love while others show strength.                    

Think about going!  The website is http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/

Art in the Marta Station

The Marta station is a building constructed of straight walls that are highly undecorated.  Most of the coloring of the building ranges from shades of light grey to dark grey, and there are not many ornate details within the building.  However, on my way down a particular flight of steps, I encountered a very beautiful piece of artwork.  It very much reminded me of something that one might see in a European museum.  It appeared that certain figures of individuals and creatures were constructed out of stone and placed skillfully on a wall from one floor of the Marta station to the one below.  It was, in a sense, very unexpected-yet beautiful.  I thought to myself about why such an “elaborate” design would be located in such a “plain” building.  I later realized that the creator of the building, and all those who contributed, must have had some rationale for the inclusion of such an unanticipated design.    

La Pedrera

 La Pedrera, located in Spain, is a building with only curved walls.  While most individuals would most likely consider the construction of a building to be completed with a certain number of flat walls, this artist decided that curvature would be a more interesting technique to use.  This form of construction is definitely more interesting and unique and is therefore a big tourist attraction for visitors to the area.   

The following website includes some additional examples of intersting buildings that will challenge the way art can be found in the construction of a building.

http://villageofjoy.com/50-strange-buildings-of-the-world/

Barthes

In the Barthes article, the following is stated. 

“I have no need to question my feelings in order to list the various reasons to be interested in a photograph; one can either desire the object, the landscape, the body it represents; or love or have loved the being it permits us to recognize; or be astonished by what one sees; or else admire or dispute the photographer’s performance.”    

I also possess a similar opinion because sometimes an initial response to an image cannot be explained in an organized list.  Sometimes one’s reception is a sense or feeling that cannot be explained in words.  For instance, when I look at Leonardo Da Vinci’s work in the Sistine Chapel, I cannot explain my response in words.  I recognize, and I am astonished, but it is an inexplicable feeling and sensation.  His work, his talent, and the overall product are desirable.  I am interested in his paintings, but I don’t feel the need to question my feelings.  My feelings are sometimes easily accessible without a close examination.      

Beauty of Flowers

Art and beauty can be found in numerous situations whether intentionally or accidentally.  Lilies are my favorite type of flower, and I have recently truly started seeing them as artistically beautiful.  The various colors utilized in the creation of this flower are undeniably aesthetically pleasing.  

The orange and pink not only provide a greater aesthetic appeal, but they change the atmosphere in the environment.  In biology lecture, we have been discussing how organisms often adapt to the surrounding environment in order to survive, and how each organism changes the variation and has an impact on other organisms in the environment.  Therefore, the colors not only help the organism to survive, but they have an impact on other species in the environment.  I find them beautiful and pleasant, and they make me feel positive and cheerful.

Art can be found in any aspect of life.  The question is whether a person is able to recognize it.   

Patterns of Intention

In Patterns of Intention, it is stated that “Many of the more powerful terms in the description will be a little indirect, in that they refer first not to the physical picture itself but to the effect the picture has on us.”  I believe that the effect that a picture has is just as important if not more important than the actual picture itself.  All individuals can view an image and report what they see in actuality: color, objects, lighting.  It takes a true literary artist to translate and convey his or her emotions and response into a description of the effect of the piece.  Countless individuals walk in and out of famous museums everyday and view the same well-known paintings; however, how many of them receive the exact same effect after viewing the art.  Even though everyone is seeing the same picture, no one is having the exact same response as another individual.  It is the responsibility of the literary artist to put into words that which we cannot see.      

The image above is one that many people may have viewed before.  We all see the same image, but the effect on all of these people is different.  Every description may be ineffective because no description can describe all aspects of a given piece of artwork.  

Las Meninas

There is a section of Faucault’s work that describes how “language is inevitably inadequate” when describing a picture.  I agree with this statement because there are an infinite number of ways and forms to describe an image or piece of artwork.  However, sometimes individuals will be consumed with the following thought.  “I don’t know how to describe it.  I know what it is, but I can’t seem to put it in words.”  Language is inadequate because sometimes the available words for description are infinite while at other times they are unavailable.   

     

The way that you would describe this painting is different from the way that another individual would.

Another item of fascination is that in all of the analysis of this painting in my previous Spanish classes, we never discussed the image reflected in the mirror on the back wall of the room or other prominent details in the painting.  We primarily focused on the history of the artist and the time period during which this painting was created.  I have analyzed this painting on multiple occasions; however, I have rarely analyzed it with the same intent as I did in class during discussion.    

 

The following quotation is stated by Bal and Bryson on page 186.

“It must be recognized that possession of codes of viewing is a process, not a given, and that members of groups acquire their familiarity with codes of viewing, and their ability to operate those codes, to varying degrees.  Access to these codes is uneven: codes have to be learned and their distribution varies (and changes) within a group.”

In this current age in time, many people may say that they are not art people.  He or she may say they do not understand art.  Art, in a way, is very similar to a mathematical concept.  Even if you are a math person, not all mathematical principals are intended for equal understanding.  Comprehending and understanding math is a process just like considering a piece of artwork is.  It is imperative that an individual takes the aspects of the piece of art one step at a time like one would do with a new math problem or concept.  Gaining access to these “codes” for understanding is a task that varies in degree of difficulty.  Furthermore, attainability of these codes may depend on who the person is as an individual in addition to his or her openness to “the problem ahead.”      

Semiotics and Art History

     When reading Semiotics and Art History, I became very interested when I read the following sentence.  “Since readers and viewers bring to the images their own cultural baggage, there can be no such thing as a fixed, predetermined, or unified meaning” (Bal and Bryson 207).  I completely agree with this statement because I believe that with so many ethnicities, backgrounds, experiences, and opinions, no one description can ever be used to describe one thing.  I believe that the fact that we are all so different and perceive things differently is what makes the art that much more beautiful.  Bal and Bryson also state that, “An image does not represent a single subject-position, but rather an organized plurality of them” (202).  Therefore, an image can have numerous meanings either on the part of the artists or on the viewer.  Everyone sees and creates in a different manner as a direct result of the person he or she is.   

How you perceive the image above is result of who you are as an individual. 

Favorite and least favorite items at the High Museum

 One item in particular that I found exceptionally interesting and innovative was the slice chair due to its fun and uncharacteristic nature.  I personally found the way the artist was able to create such a piece out of aluminum to be remarkably interesting.  In contrast, I did not care for the Bone Lounge Chair as much as some of the other pieces because, to me, it came across as ordinary and traditional.  

Furthermore, I truly enjoyed viewing the Brigitte Goblets due to the feminine and delicate nature of the glass.  In contrast, the orgone stretch lounge was not one of my favorite pieces simply because I am more fond of the older and more traditional European style as opposed to that which is contemporary and modern.   

Lastly, I honestly enjoyed the postmodernism section of the exhibit because I loved the bright colors and inflated objects.  I liked the jack lights because they reminded me of atoms, the current topic in a few of my current classes.  I also liked the display called you can’t lay down your memory chest of drawers.  I thought the way the artist used the common object to create something so original was very admirable and exciting. 

European Design since 1985-Shaping the new century at the High Museum of Art

            My initial visit to the High Museum of Art was unlike any other experience that I have ever been presented with.  Although I have visited many distinguished museums and galleries in Europe, the dissimilarities in materials, design, and aesthetic were quite evident.  For instance, this exhibit seemed to demonstrate minimalism in terms of the resources used to construct the pieces of artwork.   The majority of the selected pieces appeared to have been created out of glass, metal, and ceramics during the time periods referred to as postmodernism and modernism as opposed to inflatable items during the postmodernism period. 

            Another distinguishing factor was that more traditional European works are very intricate and long-established, and the items at the High Museum appeared to be more contemporary as a result of the increase in angles and movement.  Furthermore, at some notorious museums in Italy, France, and England, the artists do not place as much importance on beautifying the common objects existent in the world like at the High Museum.  However, this exhibit included many unexpected elements as a result of the usage of brilliant colors-the neon evident in the postmodernism period, unconventional materials-the pieces of cloth on the rag chair, and use of everyday objects to create something extraordinary-the cabinets included in the piece you can’t lay down your memory chest of drawers.  

Image that describes art

The possibility associated with art in addition to its influence on individuals is infinite and unfathomable.  It cannot be classified as black and white, and it is therefore imperative that one truly reflects and becomes receptive in order to allow the shades of grey to prevail in contrast to what is most apparent, black and white.  Often, there is room for an abundance of ingenuity; however, on other occasions, the selected area for inventiveness appears much smaller in size.  Sometimes it may appear that the accepted spectrum within artwork may be more restricted than limitless as a result of cultural and generational constraints.  Furthermore, upon first glance, many individuals subconsciously formulate an opinion regarding a given piece of artwork.  This initial impression can usually be described as a feeling of like or dislike, a very black and white manner of thinking.  This image also describes art because the viewer is constantly redirecting his or her attention due to the sharp contrast in color and direction.  When observing a painting, an individual’s eyes and concentration also shift from one thing to another as a result of the artist’s use of color, creativity, materials, and inspiration.  It is the responsibility of the viewer to find the light at the end of the tunnel, the emotion and purpose behind a piece of artwork, in order to obtain true insight regarding the man behind the piece of artwork!