Gallery Analysis

I chose "Reflection # 1" and "Who Speaks for Planet Earth?" for my two pieces to analyze; one was a photograph and the other was a ceramics piece. Both pieces were done by Kate McIntosh. Kate believes that photographs and ceramics go hand in hand, and that it is easier to engage in 3D objects. There were quite a few similarities between the two pieces. Both had very similar color schemes and a glossy effect. Also, the two pieces had close textures in parts of the work. Both pieces were representing nature as well. I only detected a few differences among the pieces. The most obvious difference was the different choice of mediums. Also, different shapes were used in the photograph compared to the ceramics piece.
I chose these two pieces because I really like the movement of the photograph and I thought the sculpture was a great compliment to it. Some elemental qualities of the two pieces included: the green and white colors, the texture seen in the water ripples and the insides of the sculpture, and the lines shown in both the photograph and the sculpture. I think both of the pieces were aesthetically pleasing because of the calming colors. I loved the water photograph because it was very peaceful and interesting to look at. The artist's intention was to show the light and textural value of both pieces. Also, it was Kate's intention to show how the moon controls the tide through the photograph of water and the sculpture of the moon.

Chapter 4 Response

I thought the section on realism was the most interesting topic discussed in Chapter 4. Realism is supposed to "reproduce reality as it is". I find this type of artwork to be very intriguing. Sure, it's great to depict objects as something different than what they are; we all like to dream. But, there's something very moving about seeing objects in their natural state. I think a lot of people don't like realist art because they don't like to see the harsh realizations of reality. It would be wonderful if everything in life went according to plan, but that's not the way the world works! I like realism art because it is REAL; there's no tip-toeing around it. Why deceive yourself about the way the world works? There's nothing great about deception.

Artist Quote Blog

I think Scott Adams meant that doing new and different things always allows room for interpretation and mistakes; art is deciding what pieces are worth being considered art while other pieces are stepping stones to making what is called art. I agree and disagree with Adams’ quote. I believe that it is necessary to decide what creative measures are art and which ones are not, but I also believe that anything creative can be art. As we have been discussing, art is open for interpretation. This quote reminded me of when I used to play volleyball. Practice was the time to be creative and allow for mistakes, while matches were the time to realize what to do and what not to do. I think sometimes this can be seen as playing it safe. Why not be able to be creative all the time? Making mistakes is a part of life, but it shouldn’t stop you from doing what you want to do.

As stated in the text, voyeurism is "the pleasure one takes in looking while not being seen looking". I think everyone, at one time or another, is guilty of voyeurism to some extent. Some people may be a voyeur more than others. I would say I am a voyeur to some degree, not severely though! I find myself people watching quite a bit; people watching is pretty entertaining. But, as soon as someone looks back at me, I'm caught! I find it kind of fascinating/ entertaining to just watch people's actions and emotions without them knowing you are watching them. But, it is awkward once they look back at you, and you are staring right at them. For example, I work at a restaurant that has a revolving glass door to enter. You would not believe how many people walk straight into the glass. When I am at the front of the restaurant it becomes pretty entertaining to watch people walk through the door. For example, I remember watching a lady walk right into the glass, and I began laughing as soon as she looked back at me. Talk about being caught in the moment..

After reading Chapter 3, I gained a better understanding of the power of the gaze. I found it very interesting that images not only represent but also factor into power relations. I looked through the internet to find controversial images and surprisingly enough I found a Burger King ad to be quite out there. As mentioned in the section regarding gaze and gender, the Burger King ad has women as the subject. At my first glance of the ad I saw a surprised girl with pouty red lips and a sandwich near her mouth. Then, when I read "IT'LL BLOW YOUR MIND AWAY" on the ad, I got a different impression of what Burger King was advertising. Other phrases in the ad included: "Fill your desire for something long, juicy, and flame-grilled.", and "Yearn for more after you taste the mind-blowing burger." I see these types of ads everywhere I look; advertising companies try to sell their product with sex involved. The sad thing is, a lot of the times the product being advertised is not even shown while half naked bodies are. Advertising companies know how to sell their products, and apparently sex sells.