Artist Quote 12/12/12

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."

-Thomas Merton

Artist Statement

When I got the final assignment for design, I was totally overwhelmed seeing that I felt personally obligated to meet high standards. I constantly feel that everything I do artistically must be clean, sharp, detailed, and neat. Therefore, I was a bit concerned and anxious about the painting aspect. My artistic style is very romantic and dreamlike, so I wanted to incorporate those factors into my final design. At first I had no idea what to do. I had to create a microcosm, a macrocosm, and the Golden Mean (Fibonacci sequence.) The first thing that popped into my head was a wilting daisy as my macrocosm which steered me to the idea of the dead of winter. As I started to research the Fibonacci sequence, I came across many images that lead me to the idea of spiralling thorns, which eventually would become the Golden Mean. The thorns seemed to harmonise perfectly with a rose, but not a daisy per say. Roses are more romantic and fairytale-like. I looked at many images of roses and decided to zoom in on one and abstract it. I knew then that I wanted to incorporate a winter landscape. Bare trees, snow, and an icy path with a reflection of the moon hit me all at once. I struggled with the pathway in the macrocosm because I wanted to create a reflection that slowly faded out into darker values. However, I would say the most difficult part for me was the rose. I found it frustrating to zoom in and abstract it. As soon as I started to play with value in the rose, I realised that I wanted to really zoom in to the inner-most parts of the blossom. My last challenge was what to do with the negative space in the wintery landscape. I knew that I needed to add a dark color to help the moon pop. But I knew that would take away from the path and the trees; so, I came to the consensus of a horizon line. After doing so, I feel my design came together in a unified way: It is romantic, wintery, and fairytale-like. I genuinely loved doing this project. It was challenging, yet inspiring and I learned so much more about myself in the process.

Final painting!

I finished my painting finally! I struggled with the rose but I chose to abstract it. Also I struggled with what to do with the negative space in the macrocosm, so, I made a horizon line because it would show that it is night time. Anyway, I'm happy with it!

scientific principles panel progress

This is my scientific principles panel. the microcosm is on the left. It's supposed to be a dying daisy. the middle is a stream of icy water with winter trees (which i have not finished yet) and the right is my golden mean. I made spiralling thorns. That part is finished. The part that I'm still a little stuck on is my daisy. I feel like it should maybe be a rose because that ties in better with the thorns and the macrocosm.   So I need some feedback on if I should change that. (I think I should) and it would be a little more fairytale/romantic/dead of winter concept that I was going for

Artist Quote 

"Art is a step from what is obvious and well-known toward what is arcane and concealed - Khalil Gibran

Surrealistic Landscape

Artist Quote November 6

"If you hear a voice within say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.

-Vincent Van Gogh

I like this quote because it is inspirational. It is very straightforward and I identify with it because sometimes I feel discouraged. So this quote really struck me.

This was created by a mexican food studio called Golpeavisa. It is a portrait of Rene Redzepi, the Danish chef and owner of the restaurant. They used a variety of different textures in this artwork, including roots, asparagus, wine glasses, and many other foods. It looks very three-dementional. There is implied texture in this piece because the white tablecloth looks three-dementional because of the textures around it giving it the illusion of form. There is a transition from light to dark on the chin and neck, and the left side of his face which is chiaroscuro. Value contrast is also used in this. There are extreme darks and extreme lights. But there are also shades in between the extremes. Emphasis with value is apparent also. the right eye seems to be a focal point. Everything is built off of that point. I think there is value pattern in this because of the placement of the dark and light objects; it has unity.

"No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist." 
- Oscar Wilde

Homework #4

Chapter 9: Texture

1.    Describe three ways to define a pattern in art or theory?

-       repetition of a design or shape

-       a dynamic way of capturing visual interest

-       order and variety of shapes, colors, and values

2.    How can a grid help to define a pattern?

-       Many patterns can be reduced to a grid resulting in “crystallographic balance or order.” Elaborate patterns might be set on a grid so complexity in symmetry, repetition and rotation can occur successfully.

3.    Describe the similarities and differences in pattern and texture?

-       Pattern is defined as repetition of a design with the same thing occurring and reoccurring over and over again. Texture often repeats as well. However, its repetition does not have the regularity of appearing and reappearing as pattern does.

4.    How can texture be used to create visual interest?

-       Texture appeals to us when we touch it. Even if we don’t touch the object, our memory provides a sensation of touch. Variations of dark and light patterns of textures give us clues so that we can either enjoy or not enjoy the textures vicariously.

5.    What is the difference between actual and implied texture?

-       Actual texture is texture that you can actually feel. Implied texture is totally flat, but the line or strokes of the image make it look like there is texture there.

6.    How do you define collage? Give an example.

-       A collage is gluing or pasting bits and pieces of different materials together.  For example, you could use greyscale from white to black in magazine clippings like we did in class to make collages in class.

7.    What is tromp L’oile? (French term: fool the eye)

-       It is the ultimate point in creating visual texture. It is commonly defined as “deceptive painting.” Objects which are in sharp, clear focus, are characterized and described very accurately. The artist will copy exact visual color and value pattern of a surface.

Chapter 12: Value

1.    Define Value and value scale.

-       Value is the art and design term from going from light to dark. Value scale is only shown in 7 steps from black to white even though there are unlimited steps between black and white.

2.    What is achromatic gray?

-       Achromatic gray is a scale of seven values of gray. They are mixtures of only black and white.

3.    What is Value contrast?

-       Value contrast is the relationship between the areas of light and the areas of dark.

4.    How do you create balance in a composition with value?

-       You must arrange the values and use variation in lights to darks, independent of the colors that are used. You want to be balanced in the distribution of values in between black and white. Contrast is a contributing factor. 

5.    How do you create emphasis with value, given an example?

-       You can create emphasis by using a “starting point.” A “thematically” crucial character or element can be emphasized by value contrast. Extreme dark and light contrast can also create emphasis.

6.    What is chiaroscuro? What period in art history was the word originally used?

-       Chiaroscuro is the illusion of having a three-dimensional quality to shape. It is using light to dark to imply depth and volume in a drawing or a painting. This word was used in the Renaissance.

7.    What is aerial or atmospheric perspective?

-       It is when objects far away become less visually distinct and absorb into the atmosphere as the distance is increased. 

Artist Quote 10/23/12

"Those who do not want want to imitate anything, produce nothing."
-Salvador Dali

I like this quote because I think it is very true. With anything I produce, I get inspiration from something. Whether it's nature, other artwork, my surroundings or music, all ideas come from some sort of inspiration whether we realize it or not.

Artist quote

Once the object has been constructed, I have a tendency to discover in it, transformed and displaced, images, impressions, facts which have deeply moved me.
-Alberto Giacometti

Fire & Water panel! Mine is just water though.

This is the second quadrant the I did on photoshop. I'm not very happy that I can see where the paper connects with the others.

MET Instalation

I went up to the roof at the MET and saw this awesome instalation. It was really cool because it was almost like a mirror and it reflected light and mirrored all the different things around it.

MET Assignment

   This is an untitled painting by Franz Kline created in 1952. I saw it and was immediately drawn to it because it looked like the artist that created it felt so free; almost as if the sides of the painting were cut off because the strokes seem to run off the canvas. This painting has visual unity. It achieves visual unity by emphasis by isolation and emphasis by placement. the box-like shape in the center of the paining is the focal point. My eye was drawn to it as soon as I looked at the painting. I think the artist was trying to express an emotion. I'm not sure how he was feeling or what he was thinking when he painted this, but I think he might have been trying to convey anger: almost as if the shape in the center of the box-like shape cannot get out. It looks slightly trapped inside it. Yet, I think the artist was freeing anger because the bold, black strokes go into the box a little and that center shape inside the box curves at the bottom, connecting with a the lower left stroke, which I think looks like it is being gently pulled out of the box. The line quality is very bold and fearless. I would say there is explicit line drawing my eye to the center, becoming thicker towards the focal point. 

The lower painting is by Clyfford Still, untitled, and created in 1977. It was one of my favorite pieces that I saw at the MET. It is so simple and minimal, but there is a complexity to it as well. The placement of the marks are so carefully thought out. Its so still and serene. I felt relaxed when I saw it. There is great balance in here. The black mark balances out the red and yellow marks. There is very apparent implied line; the marks feel and look as if they are being pulled together. There is harmony in this painting because she shapes of the marks have a feathery edge to them, fading out, creating a softness throughout the painting. It achieves visual unity by proximity. The elements are placed closely together and that creates a relationship between the marks. It also achieves unity by chaos and control. The shapes are not remotely neat in any way. They are slightly messy, but, the way they are placed on the canvas is very controlled. I think that is what the artist was trying to convey in this painting

These paintings relate because they both achieve visual unity and that marks and line quality are both very bold. They are both abstract and they both convey an emotional reaction: the black and white painting is more messy and angry and complex, and the colorful one has a calm simplicity to it.  They are different because while the first painting is very chaotic, the bottom one is controlled and chaotic at the same time. Both paintings have strokes that look very free. 

Contemporary art

I really liked this painting at the MET because it is so intricate and each strip-like shape is so carefully placed. It reminds me of tons of different slivers of paper entwined together

Non-objective layouts are finished! From top: depth, gradual transition from black to white, asymmetrical balance, dynamic tension, ebb & flow, chaos & control, mood 1 loneliness, mood 2 excitement, anthropomorphism, textural pattern. 

This is my first quadrant that I glued together and I'm really happy with it!

Jen Stark is a contemporary artist who works with making paper sculptures. Her work is inspired by microscopic patterns in nature, wormholes, and sliced anatomy. Her ideas are based on replication and infinity like this one above. I got this off of http://designboom.com . Unfortunately, I could not find the date it was made, I just thought it was extremely interesting and popped out at me. 

This sculpture has kinesthetic rhythm; I personally feel happy and excited, and energetic when I look at it. It also has progressive rhythm. The organization and repetition of the shapes and colors creates a pattern and unifies the artwork. 

The top of this sculpture has contour line. Before the sculpture descends down into the infinity like shape, the white block is intricately cut into the shape that starts the sculpture. The shadows of the curvy shapes inside this sculpture suggest explicit line; my eye is drawn to the valley-like shapes between each curve inside the block towards the right corner. Line as direction is also used in this piece. the lines are spiky, curvy, and horizontal within the white block. They express happiness, liveliness and it is very serene.

What is a focal point and list three ways to achieve it?

A focal point is a specific element that is accented or highlighted in a design. It is the power and strength that make a design work. 

Three ways to achieve this:

• emphasis by contrast
• emphasis by isolation
• emphasis by placement

List at least three types of rhythm and explain how it can help unify a piece of art?

- rhythm in motion can help achieve unity in a piece of artwork because it involves movement in the layout, organization, and settlement of shapes. It unifies the shapes or elements in a design or piece of artwork by connecting them in what can be many different ways. 

- alternating rhythm can helps create unity because it is a sequence of shapes the appear in a certain order which creates a pattern.

• progressive rhythm helps achieve unity because it too, involves the repetition of some sort of element. Instead of just a shape appearing and reappearing, progressive rhythm appears in a more regular way. It is achieved with a variation of shapes, colors, texture, tone, value, and many more. 

What is kinesthetic rhythm?

kinesthetic rhythm is when we look at a piece of artwork and actually feel something in our senses. It should remind us of something by our remaining four senses: touch, sound, taste and smell. 

What is the definition of a line? 

A line is something that has no sides (height or width.) It is when we create the first mark and set it in motion; it starts movement and we create the first dimension in a design or piece of artwork.

Contour:  lines that create an outline or a some sort of profile telling us about the form or an element or elements. These lines are just outlining the edges of objects

Gesture: lines that do not stay within the edges of an object. They move within and across the object to suggest movement and density. 

Implied line: a disguised or concealed line that is created by positioning a series of marks so the eye connects and can move freely across a page. 

Explicit line: lines that create an apparent meaning or definition of form. They become more clearly and sharply defined  so that the eye is drawn to certain shapes or parts of shapes. 

Lost and found line: a form is acknowledged by sharp, explicit or distinct lines while other lines seem to simply disappear. 

Line as direction: the direction of a line can convey mood. It can also indicate activity, movement, or rest. For example, horizontal lines suggest rest, vertical suggest an activity, and diagonal suggest movement. 

Psychic Line: there is no actual real line, but we sense and feel a line, mentally connecting things together. 

Line as texture and pattern: Textures and patterns are created with lines; the placement, thickness, harshness, softness and direction of strokes and line create these. 

Progress.... Slow progress :)

Quadrant

This is my quadrant assignment. I tried to make each design unique and also to have some sort of emotion or mood to each one.

Textural pattern composition