Post #10: Stereotypical American

The picture above is of the stereotypical American. We are portrayed as fat, patriotic, and into greasy foods. The image shows a cowboy hat, which puts the term Westerner into an object. There is a hands-free cell phone in the man's ear, which probably represents how often we are on the phone. The flag shirt shows how we are made out to be proud of our free country and what the flag stands for. The burger and drink represents how often we eat unhealthy foods. This image is stereotypical because there are some Americans who eat healthy, are not patriotic and are definitely not fat.

Post 9: Postmodern Art

The image above is from the anime Paranoia Agent, created by Satoshi Kon. Anime is a form of postmodern art that branches off from Western cartoons in the early 1940s. Anime has evolved from modern art to the contemporary form it is now. In the image, it shows one of the characters, Keiichi Ikari, standing atop a tower in the foreground of a mushroom cloud. Ikari's outstretched arms and grin on his face show his stability over the terrifying explosion behind him. The mushroom cloud represents the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945.

The image above shows layering because of the actual image of a mushroom cloud behind the artist's work. It also shows representin' by the representation of the madness of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, and how some people actually managed to withstand its devastating effects.

Post 8: Reflection

Looking back on the first quarter in Honors Art 1, I had fun doing every project online and in class. Our first project, (the Corpse project) was quick and fun to do. The free draws and personal map activities in the sketchbooks were also great fun. They helped me show off my drawing skills. The blogs are fun, I enjoy customizing my background and writing new posts like this. I've learned all about the principles and elements of art. I don't see the subject of art much differently, I still enjoy it.

Post 7

I learned that making an Elements and Principles book takes a lot of time, thought and effort. I found the creation of movement in my book enjoyable to create. I also like the little story it tells throughout the book. I found out that the books had to be more "flashy" and colorful than what I did. The thing I found challenging was the ideas I had to come up with creating my own shape. I also thought that since it was a book, it had to tell a story. So...I told a story. I created my own shapes and story, but it seems inferior to the other books my classmates made because it wasn't as full and colorful. If I could make another book, I would just add  bigger shapes and maybe different colors. But I found mine as unique because it told a story about evolution and growth. It may not be "in-your-face" exploding with excitement and whimsical shapes, but if you look at it for at least a minute, you may understand its meaning. 

Post #6: Handmade Book

 The handmade book I've chosen is titled "Beloved" by Geraldine Newfry (http://www.newfry.com/gallery/beloved.html). I chose it because it has a lot of emotion and love put into it. Every page was created in clay, possibly to give it more of an antique look. The cover was created from found objects collected by Newfry's husband. A small metal frame encloses the word "Beloved". The words on the inside of the book were from the artist's wedding songs.

Post 5: Abstract Description

The abstract I chose was an artwork by G.Lang titled Urban Abstract No. 141.

The abstract appears to be a city with  a river separating 2 sides of a street. I can tell there's a river by the reflection painted at the bottom. I can tell it is a city because of the shape the figures in the foreground and background that resemble buildings. The weather in this abstract may be cold, judging by the cloudy sky. I think the subject or theme of this artwork is of the artist's hometown or a place he/she has visited.

Post #4: Pointing out Elements and Principles

The image to the right is of Sanzo, Gojyo, Goku and Hakkai. The artist, Kazuya Minekura has many elements and principles combined into this one interesting work of art.

The elements of art in her picture include: color, line and shape. The color is made by Sanzo's blonde hair and Gojyo's red hair; lines are prominent all over the artwork;shape is the 2D form the 4 guys are in.

The principles of design in this work of art include contrast and proportion. The contrast is made by Gojyo and Sanzo's hair. The proportion is made by the realistic anatomy the group members have.

Post #3: Art Judgement 1

  

Kazuya Minekura, Salty Dog Kazuya Minekura Illustrations III #058, 2002, http://gallery.aethereality.net/download.php?id=4495

The image is of 4 young men (clockwise: Hakkai, Sanzo, Gojyo and Goku) sitting in a pile of wilted leaves leisurely. Gojyo is sleeping next to his 3 friends and Goku is sitting up attentively, possibly looking out for any kind of danger. The surroundings make me think the theme is in the woods in Fall. Sanzo appears to be drifting off to sleep with a cigarette in his mouth and Hakkai is probably just as awake as Goku. I can also tell by their warm clothing that it must be chilly where they are. Judging by Goku's indifferent yet anxious expression makes me wonder if the group are waiting for something or someone. I can tell that a signifigant amount of time has passed because the majority of the group look exhausted and relaxed by their posture.

If I could ask Kazuya Minekura anything about this picture, I would ask:

Where did she get her inspiration for creating this work of art?
Why wasn't Hakkai's profile drawn in detail?
Where did she get ideas for their clothes?
What exactly are the guys doing? Waiting for something or just taking a break?

Post #2: Race and Gender Criticism

After reading the article, I think the discrimination towards women and colored people in the art world is just ridiculous. In my opinion, some of the best artists in the world are women! The white male dominated world is becoming very immature and annoying because it's been going on since the beginning of time. These men need to open their minds to new things and stop being so sexist and racist. Some of the best female artists in my opinion are Kazuya Minekura, the creator of Saiyuki and Lynn (no last name given), the creator of Elfen Lied.

What were your opinions on the article?

Post #1: My First Art Experience!

My very first art experience was back in the late 90's when I doodled in the back of a few of my baby books.

I remember when I was about 3 or 4 years old and I had some customized baby books written just for me. They were my favorite books to read as a child, and I stumbled upon a pen that was conveniently nearby. I grabbed it and began to make my first drawings. They were of 7Up cans, funny looking stick figures and dogs. My grandmother was so surprised that I could draw cylinders at my young age and was more surprised at how "good" the figures looked....made by a toddler, of course!