Art 1 Spring 2016 College of Alameda Instructor Drew Burgess
Hello, last week we discussed many ideas in class. Read chapters 11-20--- the ideas we explore in class will relate to the content of the chapters. Enjoy your time as you learn about this new world of thought.
April 12, 2016 from my notes:
Modern Ideas---the body, gender, how we are ‘meant’ to be, discussion of idealism and types.
Discussion of the artist Seurat---- A Sunday Afternoon on the Island La Grande Jatte
We talked about daily life, labor and leisure
Rosie the Riveter came up in the conversation
We discussed poster art such as Hope during President Obama’s bid for the presidency in 2008
We also talked about aspects of propaganda and influential work such as Uncle Sam
We looked at the photograph Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange
We discussed Idealism and Realism
A film about Diego Rivera was shown----from the Smarthistory website
A film about Breugel’s Hunters in the Snow---from the Smarthistory website
I showed an image of Breugel’s The Harvesters---we talked about it in relation to ideas of the day
We compared Courbet’s The Stonebreakers and Millet’s The Gleaners
April 14, 2016 from my notes:
Featured artist: Ruth Asawa---California artist who also attended the influential Black Mountain College
Discussion of sculpture of the 20th century---explores non-figurative form
20th century ideas---discussion of art and money
Labor—we are working on the idea of labor socially and as a concept in art production
Frida Kahlo---we raised ideas of her relation to women and also as an Icon of popular art
Mark Rothko—we looked at his work and discussed Abstract Expressionism
Frank Gehry---discussion of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao Spain
Frank Lloyd Wright---discussion of the Guggenheim Museum of the late 1950s in New York City
Lever House---discussion of ‘High Modern’ design in architecture of 1950
Modernism as an idea---discussion of modern buildings
Tilted Arc by Richard Serra in the 1980s
Film: Pueblo Pottery---engaging with the idea beauty, design, and traditions of people
Film: Bronzes of Ife---a discussion of the remarkable bronze portraits
Taos Pueblo—introduction to the sacred site
Study the works above and reflect on these outcomes designed for students of this course:
1) Evaluate the creation of art in a historical context with an emphasis toward modern life.
2) Identify broad themes of art located in the context of history and contemporary society.
3) Analyze properties of art creation in a variety of cultures and periods.