1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE: This program illustrates how the great masters of the Italian Renaissance developed techniques by building upon the work of the artists before them. The movie discusses the innovations of Giotto, Donatello, Ghiberti, Masaccio, Della Francesca, Leonardo, Raffaello, and Michelangelo. The movie also discusses the Roman influence on Renaissance art and emphasize the concepts of perspective, balance, chiaroscuro, composition, and realism. The movie explains the Renaissance as renewed enthusiasm in the arts. The movie says Giotto is one of the first artists to renew the art of the Roman empire. Giotto used real people as models for his paintings, he also adds perspective and sense of 3D space. Ghiberti is Giotto's apprentice and creates biblical scenes on door panels that include a realistic vision of human form. Donatello is one of the first artist to sculpt with the idea of contrapposto. Contrapposto relies on balance. Leonardo da Vinci applies science and math to art. His figures in his paintings appear naturally in their surroundings. Raffaello was a painter that was influenced by da Vinci's work. He was considered to be the master of composition. All of these artist work were seen as the foundation to the Renaissance.
THE COLONIAL ENCOUNTER: VIEWS OF NON-WESTERN ART AND CULTURE: This movie interweaves archival photographs, film clips, and posters from the 1900 World Fair with commentary from renowned art historians. Offerings from museum collections across the world. The result is a profound look at the ways in which Western prejudice, ethnography, and art consumption have neutralized genuine intercultural dialog. The World Fair is the largest fair every to be held, and ran for 8 months. The colonial factions uncovered the underlying nationalism of the event. Half the area was devoted to French imperialism while the rest represented other nations' colonies. The Dahomian exhibit is discussed in this film.
The Dahomian exhibit consisted of a group of thatched structures, suggesting that there was no civilized infrastructure and therefore no architectural landmarks. Barbarism is symbolized by the tower of sacrifices. Images of African people showed violent behavior toward each other, fostering the notion that they are savages who might also turn against Europeans. The Europeans justified colonialism by showing the Africans as barbaric. On the other hand, Algeria exhibits are displayed in two palaces because it had a much longer history of colonization that Dahome. Alergians were occupied by the French for a long time. The Algerian exhibit is indicative of a much larger transformation that took place at the end of the 19thj century. The transformation was towards tourism. During the fair, an exhibit displayed naked African men and women in caged enclosures. These pornographic photographs were justified by saying they were scientific and artistic.
The movie ends with a discussion on how Indigenous material culture on display as art can be tied into an appreciation by descendants of the original objects. The main question is what do these objects mean to Western people?
THE CRITICS: STORIES FROM THE INSIDE PAGES: The movie describes the difference between a review and a cristism. A review is an informed opinion and a criticism is more analytical. Critics get us to "stop and think about it". What I thought was really interesting was Dr. Dewerth-Pallmeyer interviews method man. It is interesting that as a artist he hates critics and feel they are extremely negative to the artistic world. Yet, he then turns around and says how their negativity shed light on his first album as an up-and-coming rapper. Critisism gets as all to think. A good critic should give people fresh ideas or a new way of looking at things. Reviewers write for audiences who are unfamiliar with a particular piece of work, where as a critic expects that they readers are already familiar with the work.
Dr. Dwight DeWerth-Pallmeyer, , spent numerous months traveling the country and interviewing well-known commentators. Some of the commentators interviews include
Good Morning America film reviewer Joel Siegel,
Time magazine film critic Richard Schickel,
Nashville Scene music critic Bill Friskics-Warren, and
Fresh Air book critic Maureen Corrigan. The result is an in-depth look at criticism as an art form, the communal worth of a critic’s work, the diverse ways that distinguished critics began their careers, and the passion and intelligence with which all qualified critics must approach their work.
Some critics saw their jobs as insightful and they felt they are helping keep enlighten ideas to stay alive. Criticism of media arts improves the media in general. the movie describes critics as passionate. Professional critics can also act as reporters to.
2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Criticism project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not. I am glad I watched the video on critics, because that really gave me a sense of what I am supposed to be doing when critique my peers work. Critics are not always supposed to be negative- which is sort of what the name implies. According to the video, critics are supposed to provide a new way of looking at things and get the reader of the criticism to think. You want to spark ideas by expressing your opinion in a very colorful way. The video on the colonial encounter illustrates to me how an exhibit, or a critique, can really change the way a viewer is going to look at things. I need to make sure I don't spread negativity while expressing my critique.
3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of art criticism? I thought the films added depth to my understanding. The last video was the most impressive. It really explained what a critic does and their effect on the artistic world- whether good or bad.
