Beauty and Art

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

* What does this saying mean?
* How does it apply to our question “What is art?”
Address these questions by leaving a comment. Don't forget your name and hour, too.

What is Art? Aesthetics

In our class, we will be looking at art in four categories or strands: Art Production, Art History, Art Criticism, and Aesthetics. Aesthetics is a field of philosophy in which big questions are asked such as: What makes something “Art”? or What makes it good art?

When someone asks “Why is this art?,” they are asking a very complicated, but important question. They may be wondering about the value of an artwork or they might be responding to qualities in an artwork that they don’t like or understand. The real question they may be asking is “What is art?”

Develop a personal definition for “Art” that separates all objects into either “Art” or “Non-Art” categories. Leave a comment with your name, hour and definition.

Written Exam on Monday, December 10th.

Be prepared for your exam Monday.



Start by knowing the order of the color wheel...













Then, Be able to list the 7 color schemes:
Monochromatic
Analagous
Complementary
Triad
Split-Complementary
Warm
Cool


Be able to define each and create an example.

Use your Know Your Color Schemes! Review Pamphlet (the one with the Simpsons) to help study.

Which comes first, the art or the idea?

Some 20th-century artists pushed the limits of abstraction to the extreme. Once free of the perceived requirement to make representational art, they began to focus more on their ideas for what art could be. For some, the idea or concept became the most important part of the artwork. Since the 1960s, this type of art has been called conceptual art. Conceptual artists documented or diagrammed their ideas for various artworks. If they were interested in creating a physical object based on their plan, they either made it themselves or provided the instructions to other people to fabricate the piece as a drawing, painting, sculpture, or other work. Some conceptual artists simply display the plans, texts, or notationsas an artwork, which emphasizes the idea as the key part of their creative process.


Key Ideas of Conceptual Art

• The artist’s ideas are more important than the actual painting, sculpture, or object created.

• The use of language takes priority over visual experience.

• Artists criticized art-world institutions and society and wanted to create something outside of the system.


View the images and read the background information for:


1. Lawrence Weiner Bits & Pieces Put Together to Present a Semblance of a Whole
See More information @ http://schools.walkerart.org/swita/all2.html?ref=5:1



2. Sol LeWitt X with Columns
See More Information @ http://schools.walkerart.org/swita/all2.html?ref=5:2



3. On Kawara TODAY series
See More Information @ http://schools.walkerart.org/swita/all2.html?ref=5:3

From the Walker Art Center's website "So, Why is this Art?"
http://schools.walkerart.org/swita/switaact5.html

Discussion questions:
What do you think is more important, the idea behind an artwork or the actual work of art?

Conceptual art is a style of art that includes a wide variety of ideas and media. The emphasis on the artist’s thoughts and ideas led some to consider any activity or thought as a potential artwork. One of the goals of conceptual artists was to expand the scope of what art could be. In some cases, artists considered everything in life to be a work of art. Do you agree or disagree with these artists? Why or why not?

Respond in a post with your name and hour for a chance for extra credit.

Should Art Be Realistic?

1 2 3

Realistic art depicts or represents the visual world as closely as possible. Since the Renaissance in Europe until the beginning of the modern era, art has been valued for qualities that create an illusion of reality, such as light and shadow, proportion, and perspective. Many artists during this period were trained according to these ideals. Most people admire the work of a highly skilled artist in the traditional sense: one who faithfully reproduces realistic scenes. This ability was a major source of artistic success in the past, particularly before the invention of photography. Even today, many judge art by its true-to-life quality, which can make appreciating artwork that
is nonrepresentational more challenging.

The idea of abstraction, in which artists alter the visual qualities of a subject, was a major development in modern art. There are many degrees of abstraction in art.
Some artists made small changes in the look of their subject matter by simplifying or exaggerating colors or shapes. In these works, the subject can often still be recognized. Others created images that do not realistically represent any object. This type of abstract art may be called nonrepresentational or nonobjective art. It may be composed of basic geometric shapes and forms or a complex arrangement of colors, shapes, textures, and lines.

From the Walker Art Center's website "So, Why is this Art?" http://schools.walkerart.org/swita/switaact4.html

Which work above do you think is Representational? Abstracted? Non-Objective? Why?

“All works of art are by their very nature abstract.”
Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why or why not?

Do you think it takes more or less artistic skill to create abstract art? What type of art do you think requires more creative ability?

Reply to these questions in a comment. Make sure to put your first name and hour.

Does Art Have to Tell a Story?

For centuries, philosophers and artists believed that art must tell a story or have important meaning. In order to fully appreciate the artwork, viewers had to “read” this story from the image and understand its meaning.

Andy Warhol: 16 Jackies

In the 1700s, philosopher Sir Joshua Reynolds stated that great art must tell a major story. He even described the acceptable themes—Greek and Roman mythology and material from the Bible. Subjects such as portraits, landscapes, and still lifes were less important in art. While this may seem old fashioned today, many people still believe that art should express some great idea or tell a story. Therefore, to fully appreciate and understand a work of art, viewers must understand the message behind the work.

Jacques Lipchitz: Prometheus Strangling the Vulture II

This concern for meaning in art expanded in the mid-1800s. Some artists rejected the major art subjects and instead depicted scenes of everyday life and common objects. Others began to reject realistic work altogether and explored other types of images. As the messages became less obvious, viewers were challenged to decipher a story or understand the meaning of the work.

George Segal: The Diner

From the Walker Art Center's website "So, Why is this Art?" http://schools.walkerart.org/swita/switaact2.html

For one of these works, write a brief story about what you think is happening from the point of view of one of the people in the image. Look for visual clues in the artwork to help you add details to your story.

Turn it in to Ms. Ridlen for the chance to earn extra credit. If it is high quality work, you could earn up to 15 extra credit points.