Extra Credit Questionnaire

1. Which assignment did you ENJOY working on the best? Why?

I enjoyed the curation project the best. Even though it took a bit of time (we had plenty of time to do it, though) it was really fun to think outside the box about what artists to choose and why. I love making presentations like that, and I just thought it was a great activity that helped me apply everything I've learned in the class so far, and apply it in a real life way. I also enjoyed the museum visits, I feel it's a much different experience to see art in real life as opposed to on a screen, and it was a great way to get us all out into a gallery.

2. Which assignment did you ENJOY working on the least? Why?

My least favorite was the blog peer responses to the museum visits/elements and principles peoject. While I think it's a great idea in theory, the one student I was assigned did not follow the directions (specifically on the elements and principles photo project) and it was hard for me to complete my end of the feedback and responses. 

 

3. How did you like using BLACKBOARD?

It is honestly pretty confusing to start. Once I got the hang of it, it was fine, but my first week or so was tough to figure out where everything was, and I was nervous I'd miss something. It would be easier if discussions and content were all in the same place. There are just a lot of sections which makes it easy to miss something if you aren't paying close attention.

4. What is your opinion of the Discussion Groups in this course?

I liked the discussions, I wished we had more of it, honestly, or at least  had more opportunities for feedback from our peers.

5. Did you participate in any of the extra credit projects in previous modules? If so, what was your opinion of them? (mandala, elgin marbles, culture, art critics)

I participated in the Mandala extra credit. I found that if I didn't check the module far enough ahead of time, I wouldn't have time to finish the extra credit (my fault!) but I think it's great you offer the opportunity.

6. If you had the opportunity to change this course:

What would you keep?

I would keep the museum visits, multi media projects, the elements and principles project, extra credit, and the curation project. I also liked the blog component, it was nice to document everything.

What would you remove?

I would remove the Photobucket element. It's an outdated website and was hard to use. I feel a powerpoint would work better, or even our blogs.  

What would you add?

I would add more interactive elements with our peers. I thought the interactive projects where we provided feedback for each other was helpful, and I think the course would benefit more of that. I would also add some kind of interaction with the professor, or more feedback. I like feedback and find it helpful.

7. Would you recommend this course to your peers?

Yes, it's a great course and I feel I learned a lot.

8. Please list any other comments you would like to share

I think it would be helpful to have video instruction for each module. That probably sounds crazy,  but when I had the opportunity to engage with my peers, I often found it harder on my end because they did not follow the directions. Maybe a more interactive element in that way would help.

The only other issue I had was with the quizzes.  I had an issue on my last one where it was timing out on me and completing it for me before I was finished, which resulted in a lower grade than usual, and I did not see the message back that I had an additional opportunity until after the deadline had passed. Technology can be unpredictable, I understand that, it was just a frustrating situation.

Module 16: Reflection of AED200

1. What were you expectations for this course and where they met?

I expected to learn how to further expand my ability to understand how context and history affects the creative process and end result of art, as well as the artists who create it. I also expect to learn how to improve my ability to write about art and explain my understanding of it. I definitely feel like I met those expectations. I feel as though I've learned a great deal about how historical and societal context influences artists, as well as improved my ability to write about art. 

2. Now that you've been through this course, What is art? How would you define it now compared to your intial posting?

My original statement was that art is "Something that a person or group creates to convey a feeling, emotion, point of view or statement." While I still feel that is true, I would expand it. Art is created to convey a feeling, emotion, point of view, statement, and to document history. It is created to make a viewer feel something.

3. Who was your favorite artist in your original posting and who is your favorite visual artist now? If there is a difference, why do you think so? If you have the same favorite artist, why do you think so?

My favorite artist when starting this course was Jenny Saville. I'd say she is still a very influential artist for me, but I have also grown quite fond of Caravaggio after this course and learning more about him; specifically his history and his inventive use of light. I have also found a liking for Francisco Goya and seeing how his paintings were much different than any other artist of his time. There are so many artists that I learned about, it's hard to choose! I have found, however, that learning about context and history is incredibly important when looking at art and thinking about these types of things.

4. Now that you've completed this course, how do you feel about taking an online course? Is your answer the same as it was in your first posting? How is it the same or different?

Taking an online course is challenging. I was nervous to take an online course at the beginning, because I had taken one before and it was very hard for me to stay engaged. I will say, however, that this one was much better. I really enjoyed all the interactive elements; specifically the videos and interacting on projects and other students' blogs. It is, however, challenging to ensure you set aside the required time each week to complete the work since you aren't in an actual classroom. I think the course could benefit from more interactive activities with classmates like the gallery project, but I did notice some of the class did not follow the directions (which makes it hard to collaborate), so it's also important to take your time and carefully read everything! I also really enjoyed the flexibility of an online format; if I knew I had a busy week, I could double up and complete my work ahead, which was nice.

Self Portrait/Art Gallery Visit

I virtually visited the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
The three self portraits I chose as inspiration are:

 
Vincent Van Gogh, Self Portrait ,1889
Oil on canvas
438.2 x 571.5 cm


Judith Leyster, Self Portrait, 1630
Oil on canvas
651 x 746 cm


Nadar, Self Portrait With Wife Ernestine In A Balloon Gondola, 1865
Gelatin Silver Print
8.6 x 7.7 cm

Here is my reference photo:

Here is my self portrait: 

1. Why did you select the inspiration pieces?
I selected the inspiration pieces because I liked the juxtaposition of the three. The Van Gogh is very expressionistic, and I love his brush strokes and color palette. I chose the Judith Leyster because it is a pretty traditional painting and I liked that she chose to portray herself as an artist and in the midst of painting. Her subject is also very lighthearted, and the whole portrait is just light and happy. Finally, I chose the Nadar because I wanted to ensure I captured a different form of media. This one caught my eye because it was somewhat askew, and I liked that they posed themselves in a studio inside of the balloon basket. Taking photographs during that time took a long time, and I liked that they chose to portray themselves in a lighthearted way.

2. Why did you select the media to create your self-portrait?
I chose colored pencil because it is one of my favorite media to work with. I think it is fun to blend the colors and also be able to layer them. I wanted something colorful and expressionistic and I think colored pencils captured that.

3. What challenges did you face in creating your self-portrait and how did you overcome them?
I think my color palette was my biggest challenge. I first started out with a bolder palette with reds but as I started adding more colors it didn't seem to fit. I just tried to work with it and layer some colors so it did not seem so bright.

4. How does this piece represent you?
It represents me because I am always attracted to bright colors, and my portrait is light and happy and expressionistic. I also wanted it to appear in loose strokes, which is kind of a contradiction to my personality, as I am always double checking everything and pretty type-A.

5. What elements and principles of art did you apply in this work?
I applied color and form by using a non-traditional color palette to create the forms of my face and hair. I used texture through my pencil strokes which I think creates some movement and moves the eye around the image. 

6. Did you enjoy working on this project?
It was fun! I don't get the opportunity to draw as much as I used to, and I definitely feel rusty, but I've really enjoyed being able to practice a bit during this class. It was fun to think about how I wanted to represent myself.

7. What do you think of your final artwork?
I like it! Like I said, I feel like my drawing skills are a little out of practice, but I think it came out well and is a good representation of myself.

Module 13 & 14: Curation Exhibit Reflection Journal

This activity was really fun. I loved stepping back and thinking about what artists I would use, and what theme to choose. At first I struggled with a theme because I kept thinking the female perspective would be too broad a choice. However, as I kept thinking about it, I found links between all the female artists I chose. That link was that their work conveys their oftentimes different perspective than male artists. I did have some struggles, however. My biggest struggle was using the resources given in the resources folder- as they did not have as many artists or works as I wanted. I ended up using a lot of museum and artist websites, which was really helpful. It did take quite a bit of research to find sizes and mediums, and in some cases additional information on specific art works. I found this challenging and fun, though, and I learned quite a bit about artists I thought I already knew about! I also learned about some new ones, which is always great. It was awesome to put this together with influential women from all different decades and see how their perspective was/is shown through their work.

I really enjoyed this activity and hope to use it with my own art students some day!

Module 13 & 14: Video Review

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

An Acquiring Mind: Philippe de Montebello and The Metropolitan Museum of Art was about Phillipe de Montebello and his leadership in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. de Montebello was born in France and graduated from Harvard. Under his leadership as director, the museum's collection would grow to encompass all continents, eras and cultures. Currently, there are over 2 million objects in the Met. de Montebello discusses that while he does not always feel drawn to a specific piece of art, it is important to acquire pieces that are varied to express, convince and make an impact on us. The curators act as history writers; carefully choosing pieces that perfectly express cultures, eras, movements and mediums. de Montebello impresses that personal taste should not influence the decisions to purchase pieces, but more so the amount of impact a specific piece would have within the Met. The video also discusses conservation and how de Montebello completely revamped the museum's conservation ideals. There are over 100 conservation employees at the museum. The conservators also double as scientists; using chemical testing, X rays, and water. It is a constant battle between what you can do and what you should do in order to preserve the likeness of each piece. The video also discusses the exhibition; while museums present artworks in many ways such as books and online catalogs, experiencing art first hand in the round is the most important way to full immerse the viewer in them. Exhibitions can be large or small, focused on one topic or culture. 

The Tate Modern is 10 discusses the role of the institution and curator in exhibitions. The video discusses that the institution should work as the storyteller; giving new angles and perspective on art and its history. The Tate curators take away the anxiety of understanding different movements in art by arranging their collection in ways that make sense to the every day viewer. They arrange not by movement, or artist, but by how each work relates to the others.

The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art defines lowbrow art as art in which has no real category, but is created as a protest against 'high brow' or mainstream art. These artists were excluded from fine art galleries and the rest of the art world. It has often been classified as Pop Art Surrealism. Its origins lay within tattooing, hot rod culture, comics, and folk art. Lowbrow began after WWII and was influenced by McCarthyism, the opening of Disneyland, consumer culture, comic books, surf culture, and the ideas of the 60's. Ed Roth and Von Dutch were two of the first artists to begin influencing this movement. Polynesian culture was also a heavy influence on this movement. Lowbrow contrasts the fine art world in that it goes against the idea that the viewer needs to interpret the art. These artists created their own scene and culture and had their own exhibitions. This movement also gave many opportunities to women in art. These artists often walk a fine line with illustration and often work on album and poster art. They often set up their own shows in record stores and smaller galleries and did all of the work themselves. Their goal was to be accessible to regular people, and sell their art at reasonable prices. From this movement came Juxtapoz magazine to showcase these artists. Within the last ten years, Lowbrow has grown and now features more than 1,000 artists. 

2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Exhibition project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.

Yes, absolutely. It was interesting learning about exhibitions from each video and the ways in which the curators think so carefully about the pieces they include in each show or gallery. It definitely helped me think more carefully about what I was going to include in my exhibition.

3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of the art concepts you practiced while creating your curation project?

The most influential video I watched was The Lowdown on Lowbrow. It was really interesting to learn about these artists, and I have been a fan of Juxapoz for a long time, yet I never really bothered to learn about its history. Each video, however, helped me understand the role of the curator and how to think about my exhibition carefully.

Module 12: Video Review

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

I watched Isamu Noguchi: The Sculpture of Spaces and Hockney on Photography. I watched both of these videos because they are both about artists I was unfamiliar with and wanted to learn about.

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

 Isamu Noguchi: The Sculpture of Spaces taught me about Isamu Noguchi and his spatial sculptures. He uses the earth as his main inspiration, and his sculptures are often built with or around existing space. Noguchi had an emotionally hard childhood and never quite felt in. His father was a poet and did not wish to recognize Noguchi. He moved to America at 13 by himself. He later received a Guggenheim scholarship and studied under Brancusi. He began making sculpture of heads when he returned to America after his scholarship. He credits creating stage sets as the beginning of his ideas for his spatial sculptures. He also credits Japanese gardens as his main influence. The video then discusses his major works at Bayfront Park in Miami, Moere Numo Park and at the UNESCO Gardens in Paris. Noguchi struggled with municipal guidelines while creating these; citing that he was not interested in that type of collaboration. Noguchi stated that his favorite thing about creating sculpture was creating something useful for people, which led to his creation of playgrounds. The video next explores his water sculptures, as well as his work in Jerusalem.  Noguchi used natural surroundings as his main influence, he valued the interaction between man and his sculptures, and his work became part of the communities in which his sculptures were built.

Hockney on Photography discusses the work of David Hockney and his experiments with photography. The video begins with discussing Hockney's use of photography as an art form in itself, specifically his use of photography in collage and to mimic painting. He began using a polaroid, and his use of these images within larger works to create a scene made from these grid-like photographs. This experimentation led Hockney to explore single-point perspective, cubism, shape, and movement. Hockney then began experimenting with reproduction with the copy machine and fax machine; the idea of duplicates and reproduction fascinated him. Hockney's work consistently waivers between the space he has to work with, painting and representation with photography. He seems, however, to be fascinated with space and the limits available to him within these spaces in which he creates. The video then looks at his collage work with photographs, in which Hockey states he was trying to convey movement. Hockney then moved into capturing images of the theater. At the end of the film, he describes his work as a visual silence.

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

The videos relate to the text through highlighting two contemporary artists who are influenced by past artists we have learned about in the text, but also how they use modern technological advances to create something all their own; to bring their work to relate to a contemporary audience. 

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

I thought the most interesting thing about Noguchi's art was his playground sculptures. I found it quite fascinating that he creates his sculptures for people to interact with and enjoy. I feel that when I think of a sculpture, you shouldn't touch it or get too close to it so that it does not compromise the integrity of the work. However, Noguchi's work is quite different, and I think it's great that he creates his work for the public to interact with and enjoy. It expanded upon the earthworks explored in the reading; and gave me a different perspective on this.

I really loved Hockney's work. I had never seen his work before, and I am enamored with it. I specifically liked that he moved from painting to photography to fax machines and back again. It really expands upon the discussion in the text that contemporary art is constantly evolving, changing, and none of it is more important than the other. I liked that Hockney does not concentrate on one form of creating his art; as I feel that is a misconception of being an artist in general- only being a painter or sculptor, and so on. I also enjoyed how his works often evoke Cubism, yet in a more interesting way that a contemporary audience is able to understand; through the technology of photography. 

Module 11: Video Review

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

I watched The Mystical North: Spanish Art from the 19th Century to Present and Dada and Surrealism. I selected both of these videos because I wanted to learn more about these art movements, how the art influenced the world, and the artists who influenced them. 

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

The Mystical North: Spanish Art from the 19th Century to Present discusses the influence Spain had on Modern Art. The first artist the video dives into is Francisco de Goya. He spent his youth making lighthearted portraits for the Spanish elite, and after an illness that left him almost deaf, he was left quite introspective within himself, and his art took a drastic turn to darkness and commentary. In 1806, Napoleon invaded Spain, and the Spaniards were greatly outnumbered. The battle was dark and this greatly affected Goya; this resulted in 85 etchings called "The Disasters of War". They were too dark to be published in his own lifetime. Goya then retreated into solitude where he created "The Black Paintings" directly onto his walls. He had created a new outlook within art; conveying horror, despair and doubt. All of these paintings were never shown until they were re-created 70 years after his death. It wasn't until the 20th century that Goya's doubt was shown again in Spanish art. The next artist the video examines is Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi's structures were inspired by God; quite the opposite from Goya. His most troublesome project was the Sagrada Familia cathedral. He was never able to finish the painstaking project. His other influential project was a row of flats called "La Cadrera", which the video explains shows Gaudi's genius; rewriting not only 20th century architecture, but also sculpture. Gaudi's work influenced the next artist the video discusses: Pablo Picasso. Picasso grew up in Barcelona, and even though he spent most of his life in France, his artwork always conveyed the memories of Barcelona. The video walks us through the Picasso Museum, which Picasso designed himself. His young pieces were heavy with religious themes, and even though they moved into subject matter that was more progressive, his works always had a religious undertone. The next artist the video discusses is Salvador Dali. Dali's work all had an infatuation with death, and he used food, sex and death as his inspirations. The video then visits his mausoleum; in which Dali is buried under the floor. He called it the world's largest surrealist object, yet the video describes it as an amusement of horrors. The video explains that Dali gave us the language of dreams. He became a controversial figure and amidst a tumultuous time in Spain between the Communist left and Fascist right. He was kicked out of the Surrealist group and created Premonition of a Civil War. Six months after, civil war rang out in Spain. The video then visits the ruins of Belchite, in which was hit the hardest and destroyed by the war. In April of 1937, one of the worst atrocities happened of the war; the bombing of Guernica, which is the subject of one of Picasso's most influential pieces. The last artists the video examines is Frank Gehry's building designs which helped reshape and modernize Spain after the war, and Calatrava, who designed a modern winery that is steeped in Spanish tradition; the culmination of all the controversial artists that preceded him.

Dada and Surrealism begins examining Kurt Schwitters, explaining that at one time, using every day materials such as tram tickets, restaurant receipts, etc. was not a common act within art. He influenced the perception on what art could be and was a forerunner in these movements. He concentrated on basic shapes, and often used 3-dimensional materials. He also created the Merz structures within his homes and they have a likeness of a Cubist painting, but in 3-dimensional form. He also created a newspaper named Merz, promoting Modern art and this brought him many places to dispense his message. His main aspiration was to take every day objects and remove them from their role, and incorporate them into his art to reveal their "secret life". The next piece of work the video discusses is Hanna Hoch's Cut with the Kitchen Knife. Hoch was a Dada artist, which is explained is a state of mind and an expression of jangled feelings. Hoch was the only woman in the Dada movement, and she used Dada to attack a society she detested. The piece appears chaotic, but a preliminary sketch reveals that each piece and representation was carefully planned as commentary on the people and society in which she loathed. The video also examines some more of her work, and how she uses juxtaposition and contrasting subject matter to comment on a changing world. Next the video looks at George Grosz's Untitled. Grosz aimed to convey the mechanical nonsense that man had become through his work, and was heavily influenced by the first world war. He captured every day people we recognize, and does so with simple lines and forms. The video next discusses Joan Miro's Dutch Interior I, which is a parody on a Dutch painting he saw many years before. He uses abstract shapes and color to leave clues to the viewer about what they are looking at. The Dutch picture asks the viewer to believe what they are looking at, whereas Miro's image makes the viewer work to discover each element and what it represents. The following work the video looks at is Salvador Dali's The Burning Garaffe. Dali used his art to explore the darkest depths of the human mind. All of his works seem to show a world in which civilization has reached a stage of decay, and the subjects of this work are no exception; each subject has lost all hope and endures its misfortunes. The video also discusses Dali's nod to the Spanish civil war through the burning giraffe. The last piece the video discusses is Man Ray's La Fortune. The painting focuses on familiar objects within an unfamiliar setting. In  New York, Man Ray was a Dadaist, and when he moved to New  York, he was a Surrealist, and his goal was to express his interest in unrelated objects in unfamiliar settings. It seems Man Ray did so to challenge the viewer and almost to mock them by saying "not everything has a meaning!".

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

The text discusses most of these artists, yet, I feel the videos give a much more expanded dive into each, along with teaching me about a couple of artists I wasn't familiar with. The videos definitely give much more information on each movement and artist. I feel the texts were a nice starting point, but the videos really help to understand each artist and movement much more in depth.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

I enjoyed each video, specifically learning about Gaudi and Schwitters. While the videos gave me a deeper understanding of each artist and movement, it was also really neat to learn about these two artists that I hadn't known. I have always been interested in Spanish art, Dada and Surrealism, and I feel the videos deepened my knowledge about each with additional history and how each artist encompassed these movements through their work. 

Module 11: Art Gallery Visit #2

I am sorry about the formatting on this post, I can't seem to get everything to line up!

Step 1: The Exhibition

Questions about the exhibit:
1. What is the title of the exhibit?

I went to The Burchfield Penney to see Jonathan Rogers' The Complexity of Life. 

2. What is the theme of the exhibition?

The theme of The Complexity of Life is a personal representation of Jonathan Rogers' life. It focuses on his upbringing, religion, and moments of struggle, reinvention and faith.

Step 2: The Gallery

Questions about the physical space:
1. What type of lighting is used?

The type of lighting that is used is spotlight. The lights are affixed directly on the paintings to illuminate them.

2. What colors are used on the walls?

The color on the walls is dark grey. The dark grey contrasts with the white ceiling and light wood floors. The dark grey also helps to convey the overall darker tone in Rogers' works. 

3. What materials are used in the interior architecture of the space?

The interior architecture of the space is mostly open, framed by walls. However, there is one triangular-shaped wall in the center, which breaks up the space to display additional paintings. The artists's statement is also displayed within a glass case.

4. How is the movement of the viewer through the gallery space?

The gallery entices you to start moving around the space by turning left when you walk in. It encourages you to walk around the space along the walls, stopping at the artist's statement and again at the center wall that breaks up the gallery. The show is arranged in a series-style, so this movement makes sense.

Step 3: The Artwork

Questions about the artwork:

1. How are the artworks organized?

The artworks are organized in a linear, series-style. They appear to tell a story.

2. How are the artrworks similar?

The artworks are all similar, as they are all painted in an illustration, non-realistic style, with the exception of a couple of works, which are more realistic in style, along with a few drawings on the end wall. They mostly all 
have bright, vibrant colors, contrasted with dark undertones in theme.

3. How are the artworks different?

The artworks have a different subject matter within each painting, yet they are all familiar. Each painting  portrays 
a different part of the story.

4. How are the artworks framed?

Only one artwork is framed, the remaining works are on stretched canvas without frames. 

5. How are the artworks identified and labeled?

Each artwork is identified by a small card next to it. It is labeled with the Artist name, the title of the work, the 
date of completion, the medium, what it was made on, and who donated the work.

6. What is the proximity of the artwork to each other?

 Each painting is 1-2 feet from the other.

Step 4: Art Criticism Exercise

Select three of the artworks from the show and use the Art Criticism worksheet to desribe, analyze, bracket and interpret the work using the 5-step Art Criticism Process described. (see the sheet in the module folder)

Take pictures of the images you are interpreting. If this is not allowed, make quick sketches of the pieces.

Jonathan Rogers

The Deliverance from The Visions of Faith Series, 2000

Oil on canvas with wood frame, size not available

1. Be receptive - Keep an open mind.  Look for what is good.  No put-downs allowed.

2. Description – Describe what you see.  (subject matter)? The painting features two large hands, presumably of a man on the bottom left hand side. To the upper right, there is a small cherub-type figure that appears to be flying away, or being released from the hands on the lower left. The two subjects are encapsulated within the sky, on top of stormy, billowy clouds that give way to a small amount of light and blue sky in the distance, which is where the cherub is flying towards. This light highlights the hands.

3. Formal analysis – (form)  What principles and elements were used and how are they used? The painting focuses much on texture and repetition through the clouds. The organic shapes of the clouds repeat throughout the work, moving your eye first toward the hands, and again toward the cherub. The painting also relies heavily on contrast of values and color to do this; the hands are positioned within the dark portion of the storm clouds, yet, they give way to bright light in a warm, yellowish hue, and again, breaking to a contrast of blue sky. This brings the eye to the focal point where the cherub is flying towards. The painting also relies on balance, or imbalance. The hands are large in proportion to the cherub, yet this imbalance is what brings the eye up to the flying child, showing the viewer that he or she is there, and also bringing the focal point to where the cherub is going.

4.  Bracketing - Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (iconography) The painting has a religious overtone and is reminiscent of Renaissance painting. Specifically, Michaelangelo's frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The hands are reminiscent of the hands of God, and the child flying represents an angel, cherub or Putti within this style of painting. The child appears to be released from the hands of god and heading to heaven, or a calmer, brighter place.

5.  Interpretation - (content)  What do you think the artist was trying to say? It seems Jonathan Rogers is commenting on religion and the affect it has had on his life. The entire show has religious undertones, yet, the viewer is not really sure where the artist stands in regard to his current beliefs. This painting, specifically, seems as though he is trying to convey that religion was holding him back. Once he separated himself from this, he was in a better place.

Jonathan Rogers

Everybody Dance from The Little Dancer Series, 1990-2006

Oil on canvas, size not available

1. Be receptive - Keep an open mind.  Look for what is good.  No put-downs allowed.

2. Description – Describe what you see.  (subject matter)? The painting features a circle of children and animals dancing joyously in a circle. They are surrounded by what appears to be a forest of wooden crosses, looming above them, under a bright blue, clear sky. To the bottom left of the painting is a grey figure in darkened silhouette, only seen from behind, watching the group.

3. Formal analysis – (form)  What principles and elements were used and how are they used? The painting focuses on shape, line and emphasis. The children and animals create movement while they are dancing, which contrasts starkly against the linear crosses that loom above them. The lines of the crosses draw the eye down to the children, and back up to the sky, creating movement within the eye also. The children appear to be dancing on white snow, which again, causes contrast and emphasis against their forms, the crosses, and the darkened silhouetted figure toward the bottom left of the image.

4.  Bracketing - Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (iconography) This work is painted in a more illustrative, cartoon-type style. Again, the artist brings in religious undertones, which in this case, are very apparent through the 'forest' of crosses in which the children and animals dance. The dark figure on the bottom left of the painting watches the celebration, yet is presented in the shadows as a dark figure in the form of a person, but it is clear that the figure is not a person at all, but perhaps a spirit or the unconscious of the children.

5.  Interpretation - (content)  What do you think the artist was trying to say? It seems Jonathan Rogers is commenting on how religion can affect childhood. The children and animals are all dancing joyously, yet, all around them looms symbols of religion and a dark figure which seems to foreshadow something dark. Perhaps the dark figure represents adulthood and the way in which Rogers grew up affected him into his later years.

Jonathan Rogers

Self Portrait from The Portrait Series, 2007

Oil on canvas, size not available

1. Be receptive - Keep an open mind.  Look for what is good.  No put-downs allowed.

2. Description – Describe what you see.  (subject matter)? The painting is of an older man with no hair and a white beard. He wears a dark colored tank top, a black belt, and jeans. His pose is quite informal, as he leans back on his left foot. He appears to be laughing, bearing his teeth while he does so. He holds a paintbrush in his right hand, almost showing it off to the viewer. His left hand lays relaxed at his side. He is positioned in the center of the painting, against a background of warm hues.

3. Formal analysis – (form)  What principles and elements were used and how are they used? This painting relies on contrast, form and value. Value creates the form of the man. He is lit dramatically on his face, and the value creates the planes along his face which emphasize his form. His clothing is dark in value which contrast against his skin and the light background. His clothing is also in a cool, dark hue, which also contrast against the warm tone of his skin, and the warm colored, light background. His form itself also contrasts against the barren background.

4.  Bracketing - Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (iconography) The painting is reminiscent of all fine art portraits, however, contrasts them as well. It contrasts formal portraits in its informality. The subject is relaxed, smiling, and waving his paint brush. He stands in front of a bare wall, as opposed to a busy background. It only focuses on him, and his presumable love of painting.

5.  Interpretation - (content)  What do you think the artist was trying to say? This portrait seems Rogers is commenting on himself as an adult, and perhaps how he made it through his childhood. This portrait is displayed on a stand-alone wall, on the opposite side of The Deliverance. Perhaps this was intentional; the remaining paintings in the Little Dancer Series that surround these two paintings tell a story and are arranged in a series. However, these two paintings stand apart, and it seems Rogers is trying to convey that despite his upbringing and struggle to accept religion in his life, he has finally found his way.

Step 5: Document Your Visit

4. Answer this question:What did you think of visiting the Gallery and purposefully looking at the exhibition from a different perspective - the physical space, the architecture, theme, etc.?

I loved it! I thought it was a really fun exercise. It made me stop, look, and think. I am used to just casually walking around exhibits, reading the cards, and moving along. However, this forced me to take in the entire show, and look at minute details that I normally wouldn't notice. I think it will definitely influence how I attend exhibits in the future.