Week Four

Pieter Bruegel

When I was 15, I was visiting my brother's college library, and came across a book of paintings by Pieter Bruegel (1535-1569), known as Pieter Bruegel The Elder. I was fascinated by his paintings of peasants, as well as his religious works. Here are a few examples of his work.

http://www.pieter-bruegel-the-elder.org/Preparation-of-the-Flower-Beds-large.html

http://www.pieter-bruegel-the-elder.org/The-Triumph-of-Death-large.html

Visual Art Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuBiaRO8QOk

This video is mind blowing. The hyper-realistic drawing/painting of a bottle is amazing. If I had seen the end product before I watched the time lapse I would have sworn it was a real bottle, lying on a white sheet of paper.

What I Learned

The Visual Elements of art

Line: Line is our basic means for recording and symbolizing Ideas, and feelings. (Frank 37)

Shape: The expanse within the outline of a two-dimensional area within the outer boundaries of a three-dimensional object. (Frank 40)

Mass: The physical bulk of a solid body of material. (Frank 42)

Space: Indefinable, general receptacle of all things-the seemingly empty space around us. (Frank 43)

Time and Motion: Time is in the fourth dimension, in which events occur in succesion. (Frank 48) Motion is implied to give lifelike feeling.

Light: The source, color, intensity, and direction of light greatly affect the way things appear. (Frank 53)

Color: A component of light, affects us directly by modifying our thoughts, moods, actions, and even our health. (Frank 57)

Texture: Tactile qualities of surfaces, or to the visual representation of those qualities. (Frank 64)

https://924collective.com/2012/01/25/daniel-richter/ooa2/

Daniel Richter. Ooa2. 2011. Oil on linen. 78-3/4" × 106-1/3". Courtesy Regen Projects, Los Angeles © Daniel Richter. [Fig. 3-1]

This painting exhibits use of all of the elements of visual art.

Lines depicting shapes
A mass at the center of the work
Background space of unclear depth
Paint drips in passage of time
Implied motion of soldier, left to right
Patches of light breaking through
Bold, distinctive color
Several zones of texture

(preble_ch03_pptx powerpoint)

Jean-Michel Basquiat

Jean-Michel Basquiat was a famous painter in the 1980's. I've read a bit about him, and have looked at his work, and though it fascinates me, I don't understand how he become so famous and his work so valuable. It's so simple, and sloppy. I understand there was meaning and messages to his work, but on a visual level, I don't find them appealing. Interesting, maybe, but not aesthetically pleasing.