Why Does Art Matter?
 We live in a visual society
- The Power to Shock, Transform the Ordinary, Self-Expression
 Art tells a story about the human past
- Declare Power, Represent Ideals,
Express Religious Beliefs, Memorialize
 Acts as a common language that links cultures
- Touch Emotions, Change Beliefs
 Serves as an economic driver for the global economy
Factors that dictate “good”
art
 Imagination – “Is this original?”
 Skill – “Did this take any effort, ability whatsoever?”
 Training – “Did and where did this person study art?”
 Observation – “Does this reflect the climate of the time?”
 Venue – “Did I find this in a museum, auction house, or the NU-2-U
flea market?”
 Patrons – “Am I the ONLY person buying this stuff? Who else feeds
this artist?”
 Viewers – “Are the ‘RIGHT’ people taking notice of this?”
Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, 1503-1506, oil on wood
Medium (def.)
 The materials from which a work of art is constructed
Style (def.)
 A particular manner, form or character of representation,
construction, expression that is typical of an individual
artist or of a certain place, genre or period.
 Style often helps historians identify unknown artworks
Stylized
Realistic
Styles
NonRep.
Abstract
Abstract (def.)
 Art that doesn’t attempt to describe the appearance of
visible forms but rather to transform them into stylized
patterns and simplified shapes.
Abstract v. Nonrepresentational
Abstract- Paul Klee, Castle and Sun
Non rep.- Malevich, 8 Red Rectangles
Abstract Record
Mark Rothko, Orange, Red, Yellow, 1961, oil on canvas
$86.9 million in 2012
Stylized (def.)
 Manner of representation that conforms to an intellectual
or artistic idea rather than to a lifelike depiction
Hall of Bulls, Lascaux Caves, c. 15,000 BCE, paint on limestone
 BCE  Before Common Era
 CE  Common Era
Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England. c. 3,000-1500 BCE
Erechtheion, Acropolis, Athens, Greece. 421-406 BCE, marble
Iconography (def.)
 Identifying and studying the subject matter and
conventional symbols in works of art.
 Define symbols incorporated throughout art history
 Often reserved for biblical works, but can be used to
discuss social themes
Emperor Justinian and His Attendants, Church of San
Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, 547 CE, Mosaic
Giotto, Lamentation of Christ, Arena Chapel, 1305-1306 CE, fresco
Giambologna, Rape of the Sabine Women, Florence, 750 BCE, Marble
Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring,
1605, oil on canvas
Sociopolitical Commentary (def.)
 A sophisticated form of communication
 Shape and are shaped by surrounding events. Examples:
war, political unrest, colonization
 Historically commissioned by governments and rulers
 Today, many artists express personal viewpoints through
work
David, Napoleon
Crossing the Alps,
France, 1801, oil on
canvas
Matthew Brady, Dead
Soldier, Civil War, 1863
Edouard Manet, Olympia, Paris, 1863, oil on canvas
Claude Monet , Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies, 1899, oil on canvas
Vincent Van Gogh, Bedroom in Arles, 1888, oil on canvas
Pablo Picasso,
Les Demoiselles
d’Avignon, Paris,
1907, oil on
canvas
Marcel Duchamp, The
Fountain, 1917,
readymade
Marcel Duchamp, LHOOQ,
1919, assisted readymade
Jackson Pollock, Convergence, 1952, oil on canvas
Diane Arbus,
Child with Toy
Hand Grenade in
Central Park,
New York City,
1962, gelatin
silver print
Andy Warhol, Untitled
from Campbell’s Soup,
1962, synthetic polymer
on canvas
Andy Warhol, Untitled from Campbell’s Soup, 1962, synthetic polymer on
canvas
Richard Avedon,
Boyd Fortin,
Thirteen Year Old
Rattlesnake
Skinner,
Sweetwater, TX,
March 10, 1979,
silver gelatin print
Richard Tuttle, 3rd
Rope Piece, 1974,
cotton clothesline
and nail
Andreas Serrano,
Piss Christ, 1987,
cibachrome,
silicone, plexiglass
Jeff Koons, Balloon Dog, 1995, stainless steel with mirror finish
Damien Hirst, For the Love of God, 2007, platinum, diamonds and human teeth
Kehinde Wiley, Alexander the Great, 2007, oil and enamel on canvas
Ai Wei Wei, Sunflower Seeds, 2010, porcelain
21C Museum Hotel
Bentonville, Arkansas
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art – Opened November 11, 2011
Homework
Art….Now
http://youtu.be/xMG2oNqBy-Y