1) i thought Alfredo's presentation was the perfect style of presenting. He gave a brief history, showed the exact artwork he was discussing, and laid bared the problems and critiques he was trying to develop and understand. The class was able to add to the discussion as well as be very interested. Plus, i thought the artwork at hand was very interesting.
2) I thought the presentation on the comparison of the visuality and materiality of artwork needs more coinciding examples. I think, during similar times periods people were using both topics, and thus rather then comparing the two topics through different eras, i think there should be more of a focus on either the past or the present. I think trying to encompass the time period from early greek to renaissance to andy warhol is a bit much.
3)The Takashi Murakami presentation was very interesting. I think it is a good look at cultural aspects of japanese art as well as the presence and critique of one particular artist. Again, the brief history of both japanese culture and the artist are helpful, and a look at the artists repertoire was also helpful. It is a comprehensive look at the artist as well as the social implications of the art, and i think the thesis is developing nicely.
4) The machine art was interesting but confusing. My main questions are what is the main thesis, the thought of machines making art, machines as art, or art as machines. I think the topic is interesting but the thesis needs a little more work to create an argument.
5) I thought the Dan Flavin presentation was interesting but a stronger point needs to be made as to why Flavin is unique and adds new "light" to the art world. What does Dan Falvin do that is so important and how does he contribute to the museum space. Otherwise, all the photos and artworks were very cool, and the presentation went smoothly.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Alfredo, Audrey, Michelle, Kevin
Alfredo: I think your topic can be very interesting and rewarding if you go about it the right way. rather than focus on the historical aspects too much, I think you should try to find a way to relate it more to the class. Your title was "Mexican Muralism" but I feel that is misleading if you only talk about Rivera's work. I think it might be fun to look at other murals, both those that might have inspired his and those inspired by his, and look at the similarities and differences.
Audrey: I think you should narrow your topic a bit. Trying to include renaissance, jade, and warhol is pretty ambitious! I think your research will be very important to deciding which direction you go. Whatever claim you make has to be backed up by some evidence written by someone else... no matter how interesting or compelling your argument alone may be. Perhaps the tension of quality vs. quantity hints at the same thing as visuality/ materiality? Visuality seems like it can include materiality... like perhaps a fake jade carving doesn't have as much value to us not just because it's fake, but because it's a low quality fake. Also, doesn't it seem like the most expensive stones would be saved for the most skilled craftsmen?
Michelle: Your topic definately sounds fun to research. Is 'superflat' art named for it's appearance, that the art literally lacks depth, or for the shallowness of it's meaning? (Or both?) Also, are there other artists that do it besides the one you showed us in class. lastly, I'm wondering if the sculptures you showed us are relevent, are they considered 'superflat' too, or are they just by the same artist/ group of anime geeks?
Kevin: You stole the main thing I thought would add a twist to your paper already, the idea of animals making art and if that was art. Whether you should focus on who is the artist or bring up some thesis based on the man/machine thing I am not sure. I think who is the artist is more related to the class, like if the machine makes art is it really art? Is the physical qualityof it being paint on paper enough to call it "art"? This is short because I already helped you out a bunch =P
Audrey: I think you should narrow your topic a bit. Trying to include renaissance, jade, and warhol is pretty ambitious! I think your research will be very important to deciding which direction you go. Whatever claim you make has to be backed up by some evidence written by someone else... no matter how interesting or compelling your argument alone may be. Perhaps the tension of quality vs. quantity hints at the same thing as visuality/ materiality? Visuality seems like it can include materiality... like perhaps a fake jade carving doesn't have as much value to us not just because it's fake, but because it's a low quality fake. Also, doesn't it seem like the most expensive stones would be saved for the most skilled craftsmen?
Michelle: Your topic definately sounds fun to research. Is 'superflat' art named for it's appearance, that the art literally lacks depth, or for the shallowness of it's meaning? (Or both?) Also, are there other artists that do it besides the one you showed us in class. lastly, I'm wondering if the sculptures you showed us are relevent, are they considered 'superflat' too, or are they just by the same artist/ group of anime geeks?
Kevin: You stole the main thing I thought would add a twist to your paper already, the idea of animals making art and if that was art. Whether you should focus on who is the artist or bring up some thesis based on the man/machine thing I am not sure. I think who is the artist is more related to the class, like if the machine makes art is it really art? Is the physical qualityof it being paint on paper enough to call it "art"? This is short because I already helped you out a bunch =P
Presentations 4.23.09
Alfredo: I think you chose a really interesting and unique topic. Diego Rivera's work is amazing, and murals are a fascinating topic to look at with their extroardinary size and depth of content. Your presentation was very thorough and you covered a lot of great points about the relationship between the art and its location, including issues of politics. One thing I wonder is how he chose the content of his pieces. More specifically, why did he only do most of his works on the ancient tribes and colonizers? Or has he painted artwork with other stories behind them other than the native/colonizer conflict?
Audrey: I think Jade art is really beautiful and have potential for a really interesting research proposal. When I went to the Stanford Art Museum they had all different forms and colors of ancient jade scultpures made by indigenous people. You could probably find some more information on their website about it. In terms of your paper and presentation, I wasn't sure how you wanted to include Andy Warhol's work into your thesis, but I would suggest narrowing your topic to focus on just the jade art and possibly the renaissance paintings. Keeping it simple yet insightful is probably the best idea for conveying a clear analysis. Keep up with the research on the material vs. visual aspects of value in artwork like these and I think you will have a really interesting paper!
Michelle: First off, WOW! I think your paper topic definitely has the hook to draw your readers in. Your presentation was really thorough, and you covered all the important background aspects of superflat art: the historical context, motivation behind the design, the connection to relevant social/political issues, etc. The one thing I would say about narrowing your focus would be to keep the ideas of consumerism, anime, trends, and culture in terms of the art itself. There is definitely a lot to say about these issues in Japan even without the presence of art, and its easy to get caught up on general topics rather than narrowing it down. I really enjoyed your topic so definitely keep focusing on Takara's sculpting and your research paper is going to be super fun and interesting to read!
Kevin: I think you brought up a genre of art that isn't commonly recognized, and it would be cool to see what people think of this style of art. The sky is the limit with machine art, which you revealed to us with the vast array of examples, many that are completely different in style and function. It would be interesting to see who all these different artists are that all have a common interest in machinery as art. There is definitely a lot of potential for a research paper, but make sure you figure out one question you want to ask and talk about to narrow down your thesis. Maybe you could look at a one or even a few artists or pieces of machine art and analyze and/or compare them to make your argument more specific and cohesive.
Amanda: One of the most interesting things that you touched upon was how Flavin doesn't really have any meaning behind his pieces. I think this is so funny because even so, people think they can always pull information and underlying meanings out from everything whether it be art, books, movies, etc. It would be interesting to write a paper that researches the context of art that supposedly has no meaning, and to look at what existing literature has said about Flavin's works. I think you there are a lot of different angles you could take in you research. There are so many questions for an artist who is so different (in a good way) from most artists we have studied. Is there a connection between any of his works? similarities or differences? What is his though process in creating and/or planning his artwork? You definitely have a lot of things you can talk about for an interesting paper!
Audrey: I think Jade art is really beautiful and have potential for a really interesting research proposal. When I went to the Stanford Art Museum they had all different forms and colors of ancient jade scultpures made by indigenous people. You could probably find some more information on their website about it. In terms of your paper and presentation, I wasn't sure how you wanted to include Andy Warhol's work into your thesis, but I would suggest narrowing your topic to focus on just the jade art and possibly the renaissance paintings. Keeping it simple yet insightful is probably the best idea for conveying a clear analysis. Keep up with the research on the material vs. visual aspects of value in artwork like these and I think you will have a really interesting paper!
Michelle: First off, WOW! I think your paper topic definitely has the hook to draw your readers in. Your presentation was really thorough, and you covered all the important background aspects of superflat art: the historical context, motivation behind the design, the connection to relevant social/political issues, etc. The one thing I would say about narrowing your focus would be to keep the ideas of consumerism, anime, trends, and culture in terms of the art itself. There is definitely a lot to say about these issues in Japan even without the presence of art, and its easy to get caught up on general topics rather than narrowing it down. I really enjoyed your topic so definitely keep focusing on Takara's sculpting and your research paper is going to be super fun and interesting to read!
Kevin: I think you brought up a genre of art that isn't commonly recognized, and it would be cool to see what people think of this style of art. The sky is the limit with machine art, which you revealed to us with the vast array of examples, many that are completely different in style and function. It would be interesting to see who all these different artists are that all have a common interest in machinery as art. There is definitely a lot of potential for a research paper, but make sure you figure out one question you want to ask and talk about to narrow down your thesis. Maybe you could look at a one or even a few artists or pieces of machine art and analyze and/or compare them to make your argument more specific and cohesive.
Amanda: One of the most interesting things that you touched upon was how Flavin doesn't really have any meaning behind his pieces. I think this is so funny because even so, people think they can always pull information and underlying meanings out from everything whether it be art, books, movies, etc. It would be interesting to write a paper that researches the context of art that supposedly has no meaning, and to look at what existing literature has said about Flavin's works. I think you there are a lot of different angles you could take in you research. There are so many questions for an artist who is so different (in a good way) from most artists we have studied. Is there a connection between any of his works? similarities or differences? What is his though process in creating and/or planning his artwork? You definitely have a lot of things you can talk about for an interesting paper!
Presentation 4.23
Alfredo: Your presentation was so organized and well presented. You gave a lot of historical informations, and they elaborated with your topic really well. One suggestion is that you might want to consider the relationship between the Rivera and his viewers, what kind of message is he trying to send out? Other than that, I really think you would have a very sound argument for your paper.
Michelle: I really like your topic. It is very interesting. I personally like Asian contemporary art a lot. Just a few questions regarding to "super flat." How does this particular type of art works influence the later art works (ex. sculptures)? Is the aesthetic value here focused on works of no meaning? Also, i think the connection between the clothing style and window display were really cool.
Kevin: I like how you are not going too far/ deep into who IS the artist. I think you should explain more about the tension between human and machine. The concept of machine is the art is really cool.
Amanda: Discuss more about the personal ecstasy, why religious is related? because of the color? Also, I think your discussion about the use of museum space is very interesting, you might want to talk about about it. Lastly, maybe you might want to discussion the relationship between his art works and fashion, how they work together, and do they help each other in a sense?
Michelle: I really like your topic. It is very interesting. I personally like Asian contemporary art a lot. Just a few questions regarding to "super flat." How does this particular type of art works influence the later art works (ex. sculptures)? Is the aesthetic value here focused on works of no meaning? Also, i think the connection between the clothing style and window display were really cool.
Kevin: I like how you are not going too far/ deep into who IS the artist. I think you should explain more about the tension between human and machine. The concept of machine is the art is really cool.
Amanda: Discuss more about the personal ecstasy, why religious is related? because of the color? Also, I think your discussion about the use of museum space is very interesting, you might want to talk about about it. Lastly, maybe you might want to discussion the relationship between his art works and fashion, how they work together, and do they help each other in a sense?
4/23 Recap: Rivera to Flavin
Alfredo: Your presentation was clear and very informative. There is much history associated with the Rivera mural you’re analyzing in your paper, and you provided a concise summary in your presentation. Indeed, the mural is so grand that one can even write a thesis about it. I would only suggest that you further address in your paper the organization of the piece; indicate that the panels generally follow a chronological order from top to bottom. Also, since Rivera was a main contributor to the 1st Mexican muralist movement, briefly associate La Colonización o La Llegada de Hernán Cortes a Veracruz to other pieces of his, and note how his work set precedent for the 2nd muralist movement in the post-Cold War era. Other than that, awesome insight!
Audrey: We could dedicate an entire course to contrasting materiality with visuality, but you managed to address them very nicely in your research paper. However, because each theme is so extensive and respective to each work of art, I would highly suggest you concentrate on the materiality vs. visuality of only jade art, for example. This would really consolidate your paper to more manageable thesis. But jade art is a true beauty, I saw an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego back when I was in high school, and it was fascinating.
Michelle: The narrative behind the Hiropon sculptures was very interesting. I like the approach you take regarding modern Japanese art surrounding a hyper-consumerist social structure which seeks endless reinvention. To make your paper stronger, I would encourage you to focus on modern art. Unless you’re seeking to compare and contrast Ukiyo-e art with Superflat art, I suggest basing your research on a single category, whether Superflat art or not.
Kevin: With, the promulgation of minimalist and performance art, machines may just well be the next method of producing innovative art. Though some of your examples were completely bizarre and eerie, you truly expand our definition of art and its purpose. This category of art is rarely addressed in Art courses, certainly not to the extent of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, but you make a valid point: all is art when the artist intends it to be. The only comment I have for your presentation is to clean up your thesis and try focusing on two or three artists preferably from the same time period.
Amanda: I am glad you focused your research on Flavin, his work is very radical and completely challenges institutionalized perceptions of aesthetics and meaning within artworks. What is most puzzling is that he himself is unsure of the meaning behind his pieces! Will it be that art, of whatever form, lose deeper meaning? Has Flavin written anything to explain how his productions relate to one another, or is it merely a hobby? I really encourage you to provide a critique of his work.
Audrey: We could dedicate an entire course to contrasting materiality with visuality, but you managed to address them very nicely in your research paper. However, because each theme is so extensive and respective to each work of art, I would highly suggest you concentrate on the materiality vs. visuality of only jade art, for example. This would really consolidate your paper to more manageable thesis. But jade art is a true beauty, I saw an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego back when I was in high school, and it was fascinating.
Michelle: The narrative behind the Hiropon sculptures was very interesting. I like the approach you take regarding modern Japanese art surrounding a hyper-consumerist social structure which seeks endless reinvention. To make your paper stronger, I would encourage you to focus on modern art. Unless you’re seeking to compare and contrast Ukiyo-e art with Superflat art, I suggest basing your research on a single category, whether Superflat art or not.
Kevin: With, the promulgation of minimalist and performance art, machines may just well be the next method of producing innovative art. Though some of your examples were completely bizarre and eerie, you truly expand our definition of art and its purpose. This category of art is rarely addressed in Art courses, certainly not to the extent of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, but you make a valid point: all is art when the artist intends it to be. The only comment I have for your presentation is to clean up your thesis and try focusing on two or three artists preferably from the same time period.
Amanda: I am glad you focused your research on Flavin, his work is very radical and completely challenges institutionalized perceptions of aesthetics and meaning within artworks. What is most puzzling is that he himself is unsure of the meaning behind his pieces! Will it be that art, of whatever form, lose deeper meaning? Has Flavin written anything to explain how his productions relate to one another, or is it merely a hobby? I really encourage you to provide a critique of his work.
Monday, April 27, 2009
1st round of presentation
Alfredo: I found your presentation really informative as I have no previous knowledge about Mexican Muralism at all. The background history you talked about is very detailed and really helped in understanding the painting you chose. The point you made about the location of the work was the most interesting point to me and I think it would be great if you further talk about the significance of this venue in your paper.
Audrey: I really liked how you contrasted renaissance paintings with jade art. I am also find your argument, about how different people use visuality and materiality differently in valuing artwork, really convincing. Maybe other than looking at Warhol’s works, you would also like to consider materiality in renaissance sculptures.
Michelle: I found your presentation on Superflat really intriguing. Murakami’s works that combined nihonga and anime art looked really cool, the LV bag designs were especially cute. I think about the point you made about Japanese youth dressing up on that particular street, you might want to consider the culture of cosplay. Also, just a side note, is the artist Murakami somehow related to the famous novelist Murakami?
Kevin: Those machines you showed were really cool looking, though that tinguely alter you showed was slightly freakish with the skulls and all that. What was the purpose and message of that work? What does the fact that it moves change about the work?
Amanda: I loved the works of Dan Flavin that you showed, especially the ones building structures out of fluorescent lamp, not just combining them on walls. You mentioned that a lot of Flavin’s works are untitled. Is there a particular reason why he does not want to name them?
Audrey: I really liked how you contrasted renaissance paintings with jade art. I am also find your argument, about how different people use visuality and materiality differently in valuing artwork, really convincing. Maybe other than looking at Warhol’s works, you would also like to consider materiality in renaissance sculptures.
Michelle: I found your presentation on Superflat really intriguing. Murakami’s works that combined nihonga and anime art looked really cool, the LV bag designs were especially cute. I think about the point you made about Japanese youth dressing up on that particular street, you might want to consider the culture of cosplay. Also, just a side note, is the artist Murakami somehow related to the famous novelist Murakami?
Kevin: Those machines you showed were really cool looking, though that tinguely alter you showed was slightly freakish with the skulls and all that. What was the purpose and message of that work? What does the fact that it moves change about the work?
Amanda: I loved the works of Dan Flavin that you showed, especially the ones building structures out of fluorescent lamp, not just combining them on walls. You mentioned that a lot of Flavin’s works are untitled. Is there a particular reason why he does not want to name them?
Presentations for 4/23
Alfredo: as noted in class you have a lot of material to work with, I think i difficult part for you will be trying to narrow down to a few greater subjects and themes. From your presentation, I got the sense that you will be writing about the politics and history of Mexico and how that has influence Mexican muralism. So I think it would be a good idea to include well summarized historical facts in your essay for those who may only have a slight understanding of the history of Mexico.
Audrey: I understand that you will be writing about visuality and materiality. In your presentation you talked about arts from ancient Greece, paintings from the time period of Renaissance art, and art made from jade. I was wondering if you will be questioning why there is this greater importance in visuality versus materiality and vise verse in these different art works? Do you think maybe cultural differences has anything to do with it?
Michelle: I think that this is a really interesting topic. I'm not into anime myself but some of my friends are. From your presentation, I got the sense that you will be writing about how Japan's lost of identity lead to superflat art and tying it in with consumerism. I was wondering how big is this superflat business? Is it popular with majority of the Japanese population, or only the younger generation?
Kevin: your topic reminded me of those spin-tops I used to play with, where there is a marker replaced for the tip of the spin-top. In my opinion, I think that the person who created the machine would be considered the artists even though the machine is creating the art. The person creating the machine must of had some kind of vision of what types/kinds 0f art works would be created by the machine. I think the element of uncertainty of what art can be created by the machine helps defines the type of art created.
Amanda: I find a similarity between your topic and Michelle's topic. Both topics kind of touch on art work that may not have any deeper meaning than just the aesthetics. You bring up an important question about how art should be viewed. In my opinion, it should depend on the viewers itself. I think that individual interpretations are important for appreciating the art work.
Audrey: I understand that you will be writing about visuality and materiality. In your presentation you talked about arts from ancient Greece, paintings from the time period of Renaissance art, and art made from jade. I was wondering if you will be questioning why there is this greater importance in visuality versus materiality and vise verse in these different art works? Do you think maybe cultural differences has anything to do with it?
Michelle: I think that this is a really interesting topic. I'm not into anime myself but some of my friends are. From your presentation, I got the sense that you will be writing about how Japan's lost of identity lead to superflat art and tying it in with consumerism. I was wondering how big is this superflat business? Is it popular with majority of the Japanese population, or only the younger generation?
Kevin: your topic reminded me of those spin-tops I used to play with, where there is a marker replaced for the tip of the spin-top. In my opinion, I think that the person who created the machine would be considered the artists even though the machine is creating the art. The person creating the machine must of had some kind of vision of what types/kinds 0f art works would be created by the machine. I think the element of uncertainty of what art can be created by the machine helps defines the type of art created.
Amanda: I find a similarity between your topic and Michelle's topic. Both topics kind of touch on art work that may not have any deeper meaning than just the aesthetics. You bring up an important question about how art should be viewed. In my opinion, it should depend on the viewers itself. I think that individual interpretations are important for appreciating the art work.
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