dominant/non-dominant hand drawings & questions

1. What was it like using your hand as subject matter for a drawing?

Using a body part of our own as the subject for this work felt a little strange.  You needed to hold still and pick up small details while trying to draw with another part of your body.  It was kind of neat doing so.

2. What media did you select - pencil or charcoal? Why?

I just happened to use pencil instead of charcoal.  Nothing against using charcoal, a pencil was just more easily available for me to use for this work.

3. How did it feel to create a drawing with your non-dominant hand? 

It was a little bit harder to use my non-dominant hand(which is my right hand since I am left handed).  I am pretty ambidextrous when it comes too many other activities, but I still needed to focus a little more when using my non-dominant hand and it definitely did not feel as natural.

4. Compare and contrast your final drawings. Do you think they are successful studies?

I think it was successful in the fact that they came out okay and it was nice to see the slight differences in both of the hands I drew, but my drawings aren't anything special.

5. Would you consider using your non-dominant hand to create artwork in the future?

Most likely not, but you never know.  It would all depend on what I was doing.

dominant/non-dominant hand drawings & questions

1. What was it like using your hand as subject matter for a drawing?

Using a body part of our own as the subject for this work felt a little strange.  You needed to hold still and pick up small details while trying to draw with another part of your body.  It was kind of neat doing so.

2. What media did you select - pencil or charcoal? Why?

I just happened to use pencil instead of charcoal.  Nothing against using charcoal, a pencil was just more easily available for me to use for this work.

3. How did it feel to create a drawing with your non-dominant hand? 

It was a little bit harder to use my non-dominant hand(which is my right hand since I am left handed).  I am pretty ambidextrous when it comes too many other activities, but I still needed to focus a little more when using my non-dominant hand and it definitely did not feel as natural.

4. Compare and contrast your final drawings. Do you think they are successful studies?

I think it was successful in the fact that they came out okay and it was nice to see the slight differences in both of the hands I drew, but my drawings aren't anything special.

5. Would you consider using your non-dominant hand to create artwork in the future?

Most likely not, but you never know.  It would all depend on what I was doing.

da vinci, the night watch, el greco, primavera, video responses

1. Explain why you selected each of the FOUR videos you choose from the selection listed above.

I selected the Leonardo Da Vinci video because I feel his work and variety of so many great things is fascinating.  The Night Watch video also interested me because I wanted to know why it was such a huge hit in Holland.  I had heard of El Greco before and wanted to learn some more and I also did not know much about La Primavera and wanted to explore more

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

Da Vinci- From a young man, he was gifted.  Not only was he a painter, he was also an architect, engineer, among many other skill sets.  He did so much throughout his life and ended it as painter, engineer, and architect to the King in France.
The Night Watch- For the Dutch, the Night Watch is an item of pilgrimage.  It is common to see the work at least once in your lifetime for the Dutch.  Rembrandt made his works with drama as well as history.
El Greco- He became one of Spain's greatest painters, but he was almost forgotten.  The social and economic surrounding in Toledo really showed in his work.  His works later brought up the Romantic movement.
La Primavera- The Primavera was painted in the city of Florence in the 1480's.  It is one of the star attractions in its gallery.  Its scale really stands out.  In this video, we can see the relationship between marriage, rape, and sexual violence.  It was not uncommon for love to be a factor immediately in marriages.  People married for practical reasons and all of this is evident in the works of art during this time.

2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

All of these videos relate to the texts and chapters we have been reading.  Da Vinci was talked about a lot in our text and by seeing the piece on him, I was able to grasp even more how brilliant he must have been in his time.  These videos relate art, history and politics altogether.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?
These films were good to see.  I felt the El Greco and La Primavera ones were okay, but the Da Vinci one was my favorite and I took the most from that one.  Nowadays, brilliant individuals might only be brilliant in one or two areas.  Da Vinci, however, was a genius in many more focuses than that.  I personally enjoy learning visually, but having the text and the videos helps us all learn in different ways.

Cairo, Gothic, and Greek Art video blog

1.  I chose the Gothic style video because I am fascinated by the architecture of the style.  The title interested me right away.  I find ancient museums neat because there is so much history related to them and it is nice to see that.  We have grown up seeing famour Greek art and I wanted to see a little bit more about it.

2.  The Gothic style stood out for having manuscripts, jewels, stained glass, and the feeling of buildings reaching towards the heavens.  It was an age of strong faith and consumption.
The Cairo Museum is the largest artifact museum in the world and stores more than 160,000 attifacts.  The interesting fact is that only half of them are on display.  The other half are hidden underneath the museum in the basement. 
The Greek art brought out the most influential sculptures and buildings of Western culture.  They had great momuments and the Parthenon is known for being one of the most famous works.

The Gothic video relates directly to the reading because we are able to see the same types of things that make the Gothic Style unique- arches, stained glass windows, etc.
The other 2 videos relate to our readings because the artifacts from Cairo and the famous Greek art described has been discussed in our readings and videos.

3. My opinion on these films was that they were informative, interesting, and not too dry.  My favorite was the Cairo one because so many ancient artifacts were shown and discussed and it is amazing that such ancient artifacts are still in such good shape after such a long time.

architecture, classical architecture, frank gehry video blog

1. In the first architecture video, the buildings and structures of our time and much more complex than they ever were before.  Modern skyscrapers stand tall and the discovery of concrete and steel open up so many more possibilities.  Reinforced concrete holds structures up better.  Smart apartments and computers make task easier as well.
Classical Architecture-Greek and Roman empires have had a strong influence on generations of architects.  Greece had the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian styles, while the Romans had Tuscan and Composite styles.  Frank Gehry Video- They also invented the arch.  Public building today uses classical architecture.
Frank Gehry was one of the most celebrated architects in the world.  His interest in the relationship between art and architecture is evident in his work.  He was created some very famous structures around the world and many of them are fascinating.

2. The subjects/topics brought up directly related to the readings.  Specific things said of the different styles discussed were the same as in the book.  Some of Frank gehry's work is shown in different images in our textbook. 

3.  I learned facts I didn't know such as the fact that tall buildings may sway up to a few meters in heavy winds.  It is nice to see what we have learned in the book and to see it in video because you can make a better connection to the works and ideas after both reading and seeing it.

installation art, questions, analysis, etc

1A. Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces.  Installation art can be either temporary or permanent. Installation artworks have been constructed in exhibition spaces such as museums and galleries, as well as public and private spaces.


1B. The genre incorporates a large range of everyday and natural materials.


1C. Installation art is difficult to describe.  It is a mix of art, architecture, and interior type designing all put together to come up with a whole piece.


1D.  "The Driving Image" by Yayoi Kusama because it was unique and looked crazy with all of the dots put together.  Different color was used but the dots stayed consistent throughout this installation art.


2A.  I saw an installation work that made up a pyramid of oranges in the center of a room.  That helped inspire me for my idea for my own installation piece.  I went apple and pumpkin picking this weekend and wanted to incorporate that into my installation.


2B. I want to use materials from nature and the environment for my installation.


2C.  The materials I will use are the apples I picked at the orchard this weekend, a light green sheet to use as the blank background, and a old wooden table(I am using this to act as the floor since I live in a small 2 bedroom apartment and there is is no room to take up a whole room to create this art, even though I wish I had more space for it).


2D.  This installation is located inside my apartment.  I want the wooden table the apples are placed on to act like the floor.  I chose the sheet as a blank background because I wanted the focus to be on the apples themselves.

Ryan Malinowski
Apple Orchard
October 9th, 2011
Apples ranging from Empire, McIntosh, Crispin, Cortland, and Golden Deliciuous arranged on wooden flooring.  


The apples vary in proportion(small and large), color(green to red, and in between), shape, and have a certain texture to them as well as variety among them.


I want my installation to look like the apples are larger than their actual size.  If I had a whole room to work with, I feel that I could make this happen much easier.


Making an installation work is different because you are actually using the space in a room rather than a flat surface on a wall.  You have to plan a little differently and think about the surroundings/background much more.

questions for peer blogs, links attached, etc

My comments on:
-eleanor's blog about art gallery visit http://artandeleanor.blogspot.com/2011/10/responding-to-artwork.html

-eleanor's blog about slideshow http://artandeleanor.blogspot.com/2011/09/elements-and-principles-slideshow.html

My comments on:
-rachel's blog about art gallery visit http://higginsartthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/10/albright-knox-visit.html

-rachel's blog about slideshow http://higginsartthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/09/photography-reflection-journal.html


  I agreed with the elements and principles that this student chose.  I felt that the image she chose for shape could have also fit into the texture category.  Her image for unity also shows space in it as well very nicely.

 Yes, Milton Avery's "Bucolic Landscape" was an image we both chose.  Her take on the artwork was much deeper than my own and we saw different things.  I looked at the artwork as more of a peaceful setting on the pasture while she found it very differently.  I can see where her thoughts came from after analyzing the work a little more.  Claude Monet's "Tow-Path" piece was also chosen by both of us.  I related the image to the changing of the seasons here in Buffalo and Monet's work reminded her of a place she had been as well.

I feel that reading our peers reflections gives us a chance to see other viewpoints and reactions to works of art.  Without that, we would only know what we think and we wouldn't have a broad range of ideas.  By responding and having others respond to our ideas, we become more cultured in a way.

I find some comments helpful.  Of course we are not always going to agree with all of our peers thoughts, but at least we can see what they have to say.

-Three Videos & Questions

Through the Eyes of a Sculptor

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

A sculptor must use his/her feelings to carve life back into the shape.  Sculptors must often replace the original with a duplicate, using a new block.  In France, there has been an ongoing commitment for over a century to restore works as well, which is great training ground for sculptors to work on their craft.

2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

This video relates directly to the text.  In Living with Art, we learn about different sculpting ideas/techniques that are also brought up in this video. 

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics: Sculpture, Installation, and Craft?

For sculpting, I was able to get a better look at the process of how the sculptors went about doing their work and the steps they took from start to finish.  It looks much easier then it is I'm sure.

Glass and Ceramics

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

Glass and ceramic are two of the oldest man-made materials around.  Two traditional glass making techniques are glass blowing and the art of stained glass windows.  Glass is made from sand.  Glass is a liquid that stiffens when cooled.  For stained glass windows, the artist makes small models of the work.  Next using a tracing, they make a cartoon.  Each section is numbered and then cut out and used as a pattern to cut the glass.  Once they have their glass pieces, they can place them into channeled lead strips.  Those small strips are fastened and soldered at certain points to hold them in place.  They are finally covered with puddy to not let water come in.  Then they are ready to be installed.

2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

This video relates to the text because the topics discussed are also related to the topics right out of the text.  The glass blowing and stained glass window processes are brought up in both this video and the text.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics: Sculpture, Installation, and Craft?

This film gives us a first hand look at how stained glass windows are made.  I learned a few new things and did not know how they made these windows before I saw this video.  The steps are less complicated than I thought but the finished products shown were beautiful.  The craft of creating these windows was interesting to see.

Installation Art1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
Installation art is a controversial trend that manipulates space/perception and forces the viewer to look at 3-dimensional spaces in completely new ways.  With installation, the artwork really takes up the space.  It defines that space and that definition is entirely up to the artist.  Artists of the 1960's and 1970's really just wanted to break boundaries and explore new possibilities.  In recent years, artists have started to use film/video in the work more often.  Technology allows them to recreate work, change it, replace it, and gives them so many more options.  It is also much harder for galleries to take installation work since it is much larger and not as easy to place on a wall like a basic artwork is.
2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?
This video relates to the readings by showing us great examples of installation arts and the different types that there are.  Their are many different avenues that artists can take when creating installation.
3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics: Sculpture, Installation, and Craft?This film showed many great installations.  The dot works were really out there and the yellow dotted installation made you feel like you were in a fantasy maze just by looking at it.  I have a better understanding on installation and that it really just is bringing art to life in a 3-D way.  The art is brought to life more than it is on the wall.

albright knox art gallery visit- chosen artworks & questions

A. Which artworks make an impact or impression on me? Why?

Milton Avery's Bucolic Landscape is a great picture.  It just shows the natural rural setting and its relaxing setting.  It is not filled with skyscrapers and pollution.  This is just a nice old time picture.

 Jean Helion's "Standing Figure is a unique work of art.  It really stood out to me when I passed it in the art gallery.  Its shapes all stand out distinctively yet they all fit together so well and I enjoyed examining it for a few minutes.

Vincent Van Gogh's "The Old Mill" just reminds me of a nice vacation setting.  The background is very attractive and I was really impressed with this work.

Which artworks do I feel a connection with? Why?

 I feel like everyone can feel some type of connections to this work of art.  "Marie Ressort" by Roger de La Fresnaye.  The work is so natural with a blend of humans and animals and the artist really blended them together so well in this work.

 Raoul Dufy's "Le Pantheon et Saint-Etienne-du-Mont" immediately made me think about the changing of the season's, especially here in Buffalo when the weather changes from fall to winter and the very first snowfalls hit the ground.

Claude Monet's "Chemin de halage a Argenteuil" reminds me of a beautiful setting in a European city.  It's nice to look at.  You can see that their aren't too many clouds in the ski and the streets look welcoming.

 Jackson Pollock's "Convergence" is a very large and attractive work to view.  I would want to know why Pollock placed certain colors where he did and what this work of art means to him.

 Robert Rauschenberg's "Ace" is a large work with sections that are put together.  I would like to know more about this work and ask Robert why he took small pieces and images and made them stand out in a 3-dimensional way.  I read about him in Living for Art and think it would neat to find out more about this work.

Chaim Soutine's "Carcass of Beef" is a very graphic work.  I would like to know more about this work and ask the artist what their reasoning behind this work was.  Are they against killing animals or do they just find the colors and the idea of this image visually appealing?