Nicole Marmo The Definition of Art Can Lawyers Lear From Actors? I liked this article and I do think lawyers can learn from these actors. Although courtroom dramas contain more emotion, maybe it can help a real lawyer to learn what the actual emotions feel like during a real court case. It could be helpful for a new lawyer who doesn’t know what to expect for their first visit to the courtroom this way they know how to properly prepare for their first case. I thought it was very interesting that an actual lawyer was both the director and screenplay writer for this play because you wouldn’t expect a lawyer to be interested in screenwriting.
The Fountain Reading about the Fountain I just really didn’t understand how it could be considered a piece of artwork if it’s just a urinal with a signature on it. I also think that Duchamp didn’t have a good reason as to why it should be considered as a piece of artwork, to me it was just him testing his boundaries. I understand that he wants to have freedom of speech in his artwork, but I think anyone has the right to deny someone from having their artwork displayed in their gallery. If it was me I wouldn’t allow it be in the Grand Central Palace art show either. To me this piece of “artwork” was just Duchamp being a rebel without a cause anyone could buy something random and sign it, that doesn’t make it artwork. There was almost no effort into making it and no artistic ability was needed. Maybe if it had a good meaning behind why Duchamp decided to sign a urinal it could be considered artistic, but according to the article he didn’t have a reason.
But is it Art? I think that Brancusi’s art piece should be considered art because he did make it. I also do understand why the U.S. didn’t classify it as art because it can easily be misunderstood if someone didn’t know what to look for and if you didn’t know the title. I do think “Bird in Space” could be considered an art piece because it has to be formed in this shape in which Bancusi carefully made and formed. It looks like it was made of brass, and I don’t think that’s something easy to do. It looks really nice and smooth, but I wouldn’t really look at this as much as I’d look at a painting because it doesn’t really have anything but its shape to keep you interested and there isn’t much to see. I do think the story behind this piece getting taxed is kind of funny, but if it happened to me I would also sue because it was being used in an art museum and nothing else, so it shouldn’t be taxed as if it were for something else.
Fundamental Principles of an Effective Presentation I thought this was an interesting piece of reading. A lot of seemed to definitely be relatable. I liked how they talked about Power Point and how it is the most common method of giving presentations because in college I think that is where we as students find a sort of comfort zone in something that can be sort of terrifying. For me, I despise public speaking. I get a lot of anxiety standing in front of people and presenting anything really. So with that said I know I have definitely done my fair share of Power Points and I think the reason for that is because if I have something on the screen the audience is more likely to look at that rather than at me. Also it definitely acts as a guide, like the article said, so that if I lose my place or forget what I was going to say I could look up at the board and remember. However I think the author was correct when they said it could definitely hinder the presentation. I thought the advice in this reading was extremely helpful and I hope to take it into consideration for my next presentation.
Fountain I remember talking about this in class a few weeks back and at the time I was a little bit confused as to why a so called artist would use a urinal and call it a piece of art work and I was also wondering what sort of message he was trying to portray through this action. What I got from the reading was basically that this artist entered this piece into the Society of Independent Artists, which was then vetoed out. They voted against having the artwork because it was inappropriate. This angered the artist and it became a huge deal because he believed that an artist’s work should not have to be censored. So, when I first began reading this I thought it was strange and pointless but after reading a bit I started to agree. Although I don’t completely understand the whole urinal idea and it is not something I would find it super appealing as a piece of art, I think the idea behind it is very powerful. I believe that art is one of the few things in the world where an artist can truly express himself or herself without having to hold back. So, I think if you put people in charge of deciding whether something is appropriate or is actually art at all then it takes the meaning away.
But Is It Art? I think I’ve asked myself this question many times while looking at certain pieces of art. I look at it and I think, “How is this considered art?” I think that is a very touchy subject because there is such a wide variety of art and what makes up art. I don’t know if I believe that there is a uniformed definition of art. It all depends on interpretation. Just like in the previous article when one person thought a urinal was art and a lot of people did not. And now we are talking about it, so it must have made a big enough impact to be this important now. So I wonder if that is what art is. Is it just something that makes a big enough impact to be important years later. I don’t know if I have an answer for that.
I really like the idea that art can be connected to almost anything. Acting, plays, shows, and everything along those lines are a type of art. It is the art of drama and theatre and performance. The fact that an entire company dedicates themselves to combing law and art is admirable. Art and law, if looked at from a certain point of view, go hand in hand, and the Act of Communication did a great way of expressing that connection. I also really liked how the readings for this week were different than our normal readings. Normally we just learn about one aspect of art and all of the subcategories included in it. This week, however, it was more along the lines of the recent history of art and how it has become what it is today. For example, the Fountain article discusses how the urinal was determined to not be a piece of art, without a jury’s help, and how works should be hung by artist’s last name instead of by a person’s specific views or opinions. It doesn’t simply discuss the urinal as being a piece of art and then explaining what category of art it falls under, it talks about how the urinal came to be, and whether or not it belonged in an art exhibition or not. The third article really caught my attention because of the fact that it started off with a question that I had actually thought about before, including when I went to the RISD museum. Some pieces of artwork, to me, just have no relation to their title, which of course makes me wonder where the title came from. I never realized how seriously that question was taken, before reading this article. The Bird In Space sculpture going all the way to court, proves how much thought goes into a title, both by the artist and the admirer. The judges’ conclusion seems to have opened up a whole new world of art, one that was much more open minded and willing to accept abstract pieces.
Fountain The article regarding “fountain” obtained my interest greatly due to the controversial nature of Duchamp’s art piece. Throughout this course I have found it extremely difficult to define art, whatever type of art it may be. From sculpture, to tattoo ink there is such a wide variety of art mediums each representing the artists creativity, how is one supposed to define it all under one term. This is where the major controversy regarding Duchamp’s work come into play. The society he submitted his artwork to, “The society’s board of directors, who were bound by the Society’s constitution to accept all members’ submissions, took exception to Fountain.” Duchamp was angry that this society that he helped found refused to exhibit his work. This brings about the question of what can be considered art? As we discussed in previous classes, can one take an everyday object, sign it, leave it somewhere, and have the object be considered a work of art? The article continued to discuss the Duchamp’s response to this and his unhappiness with the attitude of his colleagues. Are you Sure it is art? Walking through the RISD museum earlier today I found myself staring at multiple sculptures (not in a demeaning way) asking is this even art, “I could probably make this, who said this was considered art?” The article regarding the sculpture Bird in space discusses these questions and helps one understand why something is considered art, no matter how simple it is. I believe that art is not always about how well made, or how complex, or even how human-like something is. I believe art is about the artist. It serves as a way for an artist to express their creativity and ideas. Through their art they may communicate their feelings to the world and we can respond by admiring, disliking, and even loving their creation. This article discusses the court decision to change the definition of art further broadening the category, and what can be considered art. Formally sculpture was supposed to replicate something, from human to animal and more this was the true definition. After the hearing in court the definition changed which allows more pieces of work to be considered art. Art of communication The art of communication article was extremely interesting and actually rather helpful for someone like myself. As a business major my classes require me to give countless presentations to my audience, whether that audience is a group of peers, or my teachers. The section regarding powerpoint presentations holds an extremely accurate description of the hazards of powerpoint presentations. Often power points take away from the speaker giving the presentation which ultimately makes the speaker less interesting. This is a sure fire way to loose the attention of the audience. Power points can be an extremely helpful tool in communicating certain data by showing pictures, graphs, etc. However wordy slides are not the best presentation tool. Another important subject the article talked about is staying alert during a presentation. Certain habits such as looking at a watch, twiddling fingers, and face touching can make the speaker seem bored or disinterested in what is going on which can negatively affect the speakers presentation.
The readings for this week discussed generally the new and different art types that have been introduced recently. Art has shifted from the realistic paintings and sculptures to a more abstract type. Sculptures were often just reproductions of people or structures using a different medium. These articles discuss the change from one style of art to the next and how artists and viewers are adjusting to it.
The changes of art types are dramatic and now sometimes confusing to look at and comprehend. Modern art is very abstract and could be almost anything if the artist has a reason to designate it as art. I often do not understand the connection to certain pieces in order to distinguish it as art. There is a large grey area between art and not art and I think it is hard to create a line that is the deciding factor to determine something as art or not.
The article discussing the Fountain explains that it is a readymade sculpture because is an ordinary manufactured object that the artist deemed art and is now in a museum on display. This specific sculpture brought up a lot of controversy to determine if it was art. Americans Society had to honor its commitment to freedom of expression and accept any piece whether its typical art or not. As this happens the tolerance for new art is widening and people are becoming more accepting of this modern and abstract art.
The United States originally had a law that artwork is shipped free to museums but became a problem when their definition of art did not connect to the modern day art. The law was that sculptures had to be reproductions by carving or casting. This was becoming less common over the years and the law was running into many issues. The U.S. changed and adapted their laws to fit the new abstract work, which broadened the role of an artist, and the work they can create.
I believe the U.S. had no other choice to broaden their law to accept more modern artwork although, this problem can still occur because work is constantly changing. The line between art and crafting for instance is so fine that it might be a challenge to always have a law determining what art is and what can pass as art. It is shown in these articles that it changes so often and can be almost anything and the freedom of expression allows anyone to consider himself or herself an artist.
The fact that a person could go and buy a manufactured object such as a urinal and put their name on it as art is extreme to me. The artist was not even the person who created the object and the meaning is probably not a deep feeling. I think that the artist has to actually create the piece and have a reason why it is meaningful to them and maybe even other people before it is considered art.
Fundamental Principles of an Effective Presentation:
It was interesting to read this piece; I have never really learned the background on PowerPoint. I learned that it was started in Silicon Valley in 1987, and by 1990 it was widely used in all business. What’s interesting about the growth of PowerPoint in businesses is that it didn’t just stop there. PowerPoint is used in almost all my classes. PowerPoint has changed the way teachers teach. Professors can get all the information they need right on the slide. Not only do the professors use them for teaching they also make the students do PowerPoint presentations too. Although I hate public speaking I do see how PP is a powerful tool. The biggest thing I learned from this reading was the term “Slideumentation”. It refers to a presentation that is densely worded, it can be a cross between a document and a presentation. When making a presentation I learned to stay away from Slideumentation because often you can lose your audience faster.
Fountain:
The second reading was a description of Marcel Duchamp’s art, Fountain. I remember talking about this piece of art a couple weeks back, the classes reaction to this piece was that they didn’t really see it as a piece of art. I think it is a hundred percent a piece of art and I find it comical that the name of the piece is Fountain seeing that the picture is a urinal. But apparently for his time the artwork was see as not art because it’s indecent. This piece of art had a vote whether or not it was artistic enough to be called art; the reading says, “This was no small matter”. The vote of this piece could swing art in a way contemporary way.
But is it Art?:
I think the question whether something is art is a common question. What someone thinks is art can be completely different from someone else’s views. There’s no concrete definition to art, which brought up multiple debates such as Duchamp’s Fountain and Brancusi’s Bird in Space. I think it’s interesting how the title can change how people interpret what the art is. For example to me the Bird in Space could be interpreted in different ways if you were to just to change the tittle.
I thought this article was interesting because yes, lawyers can learn from actors. I think it’s very interesting that a company has spent so many years combining law and acting. It’s fascinating learning that the attorney is also the producer, writer and actor because you wouldn’t typically think of an attorney doing these different things.
Fountain
I found this article interesting especially since we discussed this piece in class a few weeks ago. I thought it was an interesting article because when I first saw the urinal in class I was unsure as to why someone would call this art and what the meaning behind it was. After reading the article, It was also interesting that there was so much controversy over an art piece because it was “too inappropriate” yet the meaning behind it had value.
But is it Art?
I liked this article a lot especially after visiting the MoMA and asking myself this quesiton over and over about different pieces. Specifically, there was a piece of art work (I don’t remember the name of it or who created it) but it was a black canvas with a thicker material wrapped around it with one slit through it that looked like it was done by a box cutter- so simple that I could’ve done it. In this article I think Brancusi’s piece should be considered art because it is what he thinks art is- and also because he made it. I think art is something that is misunderstood because people don't take the time to think about the piece and the story that follows. Although people may view certain things as art while others may not and because of this I think that the idea of what art is, is based on opinion.
I usually accept most things as art. I think anything can be made into art, except I don’t particularly understand the urinal. Is it the signature that makes it art? I don’t think that something that is bought and submitted to a gallery qualifies as art. I think there has to be at least some work and artistic value has to be added to the piece for it to qualify as art. Or maybe something handmade or thought up by a person should be considered art, but to me personally I don’t think the urinal qualifies as art. I would have to agree with the gallery owner in that article that it’s a little “if-y” if the urinal qualifies as art. On the other hand, I disagree with the beginning of the bird article. I think that the bird sculpture is art. It is weird that society back then had a set definition for what is art. But I guess we do to. I just said that the toilet wasn’t art. I am not quite sure what actually defines art. It’s a slippery slope, trying to define art. I think it is personal to a lot of people. What one person may see as art is not exactly what another person sees as art. I think that is interesting. There are not set rules for what defines art like there apparently used to be. I want to say that there shouldn’t be a set of rules that define art, but then what does define art. I obviously have a set of rules in my head that defines art for me personally, but I don’t think there is a worldwide known set of rules. It is an interesting topic that really confuses me. But, getting back to the article, I really saw the abstract essence of the grace, power, and fluidity of the bird in flight. I don’t think, without seeing the name, that I would have come up with that for that sculpture, but once I saw the title, I saw the vision. For a person who hates public speaking, such as myself, I don’t really put much thought into what makes a great presentation. I just try to get through the speech without fainting or throwing up. But I do see what they are talking about when I watch other people do presentations. You really have to understand your audience so you are not over their heads with too intense information that they don’t understand, and you don’t what to undermine and audience’s intelligence and say things too simply that they get bored. I think that would probably be the hardest part when writing a speech. You have all this information you have to say but it has to keep the audience’s attention and be in their ball field for what they can understand. Freshman year I had to take a public speaking course. We had to consider all of these elements. I tended to write what I could understand I what I found interesting because I was presenting to a group of people my age, so that seemed to work for me.
John Yusza I am not really sure what to think of this week’s reading. The closest thing to a theme I can determine is like a; what is art? I did not really like the first reading because I don’t think theatrics should be important in a court room. It is about evidence and facts, not about who can swing the emotions of the room through anything but the facts. After all it is potentially someone’s life in the balance so why should putting on a show have anything to do with it. I acknowledge that TV shows make it seem like that is all that goes on in court but this is not true to the degree they display it. So in a sense it seems like they are trying to test the bounds of art and incorporate it into everyday life. In relation to that point the fountain tried to do the same thing in a sense. Just testing the boundary of art but for artists. When art is not accepted by other artists because they think it is just too much, or even controversial can we still call it art? Duchamp’s work was considered indecent for the art culture of display. He challenged this norm in Paris and America in the early 1900’s. Now I fell it doesn’t really matter what people make it is always just considered art now. Whereas back in the day if it didn’t fit into the norm of art you had to be really passionate and fight for why it was art. Today everything is uncensored and society as a whole doesn’t care at all but also it has been 100 years since Duchamp. In relation to the main point the Brancusi’s sculpture of bird in space was the first challenged by the legal system. His idea of what was a bird in space but looked nothing like a bird. The court in the United States challenged this claim in relation to a tax. All the art professionals came to the conclusion that it was art, and that the title of the piece didn’t exactly have to look like what the piece was. Art has changed over time and it is related in almost everything. Sometimes the public is not ready for new art and sometimes the art community itself is not ready for new art but in the end whether that be next week or years in the future the art comes forth.
Fundamental Principles of an Effective Presentation
This reading is a repeat of what we have been taught for over the years and in our writing classes when it comes to writing our papers. However the only difference is that this is using those techniques such as ethos, logos, and pathos in presenting. There are some great tips that are given such as the playing towards the emotional side of the listener (The Elephant) rather than the thinking side of us (The Rider). But for the most part, this reading is something I've read and heard many times before growing up with education.
Fountain
This reading was about Marcel Duchamp's work of art "Fountain." This work was discussed many times in our class and yet I still ponder as to why it is considered a work of art. I guess maybe it has to do with the engineering and idea of the urinal to begin with. But the fact that it's used for when people have to go to the bathroom, it makes it so that to me it can't ever be considered a work of art.
But is it Art?
I've probably mentioned this before, but I have been to the MoMA twice up until now and I have seen some very weird works of art that made me question "Why is this in here?" But it's nice to see that this issue has been brought up in the past and even to went to court about a work of art that was thought to not represent something.
I found this weeks readings interesting because it was different. The article about the fountain is something a lot of people should read because it shows a message. It shows that there could be a message in any form of art- even if its a urinal. Since urinals are known for being unsanitary and a place for bodily waste, we’d typically be confused about why its being shown as important. But in 1917 people started calling it “beautiful” and its a a cross between a Buddha and a Veiled Woman. In the “But is it art?” article, I think this is someone everyone can relate to. In the beginning of our class, we even talked about what is art and what isn’t. Well, basically there is not much of the “isn’t.” Basically everything around us is art in some way. Someone made it a certain way for a certain reason. Although we can look at something such as a urinal and wonder- why, there is a meaning behind it. Art can represent different feelings and emotions in all forms. Also, at the end of this article it asks- Does the artworks title help you interpret an artwork? And my answer is sometimes I think it gives us a head start. It won’t tell the whole story but it can give us an idea. The next question was- Is a title necessary? I dont think it’s necessary because most artists probably have more abstract art that they want others to figure out. Overall I enjoyed these articles because of he different types of art forms it shows and how unique art can be.
“But Is It Art?” Constantin Brancusi vs. the United States: This was an interesting article. The title of a piece of art sometimes doesn’t literally show you what you are seeing but I think that whatever the artist named the piece, that’s they’re own interpretation of it and it doesn’t have to make sense as long as it makes sense to the creator. When I saw the sculpture and the name, “bird in space”, I didn’t literally see a bird in space but if it didn’t have a title I’d have no idea what the artist was trying to portray. Sometimes I think that not giving a work of art a title gives the viewers an opportunity to interpret what they see into their own ideas and I think that’s important because art should leave you feeling a certain way, it shouldn’t leave you without any thoughts or ideas on what you just saw. It was pretty ridiculous that Brancusi’s work wasn’t originally allowed to enter the United States because it didn’t “qualify” as a sculpture. For me, art isn’t supposed to fit into certain standards. It’s supposed to be different. Like the article said, “[art should] portray abstract ideas rather than imitate natural objects” To answer the question at the end of the article, how do you recognize what is and is not a work of art? I think that almost anything that someone put time and effort and creativity and emotion into is considered art. I have always questioned why some art gets more recognition than others but I don’t think one can define what is and isn’t art. For example, I don’t like Jackson Pollock’s splatter paint art. It looks the same to me and eventually it just gets boring but I wouldn’t say, “no its not art” I just find the fact that those paintings are so famous a little irritating because while its art I don’t think it’s the type of art that belongs in museums. I think that at the time, his art was new and different and that’s why people were so intrigued by it.
Marcel Duchamp, Fountain: I didn’t know that Marcel Duchamp just bought the urinal from a plumbing store. I assumed he had made it. My views on him as an artist are pretty different now. I would consider it art if whoever made it, created it for artistic purpose but it was probably made in a factory. I don’t agree with the society board and the idea that the urinal should be censored because of its association with bodily waste. I actually looked up his other work because I was curious and I think his painting are cool but his sculptures, he just took random house hold objects and hung them up. One of his pieces is called, “in advance of the broken arm” its just a snow shovel attached to fishing wire. Another of his sculptures is simply a wheel attached to a wooden stool. But then I continued looking around a little bit and he has more work that is much more complex and they were actually made by him. Apparently the same board that didn’t think Duchamps toilet was appropriate didn’t think his painting, “nude descending a staircase no.2” was either. I admire Duchamps willingness to push the boundaries on art and bring to American society new conceptions of what art can and can not be.
Overall I thought this weeks readings were interesting. At times they could be confusing and hard to understand what the message we were supposed to take away was. However I do agree that it was important for us to break away from the book for a week to read these. The third reading had the biggest impact on me. The “But Its Art?” article was one of the easier ones for me to understand and relate to. When I go to a museum or take a field trip to a museum sometimes I notice that the names of the pieces don’t actually fit what the piece of art is or what it depicts. The sculpture discussed in this article clearly doesn’t fit the name. But what I forget and hat other people don’t realize is that the artist named their piece a particular name for a reason whether or not everyone else understands that reason. The sculpture is clearly not of a “bird in the sky” but I strongly believe and agree that it is still a piece of art. Brancusi clearly put in a lot of time and effort on this piece and as all art usually does it has a lot of meaning to him. I agree that it is art because it has artistic value to him and that is part of what art is. The first article also talks about Microsoft PowerPoint. I related to this article because I am a business major and throughout my career here at Roger Williams and at my job once I graduate I am going to have to do many PowerPoint presentations. This particular article was more about how to use powerpoint effectively because some people don’t use it correctly. I completely agree that people need to use it in an effective manner so that their audience doesn’t lose interest. In a way this could be considered art simply because you want people to pay attention the information that you art presenting and a way to keep their interest is through visuals. I consider those visuals throughout a powerpoint to be art because art draws your eye to it and makes you pay attention to think and visuals during a powerpoint do just that. I think that if more people thought about how a powerpint relates to art then more business people and people not even in the business world could use powerpoints effectively.
Overall I thought this weeks readings were interesting. At times they could be confusing and hard to understand what the message we were supposed to take away was. However I do agree that it was important for us to break away from the book for a week to read these. The third reading had the biggest impact on me. The “But Its Art?” article was one of the easier ones for me to understand and relate to. When I go to a museum or take a field trip to a museum sometimes I notice that the names of the pieces don’t actually fit what the piece of art is or what it depicts. The sculpture discussed in this article clearly doesn’t fit the name. But what I forget and hat other people don’t realize is that the artist named their piece a particular name for a reason whether or not everyone else understands that reason. The sculpture is clearly not of a “bird in the sky” but I strongly believe and agree that it is still a piece of art. Brancusi clearly put in a lot of time and effort on this piece and as all art usually does it has a lot of meaning to him. I agree that it is art because it has artistic value to him and that is part of what art is. The first article also talks about Microsoft PowerPoint. I related to this article because I am a business major and throughout my career here at Roger Williams and at my job once I graduate I am going to have to do many PowerPoint presentations. This particular article was more about how to use powerpoint effectively because some people don’t use it correctly. I completely agree that people need to use it in an effective manner so that their audience doesn’t lose interest. In a way this could be considered art simply because you want people to pay attention the information that you art presenting and a way to keep their interest is through visuals. I consider those visuals throughout a powerpoint to be art because art draws your eye to it and makes you pay attention to think and visuals during a powerpoint do just that. I think that if more people thought about how a powerpint relates to art then more business people and people not even in the business world could use powerpoints effectively.
I actually don’t believe that they can learn from actors. Maybe lawyers that don’t deal with murder trials or something like that.. But if I had a lawyer for something serious I would not want them to be dramatic. That comes off phony and not genuine. There are similar traits like using ethos pathos and logos like knowing your audience and appealing to emotion. But those concepts are used in more than acting. People use them when teaching, managing, directing and much more.
The fountain was the most interesting article out of the three. In class you showed us this sculpture and I thought it literally was a sculpture. Turns out the guy just bought it and placed it in public. It most definitely isn’t art to me because I’m not sure he created it. I guess everyone has their own opinion on it but I don’t see the beauty and creativity in a urinal on the street.
Is it art was a good article too considering its what we talk about in class constantly like I said before. I don’t think it’s a concrete answer though. Everyone has his or her own opinions and views. Kind of how we can all see the same color but not exactly know the shade others see compared to us. So it’s not right to tell people what is art and what’s not. We are all allowed to have our own opinion without being swayed another way.
Kristin Portsmouth Aesthetics Response 6 October 14, 2014
After reading “But Is It Art?” I was a little irritated that they did not consider this sculpture art at first. Saying that “To qualify as ‘sculpture,’ works had to be ‘reproductions by carving or casting, imitations of natural objects, chiefly the human form,’” is completely wrong, I feel. This piece is technically and imitation of a natural object, a bird by the artists standards. Just because the officials of the museum did not quite see it that way, they had no right to mark down the piece by 40% of its value for this. I was glad to see that after the trial that they changed their definition of what a sculpture is and thus considered “Bird in Space” a piece of art. Everyone has his or her own definition of what a sculpture, painting, or even in general what art is.
On the other hand, from reading the “Fountain” I simply cannot understand how this urinal is artwork. There are no original additions to the piece and he did not add alterations except for his signature. Artwork, I believe, has to be something you make with your own two hands, like the Bird in Space. That piece to me was no doubt a work of art because the artist had an idea about a bird taking off in flight and he recreated that as his sculpture. This artist just took a urinal, signed it, and placed it in the middle of some public scene. This is considered art? That doesn’t make sense to me at all. This further develops the idea that everyone has his or her own definition of art. I made that clear when talking about these two pieces in this response. Art has definitely changed over time and with each new development our understanding of art needs to develop as well.
This final article “Fundamental Principles of an Effective Presentation” threw me off a little bit. Relating to the other articles for this weeks reading this one does not quite fit in. It talks about how to make an effective presentation and how to relate to your audience, but how does that relate to our art class? I can see how maybe if we need to present our projects later on in the semester this will come into play. Much like everyone else, I am not a fan of public speaking. Standing in front of a class full of my peers is not something I would volunteer to do at any point in time, and when its forced it seems even worse. This article however really gives some good tips on how to have an effective presentation which I enjoyed reading. I also really like how they brought in The Sandlot and my favorite line “You’re killing me Smalls!”
This weeks topic is the definition of art. There are many different types of art. We have already covered many different types of art in this course so far. For example we have covered painting, music, sculptures, architecture, and many more. What we have not really focused on is the definition of art, which to me means whether or not a piece can be considered art or not. I believe if you create something on your own it should be considered art. There should be some sort of limitation on what is considered art, but I believe that anything you put time and effort into should be considered art.
I do believe there are many different types of art, but there should be limitations. One of the article we had to read was about the piece of art called the Fountain. Now some people consider this piece to be art, but I do not think it is art. The Fountain was “created” by Marcel Duchamp. The reason I put created in quotes is because I believe that Duchamp did not create the piece. The piece is a urinal that he took and wrote his name on the urinal with black paint. I do not consider this piece to be art because Marcel Duchamp did not create anything. All that he did was sign his signature on a urinal. How is that art? Well, guess what it’s not! I do not think that this piece send out a message I believe that Duchamp was just trying to see how far he could push the board of the museum with his “art”. Now if Duchamp created a urinal with his own hands, then yes I would consider that art. But you can not take a urinal that has already been made and sign and consider that art.
The next article talks about a piece of art that does not match the name of the piece. The piece is called Bird in Space. The thing is the sculpture does not look like a bird in space it looks like a gold pole. For this piece i do believe it is art. The artist, Constantin Brancusi, created this piece, so by my definition this sculpture is a piece of art. Even though to some people this sculpture may not look like a bird in space to Brancusi this was his representation of a bird in space. Art is in the eye of the beholder and is up for everyone’s and anyone’s interpretation.
Fundamental Principles of an Effective Presentation I can personally connect with the term they used in the reading: "Death by PowerPoint". I agree that most of the PowerPoint presentations that I have to sit through are bullet points on a screen with the occasional picture or graph on a slide. I do not think that PowerPoint is to blame for this. I learned many times in middle and high school to not list everything you are going to say in your presentation on slides in bullet points. There is no need for a the PowerPoint in this circumstance, you might as well be reading it off the paper because it provides no stimulating visual aid to the audience. I was convinced that I mastered making PowerPoints. I only put main ideas, maybe quotes or pictures that will aid my presentation, not write it out for me.
Fountain I remember talking about this in class and talking about whether or not we think that this kind of art is actually art. The idea of "readymade" art, which the Fountain is an example of, fascinates me. This reading also brought to light the fact that we are not the only ones that feel this way. Back when this was created, the artist was fighting to defend his piece of art while critics and collectors claimed it was vulgar and should not be considered a form of art. As it mentioned in the last paragraph, I would consider the photograph of the piece as art more than the piece itself because more artistic skills have gone into the photograph than just merely turning a urinal upside down and painting a signature on it. The photographer used his knowledge of composition and lighting to create his piece of art. It wasn't so obviously a urinal anymore, it mentioned in the reading that some people saw a cross between a Buddha and a veiled woman. The photographer created that illusion, not Duchamp.
But Is It Art? I personally love this sculpture. I think it is elegant and depicts a perfect sense of movement that describes a bird soaring through space. Its smooth and pretty to look at, unlike the "Fountain". There was controversy over it because people could not recognize the abstraction. They wanted art only to display what they could understand, so art to them depicted nature, history, or religion. I believe that if the artist intended this to be a bird in space, then it was up to the viewer to interpret it as they wish. Not everyone has to agree on art, just like not everyone agrees on politics.
I thought this weeks readings were pretty interesting. The readings where a mini break and very different than our normal weekly readings. With the first reading I was a little confused on what I was supposed to get out of it. I didn’t understand the message. The article was about how to make an effective presentation and how to relate to your audience, which was probably why I was so confused. We have been talked about art and I could not relate the article much to art. The fountain was the most interesting article. When you showed us the picture in class a few weeks ago I thought it was a sculpture an artiest made not just a bought urinal. Even though though the question if it is art? Is very hard for many to answer. I truly think it is art. But Its Art? was one of the easier articles for me to understand and relate to. For me I think everything can be considered art. Everything can be art if one wants it to be art.
Nicole Marmo
ReplyDeleteThe Definition of Art
Can Lawyers Lear From Actors?
I liked this article and I do think lawyers can learn from these actors. Although courtroom dramas contain more emotion, maybe it can help a real lawyer to learn what the actual emotions feel like during a real court case. It could be helpful for a new lawyer who doesn’t know what to expect for their first visit to the courtroom this way they know how to properly prepare for their first case. I thought it was very interesting that an actual lawyer was both the director and screenplay writer for this play because you wouldn’t expect a lawyer to be interested in screenwriting.
The Fountain
Reading about the Fountain I just really didn’t understand how it could be considered a piece of artwork if it’s just a urinal with a signature on it. I also think that Duchamp didn’t have a good reason as to why it should be considered as a piece of artwork, to me it was just him testing his boundaries. I understand that he wants to have freedom of speech in his artwork, but I think anyone has the right to deny someone from having their artwork displayed in their gallery. If it was me I wouldn’t allow it be in the Grand Central Palace art show either. To me this piece of “artwork” was just Duchamp being a rebel without a cause anyone could buy something random and sign it, that doesn’t make it artwork. There was almost no effort into making it and no artistic ability was needed. Maybe if it had a good meaning behind why Duchamp decided to sign a urinal it could be considered artistic, but according to the article he didn’t have a reason.
But is it Art?
I think that Brancusi’s art piece should be considered art because he did make it. I also do understand why the U.S. didn’t classify it as art because it can easily be misunderstood if someone didn’t know what to look for and if you didn’t know the title. I do think “Bird in Space” could be considered an art piece because it has to be formed in this shape in which Bancusi carefully made and formed. It looks like it was made of brass, and I don’t think that’s something easy to do. It looks really nice and smooth, but I wouldn’t really look at this as much as I’d look at a painting because it doesn’t really have anything but its shape to keep you interested and there isn’t much to see. I do think the story behind this piece getting taxed is kind of funny, but if it happened to me I would also sue because it was being used in an art museum and nothing else, so it shouldn’t be taxed as if it were for something else.
Abigail Lisee
ReplyDeleteAesthetics
October 14th Readings
Fundamental Principles of an Effective Presentation
I thought this was an interesting piece of reading. A lot of seemed to definitely be relatable. I liked how they talked about Power Point and how it is the most common method of giving presentations because in college I think that is where we as students find a sort of comfort zone in something that can be sort of terrifying. For me, I despise public speaking. I get a lot of anxiety standing in front of people and presenting anything really. So with that said I know I have definitely done my fair share of Power Points and I think the reason for that is because if I have something on the screen the audience is more likely to look at that rather than at me. Also it definitely acts as a guide, like the article said, so that if I lose my place or forget what I was going to say I could look up at the board and remember. However I think the author was correct when they said it could definitely hinder the presentation. I thought the advice in this reading was extremely helpful and I hope to take it into consideration for my next presentation.
Fountain
I remember talking about this in class a few weeks back and at the time I was a little bit confused as to why a so called artist would use a urinal and call it a piece of art work and I was also wondering what sort of message he was trying to portray through this action. What I got from the reading was basically that this artist entered this piece into the Society of Independent Artists, which was then vetoed out. They voted against having the artwork because it was inappropriate. This angered the artist and it became a huge deal because he believed that an artist’s work should not have to be censored. So, when I first began reading this I thought it was strange and pointless but after reading a bit I started to agree. Although I don’t completely understand the whole urinal idea and it is not something I would find it super appealing as a piece of art, I think the idea behind it is very powerful. I believe that art is one of the few things in the world where an artist can truly express himself or herself without having to hold back. So, I think if you put people in charge of deciding whether something is appropriate or is actually art at all then it takes the meaning away.
But Is It Art?
I think I’ve asked myself this question many times while looking at certain pieces of art. I look at it and I think, “How is this considered art?” I think that is a very touchy subject because there is such a wide variety of art and what makes up art. I don’t know if I believe that there is a uniformed definition of art. It all depends on interpretation. Just like in the previous article when one person thought a urinal was art and a lot of people did not. And now we are talking about it, so it must have made a big enough impact to be this important now. So I wonder if that is what art is. Is it just something that makes a big enough impact to be important years later. I don’t know if I have an answer for that.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea that art can be connected to almost anything. Acting, plays, shows, and everything along those lines are a type of art. It is the art of drama and theatre and performance. The fact that an entire company dedicates themselves to combing law and art is admirable. Art and law, if looked at from a certain point of view, go hand in hand, and the Act of Communication did a great way of expressing that connection. I also really liked how the readings for this week were different than our normal readings. Normally we just learn about one aspect of art and all of the subcategories included in it. This week, however, it was more along the lines of the recent history of art and how it has become what it is today. For example, the Fountain article discusses how the urinal was determined to not be a piece of art, without a jury’s help, and how works should be hung by artist’s last name instead of by a person’s specific views or opinions. It doesn’t simply discuss the urinal as being a piece of art and then explaining what category of art it falls under, it talks about how the urinal came to be, and whether or not it belonged in an art exhibition or not.
The third article really caught my attention because of the fact that it started off with a question that I had actually thought about before, including when I went to the RISD museum. Some pieces of artwork, to me, just have no relation to their title, which of course makes me wonder where the title came from. I never realized how seriously that question was taken, before reading this article. The Bird In Space sculpture going all the way to court, proves how much thought goes into a title, both by the artist and the admirer. The judges’ conclusion seems to have opened up a whole new world of art, one that was much more open minded and willing to accept abstract pieces.
Shannon Smith
ReplyDeleteForum posting
10/12/15
Fountain
The article regarding “fountain” obtained my interest greatly due to the controversial nature of Duchamp’s art piece. Throughout this course I have found it extremely difficult to define art, whatever type of art it may be. From sculpture, to tattoo ink there is such a wide variety of art mediums each representing the artists creativity, how is one supposed to define it all under one term. This is where the major controversy regarding Duchamp’s work come into play. The society he submitted his artwork to, “The society’s board of directors, who were bound by the Society’s constitution to accept all members’ submissions, took exception to Fountain.” Duchamp was angry that this society that he helped found refused to exhibit his work. This brings about the question of what can be considered art? As we discussed in previous classes, can one take an everyday object, sign it, leave it somewhere, and have the object be considered a work of art? The article continued to discuss the Duchamp’s response to this and his unhappiness with the attitude of his colleagues.
Are you Sure it is art?
Walking through the RISD museum earlier today I found myself staring at multiple sculptures (not in a demeaning way) asking is this even art, “I could probably make this, who said this was considered art?” The article regarding the sculpture Bird in space discusses these questions and helps one understand why something is considered art, no matter how simple it is. I believe that art is not always about how well made, or how complex, or even how human-like something is. I believe art is about the artist. It serves as a way for an artist to express their creativity and ideas. Through their art they may communicate their feelings to the world and we can respond by admiring, disliking, and even loving their creation. This article discusses the court decision to change the definition of art further broadening the category, and what can be considered art. Formally sculpture was supposed to replicate something, from human to animal and more this was the true definition. After the hearing in court the definition changed which allows more pieces of work to be considered art.
Art of communication
The art of communication article was extremely interesting and actually rather helpful for someone like myself. As a business major my classes require me to give countless presentations to my audience, whether that audience is a group of peers, or my teachers. The section regarding powerpoint presentations holds an extremely accurate description of the hazards of powerpoint presentations. Often power points take away from the speaker giving the presentation which ultimately makes the speaker less interesting. This is a sure fire way to loose the attention of the audience. Power points can be an extremely helpful tool in communicating certain data by showing pictures, graphs, etc. However wordy slides are not the best presentation tool. Another important subject the article talked about is staying alert during a presentation. Certain habits such as looking at a watch, twiddling fingers, and face touching can make the speaker seem bored or disinterested in what is going on which can negatively affect the speakers presentation.
GraceAnn FitzMaurice
ReplyDelete13 October 2015
Reflection
The readings for this week discussed generally the new and different art types that have been introduced recently. Art has shifted from the realistic paintings and sculptures to a more abstract type. Sculptures were often just reproductions of people or structures using a different medium. These articles discuss the change from one style of art to the next and how artists and viewers are adjusting to it.
The changes of art types are dramatic and now sometimes confusing to look at and comprehend. Modern art is very abstract and could be almost anything if the artist has a reason to designate it as art. I often do not understand the connection to certain pieces in order to distinguish it as art. There is a large grey area between art and not art and I think it is hard to create a line that is the deciding factor to determine something as art or not.
The article discussing the Fountain explains that it is a readymade sculpture because is an ordinary manufactured object that the artist deemed art and is now in a museum on display. This specific sculpture brought up a lot of controversy to determine if it was art. Americans Society had to honor its commitment to freedom of expression and accept any piece whether its typical art or not. As this happens the tolerance for new art is widening and people are becoming more accepting of this modern and abstract art.
The United States originally had a law that artwork is shipped free to museums but became a problem when their definition of art did not connect to the modern day art. The law was that sculptures had to be reproductions by carving or casting. This was becoming less common over the years and the law was running into many issues. The U.S. changed and adapted their laws to fit the new abstract work, which broadened the role of an artist, and the work they can create.
I believe the U.S. had no other choice to broaden their law to accept more modern artwork although, this problem can still occur because work is constantly changing. The line between art and crafting for instance is so fine that it might be a challenge to always have a law determining what art is and what can pass as art. It is shown in these articles that it changes so often and can be almost anything and the freedom of expression allows anyone to consider himself or herself an artist.
The fact that a person could go and buy a manufactured object such as a urinal and put their name on it as art is extreme to me. The artist was not even the person who created the object and the meaning is probably not a deep feeling. I think that the artist has to actually create the piece and have a reason why it is meaningful to them and maybe even other people before it is considered art.
Max Kraimer
ReplyDeleteThe Definition of Art
Fundamental Principles of an Effective Presentation:
It was interesting to read this piece; I have never really learned the background on PowerPoint. I learned that it was started in Silicon Valley in 1987, and by 1990 it was widely used in all business. What’s interesting about the growth of PowerPoint in businesses is that it didn’t just stop there. PowerPoint is used in almost all my classes. PowerPoint has changed the way teachers teach. Professors can get all the information they need right on the slide. Not only do the professors use them for teaching they also make the students do PowerPoint presentations too. Although I hate public speaking I do see how PP is a powerful tool. The biggest thing I learned from this reading was the term “Slideumentation”. It refers to a presentation that is densely worded, it can be a cross between a document and a presentation. When making a presentation I learned to stay away from Slideumentation because often you can lose your audience faster.
Fountain:
The second reading was a description of Marcel Duchamp’s art, Fountain. I remember talking about this piece of art a couple weeks back, the classes reaction to this piece was that they didn’t really see it as a piece of art. I think it is a hundred percent a piece of art and I find it comical that the name of the piece is Fountain seeing that the picture is a urinal. But apparently for his time the artwork was see as not art because it’s indecent. This piece of art had a vote whether or not it was artistic enough to be called art; the reading says, “This was no small matter”. The vote of this piece could swing art in a way contemporary way.
But is it Art?:
I think the question whether something is art is a common question. What someone thinks is art can be completely different from someone else’s views. There’s no concrete definition to art, which brought up multiple debates such as Duchamp’s Fountain and Brancusi’s Bird in Space. I think it’s interesting how the title can change how people interpret what the art is. For example to me the Bird in Space could be interpreted in different ways if you were to just to change the tittle.
ReplyDeleteWhat Can Lawyers Learn From Actors?
I thought this article was interesting because yes, lawyers can learn from actors. I think it’s very interesting that a company has spent so many years combining law and acting. It’s fascinating learning that the attorney is also the producer, writer and actor because you wouldn’t typically think of an attorney doing these different things.
Fountain
I found this article interesting especially since we discussed this piece in class a few weeks ago. I thought it was an interesting article because when I first saw the urinal in class I was unsure as to why someone would call this art and what the meaning behind it was. After reading the article, It was also interesting that there was so much controversy over an art piece because it was “too inappropriate” yet the meaning behind it had value.
But is it Art?
I liked this article a lot especially after visiting the MoMA and asking myself this quesiton over and over about different pieces. Specifically, there was a piece of art work (I don’t remember the name of it or who created it) but it was a black canvas with a thicker material wrapped around it with one slit through it that looked like it was done by a box cutter- so simple that I could’ve done it. In this article I think Brancusi’s piece should be considered art because it is what he thinks art is- and also because he made it. I think art is something that is misunderstood because people don't take the time to think about the piece and the story that follows. Although people may view certain things as art while others may not and because of this I think that the idea of what art is, is based on opinion.
I usually accept most things as art. I think anything can be made into art, except I don’t particularly understand the urinal. Is it the signature that makes it art? I don’t think that something that is bought and submitted to a gallery qualifies as art. I think there has to be at least some work and artistic value has to be added to the piece for it to qualify as art. Or maybe something handmade or thought up by a person should be considered art, but to me personally I don’t think the urinal qualifies as art. I would have to agree with the gallery owner in that article that it’s a little “if-y” if the urinal qualifies as art.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I disagree with the beginning of the bird article. I think that the bird sculpture is art. It is weird that society back then had a set definition for what is art. But I guess we do to. I just said that the toilet wasn’t art. I am not quite sure what actually defines art. It’s a slippery slope, trying to define art. I think it is personal to a lot of people. What one person may see as art is not exactly what another person sees as art. I think that is interesting. There are not set rules for what defines art like there apparently used to be. I want to say that there shouldn’t be a set of rules that define art, but then what does define art. I obviously have a set of rules in my head that defines art for me personally, but I don’t think there is a worldwide known set of rules. It is an interesting topic that really confuses me. But, getting back to the article, I really saw the abstract essence of the grace, power, and fluidity of the bird in flight. I don’t think, without seeing the name, that I would have come up with that for that sculpture, but once I saw the title, I saw the vision.
For a person who hates public speaking, such as myself, I don’t really put much thought into what makes a great presentation. I just try to get through the speech without fainting or throwing up. But I do see what they are talking about when I watch other people do presentations. You really have to understand your audience so you are not over their heads with too intense information that they don’t understand, and you don’t what to undermine and audience’s intelligence and say things too simply that they get bored. I think that would probably be the hardest part when writing a speech. You have all this information you have to say but it has to keep the audience’s attention and be in their ball field for what they can understand. Freshman year I had to take a public speaking course. We had to consider all of these elements. I tended to write what I could understand I what I found interesting because I was presenting to a group of people my age, so that seemed to work for me.
John Yusza
ReplyDeleteI am not really sure what to think of this week’s reading. The closest thing to a theme I can determine is like a; what is art? I did not really like the first reading because I don’t think theatrics should be important in a court room. It is about evidence and facts, not about who can swing the emotions of the room through anything but the facts. After all it is potentially someone’s life in the balance so why should putting on a show have anything to do with it. I acknowledge that TV shows make it seem like that is all that goes on in court but this is not true to the degree they display it. So in a sense it seems like they are trying to test the bounds of art and incorporate it into everyday life. In relation to that point the fountain tried to do the same thing in a sense. Just testing the boundary of art but for artists. When art is not accepted by other artists because they think it is just too much, or even controversial can we still call it art? Duchamp’s work was considered indecent for the art culture of display. He challenged this norm in Paris and America in the early 1900’s. Now I fell it doesn’t really matter what people make it is always just considered art now. Whereas back in the day if it didn’t fit into the norm of art you had to be really passionate and fight for why it was art. Today everything is uncensored and society as a whole doesn’t care at all but also it has been 100 years since Duchamp. In relation to the main point the Brancusi’s sculpture of bird in space was the first challenged by the legal system. His idea of what was a bird in space but looked nothing like a bird. The court in the United States challenged this claim in relation to a tax. All the art professionals came to the conclusion that it was art, and that the title of the piece didn’t exactly have to look like what the piece was. Art has changed over time and it is related in almost everything. Sometimes the public is not ready for new art and sometimes the art community itself is not ready for new art but in the end whether that be next week or years in the future the art comes forth.
Dustin Wade
ReplyDelete10/14/15
Fundamental Principles of an Effective Presentation
This reading is a repeat of what we have been taught for over the years and in our writing classes when it comes to writing our papers. However the only difference is that this is using those techniques such as ethos, logos, and pathos in presenting. There are some great tips that are given such as the playing towards the emotional side of the listener (The Elephant) rather than the thinking side of us (The Rider). But for the most part, this reading is something I've read and heard many times before growing up with education.
Fountain
This reading was about Marcel Duchamp's work of art "Fountain." This work was discussed many times in our class and yet I still ponder as to why it is considered a work of art. I guess maybe it has to do with the engineering and idea of the urinal to begin with. But the fact that it's used for when people have to go to the bathroom, it makes it so that to me it can't ever be considered a work of art.
But is it Art?
I've probably mentioned this before, but I have been to the MoMA twice up until now and I have seen some very weird works of art that made me question "Why is this in here?" But it's nice to see that this issue has been brought up in the past and even to went to court about a work of art that was thought to not represent something.
Kayla Stone
ReplyDeleteOct 14
I found this weeks readings interesting because it was different. The article about the fountain is something a lot of people should read because it shows a message. It shows that there could be a message in any form of art- even if its a urinal. Since urinals are known for being unsanitary and a place for bodily waste, we’d typically be confused about why its being shown as important. But in 1917 people started calling it “beautiful” and its a a cross between a Buddha and a Veiled Woman.
In the “But is it art?” article, I think this is someone everyone can relate to. In the beginning of our class, we even talked about what is art and what isn’t. Well, basically there is not much of the “isn’t.” Basically everything around us is art in some way. Someone made it a certain way for a certain reason. Although we can look at something such as a urinal and wonder- why, there is a meaning behind it. Art can represent different feelings and emotions in all forms. Also, at the end of this article it asks- Does the artworks title help you interpret an artwork? And my answer is sometimes I think it gives us a head start. It won’t tell the whole story but it can give us an idea. The next question was- Is a title necessary? I dont think it’s necessary because most artists probably have more abstract art that they want others to figure out.
Overall I enjoyed these articles because of he different types of art forms it shows and how unique art can be.
“But Is It Art?” Constantin Brancusi vs. the United States:
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting article. The title of a piece of art sometimes doesn’t literally show you what you are seeing but I think that whatever the artist named the piece, that’s they’re own interpretation of it and it doesn’t have to make sense as long as it makes sense to the creator. When I saw the sculpture and the name, “bird in space”, I didn’t literally see a bird in space but if it didn’t have a title I’d have no idea what the artist was trying to portray. Sometimes I think that not giving a work of art a title gives the viewers an opportunity to interpret what they see into their own ideas and I think that’s important because art should leave you feeling a certain way, it shouldn’t leave you without any thoughts or ideas on what you just saw.
It was pretty ridiculous that Brancusi’s work wasn’t originally allowed to enter the United States because it didn’t “qualify” as a sculpture. For me, art isn’t supposed to fit into certain standards. It’s supposed to be different. Like the article said, “[art should] portray abstract ideas rather than imitate natural objects” To answer the question at the end of the article, how do you recognize what is and is not a work of art? I think that almost anything that someone put time and effort and creativity and emotion into is considered art. I have always questioned why some art gets more recognition than others but I don’t think one can define what is and isn’t art. For example, I don’t like Jackson Pollock’s splatter paint art. It looks the same to me and eventually it just gets boring but I wouldn’t say, “no its not art” I just find the fact that those paintings are so famous a little irritating because while its art I don’t think it’s the type of art that belongs in museums. I think that at the time, his art was new and different and that’s why people were so intrigued by it.
Marcel Duchamp, Fountain:
I didn’t know that Marcel Duchamp just bought the urinal from a plumbing store. I assumed he had made it. My views on him as an artist are pretty different now. I would consider it art if whoever made it, created it for artistic purpose but it was probably made in a factory. I don’t agree with the society board and the idea that the urinal should be censored because of its association with bodily waste. I actually looked up his other work because I was curious and I think his painting are cool but his sculptures, he just took random house hold objects and hung them up. One of his pieces is called, “in advance of the broken arm” its just a snow shovel attached to fishing wire. Another of his sculptures is simply a wheel attached to a wooden stool. But then I continued looking around a little bit and he has more work that is much more complex and they were actually made by him. Apparently the same board that didn’t think Duchamps toilet was appropriate didn’t think his painting, “nude descending a staircase no.2” was either. I admire Duchamps willingness to push the boundaries on art and bring to American society new conceptions of what art can and can not be.
Overall I thought this weeks readings were interesting. At times they could be confusing and hard to understand what the message we were supposed to take away was. However I do agree that it was important for us to break away from the book for a week to read these.
ReplyDeleteThe third reading had the biggest impact on me. The “But Its Art?” article was one of the easier ones for me to understand and relate to. When I go to a museum or take a field trip to a museum sometimes I notice that the names of the pieces don’t actually fit what the piece of art is or what it depicts. The sculpture discussed in this article clearly doesn’t fit the name. But what I forget and hat other people don’t realize is that the artist named their piece a particular name for a reason whether or not everyone else understands that reason. The sculpture is clearly not of a “bird in the sky” but I strongly believe and agree that it is still a piece of art. Brancusi clearly put in a lot of time and effort on this piece and as all art usually does it has a lot of meaning to him. I agree that it is art because it has artistic value to him and that is part of what art is.
The first article also talks about Microsoft PowerPoint. I related to this article because I am a business major and throughout my career here at Roger Williams and at my job once I graduate I am going to have to do many PowerPoint presentations. This particular article was more about how to use powerpoint effectively because some people don’t use it correctly. I completely agree that people need to use it in an effective manner so that their audience doesn’t lose interest. In a way this could be considered art simply because you want people to pay attention the information that you art presenting and a way to keep their interest is through visuals. I consider those visuals throughout a powerpoint to be art because art draws your eye to it and makes you pay attention to think and visuals during a powerpoint do just that. I think that if more people thought about how a powerpint relates to art then more business people and people not even in the business world could use powerpoints effectively.
Overall I thought this weeks readings were interesting. At times they could be confusing and hard to understand what the message we were supposed to take away was. However I do agree that it was important for us to break away from the book for a week to read these.
ReplyDeleteThe third reading had the biggest impact on me. The “But Its Art?” article was one of the easier ones for me to understand and relate to. When I go to a museum or take a field trip to a museum sometimes I notice that the names of the pieces don’t actually fit what the piece of art is or what it depicts. The sculpture discussed in this article clearly doesn’t fit the name. But what I forget and hat other people don’t realize is that the artist named their piece a particular name for a reason whether or not everyone else understands that reason. The sculpture is clearly not of a “bird in the sky” but I strongly believe and agree that it is still a piece of art. Brancusi clearly put in a lot of time and effort on this piece and as all art usually does it has a lot of meaning to him. I agree that it is art because it has artistic value to him and that is part of what art is.
The first article also talks about Microsoft PowerPoint. I related to this article because I am a business major and throughout my career here at Roger Williams and at my job once I graduate I am going to have to do many PowerPoint presentations. This particular article was more about how to use powerpoint effectively because some people don’t use it correctly. I completely agree that people need to use it in an effective manner so that their audience doesn’t lose interest. In a way this could be considered art simply because you want people to pay attention the information that you art presenting and a way to keep their interest is through visuals. I consider those visuals throughout a powerpoint to be art because art draws your eye to it and makes you pay attention to think and visuals during a powerpoint do just that. I think that if more people thought about how a powerpint relates to art then more business people and people not even in the business world could use powerpoints effectively.
ReplyDeleteMarisa siino
I actually don’t believe that they can learn from actors. Maybe lawyers that don’t deal with murder trials or something like that.. But if I had a lawyer for something serious I would not want them to be dramatic. That comes off phony and not genuine. There are similar traits like using ethos pathos and logos like knowing your audience and appealing to emotion. But those concepts are used in more than acting. People use them when teaching, managing, directing and much more.
The fountain was the most interesting article out of the three. In class you showed us this sculpture and I thought it literally was a sculpture. Turns out the guy just bought it and placed it in public. It most definitely isn’t art to me because I’m not sure he created it. I guess everyone has their own opinion on it but I don’t see the beauty and creativity in a urinal on the street.
Is it art was a good article too considering its what we talk about in class constantly like I said before. I don’t think it’s a concrete answer though. Everyone has his or her own opinions and views. Kind of how we can all see the same color but not exactly know the shade others see compared to us. So it’s not right to tell people what is art and what’s not. We are all allowed to have our own opinion without being swayed another way.
Kristin Portsmouth
ReplyDeleteAesthetics Response 6
October 14, 2014
After reading “But Is It Art?” I was a little irritated that they did not consider this sculpture art at first. Saying that “To qualify as ‘sculpture,’ works had to be ‘reproductions by carving or casting, imitations of natural objects, chiefly the human form,’” is completely wrong, I feel. This piece is technically and imitation of a natural object, a bird by the artists standards. Just because the officials of the museum did not quite see it that way, they had no right to mark down the piece by 40% of its value for this. I was glad to see that after the trial that they changed their definition of what a sculpture is and thus considered “Bird in Space” a piece of art. Everyone has his or her own definition of what a sculpture, painting, or even in general what art is.
On the other hand, from reading the “Fountain” I simply cannot understand how this urinal is artwork. There are no original additions to the piece and he did not add alterations except for his signature. Artwork, I believe, has to be something you make with your own two hands, like the Bird in Space. That piece to me was no doubt a work of art because the artist had an idea about a bird taking off in flight and he recreated that as his sculpture. This artist just took a urinal, signed it, and placed it in the middle of some public scene. This is considered art? That doesn’t make sense to me at all. This further develops the idea that everyone has his or her own definition of art. I made that clear when talking about these two pieces in this response. Art has definitely changed over time and with each new development our understanding of art needs to develop as well.
This final article “Fundamental Principles of an Effective Presentation” threw me off a little bit. Relating to the other articles for this weeks reading this one does not quite fit in. It talks about how to make an effective presentation and how to relate to your audience, but how does that relate to our art class? I can see how maybe if we need to present our projects later on in the semester this will come into play. Much like everyone else, I am not a fan of public speaking. Standing in front of a class full of my peers is not something I would volunteer to do at any point in time, and when its forced it seems even worse. This article however really gives some good tips on how to have an effective presentation which I enjoyed reading. I also really like how they brought in The Sandlot and my favorite line “You’re killing me Smalls!”
Anna Strang
ReplyDeleteThis weeks topic is the definition of art. There are many different types of art. We have already covered many different types of art in this course so far. For example we have covered painting, music, sculptures, architecture, and many more. What we have not really focused on is the definition of art, which to me means whether or not a piece can be considered art or not. I believe if you create something on your own it should be considered art. There should be some sort of limitation on what is considered art, but I believe that anything you put time and effort into should be considered art.
I do believe there are many different types of art, but there should be limitations. One of the article we had to read was about the piece of art called the Fountain. Now some people consider this piece to be art, but I do not think it is art. The Fountain was “created” by Marcel Duchamp. The reason I put created in quotes is because I believe that Duchamp did not create the piece. The piece is a urinal that he took and wrote his name on the urinal with black paint. I do not consider this piece to be art because Marcel Duchamp did not create anything. All that he did was sign his signature on a urinal. How is that art? Well, guess what it’s not! I do not think that this piece send out a message I believe that Duchamp was just trying to see how far he could push the board of the museum with his “art”. Now if Duchamp created a urinal with his own hands, then yes I would consider that art. But you can not take a urinal that has already been made and sign and consider that art.
The next article talks about a piece of art that does not match the name of the piece. The piece is called Bird in Space. The thing is the sculpture does not look like a bird in space it looks like a gold pole. For this piece i do believe it is art. The artist, Constantin Brancusi, created this piece, so by my definition this sculpture is a piece of art. Even though to some people this sculpture may not look like a bird in space to Brancusi this was his representation of a bird in space. Art is in the eye of the beholder and is up for everyone’s and anyone’s interpretation.
Fundamental Principles of an Effective Presentation
ReplyDeleteI can personally connect with the term they used in the reading: "Death by PowerPoint". I agree that most of the PowerPoint presentations that I have to sit through are bullet points on a screen with the occasional picture or graph on a slide. I do not think that PowerPoint is to blame for this. I learned many times in middle and high school to not list everything you are going to say in your presentation on slides in bullet points. There is no need for a the PowerPoint in this circumstance, you might as well be reading it off the paper because it provides no stimulating visual aid to the audience. I was convinced that I mastered making PowerPoints. I only put main ideas, maybe quotes or pictures that will aid my presentation, not write it out for me.
Fountain
I remember talking about this in class and talking about whether or not we think that this kind of art is actually art. The idea of "readymade" art, which the Fountain is an example of, fascinates me. This reading also brought to light the fact that we are not the only ones that feel this way. Back when this was created, the artist was fighting to defend his piece of art while critics and collectors claimed it was vulgar and should not be considered a form of art. As it mentioned in the last paragraph, I would consider the photograph of the piece as art more than the piece itself because more artistic skills have gone into the photograph than just merely turning a urinal upside down and painting a signature on it. The photographer used his knowledge of composition and lighting to create his piece of art. It wasn't so obviously a urinal anymore, it mentioned in the reading that some people saw a cross between a Buddha and a veiled woman. The photographer created that illusion, not Duchamp.
But Is It Art?
I personally love this sculpture. I think it is elegant and depicts a perfect sense of movement that describes a bird soaring through space. Its smooth and pretty to look at, unlike the "Fountain". There was controversy over it because people could not recognize the abstraction. They wanted art only to display what they could understand, so art to them depicted nature, history, or religion. I believe that if the artist intended this to be a bird in space, then it was up to the viewer to interpret it as they wish. Not everyone has to agree on art, just like not everyone agrees on politics.
I thought this weeks readings were pretty interesting. The readings where a mini break and very different than our normal weekly readings.
ReplyDeleteWith the first reading I was a little confused on what I was supposed to get out of it. I didn’t understand the message. The article was about how to make an effective presentation and how to relate to your audience, which was probably why I was so confused. We have been talked about art and I could not relate the article much to art.
The fountain was the most interesting article. When you showed us the picture in class a few weeks ago I thought it was a sculpture an artiest made not just a bought urinal. Even though though the question if it is art? Is very hard for many to answer. I truly think it is art.
But Its Art? was one of the easier articles for me to understand and relate to. For me I think everything can be considered art. Everything can be art if one wants it to be art.