At the Museum with Wajiha Hyder

Looking through the Susan Rothenberg exhibition at the Modern Art Museum, her painting ‘the chase’ caught my eye. It was simple, yet curiosity built up in my mind. It was drawn in 1999 and had a mixture of several colors in a swirl. I couldn’t figure out why this was drawn. I learned that it was a picture of dogs killing a rabbit. It depicts several dogs frantically following or desperately escaping each other. It had heavy, dense brush strokes. In ‘The Chase’, the swirl shows frenzied action and almost a state of chaos. Oil paint was used to create this painting, it had a shiny look to it. The colors were strong and mixture of few colors was used. Some colors such as the dogs stood out, the rabbits however were hard to be seen for the background behind the rabbit was the same color. I feel like this was because the rabbit is running out of the picture while the dogs together chasing each other has become the focal point. The main chase moved from chasing a rabbit to the dogs running around each other. Through the use of color, Rothenberg brings out the energy and heat in this chase. We sometimes, in life forget our goals and end up running around in circles. We forget that what we are chasing was never what we wanted in the first place. Some get off this track of life, others continue circling within this cycle. In the painting, there is a white whorl in the middle. Its calm and leads us to see that there is nothing within this cycle in the midst of an almost uptight almost frightening situation. This is mainly where our eyes are drawn and is thus the focal point of the painting. It lets us see everything around that focal point for nothing seems to happening within the circling. The lines are shapes are not apparent, but that is like most paintings drawn by Rotherberg. There is much action and movement and that is shown with the texture. It was both smooth and rough when seen from different angles. I could not decide at first what to say about the texture but I realized it was because of her brush stokes. That was what was giving it the motion in the painting but led me to miss see the actual texture. The artist seems to have created ‘The Chase’ out of a bigger story because everything is led outside of the canvas. There is much imagery in this piece. One thing I read about Rothenberg was that she never liked to finish her paintings and everything she painted was what she saw or had seen. She also in most of her paintings admits to adding part of her own imagination to finish the piece. I feel like she left the middle up to our own interpretation. The dogs are running in this cycle misleading themselves. The one who was being chased, the rabbit, is running away out of it soon to learn that he has escaped the dogs.

At the Museum with Lisa Kenaston

The Torment of Saint Anthony is Michelangelo’s first painting and is currently being displayed at the Kimbell Art Museum in Ft. Worth. Michelangelo’s painting was created with egg tempera and oil on a wooden panel. Egg tempera is a fast drying paint, which can give an artist less time to change strokes after they have been made.

The painting has a glossy look with some areas that are a little more matte. The painting consists of Saint Anthony in the foreground, which is positioned towards the top center of the canvas. St. Anthony is surrounded by demons while below them is a gloomy landscape of hilly countryside with a waterway, which covers the other half of the canvas. These images create balance through out the canvas. There is also rhythm with the repetition of the demons surrounding St. Anthony. This circle surrounding St. Anthony may represent the never-ending struggle with temptation. The demons around St.

Anthony create a sense of tension in the painting. St. Anthony and the demons are the images with the most emphasis, which implies that they are the focal point of the painting.There are implied lines resulting from the demons gaze burning into the image of St. Anthony. While St. Anthony’s eyes are unchanged not affected by the demons wrath. The strokes that make up the images seem to have all kinds of direction and are short and distinct. The lines that were made can also be attributed to the type of paint used. The shapes in the work are organic but do contrast in the sense of fury up above compared to the calm that is rendered below. In regards to size of individuals, some of the demons are as big or bigger than St. Anthony and they out number him nine to one. Though St. Anthony’s size is not overpowering those of the demons he seems very proud and sure of his actions, while the demons look frustrated.

The sky is almost completely blanketed by the struggle that takes place up above. The larger image of St. Anthony and the demons in the foreground show aerial perspective when compared to the distant land below. The layering of St. Anthony and the demons with the landscape behind gives depth to the painting.

A source of light seems to be coming from the background and the horizon. This light source is natural and seems to lightly and gradually cast shadow as it reaches the foreground. This shadowing creates more boldness in the foreground, which also adds to the depth of the imaging. This also puts more emphasis on St. Anthony and the demons.The colors that dominate in the foreground are black, reds and browns, which make up St. Anthony and the demons. Below cooler colors are used to make up the scenery below. This also helps contrast the rage above compared to the tranquility below with the use of warm and cool colors, which also make up atmospheric perspective.Overall this painting has seemed to stand the test of time and was restored beautifully.

ResourcesThe Kimbell Art Museum websitehttps://www.kimbellart.org/exhibitions/exhibition-details.aspx?eid=69

At the Museum with Kristie Hilliard

I went to the Kimball Art Museum in Fort Worth and the work of art that caught my immediate attention was called Earth Spirit. Earth Spirit is a tomb figure that stems from the Northern Wei dynasty and continued into the Tang dynasty. The purpose of these tombs was to ward off any evil spirits who threatened to intrude.

Lines are not heavily included in this tomb image, although there are a few lines present. The black stripes on the forearms and forelegs are linear and the flames emerging from the creatures head, shoulders, and right leg are representations of lines. The most important lines, the ones emerging from the flames, are curved, short, and thick. They are utilized to emphasize the rage that the Earth Spirit feels toward the evil spirit it has subdued. I believe that there is an implied line that starts from the Earth Spirit’s hand and ends at the evil spirit’s body. Once they come in contact the line is complete.

The objects in the artwork are volumetric. There are spheres present in the eyes of both creatures and circles are present in the ears of the Earth Spirit. Also, there is a big circle in the center of his chest as well. The creatures in this work of art are strong, intimidating, and grotesque. They are huge monstrous beings and their size creates a sense of coercion.
Space was not really an issue for the Earth Spirit. It was closed inside of a glass box so it did not fill my space at all. In regards to the spacing of the objects, however, there was no space left between the two creatures. The Earth Spirit captured the evil spirit and had it pinned down so there is no space between the two creatures.

The source of light for Earth Spirit was provided by the museum. There was a light switch that could be adjusted to turn the light on and off.

The colors chosen for Earth Spirit set the mood for the artwork because it consists of earth tones entirely. There are mixtures of browns, grays, gold, and a small hint of black. The artist chose these colors because they are representations of the earth and bright, bold colors would have probably distracted the purpose of the piece representing the earth.

The texture of the tomb is rough and rugged in certain spots but it appears to be smooth.
The balance of the objects is definitely asymmetrical. They are on two different levels with the Earth Spirit being up high and the evil spirit being down low. They are clearly unbalanced.
When I first looked at Earth Spirit, my eyes were immediately drawn to the flames coming out of his shoulders and the look of intensity in his eyes.

Rhythm is not present in Earth Spirit because there are no repeated patterns or decorative ornamentation. The tomb is a sculpture that can be seen in the round. It is not placed up against the wall. It is on display in the center of the museum. It is a three dimensional sculpture.
The Kimball Art Museum was founded on the concept, “an art institute for the people of Texas.” It is named after an industrialist and art collector, Kay Kimball. It is located in a museum district, making it a very welcoming structure in a welcoming environment.

At the Museum with Jennifer Hyde

Dentist by Candlelight (c. 1660 - 65) by Dutch artist Gerrit Dou is part of the European permanent collection at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Dou paints the tooth-puller, a common character in Flemish artwork, and his subjects with miniaturistic detail. The painting is oil on oak and has a polished finish.

Light becomes the most overwhelming characteristic of Dou's painting. The sources of light are the two depicted flames, one being held by the dentist and the other in a lantern on the window ledge. Dou uses this to highlight the important parts of the painting. The lantern shows the frame of the painting which is the window which the viewer is looking through. The lantern subtly highlights figures of still life and vanitas in the foreground. Dou uses the primary light, the candle being held by the dentist, to highlight the main characters of the painting. The candle first directly lights the faces of the doctor, patient and concerned bystander. By doing this, the emotions of the three people are evident. The candle also lightly brings attention to the crocodile hanging from the ceiling. Space in the painting is defined by the light. As the light fades, negative space begins. Dou uses light to contrast between cool and warm colors. The direct light sources and the surfaces they touch are all warm tones while the surfaces outside the light's touch are cool. This helps to emphasize the subject of the painting.

Line is elegantly used in this painting to tell a story. Dou's wit is seen in the way he paints the patients face, scared and looking up. The way the eyes are drawn points a line to the crocodile on the ceiling. This is not something you would necessarily want to see in your dentist's office. Dou also implies lines with the direction of both the dentist's and the bystander's gaze. Dou repeats a curved line in the back edge of the metal bowl, up to the curve created from the heads of the three people, up to the curve of the crocodile and finally up to the curve of the window. This draws the viewer's eyes up through the painting to tell the story of the patient's fears with the dentist. The shapes of the people are very expressive of their states in the story. The dentist is standing erect over the patient giving him the place of power. The patient is sitting showing his vulnerability. The bystander is hunched over to show her worry. Dou uses circular forms to show relationships. The items in the window all have circular forms which are then repeated in the people. The curve of their heads married with the curve from the man and woman holding hands creates a circle. Within this circle is the main story of the painting.

Dou uses the light and circle to create emphasis. Although the light and circular forms are found throughout the painting, the central focus, the three people, is emphasized with direct light in the circle. Balance is somewhat symmetrical along the vertical line created by following the curved forms. Rhythm is found in the repetition of curved forms and lines. The rhythm in this piece acts as a unifying element between all the objects you see through the window.

Dou's Dentist by Candlelight is an impressive piece. His attention to detail on such a miniscule level, the entire painting is only fifteen by eleven inches, is breathtaking. Using the principles and elements of art, Dou is able to tell the story of the three interconnected characters.

Image on left from Kimbell Art Museum Online gallery, Image on right taken by Jennifer Hyde in South wing of Kimbell Art Museum in 2009

Paragone Discussion

‘Paragone’ is defined as a discussion (common in the Italian Renaissance) in which intellectuals debate the superiority of one Liberal Art over another. In the portion of the paragone assigned, Leonardo da Vinci presents his argument that painting is superior to sculpture. While putting forth his reasoning, he also introduces what sculptors have stated as the reasoning for the superiority of sculpting as compared to painting.

The group had some trouble with the Standing in the Shoes assignment, in making the perspective look real. The greatest challenge throughout this assignment was trying to create the vanishing point, and incorporating the aerial perspective in the perfect picture. It was also difficult to narrow down ideas of what to draw. We all gained a newfound respect for the artists in the effort and level of intricacy put into their final masterpiece

As a group, we seemed to agree that Leonardo’s concluding lines made up his strongest argument. On the topic of greater mental or physical fatigue between a painter and a sculptor, neither was seen as superior over the other. A sculptor may have to go through more physical fatigue, in creating a piece of art by shaving at it, and a painter would go through more mental fatigue as he thinks through his painting, and transfers his thoughts onto paper.

The weakest part of Leonardo's argument is his comparison of the environments that painters and sculptors work in. Painting can also be very messy and the environment may not always be calm and relaxing. A painter's work area could have paint flying everywhere, just as the sculptor has dust flying in the air. Also, an excellent point that was brought up was that a sculptor may choose to create pleasant settings by having music playing in the background.

The sculptor’s argument presented also had some flaws. A strong point brought up was that a sculptor has to be extra precise with his work. Once a piece is shaved off, it cannot be added on again. A painter has the advantage in this arena, since he may be able to change things around once finished. The weakest part of his argument was that his work is more enduring than that of the painter. Both put an enormous amount of effort into their work to bring it to perfection. It is not at all valid to argue this point as a level for superiority in the sculptor’s work.

Standing in the Shoes with Wajiha Hyder

This drawing of a street is drawn in a linear perspective. The street tends to narrow as it goes farther down. The shops and stores are clear and bigger in the foreground than in the background. There is shading in the back which shows it to be a bit hazy but still recognizable. The light post is drawn in the front and the back to signify the depth and position. This explains the aerial perspective because two of the same things are shown to be of different sizes to show that one is much farther in distance than the other. The size of each post is different because of its position from where we are standing. The vanishing point in this drawing is at the end of the street where no buildings can be seen. It is assumed that the town goes further beyond the last building but is not shown.

Standing in the Shoes with Javelo Jones

With my project I had to keep starting over, and because there isn't an eraser, I had to keep shaving down on my bar of soap. I too had a hard time deciding what I would carve but I just looked up and saw stewie and thought I would do that. Also, I have much respect for creations like the statue of david, because I struggled with these bars of soap. and honestly I dont think that I did was all that intricate, so I know I wouldn't have been able to do something really hard. I chose to do the sculpting because I thought it would be a harder since I already know how to draw. But yea it was really difficult, even with having such a simple subject.

Standing in the Shoes with Lisa Kenaston

Determining what to sculpt was the hardest part of this project. I chose fruit because that is what was sitting on my dining room table as I began to practice on my soap bar. It was very difficult to decide when the piece was done. I found my self shaving off piece after piece of soap trying to make it perfect but if I didn’t stop there would not be an object left in my hand. I also should have not used scented soap because the smell became overwhelming after a few minutes. Overall I enjoyed creating my own little sculpture.

Standing in the Shoes with Kristie Hilliard

This is a picture of a young lady and a young man enjoying a wonderful evening on the beach. The lady is sitting by the oceanside watching the waves pass by and the man is reading a book while sitting on rocks. I enhanced the perspective of my image through scale by having the man sit on the rocks. He seems to be close enough to shore that he can easily return, yet far enough away that he is still isolated, yet in view. The aerial perspective is shown by the different changes that are shown by contrast from sand to waves and the way that the clouds seem to be touching the ocean water in the background of the picture. The vanishing point is in the angle that the man is facing where the ocean seems to be disappearing. The birds are also flying towards the vanishing point.

Standing in the Shoes with Jennifer Hyde

I chose to explore Da Vinci's perspective drawing technique. I used a beach boardwalk as a setting to achieve this. I first established definition between foreground and background through shading and then through detail. Objects in the background were darker and less detailed than objects appearing in the foreground. I repeated human firgures and lamp posts both in the foreground and background. To achieve their relative sizes, I first drew the object in the foreground the correct size. Then using orthagonal lines from the foreground object to the vanishing point, I was able to find the correct height of the object in the background. The vanishing point lies at the far end of the walkway along the horizon line.