Title: Easy Chair

Year: 1758

Material/Medium: Walnut, maple

The purpose of this is to be used as a chair, it has wings on the side so someone can rest their head and to keep wind away. It was typically reserved for the elderly or the infirm. When looking at the chair from the front you see a beautiful pattern of colors between red, orange and yellow. With the background being green so the front colors in the pattern really stand out. Then when you look at the back of the chair it is a completely different design. It has a picture of hills with flowers and trees, with birds flying and birds swimming in the lake at the bottom on the chair. It gives off the image of a beautiful day. Everything is nice and green with flowers growing and the sun shining with a smile. What caught my eye was the flower patchers in the hills because I love flowers and plants. Then when I  kept looking I started to love it even more because it was so beautiful to see the animals and nature happy doing what it should and thriving. I am a gardener so I tend to love the outside and nature more so to see such a perfect day really caught my eye. Another reason I chose this piece over other ones is because I like how it gave an illusion of pattern in the front then completely changed the whole theme of the chair in the back.

Title: Human Nature/Life Death

Year: 1983

Material/Medium: Neon tubing with clear glass tubing suspension frames

The author wanted a way to create and examine the role of language in visual arts, so he adapted the medium of flashing neon. The artist then began to use this medium in a creative wordplay and jokes. There are three parts of words in this piece and that's what caught my eye. I love neon lights to begin with because I love how vibrant the colors are from them and they overall are just so nice to look at. The three work parts are life and death, love and hate and pleasure and pain. I love how these words are so powerful but yet can mean so many different things to everyone. Then in the center it has the words human, animals and nature and each word is doubled and stacked. This piece is very well put together and can target almost everyone, just everyone's experience will be different. The overall connection is that we are all affected by these things just in different ways and that is what makes it powerful. Then on top of the powerful message is these bright lights that catch your eye from across the room. I chose this one in particular because I found it really uque how I feel that everyone can relate to this in some way because everyone has felt pain or pleasure. I also chose this piece because the colors and neon lights in general are something I really like. 

Title: Vase

Year: 1882

Material/medium:Painted and glazed earthenware 

This is a fairly large vase with a beautiful pattern and bright colors. The main vase color is a cream-yellowish color with a beautiful flower pattern. Then the vase slims up at the top and changes color from the cream-yellowish color to a water blue color at the top of the vase. This piece caught my attention to start off with because it has these beautiful pink flowers on the vase. Not only are they pink flowers,  I just so happen to love flowers and my favorite color is pink. The pink flowers really stand out on the cream-yellowish color making the piece catch your eye that much more. Also the bluish color on top is so dark compared to the cream color making it a bold transition between the colors, and that too caught my eye. Along the flowers they are connected with brown branches that also stand out on the cream color. Not only is the pattern of the vase pretty, the fact that it is also a vase made it stand out compared to the rest because it's extremely appealing to the eyes and also is used for something I love. 

 

I chose this piece because it stood out to me, it really brought me the feeling of a sunny day by the sea side. The use of color and texture brings out this experience, the brush strokes can translate the feeling the artist was having the day he painted this. Looking at this makes me want to look at better times, the pre-covid days when you can do as you please without having to worry about getting sick or dealing with the hysteria.  

 

I chose this piece because it was holy week, were as a Christian I am supposed to observe the suffering and passion of Jesus. I feel that if this were done today, it would fit in with the way the world is, where in people do not take in to Jesus’ suffering for mankind. 

 

I chose this piece because the colors and textures really caught my attention. After researching more and discovering the purpose it was made for and the medium it was created with, I was very impressed by the realism it had. I like the ocean, it is something that needs to be respected and seeing the rocks in painting makes me think of the centuries it took for the waves to carve them out.  

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Kate Louise’s print “Art Deco Miami.”  This is not an outstandingly sophisticated piece of art that contains all seven principles of art, nor contains every element of art, but it does have an elegant art deco motif, and brilliant pastel colors which I always enjoy.  Louise had several prints on her website, but this one has the right balance of background and foreground space, color compliment, and extremely clear definition of forms.  The print jumps out at me because it is so relaxing.  This piece stands for form follows function, simplicity, organization, and exudes a very positive ambience.  When I look at this piece, I imagine a happy society, clean environment to live in, and a safe place devoid of threats and anxiety.  Looking at how well maintained this property is, I hope all the citizens we cannot see in the print have the same amount of industry to keep their environment livable and enjoyable.

Putting the first category last, I chose John Berkey’s cover art for “art for arts sake.”  The year was 1979 (give or take) and the place was the Cincinnati Public Library.  I was hugely fascinated with black holes, which were becoming much better understood at that time, and I was standing in the science fiction section.  I looked at the covers of any book that had “black hole” in the title, and when I pulled this book off the shelf I was completely captivated by the cover art.  It is not a clear picture.  The artist, John Berkey, has a style of using wide, obvious brush strokes in his work.  This “painterly” style will become one of his signatures and remain in all his artwork throughout his career.  I checked the book out, but I actually spent more time looking at the artwork on the cover than reading the story.  I was old enough to know that even science fiction can cross the line, and the author of the book simply did not have enough knowledge of black hole physics to make his theory plausible.  The art piece is of a spaceship presumably using black holes to travel the universe since this is the theme of the book.  There is a plethora of planets all around the ship all with shadows on the same sides opposite a light source from “above” that we cannot see.  Highlighting of the planets, large and tiny, is excellent, and blending of “tails” of those objects that are in motion is also very well done and adds a sense of movement.  The con trail of the spaceship also gives a sense of movement but in an almost perpendicular direction of the moving planets.  The areas of gas and dust filled space (the dark blue areas of the background) are nicely blended with the space that is void of any sort of debris.  This artwork has stuck with me ever since those days and decided to look up the artist of this book.  It is no surprise that John Berkey did illustrations for science fiction writers Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, and Robert Heinlein among many others.  He is also the creator of the iconic Star Wars (1977), and King Kong (1976) movie posters.  He created posters for Battlestar Galactica (1978) and some of the Star Trek movies as well.  He is considered one of the greatest science and science fiction illustrators of all time and received the Spectrum Award for Grand Master in 1999.  In addition, Berkey was inducted into the Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame in 2004.

MEDIUM: 
Color woodblock print; oban
This piece by Hokusai to me is very iconic. It's the view of mount Fuji underneath the crest of a giant wave showing the beauty and danger of nature. I chose it because I really love pieces of nature that are beautiful and it makes me feel peace and also anxiousness as well. My sister actually has a reprint of this piece in her bathroom hanging on the wall and I always loved admiring the work. 

TITLE: 
Nightlife
YEAR: 
1943
MEDIUM: 
Oil on canvas
While searching through the paintings and pieces through the art institute of chicago this piece really spoke to me with the beautiful colors and bright vibrant feeling it gives you. The feels it gives me is really happy and fun. It depicts a night in a crowded bar in the southside of neighborhood of Bronzeville and represents the African American culture. I believe it unifies people because everyone can relate to wanting to have a great night just like the one depicted in this piece and I definitely can relate to these kind of nights. 

The artist was aiming to "translate the idea of music into something for the eye". I think it is an interesting concept as not many painters incorporate sound or  approach creating a piece this way. The painting expressing a calm feeling with the color scheme and long strokes. As someone who likes listening to music, this piece intrigued me because I do not see many painters who try to present sound in a visual form.

Title of artwork: Three Generations

Year it was created: 1990

Material/Medium: Gelatin silver print; edition 3/25

Title of artwork: Saint Augustine and Two Angels Adoring the Crucifix

Year it was created: 1685–1695

Material/Medium : Pen and brown ink, heightened with lead white, over red chalk on cream laid paper, laid down on cream laid paper

Title of artwork: Open Air School

Year it was created: 1932

Material/Medium: Lithograph in black on paper

Title of artwork: Study for "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte"

Year it was created: 1884

Material/Medium: Oil on canvas
The purpose of this artwork is to a peaceful place that people went to the park. They are sitting together with good weather that is why it's made in my eyes beautiful. In my opinion, he/she wanted to express emotion when people had a good time together. I think it connects to our lives because this painting has a lot of meanings that we can we enjoy in this life and doing good things. 

2.       Fan-Shaped Vase

3.       1890

4.       Vase, glass work

5.       The purpose of this artwork is to function as a vase, but the vase is beautiful colors remind of pictures of the Aurora Borealis.  The other day I was watching pictures of the Aurora Borealis and I want to someday travel to Alaska to see it.  I am not sure of an emotion that it makes me feel, except wonder and I suppose wonder unites everyone. I chose the vase simply because it is beautiful and the colors.  

George’s Seurat 

A Sunday on La Grande Jatte

1884-1886

Oil on canvas

The purpose of this one is that out of all art, this  is the one I always remember specifically and gives me that familiar face feeling to me. It’s as if I can never get away from it. I picked this one because of my childhood, since I always like it and the fact it’s a beautiful day out in the painting. As funny as this sounds i remember growing up watching blues clues and I always wanted to jump into this painting and have a picnic. It makes me feel happy. I can relate to this because who doesn’t enjoy nice weather and just Lounging around.

Pablo Picasso 

The old guitarist 

late 1903–early 1904

Oil on panel

I picked this piece from Picasso because I always like his work and  it truly shows art for the sake of expression.  During this time Picasso would paint his art shades of blue to express misery, alienation, and  cold. It’s almost as if he was painting a piece of himself in it since he was going though his own struggles.  I can relate to it because I know what it’s like to feel alone while chasing a dream it can dark and lonely. 

George Wesley Bellows

Love of winter 

1914

Oil on canvas

This represents Beauty because of the emotional aspect I feel when looking at it. It reminds me of my childhood when I lived in D.C. and Maryland and how some years it would snow so much that it will almost block sound.  The purpose of this is to show basically show the love of winter . There are many different classes of people and yet the snow brings them all together. I relate to this because of my childhood, something about the snow calms me down and brings me to piece.

The Virgin of Guadalupe with the Four Apparitions 

1773

Oil on Copper 

Art for the sake of Expression 

I find this piece beautiful not because of the religious meaning behind it but because of the painting itself—the attention to detail and the colors and the life of it all. The image is a representation of the appearances The Virgin of Guadalupe had in Mexico. It is believed The Virgin of Guadalupe appeared in Mexico 3 times and that she helps the ones in need as long as they believe. In 1945 she was crowned “The Empress of The Americas” “La Patrona De México” by Pope Pious XXII. The way I relate to this piece is my Grandmother was a big believer in The Virgin of Guadalupe.       

Woman Having Her Hair Combed

1886-1888

Pastel on light Green Woven paper

Art for beauty sake

I picked this as my beauty piece because it shows the beauty of a woman’s body but not just that I like the way the artist contoured and shaded the body and how it kind of looks natural if you look closely at the way the artist painted the hands on the waist you can see the Indent the hand makes into the skin. The other reason it called my attention is that I feel like women are most vulnerable when she's getting her hair done.  

The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy 

1907 

Oil on Canvas 

Art for personal taste 

I personally like this painting because of the way the color blends perfectly in the portrait. The piece has so much life to it. The strokes are smoothly done, and the lighting in the painting makes it seem like it’s a perfect day with perfect weather to be outside painting.  

However, the Artist has stated that it was raining out when he was painting his friends. That itself made me love the painting even more because who doesn’t love a little bit of rain.