Arts Explorer #3: Fine Art Critique

The piece of artwork that I have chosen to review is called “The Hidden Life Within” by Giuseppe Penone which is displayed at The Art Gallery of Ontario.  Penone carved the outside of large trees to revile its inner, the tree as it once was.  I believe that through his pieces the artist is revealing the history of the tree- where it came from, what it once was.  This can be symbolically represented in people too- we all have roots.

ART WORD OF THE WEEK: The element of    Design (or composition)                      

Schirrmacher and Fox define Design (or composition) as the “overall mark of success, the standard of achievement” (p.142).  Essentially, did the artist accomplish what he or she intended to?  It also refers to the impression of the piece- do the elements go well together and “does it make the viewer want to return and admire again and again”.  The authors also point out that design (or composite) is not something children are concerned about when they approach art.  They often focus on the process, it’s adults who impose the idea of product.  Does “What did you make?” ring a bell?

Figure 1
Giuseppe Penone's
The Hidden Life Within

Thinking about this piece reminds me of talking to my grandparents.  I remember a few years ago, after my high school formal looking at pictures with my grandmother.  After she commented on how pretty my dress was and how beautiful the banquet hall was she started talking about her high school years.  How she had gone through it during World War II and how her senior prom celebration was making care packages to send overseas.  She didn’t tell me this to make me feel bad or spoiled.  She actually reflected on it in a positive way.  She enjoyed helping and it was a nice thing to do with all her friends before leaving high school.  My grandfather also has shared stories with me about his childhood.  One particularly interesting one was when he was a young child during the early 1930s living in British Columbia he spiked a fever and got very sick.  In the middle of terrible storm his doctor ordered an air helicopter to pick him up and risk the dangerous journey to Vancouver Island for the life saving treatment.  He was mentioned in newspapers and on radio broadcasts for days after the fact.  To think, if that doctor hadn’t given the order, if the helicopter pilot had refused to make the trip, or had crashed along the way my entire family would not be here. My grandparents are filled with the most interesting stories.  Mine have travelled all over the world, experiencing cultures like Egypt, China, and Pakistan.  They have experienced show much that I should ask more.

I think the way Giuseppe Penone designed his work was with the intention to make me think about these stories my grandparents have shared and to appreciate what deep knowledge they  have acquired and ask questions about their past, learn where they have come from.  As Penone says, “My artwork shows, with the language of sculpture, the essence of matter and tries to reveal with the work, the hidden life within”.  His art makes me feel young.  It makes me feel as I have so much more to learn. 

This is the AGOs website
http://www.ago.net/
And this is the AGO's section about Giuseppe Penone

Art and creative development for young children (6th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J.E. (2009).

Figure 1. Giuseppe Penone's The Hidden Life Within (unknown photographer). Retrieved from
http://www.ago.net/Giuseppe-Penone-The-Hidden-Life-Within

Arts Explorer #2: Instant Sculpture with Found Objects

I actually started out by dreading this week’s blog but by the end I really was enjoying it.   Initially creating a sculpture terrified me.  Although I consider myself creative and I enjoy art immensely I didn’t have any idea of where to start with creating something with dimension.

ART WORD OF THE WEEK: The element of              MASS AND VOLUME

Described by Schirrmacher and Fox, in regards to art, mass and volume “are appropriate criteria for critiquing three-dimensional art, which has height, length, and width” (p.142).  Mass and Volume are kind of the next step passed shape (which will be discussed in a later post).  For example a circle would be reviewed by the standards of a shape while a sphere would be reviewed by the standards of mass and volume.  Therefore sculptures, which are three-dimensional, would use the standards of mass and volume.

So here was my process.  After seeing the description of this assignment I headed straight to my junk door (which was suggested) and started digging.  After trying to balance a stapler on a hole puncher balanced on three erasers I thought, “What am I doing? This isn’t anything!” And the hundreds of little white dots floating out of the hole puncher and all over the floor wasn’t making it any better.  So I tried again- I searched all around the house and finally came across some replacement light bulbs (like the ones that come in a string of lights) BINGO! I had an idea!  I went into my fruit cellar and pulled out big Christmas boxes (that I had just put away) and pulled out all the Christmas lights that I could find.  I tried wrapping them around chairs, tables, garbage cans etc but nothing was looking particularly special or interesting.  So I sat down to look around the room for some inspiration and while doing so absent mindedly started wrapping the string of bulbs around my hand- another BINGO!  If I’m making this sculpture- why don’t I become the sculpture?

I then recruited the help of my mother to help wrap the bulbs around my legs, torso, arms, finger, head etc.  I taped everything in place and asked my mom to take the picture.  I was very happy with the results.  After taking off all of the lights (and putting everything away) I sat down with my textbook and tried to describe, using the words given, the sculpture I (and my mom) and created.  I was a solid, curved, large, moving three-dimensional sculpture.  Anyone ever describe themselves as that before?

Art and creative development for young children (6th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J.E. (2009).

Arts Explorer #1- What does Creativity Mean to You?

When I think of creativity, I think of the word open.  Sometimes open means the ability to use any and all material, colours, canvases and medium while other times open means using the material that is available to make something completely unique to you.

ART WORD OF THE WEEK: The element of             s   P   A   c   e

Schirrmacher and Fox describe space as “determined by the size of the canvas, be it paper, cardboard, wood or a shoe box” (143).  Space can be described by either positive space or negative space.  Positive being the space taken by the subject matter (the lines, colours, shapes, etc) while the negative space describes the space that surrounds it.  Both create the space for an artist to plant and sprout their own creativity.   

Figure 1: Children working on the 8361m2 Guinness
World Record's Largest Pavement Art Drawing




 

My inspiration for my blog about CREATIVITY and SPACE is sidewalk chalk.  I love sidewalk chalk.  I love idea that you can use it on driveways, brick, sidewalks, and concrete walls, really anywhere and everywhere.  It can be used for small drawings or large ones and the actual chalk comes in a huge variety of shapes and sizes.  Small pieces of chalk can be used for more intricate work and large fat pieces can be used for children who are just developing the ability to grasp (palmer grasp rather than tripod or pincer). 



Figure 2: Above view of the creation.



In the summer chalk is always one of the outdoor activities we have available for the children at camp.  I have seen them lie down on the ground and have another child trace them to make life size portraits of themselves.  I have seen them colour every brick individually to create a “rainbow wall”.  I have seen them roll pieces of chalk on their sides and talk with each other about the different texture it creates compared to a single drawn line.  I have even seen them work collaboratively to create huge drawings.  I have seen them draw streets and parks and houses and use the chalk as cars to drive around their made up world.  There are endless ways to use their space and endless ways to use the one medium they have available.  That is being open.  That is creativity.

The above images are of the Guinness World Record's Largest Pavement Art Drawing created by Mark Wagner and 5678 children.  Below you can find the links to the documentary of the process called, "Small Town, Big Vision" filmed by Kevin Carrel Footer and Victoria Zorraquin.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G45XR1DERKk
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psCz8IB4lr0
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J57XGWH4TwU&feature=related
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5momdrIiy8&feature=related

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J.E. (2009). Art and creative development for young children (6th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.

Figure 1. Nurture by Scott Haefner (June, 2008) Retrieved from
http://scotthaefner.com/photos/kap/2402/

Figure 2. Lizard Stare by Scott Haefner (June, 2008) Retrieved from http://scotthaefner.com/photos/kap/2402/

Creative Arts Blog Explanation

This blog has been created for the purpose of completing an assignment that I have been given in my Creative Arts I class.  It is one of the mandatory classes for my Early Childhood Education degree through Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario.  Every week I will be posting an Art Blog which has two themes- one assigned by my teacher (what is creativity, found objects, patterns in nature etc.) the other will come from my textbook “Art & Creative Development for Young Children” by Robert Schirrmacher and Jill Englebright Fox (6^th Edition) and will describe an element of art.  These will be introduced as the “ART WORD OF THE WEEK”.  Enjoy!

http://www.ryerson.ca/ece/

http://www.delmarlearning.com/browse_product_detail.aspx?catid=31237&isbn=1428359206