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Hi! My name is Sarah Wardach and I am in my third year. I am a criminal justice major and I chose this major because I love how interesting and constantly changing the field is. My career ideas while studying at Monmouth is to graduate with my Criminal Justice degree and hopefully discover which specific field I want to go into, whether it be forensics, investigations or courts. My favorite song is September by Earth Wind and Fire because it is very uplifting and can always put me in a good mood. Additionally, something in my life that I am passionate about is ice skating. I have been ice skating since I was 8, as it is my sense of peace and an escape from stress.

Analysis

1. One word I would use to describe this painting is colorful. What I dislike about the painting is that there is a lot going on at once, my eyes are overstimulated. What I like about the painting is that the setting looks still and peaceful.

2. One word I would use to describe this painting is dense because it has dimension. I like this artwork because it is clear to look at, with no background and color distractions.

3. One word I would use to describe this painting is abstract. What I dislike about this artwork is that it is very confusing and I can not visualize what the work is supposed to symbolize or convey.

4. One word I would use to describe this work is random. What I like about this artwork is the combination of colors and how, while it does look random, it sort of all comes together and looks like each design is where it's supposed to be.

5. One word I would use to describe this artwork is soft. What I like about this artwork is the illustration of the child. The smudged colors on top of the artwork makes the work look messy, however, it is interesting to look at.

6. One word I would use to describe this artwork is realistic. What I like about this artwork is how detailed the trees and mountains are. I can envision what the environment would look like in real life.

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1. When I first look at 'Several Circles,' my initial thought is that the art resembles eyes or bubbles. The work is very colorful, round, and loud. I feel as if the work portrays movement, as the circles are floating around one another.

2. The colors and shapes in the painting cause my initial impression to be positive. The colors are so vibrant yet cohesive, and each circle shape looks like it is meant to be in a specific spot. A connection to a broader theme may be uniformity. The pattern is both random and uniform at the same time. The color and size of each circle complements that of the ones surrounding it.

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1. I would describe the figures in this painting as geometric and abstract. The shape of each body consists of several straight lines that make some features look pointed. Each woman's face is what stands out to me about their appearance. The faces look disoriented and un-proportional.

2. The emotion or mood that I feel when looking at this painting is confused and distracted. The content contributes to these feelings because the art itself is confusing. It is difficult for me to discern what is going on in the artwork and the connection between the faces, bodies, or background.

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1. Before Drawing: Before I started the drawing assignment inspired by Picasso, I was nervous and worried. When it comes to drawing, I am very much a perfectionist, so it especially stresses me out knowing that the work I have to draw is complex and abstract. In specific, I was nervous to locate a starting point and put the first line on the page because that would set the stage for the rest of the drawing. My concerns were that I would not be able to achieve the correct proportions or line placement of the original artwork. Before drawing, my expectations were low considering my nerves and OCD when it comes to drawing. However, once I started, my nerves calmed a little and I was able to allow myself to make mistakes and correct them.

2. After Drawing: The process of finding the center as a guide definitely helped me to place my lines in the correct area. Without a guide it is very difficult to figure out where to start, however, by knowing the center, I was able to start there and work around it. Having a grid on both the picture of the Picasso artwork and my paper made it easier to reference where certain lines and shapes belonged. Also, simplifying lines and shapes helped me to think of the reference photo as a map, planning on where each figure would belong on my paper. Furthermore, my initial hesitation did change once I drew more because I was able to get into a routine of how I placed my lines. After placing the first line on the page, I began to follow my grid and constantly reference the Picasso photo. Once the figures started coming together, it made it easier to continue drawing because I had a middle reference figure to base my other lines off of in terms of spacing and location.

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1. The principles of design that I could use to describe Jackson Pollock's painting Blue Poles are unity, pattern, emphasis and rhythm. There is unity in the repetition of the navy blue colored lines that cover over the white, orange, yellow, and green colors in the background. These lines create a sense of harmony within the artwork, showing connectedness. There is pattern through the repeated design of the bolded navy lines. This pattern is made by line and color coming together to make the abstract art. Emphasis is placed on these blue lines because they are significantly darker than the background. There is also rhythm in the sense that my eyes move throughout the composition and follow the blue lines from left to right.

2. I do not like Jackson Pollock's drip painting. While it is abstract and leaves a lot of room for interpretation, it looks as if anyone could create this work of art. The paint looks random and splashed, portraying a chaotic and confusing image to the eye.

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1. As I drew from the Leger painting, I think the subject matter is the bright white/yellow shape that resembles a light. I think the image represents a chaotic city life full of movement. While the painting is abstract, it is evident that the work includes dark human figures at the bottom, staircases, tall buildings, and references to the night life of a city. For instance, in the painting there is a target for darts, a card that may allude to gambling, and elements of a theater such as stage lights and a costume. Overall, the multiple elements of this painting represent the craziness of a city, and the feeling of movement portrays the idea that the city is always moving and never sleeps.

2. One term from the Elements of Art that I would use to analyze this painting is line. This painting is very geometric and consists of lines of all shape, direction, and thickness. Every point is connected to a second point that is moving in space. Within the painting, the use of curved, straight, horizontal and vertical lines creates an interesting perspective. For instance, every line is connected to another and many overlap, showing how chaotic the city is, with something always piled on top of something else. The use of bold and light lines also creates dimension. One term from the Principles of Design that I would use to analyze this painting is pattern. The repeated design of rectangles and line is seen throughout the artwork. While the painting is abstract, the pattern of line groups similar figures into a category. For instance, the pattern of line is used to create building structures, so the viewer can identify that there is multiple buildings in the scene.

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I do agree with artists such as Duchamp and Rauschenberg who say that any found object can be made into art, however only to a certain extent. An object can be manipulated into a piece of art through the use of different mediums and the combination of ideas. For example, in Duchamp's "Bicycle Wheel," he had an abstract idea behind the art to combine two objects and have the final work open for interpretation from his audience. Art is subjective, thus anything can be interpreted as art. On the other hand, if any found object is kept in its original form and done nothing with, for instance taking a picture of a table and framing it, I would not consider it art. I believe that art needs to have purpose behind it and can not just be a random object already existing that takes no skill to create.

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I think Brancusi's sculpture represents a feather. With a narrow base that expands around the center and comes to a point, the shape mimics that of a feather. The bottom block may represent the container of ink that the feather sits in. The material of the sculpture appears to be a gold metal that is very smooth and shiny. It appears dense, in that the sculpture and its base are heavy.

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The quote “The incoherent scrawls of a frenetic old man in the antechamber of death” reflects the underlying tone of Pablo Picasso’s work. “Incoherent scrawls” may refer to the appearance of his artwork, full of chaos, interpretation, and confusion. During the last years of his life, Picasso was overwhelmed with his old age and was haunted by the image of looming death. His artwork depicted the darkness, fear, and uncertainty that comes with the idea of death, especially as seen in his last work, “Self Portrait, 1971.” The portrait has wide eyes, alluding to fear of passing time and impending doom. It portrays Picasso in a hopeless manner, aware that death is oncoming, but scared of the reality it brings.

In general, as discussed in Roberta Smith’s critique, Picasso’s late work was fierce with antic urgency, portrays haunted emotions, and uses increasingly dark color pallets. Wide set eyes and worried faces are seen throughout each artwork, causing myself and the audience to feel sorrow and hopelessness for Picasso and the emotional pain he encountered. Picasso’s late work also challenged traditional notions of creativity by creating distorted and abstract figures through an exploration of emotion and ideas. Traditional notions of creativity often represented reality, meanwhile Picasso broke away from this idea and instead focused on the abstraction of personal and introspective subjects.

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1. Other than their use of hieroglyphics and mummification, I do not know much about the Ancient Egyptians. I am only aware that it is a kingdom in the ancient word that worshiped a vast array of gods and goddess. Some of these gods and goddesses were a mixture of human and animal forms.

2. In the scene from the "Egyptian Book of the Dead," I would describe the figures as powerful, versatile, and mythical. In specific, the figure on the right looks like an animal head on a human body, and is portrayed in a large scale. The other figures on the left seem to be entrapped in his aura, following his rule and all locking their eyes upon him. In the sense of versatility, some figures are more human like, some portray a dog like appearance, while others mimic a bird.

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1. My understanding of the role of an artist has evolved throughout the semester by learning about different mediums, the elements of arts, principles of design, and the various perspectives and styles of multiple artists. Prior to taking this class, I had taken a few art courses in high school. However, these courses were solely hands on creating art, not learning about its history of the art produced by different artists throughout time. This class has therefore expanded my understanding of the role of an artist and how art can truly be anything, ranging from something abstract, to something concrete, to even a book on a table with an apple. Artists have endless freedom and imagination that they can incorporate into their artwork. I have also learned about the evolution of artists. For instance, I now understand how artists had evolved from the prehistoric times in caves to present day, and the influences that different cultures, religions, values, and time periods had on the artist’s productions.

2. Personally, I really enjoyed the drawing assignments we completed in class. Initially I was hesitant because drawing under a time constraint causes me stress and I am very much of a perfectionist, thus I become frustrated if my work does not look identical to the image. However, in this class I was able to take a step back and take my time, as I really appreciated that the professor put more of an emphasis on trying rather than perfection. I have personally progressed in my drawings since the beginning of the semester in my technique. I now understand how to draw proportions and angles and utilize line and value, allowing me to create more accurate drawings. I also have progressed in my ability to draw from images and still life, something I previously struggled heavily with because I was never taught the correct technique of how to approach such work.

3. The most significant lessons or insights I gained from this class have been about the elements of art, principles of design, and styles of art. Learning about these elements allowed me to better understand artwork and look at it in terms of its several elements. Previously, I was never aware of the different styles of art, such as expressionism, surrealism, or non-objective art. Thus, this class has given me the ability to look at artwork more analytically and be able to understand its background and meaning. Overall, my perspective on art has thoroughly been broadened, as I can now appreciate the different elements of arts used, and understand the origin and underlying messages of several works.