What Is Art?

Power point discussing "What is Art?" - for an intro to art class. Includes photos with discussion questions for engagement. Used with a high school art class.

1. WHAT IS ART? Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. -Scott Adams

2. OBJECTIVES Identify the purposes of art. Compare and contrast sources to which artists turn for inspiration. Create visual solutions using direct observation and imagination. Compare and contrast the use of the elements in artworks.

3. Key Vocabulary Terms Artwork Artist Perceive Symbol Commission Sketchbook

4. WHAT IS ART? Drawing Printmaking Sculpture Architecture Photography Videography/FilmMaking Graphic arts Industrial and commercial design Digital arts Crafts (folk art) An artwork is the visual expression of an idea or experience created with skill.

5. ART IS COMMUNICATION Art is a language used to express ideas and feelings. How do you experience it fully? By Perceiving To perceive is to become deeply aware through the sense of the special nature of a visual object. How do you perceive other things on a daily basis? To understand a work of art, you must train yourself to perceive.

6. THE 4 MAJOR PARTS OF ART Form : HOW the piece is made or created Elements Principles Medium Materials Function : What was the purpose of this? What was it for? What was it meant to do? Content : What is in it or NOT in it? What’s happening IN the work? What is the message the work communicates? Context : What was going on OUTSIDE the work when it was made? Time period Location Culture Geographical Region Audience

7. WHY LOOK AT ART?

8. YOUR TURN TO PERCEIVE Meyer Straus. Bayou Teche. 1870. Oil on canvas. 30 x 60”. Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, Georgia. Try to perceive what Meyer Straus is expressing. What do you sense if you concentrate on his image?

9. What are the purposes of art? Think silently to yourself (20 seconds.) Turn to your neighbor and share your ideas. (1 min.) Share with the class.

10. THE PURPOSES OF ART People created art to record ideas and feelings long before they had written words. Often, they used symbols . A symbol is something that stands for, or represents, something else. Some of the most common functions of art : Personal - feelings, tragedies, etc. Social function - shared sense of identity-family, community, civilization Spiritual - spiritual beliefs about the destiny of life controlled by a higher power Physical - new ideas and technologies to give functional objects, such as cars and buildings, new and interesting forms Educational - create art to teach people

11. WH AT AND WHO IS AN ARTIST? What is an artist ? Creative individuals who use imagination and skill to communicate in visual form. They use the materials of art to solve visual problems. They are able to see their surroundings in new & unusual ways. Artists exhibit the courage to take risks. You do not have to have formal training to call yourself an artist. Everyone can BE an artist and everyone has the ability to be creative. You just have to learn how to access and tap into your creativity and then apply it. The creative impulse is often suppressed if one becomes afraid of making mistakes. Has this ever happened to you?

12. WHY DO ARTISTS CREATE? The impulses that drive artists to create vary. For Fun/Entertainment Express or Work Through Emotions Happiness Sadness Fear Etc. Environmental Depict Beauty Around Them Celebrate Humanity Social/Political Commentary A Sense of Purpose Tell Stories What are some things that spike your creativity?

13. WHERE DO ARTISTS GET IDEAS? Nature People and Real World Events Myths and Legends Spiritual & Religious Beliefs Creative Techniques Artists of the past Ideas commissioned by employers

14. NATURE George Inness. The Lackawanna Valley. 1856. Oil on canvas. 86 x 127.6 cm. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. This painting celebrates nature and industry. Why do you think the artist has included all the tree stumps in this painting? What symbols of industrialization has he used?

15. PEOPLE AND REAL WORLD EVENTS Grant Wood. American Gothic. 1930. Oil on beaverboard. 74.3 x 62.2 cm. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Symbols tell a story: People - Who are they symbolizing? Expressions Items in painting - What do they symbolize? Identify other symbolism in the painting and tell me what you think it means. Clothing? Environment? Time Period Hint: Look at when the painting was created in the credit line.

16. MYTHS AND LEGENDS Romare Bearden. Return of Ulysses. 1976. Serigraph on paper. 47 x 57.1 cm. National Museum of American Art, Washington, D.C. This print is the last in a series of serigraphs (silk-screen printing) illustrating the story of Ulysses, a legendary Greek hero. Bearden has simplified shapes and used unusual colors but you can still recognize people and objects in the work. Describe three things you recognize in this scene.

17. SPIRITUAL & RELIGIOUS BELIEFS Yup’ik. North Wind Mask . Early 20 th century. Wood, paint, feathers. 114.9 x 54.3 x 45.4 cm. The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection. The North Wind Mask was created for a dance ceremony. Notice how the artist has used natural earth pigments to color the wood, plus natural materials like feathers and sinew to decorate it. What kind of objects can you think of that we have in our culture that are created with spiritual & religious beliefs in mind?

18. CREATIVE TECHNIQUES Jackson Pollock. Cathedral . 1947. Enamel and aluminum paint on canvas. 71 ½ x 35 1/16”. Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX. Many artists developed and experimented with new techniques to create art and a lot of times this founded new art movements. Jackson Pollock was a leader of the Abstract Expressionist movement. In 1947, he developed action painting , the technique of dripping and splashing paint onto a canvas stretched on the floor. The idea for this style of painting, which influenced many who came after him, came from within himself. Pollock wanted to express his personal feelings when he created his art. He allowed his feelings to influence his choice of colors and the manner in which he applied them to the canvas.

19. ARTISTS OF THE PAST Compare these objects with the ones depicted in Velazquez’s work. What has Picasso done to make the work uniquely his own? Do you think he was exhibiting a sense of humor? Pablo Picasso. Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor). (After Velazquez). 1957. Oil on canvas. (6’6 ¾ “ x 8’ 6 3/8 “). Museo Picasso. Barcelona, Spain. Diego Velazquez. Las Meninas . 1656. Oil on canvas. (10’ 5 ¼ “ x 9’ ¾ “). Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.

20. IDEAS COMMISSIONED BY EMPLOYERS In art, a commission is the act of requesting the creation of a piece by an artist. Artwork may be commissioned by private individuals, by the government, or businesses. Examples: Graphic designers create corporate logos, brochures, websites, and many other print materials. Fine artists, like sculptors and painters, are often commissioned to create artworks for display in public spaces and buildings.

21. IDEAS FOR YOUR OWN ARTWORK Like all other artists, you may at times find yourself at a loss for ideas. One of the best ways to get the creative juices flowing, is to start with a thematic idea (i.e., nature) and then brainstorm by using mind maps (or another type of brainstorming that works for you) to narrow down your idea of what you want to express or document. The work of your peers can also inspire you. Keeping a visual arts journal or sketchbook can be an enormous help. A sketchbook should be used to practice skills and techniques you learn in class. In addition to recording images, you may jot down ideas that come to you after participating in other art events such as concerts, movies, and theater productions. Cut out inspiration from magazines or print them from the internet and keep them in your sketchbook for later use.

22. PURPOSE OF YOUR SKETCHBOOK The main purpose of your sketchbook is that it s hould be used to practice skills and techniques you learn in class. You will be keeping a sketchbook of your own in this class. Artists develop perception and artistic skills by constantly sketching the world around them. Practice using direct observation to draw anything that catches your eye. The more you draw, the better you will “see” objects. Make written notes about your sketches, such as the quality of light or the colors you notice.

23. REVIEW WHAT IS ART? What does it mean to perceive? What are some reasons artists create art? What do we mean when we say “commission”? What are some ways you can find inspiration? What are the purposes of a sketchbook?