ARTC 1353 - Midterm

Last night was the midterm for my ARTC 1353 course. Since you really can't have a test over computer illustration, our assignment was to recreate six artboards that our teacher had created then upload them. These are my six. 

ARTC 1353 - Character

Monday night in Computer Illustration, we were to create a cartoon character using the pen tool and incorporate a pattern into our design. This is what I decided to make. I know it isn't the most amazing piece of art out there, but I'm really quite proud of how it turned out. It took a lot of work to create him using the  pen tool but I feel like I'm getting better the more I practice.

We're also to supposed to be working on a self portrait for our midterm project. After coming to the realization that there really aren't many pictures of me after the wedding, I decided to just use one of my wedding pictures. Below is the picture that I'm going to be using.

The goal of this exercise is to use the pen tool to draw over your picture and create a posterized/Warhol-esque type of picture. I really didn't do too much last week (even though I really should have) but I've been working a lot on it this week. I think I'm about halfway done, I have the main parts of my picture covered, I'm now working on some of the finer details. I also haven't decided on a color scheme... Since its going to be more pop-art than photograph, I think I'm going to deviate from the natural colors, but I haven't decided what my color scheme will be yet. So far, this is the picture I've been able to create. 

The Death of Journalistic Integrity

Continuing in the theme of many of my recent mid-term related posts, this is a very slimmed down version of my paper for Mass Communications. After doing the research for this paper, it was quite easy to see why journalistic integrity is all but non existent. 

In the same way that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened up the ability for cross ownership, it also opened up the ability for vertical integration. Vertical integration is the way a single owner owns several companies in an attempt to streamline the costs. Just as Andrew Carnegie used monopolies and vertical integration to dominate the steel industry, the broadcasting industry is being streamlined today with the use of vertical integration.

Prior to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, a company was not allowed to own more than one “full-power broadcast station that serviced the same community.” After this act was instated, many small television, radio and newspaper station were bought out. This has resulted in the consolidation of numerous networks and channels to be consolidated into the “Big Six,” NBCUniversal/Comcast/GE, the Walt Disney Company, News Corporation, Time Warner, Viacom and the CBS Corporation. These six companies  own many of the most popular television station and news outlets. NBC owns the rights to stations such as Universal Pictures, MSNBC, the Weather Channel and Syfy. The Walt Disney Company owns networks such as the ABC Television Network, Pixar Animation Studios and ESPN. News Corporation owns networks like Fox Broadcasting Company, the Wall Street Journal and MarketWatch.com.  Time Warner is possibly the largest of the Big Six own CNN, Warner Brothers and Time. Viacom owns Comedy Central, Global Broadcasting News and Paramount Home Entertainment. CBS owns stations such as CBS Television Network, Showtime and Simon & Schuster.

Vertical integration has caused a decrease in the unbiased nature of the news industry and a lower quality of journalism and television shows. When a person hears the name “GE” the immediate thought is of electronics and home appliances, like the new GE washer and dryer. One does not generally think of the television stations, radio stations, cable and telecommunications systems that are also under the GE umbrella of ownership. If a company can convince the general public that they are solely a magazine publication or a single television station, it is easy for the public to never notice that they also have several news organizations and several newspapers that are all under the same company. When the Walt Disney Company owns not only ABC Television, Walt Disney Pictures and various book publishing companies, the types of stories pushed through each of these ventures, while they may vary greatly, they will have the same company pushing the same message.What does this mean for the general populace? Most of the news and information that a person will come across in any given day will most likely come from one of these six corporations. The merging of these companies has caused a high concentration of ownership and an increased political and economic influence. With so few players in this media game, there is less diversity and competition, which can lead to a lesser quality of journalism. Just as monopolies were a disservice in the in the steel era with Andrew Carnegie, monopolies are a disservice to the American people today. 

 While companies may be making insane profits from these multiple ventures, it is the American people that are the ones to suffer. Gone are the days of unbiased news organizations because every news company on television in the United States reports to the owners of one of the big six companies. The general public can no longer rely on the television and newspapers to bring them reliable, quality journalism,  so they are beginning to head to the online sphere to find quality readings. 

Examining the Roman Sarcophagus with Battle Scene

The final piece I wrote about for my midterm. Its very, very different from the two paintings and the most recent post about Shiva Nataraja. 

While ancient, there is a beauty in the ancient Roman and Greek sculptures that is not seen today. The Roman Sarcophagus with Battle Scene that was carved into marble is one such example of the lasting beauty of the Roman carvings.  While today the dead are buried and hidden, it is interesting to see the way death was just another transition and not to be feared. Marble carvings are some of the most easily recognizable depictions of ancient Roman art that are still left with us today.

This sarcophagus was completed as any other traditional Roman relief carving. It depicts a great battle with the Romans and some foe; the Romans are winning the battle. The Romans are heavily armored and riding on horses while the people they are fighting are either naked or wearing a simple toga. The Dallas Museum of Art states that this was most likely created to portray the “wars Rome fought with the Germanic tribesmen along the Danube frontier in what are now Hungary and Romania.” While same sarcophagi may depict culture, religion, and the changing seasons, that is not the case with this example. This sarcophagus is showing off the great triumphs of a general as a war hero throughout his life. Death is not something that is solely mourned, it is also a celebration of life and the accomplishments that a person has been able to do through their life. The battle scene depicted here was created because the man “probably wished to identify his life and career with well-known Greek scenes of military triumph” (DMA).  

In Greek, a sarcophagus translates to “flesh-eater” (Awan). Most of the sarcophaguses that were made for the Romans were made out of stone, lead or wood. Because this sarcophagus was made out of marble, it is easy to know that it was made for a person of power.  This was most likely made for a general to depict his victories in battle. A sarcophagi was not meant purely used for funerary purposes, they were also used to decorate homes and public spaces. With this knowledge, the entire meaning behind the sarcophagus changes completely. It is not just to hold the dead; it is also a celebration of life. A sarcophagus was not solely for the dead to be stored in; it was created throughout a lifetime and seen as art work (as it still is today). The elaborate sarcophagi of the Greeks and Romans are more than another way to honor the dead. This is a way to make the barrier between life and death smaller. The sarcophagus is a way to instill in people the need to leave behind something important that they have been able to accomplish in their lifetime.

This sarcophagus is an example of the way people use art to examine the here and now. By creating a piece of art that celebrates the life lived, death is not scary. By putting meaningful scenes from a person’s life on the sarcophagus, it is sending the underlying message that a person should work throughout their life to create something or to do something meaningful enough to have on the sarcophagus forever. By instilling in the need for people to be productive, it is trying to make people be the best they can. Who would want their sarcophagus to be scenes of them watching television or sitting online? Who wants a sarcophagus that just depicts a life of going to school and home or going to work and going home? There is a level of trying to get people to reach a higher level of themselves.

Just as the Egyptians used the pyramids to hold their respected dead and to prepare them for the afterlife, so too did the Romans and Greeks use the sarcophagi. The Romans were able to create a last resting place for themselves and also to create a final story depicting their lives. By leaving behind this final tale, it opens the eyes of today’s society in that we must not be so focused on the here and now, we must look at life in the long run. Life is, by nature, the longest thing any of us will ever experience. This is a simple reminder to make good use of our time while here.

Examining Shiva Nataraja

The third piece I examined for my midterm was a very iconic piece from the Hindu religion. 

While there is no artist listed for Shiva Nataraja, there is a very large history behind it. This is one of the most recognized depictions of Shiva, even to people that know nothing about the beliefs that led to its creation. Created in the 11^th century and cast in bronze, Shiva Nataraja is one of the chief Hindu gods. He is the master of life, death, rebirth, and a fertility deity. But what exactly is this sculpture trying to show us? What is the story behind this iconic depiction of Shiva Nataraja?

Shiva stands on a pedestal, standing on a person. Without the knowledge of what is being depicted, a casual viewer may think that this is an act of cruelty. Instead, this is a symbol of Shiva’s victory over ignorance as well as the passage of spirits from the divine into material. The upper right hand is holding a small drum, symbolizing the origins of creation, as Shiva is dancing the dance in which the universe was created, maintained, and destroyed. The upper left hand is holding fire, symbolizing destruction as Shiva is also the god of death. Shiva’s lower right hand is poised in the symbol protecting from evil and ignorance. The final hand is pointing at Shiva’s raised foot, signifying liberation. The flames that surround Shiva as he dances are symbolic of the universe.  The snake winding around his waist is a symbol of the divine force within all of us.

Shiva is “the most important authority in the religious, political, and cultural world” (Ambegaonkar). He is known as the destroyer as well as the creator; this casting symbolizes both aspects of Shiva. This piece shows how Shiva is said to be “periodically destroying the universe so that it can be remade again” (Patel). The power and authority that Shiva has is a beautiful balancing act, expressing the harmony and rhythm of life. The dance Shiva is performing symbolizes the cycles of creation and destruction, meant to portray the way inner tranquility and outside activity can unite.

Shiva is important to the Hindu religion because he is more than a simple god, he is the answer for two of life’s biggest questions that religion tries to answer: How were we made? and How will we die? Shiva Nataraja takes what would otherwise be a terrifying topic and turns it into a beautiful dance, a simple balancing act. As every other religion has tried before, this is a way to try and answer the unanswerable questions that all cultures have. This is a simple reflection toward the sacred realm. Since humans have been able to create art, they have been creating pieces that would comfort them about the realm of the unknown. Just like every Christian or Muslim painting has done before (and still continues to do), Shiva Nataraja is a way for people to receive comfort from the emptiness on either side of life.

Prior to examining this piece, I had only looked at depictions of Shiva as a beautiful, sacred piece of art. After learning the history that is behind him, it is more than just a pretty statue. This is a piece with history and time behind it. So often do people look at art as nothing more than a pretty piece of something to take up space, but Shiva Nataraja is one of the few pieces that pushes a viewer to look past the initial impression and dig deeper into the real meaning and purpose behind it.  

Examining Claude Monet's "Valle Buona near Bordghera"

This is the second artwork I examined for my midterm. While my first painting was looking at Jackson Pollock's (an American painter) Portrait and a Dream, this is examining one of my favorite European artists. 

When I saw Claude Monet’s Valle Buona, Near Bordighera that he painted in 1884, I knew I wanted to write about this piece. Monet is one of my favorite, second only to Van Gough, so I knew that it would be a joy to write about one of his paintings. Even though I had seen Van Gough’s Banks of the Seine with the Pont de Clichy in the Spring, I opted to write about Monet’s piece instead, mostly because I knew I wanted to write about Pollock’s Portrait and a Dream, another man with a tragic background that left this world far too soon.

Monet created Valle Buona, Near Borgdihera with the use of vibrant colors. As an impressionist painter, Monet uses visible brush strokes and emphasizes on the colors and the feelings evoked, not necessarily the lines and contours that dominated the painting world at this time. As the name suggests, this is an impression of the scene, not an exact replica. By gazing at the painting, the viewer can feel the same sense of peace that Monet surely felt as he was looking at this landscape.  The beautiful blue of the mountains is set into contrast by the foreground, the vibrant greens and yellows of the brush. The sunlight filters through the blue sky, adding light and shadows to the scenery.

Valle Buona, Near Bordigherg is a peaceful and serene painting of a beautiful landscape. Monet was one of the founders of the Impressionist movement, this painting is painted in this style. While not nearly as famous as his paintings from his garden at Giverny and his paintings of the water lilies, this is a painting that certainly can hold its own.  While Monet’s most well-known paintings are from his garden in Giverny, he also has several paintings that were inspired by his many travels. Like his other paintings, Valle Buona, Near Borgdihera was created using Monet’s preferred medium: oil based paint.

Many of Monet’s paintings are simply looking at the natural world around us. Especially in a time when we are surrounded by so much technology and life can be superficial at best, seeing a painting that takes the time to focus on the natural beauty of the world around us is like a breath of fresh air. Even though this was painted more than 100 years ago, the same theme is quite apparent: the world around us is beautiful. While it may not have had such an important subject when Monet painted it, seeing the world in its natural glory is not something many people today take the time to see. The peacefulness that is evoked is a simple message to how peaceful and relaxing the world around us can be.

 Claude Monet is undoubtedly one of the leaders in the Impressionist movement. After examining Valle Buone, Near Borgdihera, I have a new respect for the way Monet was able to convey emotions with what, at first glance, is a simple scenery painting. As someone that has always admired Monet’s use of colors and the way he evokes emotions in the simplest painting, I have been amazed at how looking further into the history of the man and the painting have increased my respect for him.

Examining Jackson Pollock's "Painting and a Dream"

In my Art Appreciation course, the midterm assignment is to visit a local art museum and pick out four paintings, one from an American artist, one from a European artist, and two from other cultures, and write an analysis of these pieces of art. The next four posts will be my analysis of the art I have chosen. So enjoy reading my midterm split into four pieces! 

Jackson Pollock’s Portrait and a Dream is a beautiful oil painting Pollock completed in 1953. Portrait and a Dream was finished just three years prior to Pollock’s death in 1956. I was struck by the way this painting is not only simple, but after looking, the meaning of this painting and its purpose becomes increasingly sad and complex. While the abstract self-portrait is at first hard to understand, after looking at the black lines on the left and the black and red and orange mass on the right, it is possible to come to see the meaning in the chaos.

Pollock once described the painting on the left hand side was a portrait of himself, the portrait on the right was a portrait of himself “when I’m not sober.” While the left side is simple black and white, the right is a mess of colors and motion. The haphazard lines in both paintings show the way Pollock knew he was spiraling out of control, turning into a violent and uncontrolled mess. The right portrait is attacked with the colors he used, irrefutably alive even through the mess and chaos. The border separating the two speaks of his discomfort in much the same way that Van Gough used color to try to communicate the way he saw the world.

Portrait and a Dream was created during a time in Pollock’s life when he fell prey to his alcoholism and most of his paintings were the abstract images that were but a cry for help. While this was created in the downward spiral of Pollock’s life, he “believed the mess inside of him was somehow communicable and beautiful” (Jones). Only three years after this painting was completed, Pollock died in a car crash while drunk. While this painting was made at the height of his painting career and was even called “the greatest living painter in America” this was also during the time when his alcoholism and temperament had worsened (O’Neill).

Pollock’s Portrait and a Dream is looking inward, towards the human experience. Because Pollock has told us that this is a self-portrait, this is the way he sees himself, the audience knows that the main theme of this piece. At first glance, it may be difficult to see the beauty in the chaos of Pollock’s mind, after taking the time to look at the painting and understand what he is evoking, it is easy to see the complex way that Pollock views himself. He knows he is a mess. He knows he is falling apart. But he also can see the beauty that can come from chaos.

After looking into this piece more thoroughly, I’ve realized that there is more than just chaos on the canvas. I can see how Pollock was struggling to make it through his life. It is tragic that such a brilliant man died so soon, we can only wonder about what he would have been able to accomplish. After learning more about Pollock and this particular painting, I feel as if this is an even more powerful piece and I admire his talent even more for putting such an exposed, private part of himself out into the public eye.