Art Conspiracy Theories VA

A conspiracy going around is that the CIA funded the Abstract Expressionism movement to convince Soviet Russia how free and awesome USA was. It is a bit far fetched but to be honest it has its merits. Why else would anyone care about Jackson Pollack if it wasn't a global conspiracy? Go ahead and read this article about it to get a really good idea how something like this can happen. http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20161004-was-modern-art-a-weapon-of-the-cia

I want you to come up with your own grand art conspiracy. I am expecting at least 2 paragraphs on this and will be giving you an extra week to complete it. It will also be worth double points so really spend some time on this. And you can come up with any sort of conspiracy theory you want. From secret spies acting as artists, to the declaration of independence is hidden inside of the Death of Marat by Jaques Louis David. Make sure you come up with a why.

These should be weird. If they are good enough I will try to slip them into my FAC classes as facts.

Art Manifestos VA

For this assignment you will read this article about art manifestos and write a little bit about one of them. Art Manifesto's are a declaration of intent for the art collective, signifying their purpose as an art movement. They are very important for the development of Modern Art as the artists voice became as important as the art itself.

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/ten-game-changing-manifestos

Pick a movement from the list and write a little bit about it. The article is great at summarizing their intent so i'm not expecting you to write something new yourself, just your impression of it.

Your sketchbook assignment this week is to Write a manifesto yourself and then to make a piece of art about it. I expect at least 7 points to your manifesto and an awesome name to your movement.

Spirit Animal of the Baroque

Artsy had this great article on the Baroque time period. I've talked about it in class in reference to Caravaggio and Rembrandt, but there is a meaty middle between full of artists that changed the course of art history.

Your assignment is to read this article and pick an artists discussed to find your Artists Spirit Animal. Don't over think it, just find an artists that speaks to you and why. Talk about how they embody your ideals and morals. There is plenty to choose from here. Also link an animal that you think represents that artist.

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-these-masters-of-the-baroque-painted-dramatic-scenes-of-spiritual-revelation

Color Artist VA

This unit is focusing on color so what I need from you is some information about artists that are know for their use of color. Write a little bit about them, a link to their work, and why you picked them.

To keep it interesting only artists post WW2. And only one person can write about an artist. So only one post about Jackson Pollock. 

Semester recap

Write a little bit about your experience in the class this semester. What you liked and what you didn't. Recommend things for next semester. I have a few things set in stone when it comes to projects but it doesn't mean there isn't wiggle room.

Also recommend questions to ask the class for online assignments next semester. Art related of course but it can be branching.

A: What you liked.

B: What you didn't like.

C: Something you know now that you didn't before, any class.

D: Question for next semesters online assignment.

Printmaking Artist VA

The final project of the quarter is a relief printmaking assignment. You will be carving your own linoleum block and printing in class. The point of printmaking is the multiple and creating an edition.

Online assignment this week is to research a printmaking artist, write a little about him or her, and post a link. There are 4 different types of printmaking:

Intaglio - Literally means "to carve into". A copper plate is carved or etched and ink is put into the lines which is then pulled out with the use of a press.

Relief - Carving a wood or linoleum block to create recessed lines. Ink is deposited on the top, uncarved layer and printed on paper without a press.

Serigraphy - A matrix is made on stretched silk and inked through with a squeegee. This has more commercial applications, t shirts and what not. Also known as silkscreen.

Lithography - Mystical science based off of grease and water don't mix. A limestone block is etched with Nitric Acid and printed using a very flat surface.  Not to be trifled with. 

http://www.feverishart.com

My artist is Johanna Mueller. She works out of the gallery "The Lions Nest" in Colorado. Her work is about the spirituality of animals. She typically works in the medium Wood Engraving which falls under the Relief group. Her work is intrinsically detailed and full of movement and color. She recently has moved more towards collage, embracing the multiple aspect of printmaking. A bit from here artist statement.

" Enhanced by printmaking’s history of narrative, my work delves into the shared histories of humans, as told by animals. These compositions are full of animals within animals, a reference to animal cognition and spirits within animal bodies. "

What are you into? VA

Were all into stuff that other people aren't. Hobbies aren't just a means to relax they are a way that helps connect us. So tell me what you are into. Don't just say video games or poetry, tell me which type, how do you use that to connect in a community. Here is my example.

"In High School I was really into music, specifically Metal bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan and Meshuggah. I really couldn't stand what any of my peers were listening to at the time so I used that music as a way of finding like minded people. I followed the music online to a website called Gamefaqs, where they had specific message boards geared to music. And since it was a bunch of video game nerds like myself, I was able immediately connect with them and discover new music online. Side note, I am still friends with that small group and we check in on each other even though we have all gone our separate ways, with our own careers."

Link to a Meshuggah song, you don't have to click it.

One Week Project

This week you will be doing your own project. I don't care exactly what it is about as long as you put in the required amount of effort. For it you will answer this checklist to make your life easier. 

For your project answer these:

1. What is your theme (Love, loss, nachos)? What is it about (Are you focused in solving questions, working in techniques, experimenting)?

2. What materials will you use and in what media will you be working (Drawing, shading, watercolors)?

3. What artist are you researching? You can use one you have already written about or scour the archives to see one that interests you.  (Write a quick blurb here about an artist that is going to help inform this work)

4. What size will you be working and on what substrate?

Haiku VA

A creative person expresses themselves regardless of media. So far you have been creating visually, now I want you to express yourself phonically. Time to write and perform a haiku. Some of you know what haikus are, here is a quick run down.

It's about nature,

Structure is 5,7,5

 they can end quickly.

See how easy it is, I wrote a haiku about writing haikus. Just think about nature, don't rhyme, and stick to 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, and 5 again in the third.

Also you have to find artwork online and post a link to it. It should accompany your haiku, like how we did with the Poetry assignment, except you don't have to make the art. You can, but its not nessesary.

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Haiku-Poem

Don't make it boring

Art Critics VA

Art Critics are an essential evil. They disseminate the cultural relevance of art and culture and present it to the public in a digestible way. That being said, they are jerks. In the early 20th century new art was treated terribly and made to seem worthless. Wether they don't get it or were paid off or what, history didn't favor them and their views. 

So heres what I want you to do. I want you to take a famous art piece from the early 20th century and try to destroy it as if you were a critic.

Here are key points you should hit:

Why their art is terrible.

Why they are terrible.

Why their movement is terrible.

Here is a wiki about art critics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_critic

Post the Title, Artist, and media as well as a link to the artwork. Have fun with this. Be hyper critical, but don't slam something without evidence or proof.

Also no Marcel Duchamp. 

Hispanic Artist

Write about a Hispanic Artist. There is a lot to choose from so focus on South and Middle America. Basically I'm saying don't write about Picasso or Dali, actually just stay away from Spain.

Make sure to put a source.

Write about their influences, their work, why they did what they did.

Poetry Vis Art

Re post your poem with a title and your pen name. Thats it for this week.

Poetry Vis Art

A creative person creates, regardless of the media. So far you have created visually, now its time to create phonetically. This week in class will be the beginning of a unit which you will illustrate a poem you write, during critique you will recite the poem and everyone will snap and have a good time. These will then be collated into a zine and published for you to keep and maybe even for people to buy, who knows.

The first step however, is for you to write a poem. Write about something you care about and it will come much easier. These don't have to rhyme, they don't have to make sense, they just have to work. They will be read aloud, so don't write about anything that you wouldn't say to another teacher. So to make it easier, stay away from love, violence, being racist, or vulgarity. Lets keep this fun and make some rad poems.

Here are some links to get you started

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Poem

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tyger

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/45474

http://flavorwire.com/217118/10-poems-everyone-needs-to-read/2

Art You Don't Like VA

We all have prejudices about art. I personally have several (don't ever do scratchboard art in my class). This weeks assignment is to tell me what you don't like and why. Please provide a link to back up what you are talking about or so I have an idea of what they do. You can write about an art style, an artist, or a whole art period that you don't like. Please touch on why someone might like them though, I want to know the other side of the coin.

Here is an example:

http://www.damienhirst.com

Damien Hirst is terrible. Early on he was with the YBA (Young British Artists) and had actual credibility with his work. It was inventive, efficient and visually pleasing. Then he took a turn, I personally believe its when he became friends with the lead singer of U2, Bono. He started dressing and acting like Bono and as his celebrity grew his art declined. He reverted to the bare necessities of Post-Modern art, the grand scale. He started spending untold amounts of money to just kill and preserve animals in formaldehyde and said "Hey guys, look how great I am!" 

The highest of his terribleness comes with the piece titled "For the Love of God" which is just just a human skull covered in diamonds. He started describing the media he works in as Money. Nobody needs that. Nobody needs Damien Hirst.

Art Careers VA

http://www.studentartguide.com/articles/art-careers-list

Here is a pretty decent sized list of careers in art with write ups about a few of them. I would like you to pick one and write a quick paragraph about it. It doesn't have to be one you want to get into but that might make it easier. 

Art Movements VA

Write about an Art Movement you enjoy. Here is a quick reference to several  Be sure to include an artist from that time and a link.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_art_movements

Here is mine:

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Baroque_period

The Baroque period existed in the 1600s and its style consisted of dynamic figures, extreme dark to light shading called tennebrisim, and was considered the natural evolution of the High Renaissance. Some artists are Michelangelo Caravaggio, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Artemisia Gentileschi. It was succeeded by Rococo and Neo Classical art movments.

Art Techniques

There's a lot of different ways to make Art. I know some, and so do you. But I want to know what you don't know. Your assignment is to think of a technique or media you would like to learn. This can be charcoal drawing, watercolor, acrylic, bookbinding, collage, crackle paint. Honestly anything. And you will post a link to it online with a brief description of it. We won't get to most of them in class, but we might. Here is my example.

http://boingboing.net/2014/10/09/foundations-in-comic-book-art.html

I would like to learn Comic Book art. And not just how to arrange a book or write a story, but how to deal with certain angles, scene building, the importance of line. I think this would help the class because I think everyone has a story I'm sure they want to get out.

So that is mine. Moving forward, stop plagiarizing these posts and don't forget to include links.

Book Binding

Here is a step by step tutorial with plenty of pictures.

http://canadaartsconnect.com/magazine/2014/05/tutorial-sketchbook-coptic-stitch-binding/

Here is the video from class

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue52htX3j0k

Art you may like

First assignment:

Post a link to an artist you like.  Please refrain from the Ninja Turtles (DaVinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello), try to find someone more current. Write a little bit about what you like and how you would recomend them to others. 

Here is mine.

Trenton Doyle Hancock

Trenton Doyle Hancock deals with issues ranging from current political climate, cool scenerery, to the deeper recesses of the artists' mind. His work is dynamic, playful, dark, and super weird. I would recommend him to anyone who enjoys an artist at play.

See, simple and to the point. These discussions will be posted every Sunday and due every Friday.