Art Appreciation Individual project week one

Art

ART101 IP1

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Abstract

The paper will provide an overview of two peer reviewed definitions of art. Art is defined differently be different people and has changed overtime. The paper will also provide descriptions of different pieces of art and their artistic significance.

ART

Part One

Art is defined differently by different people. The traditional definition of art was proposed by George Dickie his book Art and the Aesthetic (Torres, 2000). The definition proposed by Dickie (1969) is “a work of art in the classificatory sense is (1) an artifact (2) a set of the aspects of which has had conferred upon it the status of candidate for appreciation by some person or persons acting on behalf of a certain social institution.” This definition is still true today. Art is an artifact and it is completely subjective. What some people find beautiful others do not. If the artifact is appreciated and admired then it can be counted as a piece of art.

The definition also finds the artifact is only art if it is presented to the art world. This is not always the case because art is created in many different conditions and does not always get presented to the art world. Monroe Beardsley's definition holds that an artwork: “either an arrangement of conditions intended to be capable of affording an experience with marked aesthetic character or (incidentally) an arrangement belonging to a class or type of arrangements that is typically intended to have this capacity” (Beardsley, 1982, p. 299). This functional definition basically finds art is an experience and its aesthetic properties.

Part Two

Painting: The painting located online is Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘A Starry Night”. This is an oil painting on canvas depicting a beautiful, starry night over a small city. In the painting the stars twinkle brightly in the sky and the half moon glows. This famous painting is breathtaking and eye catching. This amazing painting was created in 1889 from memory and is considered one of the most popular paintings in art. Van Gogh is an Impressionist painter who uses a bright palate to create this masterpiece. This painting exemplifies the meaning of art because it is an artifact when view causes a reaction by the person viewing the painting. While art is hard to define this painting is considered art by all and loved by many.

Sculpture: One of the most beautiful sculptures is the Bronze David created by Donatello in 1440. The sculpture is cast completely in bronze and depicts David after he defeats the giant, goliath. David is completely nude with one foot on Goliaths head and a smirk on his face. David is only wearing a hat and a pair of boots and is holding the sword of goliath in one of his hands. This sculpture is both masterful and beautiful and depicts an important story in the Bible. David has long hair and has his left hand on his hip. This sculpture is a historical piece of art but it is also a beautiful sculpture that captures the eye. It exemplifies art in that it is an important artifact but a stunningly beautiful depiction of biblical David.

Architecture: there are many beautiful buildings new and old than can be considered art. The Sidney Opera house is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. The Sydney opera house is located in New South Wales, Australia and is used for performances, such as opera’s, ballets, and many other types of performance. It is the most famous performing arts building in the world. Not only does this building house artistic performances it is in itself a piece of art. The Sydney Opera house was built by Danish architect Jorn Oberg Utzon and opened in 1973. The building has a modern design and is absolutely stunning.

The Sydney Opera House appears like a majestic sailboat in the Sydney harbor. It has many different beautiful angles and is famous for the white, geometric roof shells shapes on the roof. The building has several different auditoriums and several companies that make their home in its buildings. This is Australia’s best known piece of architecture and is absolutely amazing to look at. There is no doubt this is a piece of art even though it has a distinct, functional use. The beautiful design and angles of the building reflect in the beautiful water in the Sydney harbor and at night glows with light.

Photography: One of the most poignant and touching photographs is Migrant Mother. Migrant Mother was taken by Dorethea Lange in 1936 when she was travelling around California taking pictures for the Farm Security Administration. The picture depicts Frances Own, a poor migrant worker with three children, who is living in the worst poverty and does not have any way to feed herself or her children. The picture shows the woman’s desperation as she huddles in a small lean to with her children. While the picture was not taken for the purposes of art it beauty and deeply moving content has made it art as it is loved by many. Not all items or artifacts may have been intended to be art but they become art when an audience admires them or is moved by the experience of viewing the art.

Printingmaking: one of the most beautiful lithographs was created by Raden Saleh and is called a Flood on Java. A Flood on Java depicts a group of Javanese survivors who have clung to a small island as the city around them floods. The lithograph is beautiful and vibrant but it also shows the desperation of the people trying to save the dangerous flood. The image depicts one man that has succumbed to the flood and others who appear to just be waiting for the flood waters to subside. The clouds in the sky are dark and angry and the water continues to crash around the survivors. The lithograph is art because it does not only depict a historical event it creates a strong emotion as you watch women, children, men, and livestock struggle to survive the violent flood waters.

Conceptual Art: Serial project #1 (ABCD) is an art installation by Sol Lewitt is built on a grid and appears to be symmetrical model of a city where rectangular and square blocks are raised higher than other blocs on the grid giving it an appearance of being a city. The art piece is extremely large and takes up an entire room but in its simplicity is beautiful and interesting. The conceptual and minimalist are of Lewitt captures the imagination and the interest of art lovers (). The giant grid sculpture is art because not only is it conceptualist it is loved and admired by many. Fewer people understand the conceptualist approach to art but it always captures the interest of people who have the privilege of looking at the art up close.

Installation Art: installation art refers to large pieces of art that must be installed in pieces. The Electric Super Highway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii is a beautiful art installation depicting the map of America with all of the interstates and highways lit up. This large installation is currently housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum and takes up an entire wall. The neon lit map of America including Hawaii is beautiful, interesting, and a magnificent piece of modern art. The installation include closed circuit televisions, neon tubing, wood, and custom electronics but is still considered art due to is power and the stunning quality of the work. The artist created the art as a reminder of all of the flashing signs enticing people of off American roads and highways.

Performance Art: the Bleu Mna group is a popular performance art group consisting of blue men that are completely silent while performing. This group performs in many venues but the uniqueness of their performance and the way they create amazing sounds and theatrical experience. People that watch this amazing performance leave happy and entertained. Blue man was started by Chris Fink in 1987 and is still a thriving performance group 27 years later, the blue man group performances are art because they create an amazing experience for the audience (Blue Man, 2014).

References

Donatello, 1440c. The Bronze David. Retrieved March 26, 2014 from

http://listverse.com/2010/12/14/top-10-greatest-sculptures/

Beardsley, Monroe, 1982, The Aesthetic Point of View, Ithaca, New York: Cornell University

Press

Lewitt, S. (1966). Serial Project #1 (ABCD). Retrieved March 26, 2014

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Sol_LeWitt.aspx

Fin, C. (1987). Blue Man Group. Retrieved March 26, 2014 from www.blueman.com

Paik, June, N. (1995). Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii. Retrieved

from http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=71478

Saleh, R. (1865). A Flood on Java. Retrieved march 26, 2014 from

http://www.wdl.org/en/item/2905/

Taylor, P. "Migrant Mother: 1936." The American West: The Magazine of Western History.

http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/128_migm.html

Torres L. & Kamhi, M. (2000). What Art Is: The Esthetic Theory of Ayn Rand, ch. 6. An Online

Review of the Arts

Utzon, J. (1973). Sydney Opera house. Retrieved March 26, 2014 from

http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whatson/index.aspx

Vincent van Gogh. (1889). Starry Night. Painting. Retrieved March 26, 2014 from

http://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starry-night.html