Introduction / What is Art? / Living With Art / Themes of Art

Hello, everyone! I will be writing out the notes of each class and posting them on this blog for you all to see! Now, I want to make sure that these notes help you guys as much as possible. So if anyone has questions that they would like me to answer in the notes, or even ways to make the notes clearer or more interesting to read, send me an email and let me know!
My email is: gra14010@byui.edu
I'm looking forward to a great semester with you all!

Things to know:

• Things written and highlighted like this are terms our professor would like us to remember. They will be on the test.
• For quotations that are written in light gray and italicized, they are simply quotes from either the professor or other classmates during our discussions.
• Things written in red were emphasized in class.

Introduction / What is Art? / Living With Art / Themes of Art

ABOUT THE CLASS:

• Be careful of technology! During class time, don't use your phones or computers for anything other than the class, or you're at risk of being asked to leave.
• We have extra credit opportunities! By attending art openings and galleries, we can receive extra points (5 pts. per attendance).
• Each quiz is worth 50 points. It includes 25 multiple choice/true or false questions.
• Quizes will all be taken in class.
• Be prepared for pop quizzes!
• Read (or at the very least skim) the textbook material before coming to class.
• We will be tested on what is talked about in class, so make sure to take your own notes as well!

TA Information:

• Leah Western
• blu15003@byui.edu
• (913) 488-1552

CLASS LECTURE: (January 5, 2017)

"Art is something that defines us as human beings."

"You have the possibility to do lots of things that may become the high points of your life. You can chart your life."

We all have... The Impulse for Art

• We all want to express ourselves individually.

Prehistoric Art

1. Art has always been here.
2. Art is everywhere.
• He gives us examples of cave-drawings. 
• Before photography existed, art was a necessity                                                      to capture important moments in history.

Children's or Naïve Art

• Children's Art
• Naïve Art
• Naïve is meaning "innocent".
• The art is inhibited.
• Simply expressing their world.
• Folk Art
• Again: innocent.
•  The artists are not academically trained
• We were given an example of a painting where the figure was not drawn anatomically correct.
• This is what makes the art unique and beautiful.

"...you will do something because you like to do it - period."

"Everyone has a talent, something to contribute. Find out what it is!"

Naturally... people want to create things. For some, The Impulse for Art is very strong.

Thirteenth Article of Faith

"... If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

• In other words, we need to make an effort to separate the good from the "not-as-good". Meaningful things and things that will make us grow should be separated from things that just happen. 
• We need to seek after beautiful things. 

The Search for Beauty

"... there is beauty all around..."

• We all understand natural beauty. 

Aesthetics VS Anesthetics

• Aesthetic
• High culture
• What makes something beautiful.
• To feel something: to have a sense of the beautiful, a higher level of appreciation.
• Feel more!
• Anesthetic
• Low culture
• A negative influence on our psyche.
• To feel less: to dull the senses, a lower level of experience. (Think of being given an anesthetic at a dental office -- it lessens your sensitivity.)
• Feel less!

What do Artists do?

1. Create places for some human purpose.
2. Create extraordinary versions of ordinary objects.
3. Record and commemorate.
4. Give tangible form to the unknown.
5. Give tangible form to feelings & emotions.
• This is what Bro. Griffin believes to be most important.
• Artists aren't bound to extreme rules.

-End of Class Discussion-

___________________________________________________________

CLASS LECTURE: (January 10, 2017)

"There is a difference between looking at something and actually seeing something."

Categories of Art

• Representational Art
• The subject matter is recognizable.
• "Naturalistic"
• The way something would appear in nature.
• It represents something else.

• Abstract Art
• The subject matter is altered.
• It has been designed/stylized.
• "We're going to abstract the truth."
• It is simplified, only showing the basic "facts" about something.
• Boiling down the essence of something for artistic purposes.
• We were given the example of almond extract when cooking.

• Non-Representational Art
• There is no recognizable subject matter.
• We were given the example of a painter creating masses of green. It may give him a feeling of a forest, but he did not create trees because they would distract from the feeling. It would be doing him a disservice. 

• Trompe l' oeil
• "To fool the eye"
• The art piece is created so realistically that it actually looks real and literal.
• The painting becomes hyper-real, or super-real.

Style & Technique

• The approach to the subject and handling of the medium varies between artists.
• We were given the following example:

by Henri Matisse

by Chuck Close

• Iconography
• Symbolism that helps convey the meaning behind the piece.
• Subtle references and Imagery that reinforce the main idea of the work.

• The dog refers to the fidelity, loyalty, and commitment in this new marriage.
• They weren't wearing shoes to show they were standing on "holy ground". Symbolic of their union being sacred.
• The excessive amount of cloth on the woman's dress was to show their wealth and prosperity.
• The mirror in the back its surrounded by pictures of Christ and can see everything. This refers to the omnipotence of God.
• One lit candle is on the chandelier. This symbolizes the presence of the Holy Ghost.

• Content
• the message or meaning in a work of art.
• Context
• The connection of the artwork to the culture.

- End of Class Discussion -

___________________________________________________________

CLASS LECTURE (January 12, 2017)

TUESDAY is our first quiz! Come prepared to be tested on what we have talked about in class!

"I want art to be a comfortable armchair at the end of the day... I want to come home and relax."

Themes & Purposes of Art

• Themes
• A thread of similarity or continuity.
• "What?"
• Purposes
• The message, meaning, or idea.
• "Why?"

Themes:

Magic & Survival

• These images meant something to the people living at this time.
• With "Hall of the Bulls", it may have been meant to gain "sympathetic magic" or "good luck" for their hunt.
• Paleolithic era

• Some of the first signs of art
• Megalithic Architecture
• To shelter and protect their group.
• Stonehenge

Religion

• Edifices of worship
• Make visible that which is spiritual.
• Teaching of religious stories and events.
• Parthenon
• Salt Lake Temple

Pride & Politics

• Examples:
• Swastika
• Sculpture of George Washington in a neoclassical style.
• "He is a God on Mount Olympus essentially."

Genre

• Mirror everyday life
• We can learn about what life was like back then.

Nature

"If there wasn't any nature, I don't think there would be any art."

"Nature is God's art."

• Examples:
• Thomas Moran - "Yosemite"
• The Haywain - Constable

Imagination & Fantasy

• Images and inspiration from within.
• Surrealism

- End of Class Discussion -