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I agree with your post. I think that people too easily believe everything that they see. I think that it is important that people are able to express themselves in their own ways, but also that certain things should not be so easily accessible to the public. Great post!

Disclaimer- Due to the storm, my internet was not working on the 10th. I apologize for my late submission.

Week 15 Response

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Week 15

Is censorship in art/entertainment required? Why or why not?

I think that censorship in art and entertainment is a debatable topic. Art is a form of freedom of speech where people can express whatever they choose. I do believe that censorship should not be required. However, under certain circumstances it should be. For example, school children should not see certain things until they reach an appropriate age where they can understand it. Topics such as violence, sex, etc. are examples of what I believe should be censored for children. The article explains, “Sex in art and entertainment is the most frequent target of censorship crusades. Many examples come to mind. A painting of the classical statue of Venus de Milo was removed from a store because the managers of the shopping mall found its semi-nudity "too shocking."” This form of art has been around for a long time which is why I don’t think it should be censored in today’s society.

Do you think ideas and concepts by artists can be dangerous? How?

No, I do not think that artists ideas and concepts are dangerous. The article explains, “There is, in fact, virtually no evidence that fictional violence causes otherwise stable people to become violent.” Although people can result in violence, I do not believe that art is the reason for this.

Is there a parallel to be drawn in the United States with freedom of speech and art content? In your own words, how far does that go, or how much of our right to free speech should it cover?

I think that the idea of freedom of speech is important in our society. Artists should be able to express themselves in any way that they choose. I don’t think that there is any line that should be drawn on what an artist wants to create. The article explains that there are many ways that parents can block websites and TV shows that they don’t want their children to see. I think that this is important because this way, artists can still create what they want, and parents can simply block what they want their children to see.

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Week 12

The artwork that I decided to write about this week is called “Le Désespéré” by Gustave Courbet. This is an oil painting that was created in Paris from 1843 to 1845. The title of this piece translates to Desperation or The Desperate Man. 

The main reason that I chose this painting is because it is a self-portrait of Gustave Courbet when he was younger and his emotion of despair. I thought that this was interesting because I never really learned much about self-portraits and was excited to learn more. For me, I really enjoyed the great amount of detail that was put into this. I enjoy the facial expression of despair that is presented as well as the physical cues that he is giving to enhance this feeling. While researching Gustave Courbet, I learned that during the years of 1840 to 1850, he was able to create twenty-four self-portraits, all with the central idea of showing the viewers his early self and the psychological changes that he went through.

Gustave Courbet uses shape, texture, color to represent himself and his feelings as a younger version of himself. The Desperate Man is an oil canvas painting of the artist himself on a horizontal plane. This was interesting to me because during the Romantic period, most art was typically vertical (Curiator.com). Fine Art Connoisseur defines this painting as, “Courbet presents himself frontally in a tight, claustrophobic, horizontal frame.” The article then continues to talk about the facial expressions given. The article, Portraits of Romanticism, explains that Courbet uses darker colors in the background, around his neck, and his hair that gives the sense of the Romantic period. He also uses light mainly on his forearms and shirt while his face is in the shadows. In this painting, he also uses rougher strokes of the brush to create a texture. This is important because during the Romantic period it was more common that artists use fine, smooth strokes. While the viewer looks at this painting, they are able to see the emotion of despair that Courbet is trying to display. He wanted the viewers to pay attention to him and to push the limits of the Romantic time period. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the painting of The Desperate Man. It was interesting to learn more about the artist, Gustave Courbet, and how he created his paintings as well as his meaning behind them. I enjoyed looking the amount of detail that was put into this piece and more importantly how this painting made me feel while looking at it. It is almost like you can feel what he is feeling, which is why I think Gustave Courbet’s artwork is so important. I am looking forward to learning more about this artist and also seeing more of his artwork. 

“In this portrait you see a man in a frantic state of mind tearing at his hair with bulging eyes. The viewer sees the emotion behind this painting, the sheer panic of a man lost within his own thoughts” (Portraits of Romanticism.)

Works Cited: 

https://fineartconnoisseur.com/2017/06/portrait-of-the-week-gustave-courbet-the-desperate-man/

https://romanticportraitsblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/10/gustave-courbet-the-desperate-man-self-portrait-1844-45-oil-paint-45-cm-x-55-cm/ https://curiator.com/art/gustave-courbet/le-desespere-the-desperate-man-self-portrait

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Week 11

My initial response to Ai Weiwei’s artwork was that it was very intriguing to look at. I think that he does an amazing job of taking his ideas and views on different matters and putting them into his artwork. “Rather, he uses his art as a method to express his views and his quest for what he seeks” (YouTube video). When first seeing some of his artworks, I was shocked by how simple yet complex they were. He uses everyday objects and turns them into something so different which makes them so pleasing to look at.

I think that his work is both art and activism. In the video, they explain that Ai Weiwei puts himself in the center of global matters. He uses these issues and creates art to get his point across. Not only does he create art, he also uses his voice to interview people during world crisis. He uses social media such as twitter to express people’s voices, explain what they are going through, and what it is like to be in those situations. “He uses his personal experience to question, criticize, and voice his thoughts.” (YouTube video). Ai Weiwei continues to talk about how artists views and their voices are necessary and important to share with the world.

In regard to his artwork being considered “fine art”, I believe that it is. Ai Weiwei takes global issues that he believes needs to be shared with the world and turns them into something magnificent. Through his art you can see the amount of time and effort that he puts in which shows how dedicated he truly is. Ai Weiwei’s art is also very broad. He creates pieces that have a meaning but can also be interpreted in other ways.

I do not think that Ai Weiwei’s art hinders humanity. I that his art does involves government intervention to express individual freedom. His art is a form of freedom of speech. Ai Weiwei is determined to show the world his frustrations about what the government is doing and expresses this in a powerful and nonviolent way. He uses this to express his feelings on these specific topics. I think that art is a form of expression, and artists can express themselves in any way that they choose. If things are not expressed though art, it is possible that some people will result in violent acts.

My favorite piece by Ai Weiwei is “Forever Bicycles”. This piece is intended to represent China’s mass production which fuels the Chinese manufacturing industry. Ai Weiwei uses 1,254 bicycles to create this masterpiece.

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I like the artwork that you chose! This painting is very similar to the artwork that I chose, Medusa, where it shows the decapitated head of medusa. I like how you talk about how his mouth is open. This is also similar to Medusa, which shows the silent screams from her as she is about to be killed. I like how you explain that this is a painting that represents two persons of himself, the younger and the older version. I agree that Caravaggio has a deeper meaning behind this artwork and I think that he purposely does this will all of his pieces. I think that this is what makes his work so amazing and popular because he is able to incorporate his own experiences with his paintings. 

Week 6 Blog Post

The painting I chose for this week’s blog post is the painting of David with the Head of Goliath, which was created by Caravaggio in the year 1610. In the painting, David is standing with a sword in one hand and the head of Goliath in the other. This painting is dark and powerful, and there is so much emotion and meaning to it. A theory I researched that really helped build my opinions on this painting suggests that David and Goliath represent two versions of Caravaggio, the young and the old.

This painting is three dimensional as the figures have a life-like size and view. I think the fact that the figures are the only things displayed in the painting proves the powerful message that Caravaggio wanted to provide. It is pitch black behind David and Goliath which makes me consider the piece to be a moment in time, and it puts off that nothing else is happening in the world at that time. The facial expressions also intensify and dominate the painting. From the previous theory, considering that David is young Caravaggio, I think his expression shares a sense of immaturity, innocence, and guilt about the deed that he has just done. From Goliath’s face, it looks as if he had just been murdered. His eyes eye are at a lost gaze, and his mouth is open as if he had just taken his last breath. Although Goliath is clearly dead in the painting, his face also kind of shows a look in disbelief and disappointment to his younger self. It also caught my eye that David’s shirt is only covering half of his body. From the perspective that the event just happened, I think his half shirt represents that it may have been cut during the murder. 

Overall, Caravaggio is a great artist, and the painting of David with the Head of Goliath is one of his best. I was drawn to this piece because of the meaning behind it, and how Caravaggio may have combined his personal experiences and his paintings together. 

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Week 8

The piece of art that I chose is "Medusa" by Caravaggio. This was created in 1597. It is painting on oil canvas that is mounted on wood. This artwork caught my eye because it is a recreation of Greek mythology, which is something that I am interested in learning more about. This artwork represents Medusa who is a female creature who has snakes for hair. Greek mythology says that people who look at her will turn to stone. The artwork was created two different times, first in 1596 and the second in 1597. Caravaggio.org explains, "The purpose of this commissioned was to symbolize the Grand Duke of Tuscany's courage in defeating his enemies." The article explains that Medusa is a Greek mythology Gorgon monster. Gorgan refers to three sisters who have snakes for hair who turn people to stone when they look at them. Medusa was one of the three sister who was not immortal and was killed by Perseus.

The article then talks about how Caravaggio uses his own face for Medusa's to represent that he would not be turned to stone. It also talks about how he kept her mouth wide open to express a silent and dramatic scream that she must have felt right before she died. I think that this is what stood out to me the most because Medusa is supposed to be intimidating to others, but here she is afraid or her own death.

The colors in this piece are darker tones. I think that Caravaggio does this to represent a more horrific feeling to the viewers. The artist uses shape by creating a human with snakes as her hair. The snakes especially have a lot of detail on them. The artwork is also very symmetrical. The face does not overpower the snakes and the snakes do not overpower the face. They balance eachother out. The emphasis on this piece is definitely on the facial expressions of Medusa. The artist uses the facial expressions to show fear.

In conclusion, I really enjoy this artwork. I think that Caravaggio does an amazing job of making this piece have so much meaning behind it while also being able to represent Greek Mythology. I enjoyed learning about Greek Mythology as well as the Caravaggio's purpose behind the creation of Medusa.

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Kaitlyn,

I really enjoy the images that you chose. I like how you explained the first photo as well. The author of this artwork wanted to show how human choices also come with consequences, in this case, being hell. I thought it was interesting how he decided to put his own face in the portrait as well. Maybe he feels that he made mistakes in his life that he doesn't agree with and can not accept. 

Week Five- The Garden of Earthly Delights

If we “read” The Garden of Earthly Delights painting from left to right we see the creation of man/woman, life, and failure because they could not resist temptation.

The first panel, God introduces Adam and Eve. In this panel we see an array of strange creatures throughout the landscape. We see an elephant and giraffe but there are also a lot of different looking or unrecognizable creatures (unicorn or dinosaur looking creatures). Although God, Adam, and Eve stand at the bottom portion of the panel their feature is just as important as all the other creatures. The introduction of Adam and Eve can be seen as a highlight to God creating man, to have someone like him, but the rest of the piece question if this was a mistake. 

The second panel shows naked people cavorting. This shows the after of Adam and Eves removal from paradise. The people represent Adam and Eves offspring. All of the people are seen in groups, suggesting mostly erotic relationships, representing the temptation of sin and lust. We see different variations of owl creations which seem to be there to provoke evil. Many of the people are seen with berries, which show a hallucinogenic landscape, which I think shows how each person created their own idea of hell. 

The third panel shows hell. The scenery changes to a much darker and grim landscape of torture and dispair. This panel shows an almost warlike or prison scene where people are being tortured by demon-like animals. Under the throne the people are puking and defecating which can represent them being purged of demons and sin, and we see this represented throughout the whole panel.

The first photo I included from the triptych is a self portrait of Bosch in the third panel. I chose this because I found it interesting that he included himself in the painting and also that he placed himself so visibly noticeable in the third panel of hell. I take it as a representation of his own struggle with lust and sin.

 I also included a picture from the second panel of a group of people, but specifically showing a bird feeding a person a berry. This shot gives a glimpse of the erotic, lustfull, and hallucinogenic atmosphere. 

sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garden_of_Earthly_Delights#/media/File:The_Garden_of_Earthly_Delights_by_Bosch_High_Resolution.jpg

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/northern/hieronymus-bosch/a/bosch-the-garden-of-earthly-delights

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Week 5

When first looking at The Garden of Earthly Delights, I was shocked by the amount of detail that is in it. Even while looking through the images individually, it was difficult to find them while looking at it whole. I think that the amount of detail is what makes this piece of art so wonderful. No matter how many times you look at it, there is always something new with so much meaning behind it to find and learn about. The Garden of Earthly delights is made to express Eden, the garden of earthly delights, and hell. I enjoyed this quote on the description of the artwork, "God appears as the creator of humanity in the left hand wing, while the consequences of humanity's failure to follow his will are shown in the right." I think that this is definitely expressed in this piece.

The first image that I chose is from the center panel. This piece is described as men and women expressing free will by doing activities that give them a sense of pleasure. I chose this part of the artwork because it was something that I really had to look for while looking at the image as a whole. Wikipedia explains that the middle panel of this piece is supposed to express that there is no boundary between good and evil. People aren't aware that their actions have consequences.

The second image that I chose is from the right panel. This panel is showing hell. The part that I chose specifically, is of hell with a city that is burning in the background. I picked this part because there is so much detail in it. In it, there is a city burning in the background, demons throughout it, war, mutated animals, and torture chambers. In the wikipedia article, it talks about how the naked humans in this image are covering their genitalia and breasts with their hands because they are ashamed. I think that this is important because in the middle panel people aren't ashamed of their bodies and want to enjoy their pleasures. Now that they are in hell, they are aware of their consequences.

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I agree with your blog post. I think that from what is happening in Hong Kong, artists will be able to reflect and express their feelings/emotions through their art. This then can inspire other people, which is what I believe is most important. I also think that the art that is being produced their can give the government an idea of what these people are feeling about the issue at hand. Hopefully, these artists will create change in their society. 

Week 4 post

I agree with Abby Chen, from the article when she explains, “Hong Kong artists are at the forefront in terms of thinking about their global identity in this rapidly shifting world.” I believe that in these times of confrontation for Hong Kong from a point of view concerning art that it will surface new/different energy and environments. Some art will be created to show how terrible living conditions there are and others maybe to try and bring out some beauty from somewhere (maybe in nature) in Hong Kong to act as hope that things will get better.  I would say for art it can inspire artists to see first hand what is happening in Hong Kong. Now chaos and or hostile behavior will cause many issues and not be good for most everything else and may even have some down sides for art, but artists if looking hard enough can find new inspiration at these times. A lot of the photos in the article are even taken in artistic ways, using pops of colors, focusing on one object and blurring the background of the rest of the photo. We see a lot of broken glass and vandalism, which are showing us the conditions of things in Hong Kong. The article stated that it is a dangerous place to be right now especially if you are near a protest. To my understanding most of the art that will be produced from these times in Hong Kong will be very heart-breaking to see all the harm and destruction. I thought this quote sums up the article, “These traumatic experiences have opened my eyes to humanity in a new and deeper way, which has inevitably informed the way I cover my own beat and helped me to reflect on the true meaning of art.”  

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Week 4

I think that this quote means that from these experiences, artists will be able to reflect and express their feelings and emotions through their art. Artists are able to take the things that they are experiencing during this time and turn it into whatever they want to prove a point about the matter at hand. I think that what she means when she says, “This is about being human...,” she means that humans will express their true feeling about the matter at hand in whatever way they choose. People are being greatly impacted by these matters, and they want to see a change. 

"Some have resorted to violence out of desperation, but many have also turned to art and creativity as their weapon of choice." (Abby Chen)

I think that art is very influencial and can impact the way that people feel. Art is a powerful tool that can be used to express feelings and emotions, which can been seen through other people's eyes. For example, during the black lives matter protests, people are using art to prove a point which is influencing people all around the world. I think that art can be a way to protest peacefully, while also being able to still express aggression and other emotions that can be expressed physically.

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I really enjoyed reading about the piece of art that you chose! I liked that this piece of artwork is connected to religion and it was interesting to read about. I like that you talk about how the artist created this in a renaissance style while still being able to keep his German heritage involved in it. I also was interested that you chose this piece because of the deeper meaning that lies behind on it and not because you thought it was “pretty” or “fun to look at. Great post!!

Week 3

This piece of art was created by Albrecht Dürer.  The first engraving of this piece was made in 1504.  This oil painting took Dürer three years to complete.  This piece takes us back to the beginning of the Bible about the story of Adam and Eve.  Something that I have never seen before, is how the author chose to sign his name in amongst the picture, instead of signing it towards the bottom of the picture like in most art pieces.  Another interesting thing about his signature in this piece is that this is his only piece of art that he signed his full name to.  

This piece of art is presenting Adam and Eve standing in what it looks like, a dark forest.  This is interesting to me as the Bible describes the Garden of Eden as beautiful, including fruitful trees as well as many animals.  The animals in this piece represent the four temperaments of the medieval idea.  The branch that Adam is holding represents the Tree of Life.  The twig that Eve is holding is from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge.  

In this piece, Adam and Eve are shown to have somewhat symmetrical poses and appear to be naked.  Both of the figures shown each are bent at the knee while their right arm is slightly bent at the elbow and at a distance away from their body.  The man is shown with more muscular features, while the woman is shown to be more curvy.  Their skin color stands out in contrast with the darkness in the forest.  

The Renaissance era reminds me of religious pieces that could be found in a church or other religious settings.  The relation of this piece to the Renaissance era is the way he used the proportions of the human body, while keeping his German heritage alive.      

I chose this piece of art because there were many fine details that are presented throughout the photo, with some having a religious meaning to them.  Dürer perceives the Garden of Eden in a completely different way than how the Bible explains it to us in the book of Genesis.  Another reason that I have chosen this art work was because of the symbolism that it contained.  One that sticks out to me is the goat that is standing on the edge of the cliff in the top right corner, which symbolizes unbelieving and lust.  On the other hand, though, I see the parrot as a symbol of wisdom.  

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Week 3

“Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” 

Artist: Pieter Bruegel the Elder 

Year: 1555

While looking for a piece of artwork that I wanted to learn about, this was the one that really stood out the most. I think that is because most of the other pieces of art were more of portraits and people, where this one is a landscape and the people in it aren't necessarily the main focus. I like that because the more that you look at it, the more that you notice.

This painting was done with oil on a canvas. While reading about this artwork, I learned that “Icarus” is a metaphor for human pride (Landscape with the Fall of Icarus). The painting represents a Greek mythological figure of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun, when his wings melted away and he fell into the sea (Landscape with the Fall of Icarus). This is shown in the painting on the lower right side underneath the boat.

Spring is the season that the painting is displaying. It is a spring tone because of the way that the water is bright and because there are plants that are blooming. I think that this is supposed to be ironic because it is a peaceful view and, in the background, there is a man drowning.

In this painting, everything flows together, meaning that it has balance and unity. When looking at it, my eyes don’t divert to other objects that are in the picture. It is a landscape picture with a similar tone.

The contrast in this painting is that there are peaceful projects happening in the front while there are a man’s legs kicking out of the water in the background which creates more of a drama feeling.

I think that the emphasis of this painting is similar to the contrast. I think that this is because they are trying to emphasize that the world is huge, and that one person’s suffering does not impact the whole world and often goes unnoticed.

The movement of this artwork starts at the left side of the painting with the man and the horse. My eyes then flow to the water and then to the ship that is in the water.  

In this painting, the weight varies between people and objects. In the front of the image, the person, horse, and trees are much larger than the ship and especially Icarus, who is drowning in the water. I think that this may have been done to distract the viewers eyes away from Icarus which may be the main point of the story, that people aren’t paying attention and that no one noticed.

Works Cited:

“Landscape with the Fall of Icarus.” The British Library, The British Library, 7 June 2016, www.bl.uk/collection-items/landscape-with-the-fall-of-icarus.

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Week 2

Of the many advances in our world in the last 50 years, I think that one of the most important is the creation and evolution of technology. Technology is always changing and always advancing. Many would even say that technology is something that we would not be able to live without. For example, without technology, I would not be able to type this post right now or even be in this class! In this post, I will mostly be talking about the use of smartphones and how they have evolved over time.

According to textrequest.com, about 77% of all Americans own a smartphone. The first smartphone was created in 1992 which contained a battery life of about 1 hour and features things such as email, address book, faxes, touchscreen, and predictive typing. Today, there is a numerous number of things that we are able to do on our smartphones. For example, the battery life on smartphones today last for days with continuous use, the devices are faster, more powerful, there is a countless amount of storage, the use of apps, being able to stream music and videos, and many other uses.

The use of smartphones has greatly impacted us in the present day. It is a simple resource for communication, and we are also able to hear about the news and what is going on in our society. In the past, we heard about news from the newspaper, or by watching the news on television. With the use of smartphones, we are able to learn about what is going on in the world through apps such as twitter, facebook, instagram, and news apps. Another thing that is great is that we are able to hear about the news wherever we are at! I know that if I didn't have access to social media and news apps on my smartphone, I would not hear about anything that is going on in our world today. Although I do believe that it would be difficult to function without a smartphone in today's society, I also believe that it is possible. Before smartphones were created, people were able to live their normal life, which is why I think we could convert back into how it was.

Because the smartphone is evolving constantly, I really have no idea where it could be at in the future. I am amazed by how rapidly it has changed over time. One idea that I read about was how trends repeat themselves. I could see a smartphone being converted back into a flip phone, just because I know that some people really did like that style of phone. I also think that the smartphone could become something more futuristic. Meaning that is may be skinnier, lightweight, or even transparent. I think that there is endless amount that the smartphone could be converted and that it is hard for me to even imagine how much it will change in the future. Technology is always changing and evolving into something greater.

Works cited:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/01/29/nine-tech-experts-share-their-predictions-for-the-future-of-smartphones/#76dee82e4020

https://www.textrequest.com/blog/history-evolution-smartphone/

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Lindsay, 

I agree that this painting is beautiful and relaxing. I enjoy artwork that can make you feel a certain way. Good choice!!

Blog Creation_Favorite art piece

Growing up, one of my favorite art pieces has always been the “The Starry Night” painting by Vincent van Gogh. Without even knowing the purpose of this painting, I would imagine it to be lanterns in the sky, stars behind a mountain, and several other definitions in my childhood mind. Perhaps it was because it was an image on my elementary art teacher’s wall, or just being a popular work when discussing artists, but regardless, it remains one of my favorites today.

“Van Gogh Starry Night: Van Gogh Gallery.” Van Gogh Starry Night - The Painting and The Story, www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starry-night.html

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Week 1

This piece of work, “The Scream,” was a piece of artwork that I had seen multiple times throughout my years of schooling. I enjoyed this artwork because it made me ask questions. I always wondered about what and why the person was screaming. I think that art should make a person as questions, which is why I like this piece so much. 

Artist: Edvard Munch