Art Criticism Process Describe: Tell exactly what you see Analyze: Use the elements/principles to reflect upon the art form Interpret: Consider the following
Art Criticism of My Postcard Project 1. On a postcard is a black mountain landscape outlined by a deep blue night sky scattered with pale stars. In the bottom right corner of the piece is a rising yellow moon that is just peaking over the horizon. On the blue ombré background is a bold black quote by Gandhi that states "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." Under the blue paint of the sky is a collage of blue tissue paper that forms the base of the piece. 2. The use of cool colors in this piece creates a theme of tranquility that coincides with the messages of peace and love, common ideals of Gandhi, the person whose quote appears on the piece. In addition, the employment of the night sky as a background connects with the quote's themes of living life to it's fullest and expanding your knowledge because the night sky often symbolizes the mysterious wonder of the universe and the wisdom and life it holds. The depiction of stars can be seen representing the vastness of space and the wonders that have yet to be discovered. The light-yellow, blurry shape of the rising yellow moon contrasts the black color and sharp edge of the horizon line. This contrast clearly defines the landscape and makes it pop more against the background. The application of the quote as the focal point of the piece emphasizes the fact that the artist's message is portrayed through this quote. 3a. I think the message of this piece is clear in the quote pictured in the night sky, "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." This quote emphasizes that life is short and every moment should be treasured, as you never know what moment might be your last. This quote also suggests that wisdom and knowledge are vital in making up who we are as a society and who we wish to become, and thus, should be held in the highest regard. Aside from the quote, the use of the night sky as a background invokes a fascination and an appreciation for the beauty and wonder of nature, a theme that connects to the quote's message of the wonders discovered through learning. b. I chose this message for my piece because it's a message I connect to as an intellectual always pursuing knowledge, an adventurer with a love for living life to its fullest, an activist who cares deeply about the environment, and an artist who has an appreciation for the beauty and wonder found in all things. All these different aspects of my personality are shown through the symbols I chose to incorporate into my piece and the connotations that these symbols carry. For example, one of my favorite memories from my childhood is a scene of me standing on the beach, staring up at the night sky and staring at all the stars. I remember just wanting to snapshot my view and keep it forever, but my camera couldn't capture the light. There is a mystery and a wonder that often surrounds the image of stars and brings to mind a childlike wonder that is often lost once one has matured. This art piece draws upon that childlike wonder and calls upon people to recall it. c. The historical context of this piece can be seen in that a reverence for life, wisdom, and nature is ageless and has spanned the whole of time. From the early Greeks hosting festivals celebrating the miracle of life to the plays of Shakespeare praising the love and heartache each person experiences in their life, life has always been seen as precious and brief, a message similar to that of Gandhi's. From the ancient library of Alexandria to the modern emphasis on education and learning, knowledge has always been viewed as the keystone to society's progression and exploration of the unknowns, an identical thought to that of Gandhi's. From the Roman's worship of gods and goddesses of nature to the founding of the Sierra Club to aid in preserving our nation's forestry, nature has always fascinated humans with its beauty and purity that surpasses anything built by man. The historical context of Gandhi's quote is that during his lifetime, Gandhi fought for India's freedom from Britain, as well as its freedom from poverty. From all the destruction and injustice Gandhi witnessed, he took away from that, an appreciation for life and knowledge. d. I created this work of art in this style because it emphasizes the simplicity that can be found in natural beauty and wonder. Purposefully avoiding making the postcard too busy, I included little detail and instead focused the majority of the piece on emphasizing the quote in the center. The quote in the center represents everything I want the piece to symbolize, so it was vital that no other elements take away from its attention. In addition, my use of cursive as the font for the quote was to further utilize the techniques of simplicity and elegance. 4. My piece was successful in that it represents me as an artist and I am satisfied with the overall outcome of its look. I was happy with the way the background collage of different blues came out, they all blended together nicely and formed a smooth transition between the different shades. In addition, the quote initially proved some trouble to attach to the piece, but it eventually stopped breaking up and washing off and I was able to apply it. The message that I was going for, as I stated previously, was one that emphasized the importance of life, wisdom, and nature; this piece portrayed all of those themes accurately through the utilization of the night sky background and the Gandhi quote.
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Process
Successes What I found successful about my piece was the sculpture of the piece itself. Aside from the fiasco with the arm, the fiasco being that I made it too heavy to support itself and it broke off, I was satisfied with the way my sculpture turned out. I loved the cartoonish theme of the piece with its simple and fun shapes. Changes If I did this project again I would paint another coat of glaze on the minion in order to smooth out the brushstrokes and make the color more vivid. In addition, I would thin out the second arm in attempt to lighten it so it could support itself. |
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