Assignment #2

The Four Domains of CreativityThe four domains of creativity are fluency, flexibility, originality and elaboration. Fluency is when things flow for example when a painting has similar brush strokes across it it appears to flow. Flexibility is being malleable, or able to change. Originality, I would say is the most important of these domains. The ability to create something that has come from your own brain is originality. You could re-do the Mona Lisa using dominoes and it would be original instead of just copying each brush stroke. Elaboration is when there is more to the artwork than originally meets the eye.

The Feldman Method of Art Criticism
The Feldman Method forces art observers to view art in a different way rather than just "I like it, I don't like it." There are four steps to the method: describe, analyze, interpret, and judge/evaluate. The first, describe, makes the observer look at the basics of the piece. You can ask the questions- Who is the artist, what is the medium, how big is it, and what are the characteristics? The second step is to analyze the piece. To analyze you can use the elements and principals of design. Interpreting pieces can be difficult but some helpful questions are: what does it mean, does it create a metaphor, does it have an alternate meaning, or does it have a social meaning? Last, we are allowed to judge the piece, and say weather we like it or not.

Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh is one of my favorite pieces, but I can criticize it by using the Feldman Method. Describe- The painting is made up of mostly blues and it is night time, the artist is Van Gogh, its size is 29 in × 36¼ in and the medium is oil on canvas. Analyze- The painting shows many elements and principals: color, texture, line, space and movement, balance, proportion... Interpret- This painting to me shows some sort of darker figure growing toward the town, Van Gogh painted it while in an asylum so there are obviously some dark things going through his mind. Judge- As I said before this is one of my personal favorites, I love the impressionistic style and the way that the sky swirls around.

Biographical Statement

§  Have you ever made art? What kind of art do you like?

§  Have you ever made a drawing? A painting? A sculpture?

§  When was the last time you went to a museum? Gallery? Artist studio?

§  Have you ever been to a play? Opera? Art Film? Do you dance?

§  Under what conditions do you learn the most?

§  Why are you taking this class?

§  Has any of the arts ever moved you in any way? How?

§  What inspires you?

§  What is art?

§  Do you consider movies art? Music? Video games? Comics? Television?

§  Who decided what is good art? How do they know?

§  When you debate music or movies with your friends, what critical elements or standards do you hold them to?

§  What was the best movie of last year?

§  What is an “Art Film”?

§  What CD or MP3 is in your player?

I have made art. I took three high school courses for art, one of them was AP Design class, which I made a 3 on AP my portfolio, and got college credit for it! :) I enjoy many different types of art: drawing, painting, charcoals... So that answers the question about have I ever made a painting, as far as sculpture goes I have made a hand, a pot and a small dish from clay. Sculpture was probably my least favorite aspect of visual art, not because I don't think it is beautiful, but because it was too difficult for me! (Or i don't have the patience) But that left me with a new appreciation for sculpture(ers)

The last time I went to a museum was in October, I worked at a Halloween event in the Edventure Children's museum. Before that I went to many museums in Washington D.C. in the spring of last year. When in Greenville, my home, I visit the Galleries/ Art studios regularly. I have been to many plays. I prefer musicals (I have seen 3: Rent, Wicked and Spring Awakening) However, I have not seen an opera. I'm sure I've seen a few art films at some point or another.

I LOVE TO DANCE. I danced at a studio for 15 years before college. I learn the best when I'm doing. Kinesthetic is my learning pattern. Secondly I have to see it. Auditory is only good for memorizing my favorite song lyrics. I'm taking this class because it is required by my major, but that doesn't mean I'm not looking forward/excited about it. The arts have definitely moved me. I feel moved by something artistic almost everyday. Seeing the effort/ true feelings of artists makes me feel connected to them and it takes a strong person to let you into their head, maybe by painting or song or movement.

I get inspiration from many things, the mountains are probably most inspiring to me. I'll steal Andy Warhol's definition: "Art is what you can get away with." Art can be anything. It just takes one person to think it is art. Movies, video games, comics and television can all be art. Certainly they consider artistic approaches to make all of those things. And someone at one point probably drew out a blue print for each of those: therefore, art. For personal use the buyer decides what is good art. Art can be defined in principals, laws, rules and such but really it all depends on who is buying it/ paying to see it.

When debating movies I typically focus on the actors/actresses and main plot, if I like them or not. For music its about the singer and the type of music. Maybe not the best, but the most artistic movie I saw last year was The Black Swan. It was crazy. I'm not really sure what an "art film" is. I would guess that it is when the director focuses more on the artistic elements of a movie, like the scenes and angles. I would consider Little Miss Sunshine art film. I'm currently listening to a CD by Guster, a band that is not really well known but my brothers and I enjoy.