Workshop 3

For assignment 2 we will be making a group artefact. Our inspiration is the following example:
Maya (Sanskrit): the mistaken belief that a symbol is the same as the reality that it represents.
The example means that disbelievers are wrong because they think that the reality is foreseen with the help of symbols.

I decided to start my research from internet. The symbols below are representing a male and female but the male or the female are not present. Symbols can be objects, characters, ideas or concepts.

Men http://www.qcc.nsw.gov.au/Images/User/Parks/male%20toilet%20sign.jpg
Women http://www.qcc.nsw.gov.au/Images/User/Parks/female%20toilet%20sign.jpg

While researching I came across the following website
http://research.microsoft.com/~antcrim/DigitalArt/index.htm
I think this website can give my group a lot of ideas. Some of the pictures from this website are:-


I think the subject has a wide angle to research on. The research may lead to various directions. In a group while discussing the subject we all came up with different approaches towards the Maya (Sanskrit). One idea was to animate a tiger/lion that wakes up from sleep and walks towards a lake and happens to see another tiger/lion in water (reflection) and jumps into water to attack. A little storyboard based on reflection. Everyone in our group thought it was a good idea and we all have started working on it.

Museums-Workshop 2

I also went to the Science Museum and V&A to find some work based on 3D for ideas.


This looked like a 3D painting but it wasn’t. It was like a 3D box/frame.



The little tractors were going in circles. Every tractor was making its own marking on the sand. It looked so real. Like a tiny world in a frame.





I didn’t quite get what this was all about but by looking at it for a few minutes I realised this piece had something to do with Air, Water, Oil and some kind of solid which was running in the tubes.
Solid not in sense of rock but as think fluid.





This piece of art fascinated me the most. It was a massive upright frame containing many of layers of shapes and colour.
First thing that came to me was that it’s a piece of a puzzle. The way the shapes are cut look like the shape of puzzle pieces.A superb use of all the colours as the piece is steady and catchy.

Draft Essay-Workshop 2

Every member of the group is writing about 400 words and at the end, all of us will put our words together and turn it into our final copy of the essay. A few changes to the essay will be required as everyone will be writing from their own opinion and approach.

My copy of the essay is below:-

"They ought to put out the eyes of painters as they do goldfinches in order that they can sing better."

In olden days people used to blind the goldfinches so they could only sing and not fly away. Goldfinches are known for their singing.Goldfinche is a small bird in colours of yellow to dull brown with dark wings and large white wing bars. There sound is described as “Song a long series of twittering and warbling notes."[i]

Draft Essay

Pablo Picasso the Spanish artist is one of the most famous figures of twentieth century. He is known for his art and in art, famous for his cubist and surrealism paintings.
We have decided to look into Picasso's work as we are discussing his statement on blind artist. Though Picasso himself said blind artist are better painter but he being a painter did not blindfold himself and did a painting. Maybe because he thinks there is no comparison between the blind and normal artist. But we will be comparing some of his work with some blind artist's work to discuss whether we agree or disagree.

Picasso's Painting called Goat's Skull, Bottle and Candle 1952 has four versions of still-life subject, whose inspiration appears to have been the execution of the Communist partisan Nikos Beloyannis by the Greek government. The grey tones establish the sombre mood, while the candle and skull are traditional reminders of death.[ii]

Making one off painting is possible for a blind artist but doing a serious of painting related to one another seems impossible. The right colours, tones and shapes. Though blind artist can sense more than normal artist but can they be as good as normal artist? Can they do series of paintings? Can they paint on one big canvas over a long period of time and make it look the way it should? Being blind can they still see things the way we do? Blind artist are very good but are they as good as painters like Picasso or Matisse? Is there comparison?

Blind artist must feel as any normal artist do when it comes to painting, mood, feel of colours, atmosphere, shape, shadow, depth, defined and influential.

Looking into another painting which is by Jackson Pollock 1912-1956. Painting called summertime which is oil, enamel and house paint on canvas done in 1948 is basically pouring and dripping of paint over large canvas place on ground.[iii] The painting has a sense of motion and looks abstract. There is a lot going on the canvas. Can blind people do work like this and if yes, up to what level?


Biliography
[i] http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Goldfinch.html
[ii] http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999961&workid=11863&searchid=8959&tabview=image
[iii] http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999961&workid=12149&searchid=11263&tabview=image

Link to listen to goldfinches
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/American_Goldfinch.html

Pictures of Picasso's wrok-Workshop 2

I went to the Tate Modern and took some pictures of Picasso’s and Matisse’s work before the workshop. I bought some post cards to add towards the research and wrote approximately 400 words for the final essay. During today’s workshop we did 3D group work. Every one of us spent 5 minutes on our own computer then changed to someone else’s computer within the group. I think it was a good exercise. At the end all the work looked abstract which I think was bound to happen.

Title: Goat's Skull, Bottle and Candle

Picture from: http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999961&workid=11863&searchid=8959&tabview=image


Title: Bullfight Scene
Picture from:tp://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999961&workid=20854&searchid=8959&tabview=image


Title: The Studio
Picture from: http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999961&workid=20842&searchid=8959&tabview=image
I think there is a bit too much compressed into one painting. The brush strokes are very bold and obvious. I personally feel the trees catch the eyes first then the rest.

Title: Woman at the Window
Picture from: http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999961&workid=20853&searchid=8959&tabview=image

I think the two eyes are representing the reflection on the glass. To me the title of the painting is Widow at the Window. She is dressed up so dark like a widow in olden days.

Title: Women after Cranach.

Picture from:https://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999961&workid=20860&searchid=8937

It seems like women had power and position after Cranach.

Every member of the group is writing about 400 words and at the end, all of us will put our words together and turn it into our final copy of the essay. A few changes to the essay will be required as everyone will be writing from their own opinion and approach.

"They ought to put out the eyes of painters as they do goldfinches in order that they can sing better."

In olden days people used to blind the goldfinches so they could only sing and not fly away. Goldfinches are known for their singing. Goldfinche is a small bird in colours of yellow to dull brown with dark wings and large white wing bars. There sound is described as “Song a long series of twittering and warbling notes."[1]

[1] http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Goldfinch.html

WorkShop 1

Assignment 1 - Group Research Essay
During this workshop our group size increased. There were more people in the class and some didn’t want to work together so our group ended up being group of six.

Essay questions:-
1. Marcel Duchmap said: "The creative act is not performed by the artist alone." Do you think art is a dialogue?

2. Pablo Picasso said: "They ought to put out the eyes of painters as they do goldfinches in order that they can sing better." What does he mean and do you agree?

3. Discuss the statement "All Art has an implicit narrative".

As a group of six we decided to write the essay on statement number 2.
First thing was to understand what Picasso meant by his saying? As to my understanding he said that painters would be able to paint better if they were blind. He used goldfinches as an example, as in olden days people used to blind goldfinches so they could only sing and not fly away or be distracted by anything else.

One reason I wanted to choose question no.2 was because Picasso is a known artist and discussing something he has said cannot be as hard as there must be a lot material for my entire group member to look at.

Being in a group of six but only four present on the day, we all divided the work between us. Two of us decided to work on blind artist and two decided to work on artist with eye sight.

I am working on artist with eye sight. I don’t agree to Picasso’s saying. Though I do understand that blind people have sharp senses and are capable of doing quality work but I don’t agree that blind person’s work could be better than the work of a person with eye sight.

I thought it would be nice to have Picasso as my artist to research on and compare his paintings with blind artist’s painting. I’ll also try to find out whether Picasso himself did any painting being blind folded or not.

I’m planning to go to museum and take some pictures and get information about his work.

Lecture 1

First lecture was about getting to know what is Experimental 3D and the requirements to pass the module. This module has four assignments which was different from the rest of the modules, which were based on maximum of three assignments each.

Assignment 1 Group Research Essay-2,000-3,000 words
The essay will be based on a statement given to us later on in the workshop.

Assignment 2 Group Artefact- Rendered movie file on DVD
The artefacts will b based on a script.

Assignment 3 Reflective Journal- Hard Copy
Online blog or printed notes of our lectures/ workshops/ meetings and personal opinions

Assignment 4 Individual Artefact and promotional Brochure
Presentation
A solo project which can be based on anything that we may like to work on, and it can be as experimental as we wish. Any software can be used to make the artefact. The Brochure will be based on the individual artefact which be used to promote the work done throughout this module. A brochure about us as an Artist.

Second half of the lecture was spent doing a little exercise. For this exercise we got into groups of four and started to model with plasticine. Modelling was based on three elements; Air, Water and Fire. Our group didn’t really decide which element we all were working towards but instead we all went our own way and modelled anything. In the end we all put our modelled bits together and chose one to represent it to the class. Our final one was a tree on fire (a burning tree). As a class we all voted to pick the best piece. The best one was a bowl of plasticine containing water. Overall, the exercise was a lot fun, because everyone was modelling with different approaches towards the elements.