Art 1 Spring 2016 College of Alameda Instructor Drew Burgess

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.