Unraveling Danto

Think again about the work we saw at OMA today and consider the paragraph in Chapter One of Danto's "The End of Art" which begins halfway down on page 13. It starts, "The sixties was a paroxysm of styles..." and ends with "You had, in brief, to turn to philosophy."

1. Can you think of any of the objects in OMA that could be used as an example of what art is? Could it be the ONLY example? Why or why not?

2. If postmodernism means that you cannot teach the meaning of art by example, as Danto claims, how do you teach it? By what means?

We will share our answers in class on Monday. Please complete two journal pages on this post.

Diana Folsom Class Visit

What engaged your attention/imagination most actively during Diana Folsom's class visit last week? Was it the mention of "California Flow Painting," or Jorge Pardo's gallery designs for LACMA? Were you intrigued by the intersection of Formalism and Expressionism in Ms. Folsom's work? Or was it the feedback she gave you on your visual journal that was most engaging?

This blog post is due Wednesday, October 12th by noon. Journal entry for this post will be reviewed on November 2nd.

Andy Goldsworthy: Formalist?

Why might it be helpful to view Andy Goldworthy's work through Formalist theory and what might be the disadvantages of doing so?  You may want to research his work a bit further before answering.

Your response is due Wednesday, October 5th at 12 noon along with two journal pages. Also, please remember to bring questions for Diana Folsom to our Wednesday meeting with her.

Under the Modernist Umbrella: Greenberg as Influential critic

As an art critic and theorist, Clement Greenberg heavily influenced Abstract Expressionist painting. How do you feel about his influence and can you think of people or movements that influence contemporary art and design today?

This blog post is being published late. It is due by Friday, October 7th along with two journal pages.

Art Review

Please post your art review comments here no later than Friday, September 30th. This can be a response to a review from www.artreview.com or any review of Leigh-Ann Pahapill's work from another website.

Leigh-Ann Pahapill: Expressionist?

Consider Collingwood's theory that the REAL art work is that which is created in the viewer's consciousness as she or he interacts with the physical objects that represent art. Apply this theory to Leigh-Ann's work and consider whether or not it fits with her stated intentions for the viewer.

Due Monday, September 26th at 12 noon along with two pages on this question in your visual journals.

Expressionism and Cognitivism

1) What elements in this work read as symbols for some larger idea? And what do you believe they symbolize? 

2) What are the main ideas expressed in the piece? Does knowing about the artist’s intentions help in your analysis or do you prefer not to know what they intended to communicate?

3) How does the artist’s overall aesthetic approach affect the way you interpret the content of this piece? You can answer this question by asking, “What if this piece were made another way, in another medium? How would that change my interpretation of it?”

4) Using cognitive theory, what can you say you learned (if anything) from this art work?