Reflection

If I could do one of the projects from this term again, I would do the found object sculpture. I am really into 3-d art; the sculpture project applies to what I'm working on with my "innovative" material outfits. If I could choose what I made, then I would probably make miniature objects, like paper weights.

Of all the artists I researched, I think that Dale Chihuly is the most interesting because his glass is so intricate, yet random. His works are also very large, and must be hard to work with. His colors are vibrant and the shapes vary interestingly.

Works of Art I Know

Andy Goldsworthy
Icicle Star
2003
British

My first impressions:
this piece is so creative and must have taken a really long time to find the right size and shape icicles. Because of the form, this sculpture is probably extremely delicate, especially since icicles in general are very delicate. He must have exerted a lot of effort into balancing the legs of the sculpture on the un-even rock. The color is a translucent white, with a bit of blue. I'm also assuming that he had to work on this quickly so the icicles wouldn't melt in his hands.

What I have learned:
Andy Goldsworthy is known for working on sculptures from natural objects. Icicle Star is one of his temporary sculptures. Temporary sculptures are called ephmerel art. Other ephmerel art sculptures of his are made from sand, leaves, snow and anything you can find in nature. Since this kind of art doesn't last long, he takes photographs of them to document.

Works of Art I Know

Nude Descending a Staircase
Marcel Duchamp
French
1912

My first impressions:
This painting is intriguing because it shows the passage of time when a person is stepping down a staircase. This reminds me of a strobe light and how all of the frames are fit into one painting. Duchamp is not afraid to show each second of the action because the outcome is supposed to have shapes overlapping and mixed together. He doesn't paint the lines of the body, instead he replaces them with shapes. The colors may be dull, but they work very well when applying value to the shapes.

What I have learned:
Marcel Duchamp was born on 28 July 1887, in Blainville. in 1904 he traveled to Paris to decide which style of artist he wanted to be. All of his siblings became artists also. He was a member in the painters' group known as the "Golden Section". This group worked with showing movement and the passage of time on canvas. There was a commotion about the Nude Descending a Staircase in 1913 at the Army Show. The painting, which included both cubism and futurism, shocked the people. Many parodies and articles were written about the notorious piece soon after. It was learned that before hand, Albert Gleizes, another painter, asked Duchamp to take the painting out of the show, or change the title. To this Duchamp refused and submitted the work anyway. He came to New York in 1915 to find himself famous among people who were surprisingly excited about the breakthrough in modern art by Duchamp's painting. By 1914 he had put painting aside and started working on abstract forms and sculptures. In 1923 he put aside art altogether and dedicated himself to playing chess and being an art critic. Together with Katherina Dreier he founded the "Société anonyme" for the propagation of modern art in the U.S. He died on October 2nd 1968 in France.

Works of Art I Know

"Portrait of Miss Elsie Palmer" or "Young Lady in White"
John Singer Sargent
Italian
1889-1890

My first Impressions:
This girl is wearing a long and full white dress, so I assume that she is wealthy. Her body language implies that she has grace, but her face seems to lack happiness, even though there is a hint of a smile. It reminds me of the Mona Lisa painting, how her smile had been so mysterious, it was hard to tell if she was happy or not. The light looks like sunlight, so it must have been a sunny day. Behind her the wood wall has a pattern of carvings that continues until it reaches the bench she sits on. I think that this could be the inside of a church, right next to a door so the sunlight can enter through.

What I have learned:
Miss Elsie Palmer was the daughter of a wealthy American from Colorado. She had rented the Ightham Mote house in which John Singer Sargent would visit frequently. He also painted A Game of Bowls at this house. Sargent had other paintings of children, such as Jeanne Kieffer, 1879 and Casper Goodrich, 1887. In these paintings, he captures the essence of childhood from the art and literature of that time.