...American Art Project Part One: Baptism of Pocahontas Artist: John Gadsby Chapman John Gadsby Chapman created a masterpiece that showed the Baptism of Pocahontas which was commissioned in 1837 and officially hung in 1840. This is a significant piece of art that gives a glimpse of what it might have looked or felt like for the American Indians at that time. American Indians entering into the Christian faith symbolizes the change that America was rapidly going through, but also the “take-over” by American Settlers. This was the period of time when American settlers and American Indians had strained relations and by this time they were being forced off of their land. I believe this was another way for the Americans to show their strong beliefs in Christianity; and furthermore strengthening their support among the Indians by using a popular Native face in the painting. I believe that a wide range of emotions were presented in this picture; from confusion, to anger, happiness, and maybe some who just felt indifferent or intrigued by it all. Gadsby also did a very good job at showing a softer side to Pocahontas and portraying her in a more feminine way, contrary to how she had been portrayed many times before as a heroic icon. Declaration of Independence Artist: John Trumbull The Declaration of Independence as shown in this painting is a phenomenal piece of art work that was commissioned in 1817 and hung in 1818. This painting depicts the seriousness of the matter by portraying...
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...The work of artists such as Joseph Stella and other American modernists differed from the work of the Ashcan School. The subject of Ashcan was mostly urban living in New York that showed everyday ordinary people and places, whereas the work of the American modernists focused on more abstract and futuristic pieces of work. While there is no set date for when this abstract style originated, Nature Symbolized No. 2, c.1911 (page 65) is one of the first abstract American paintings. The painting is meant to symbolize how Dove felt about nature, rather than how he saw it. To me, the painting is simple and elegant and is as though you are looking through trees up into the sky. There are hints of blue that stand out in the background among greens and yellows and black that dominates the foreground. One art form that originated elsewhere and is now a big part of American culture, as well as many other places around the world are tattoos. The earliest tattoos came from places like Egypt and Polynesia. In today's society, many people have tattoos, whether just for enjoyment or to symbolize personal meaning. Tattooing has directly affected me in many ways. I currently have 12 tattoos in various places that all have great meaning to me. However, when it comes to trying to find employment, it is not easy. While my tattoos are easy to hide, it is hard to keep them hidden for too long since that requires me to wear long sleeves year-round, which is not possible since I live in the desert...
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...mask. I chose this piece because just looking at it makes you wonder what all images it can produce. In the reading it states that the mask can change images by pulling on different strings located on it. The bright colors and shapes also attracted me to it. The frowning face, that represents the inside of the mask is quite unusual, it does directly depict an actual likeness of a face, and the outer parts look like the frame of the face. The book makes reference to the Kwakiutl people lived on the Vancouver Island, trading and warring with each other and their neighbors. But they produced great artwork like the mask which were used in Shaman ceremonies, and totem poles. The Kwakiutl are famed for their transformation masks. These massive American masks, up to eight feet long, are based around an animal form and open up during the ceremony to reveal an inner human character. This method links the human, animal and spiritual aspects of life. The winter period, called Tsetseka, meaning good humor, was used by the Kwakiutl as a time for celebrating. They believed that the spirits who had been at large in the world returned to the village to capture certain members of the population. The dances were often connected with the initiation of novices. Possessed by wild spirits the novices would disappear into the woods to be given the ancestral rites and then reappear as fully fledged members of the society. The spirit which possessed them was Bakbakwalanooksiwae (Cannibal at the north end...
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...Examination of Two African American Artists Name Title Unit Code Introduction Artist refers to broad spectrum wide ranging word that covers activities related to creative art, demonstrating art, and practicing art. Artistic works by the African American artists have played a great role in revolutionizing the scene of the American culture displayed to the outside world. Becoming an artist is an intensive process requiring talent and social recognition through provision of social support. In the early ages, artists in America were selected basing on their race. However, the beginning of the 19th century saw the establishment of Negro movement that advocated for social recognition of the black artists in America. This provided the artists with a platform for expressing their talents through music, writings, and visual artworks on issues related to social, political, and economic conditions facing the blacks in America. Therefore, this research paper will examine the life history of two famous African American artists in history. The analysis will consider their early lives, education backgrounds and their contributions that led to their social recognition. The research will end with the comparison of the two personalities and come up with a conclusion. The two personalities examined in the research paper are Henry Ossawa Tanner, and Romare Bearden. Romare Bearden’s Early Life Romare Bearden is one of the African American artist and writer born...
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...(1934) is an art piece painted by Aaron Douglas. He was an African-American painter during the Harlem Renaissance movement. As the title suggests, the painting is a description of the history of African-Americans from slavery through reconstruction time. The art piece is divided up into different sections and highlights the racism toward African-Americans. On the left side of the painting you see black people with drums and a crop growing in the background. This section of the painting shows a time where Africans were free and not slaves. Moving a little to the right, we see oppression and slavery through the black people being hunched over in the painting. Towards the middle of the art piece we see a person standing up pointing and showing the desire to fight against slavery and to the right of him you see people with their fists up and ready to fight against the oppression and slavery. This piece of art explores Negro heritage from left to right. I like this piece of art because of the soft colors and the neutral appearance of the silhouettes of people. This painting describes African-American culture and their struggle to end slavery. Everything in this painting describes life of African-American and their struggle in the 1900’s. Historical Context Douglas’s painting Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery to Reconstruction provided a big contribution during the New Negro movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. This movement increased awareness of black art and culture...
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...ART 1010 Three Examples of Native American Art Art is defined differently by each person, and I tend to lean towards a personal definition as well. It is a play on the words of Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart when he was referring to obscenity. “I know it when I see it.” This allows me to recognize what I consider art, and it also gives me the ability to decide what types of art speak to me. Native American art has always been close to my heart because of my personal ancestry, and I hope to pique the reader’s interest in some of the fine examples of this art that are readily accessible today (1964). Native North American tribes, in large part were nomadic and struggled for their everyday existence. Most native art is considered craft work because they were meant to be utilized as practical tools. Some examples include, woven blankets and rugs, pottery, and baskets. Other pieces of their art fall within a few other categories, and include jewelry, beadwork, and headdresses. The architecture of these tribes may not be considered artistic by some standards, but I feel that there is a certain rustic beauty to it. Each of the pieces I will discuss fall easily within these categories. Design is an important element to any piece of art, and it is especially important for craft pieces that are intended for use. The design must meet certain standards to be useful. For example, a blanket needs to not only keep a person warm, but it must be somewhat light and...
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...self-described “people’s painter,” Andrews focused on figurative social commentary depicting the struggles, atrocities, and everyday occurrences in the world, but he was not satisfied to use art as a substitute for action. Benny Andrews was born on November 13, 1930, in Plainview, Georgia, a small farming community three miles from Madison. Andrews was one of 10 children in a family of sharecroppers; raised while it was still segregated in the rural south, he grew up desperately poor. His mother, Viola, instilled in her ten children the importance of education, religion, and freedom of expression; his father, George, a self-taught artist, fueled their creativity with his drawings and illustrations. Although the entire family worked in the cotton fields as sharecroppers, Viola Andrews was adamant that her children attend school. Andrews's attendance was sporadic because he went only when he wasn't needed in the fields or when it rained. After several years at Plainview Elementary School, Andrews walked to Madison to attend Burney Street High School, and in 1948 he was the first member of his family to graduate. Andrews enrolled in and studied at Georgia’s Fort Valley State College with a two-year scholarship awarded by the 4-H Club. The only art course offered was a single class in art appreciation, which Andrews took six times. By 1950, with the end of the scholarship money and poor grades, Andrews left school and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He served four years of military...
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...lover of art I tend to find, beauty in everything some way. Whether it be a simple flower out in a field of brown grass, or a pattern that everyone thinks looks too busy. I didn’t realize how the ‘Beauty is all around you’ quote would fit me until I actually started to study it. No, I’m not art major because I can’t draw to save my life, but I found that studying it for a hobby is more relaxing than I thought it would have been. Living in New York City, I was able to go to an art museum every weekend. Look at the different paintings on the wall and feel a different emotion for each. If was funny how an 18x24 painting could make me feel so different about certain things. All a painting is and ever will be, and lines and different stroke one a white canvas if you break it down bit by bit. But together those line and strokes make something beautiful. When I moved from New York I thought I would have to give up that passion for a whole year. I, personally knew that I could do it but then I would be bored on my weekends, something I didn’t want to happen ever especially since I felt I was moving to the middle of nowhere. But I was mistaken when I found out that El Paso had an art museum. That was very shocking news to me, I know not everywhere has an art museum or a museum at all. Recently I was able to visit, I know it’s not good to compare two things together all the time, of course the El Paso art museum isn’t, The Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Whitney Museum of American Art but...
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...RUNNING HEAD: Analysis of the Arts of Edward Hopper, Grant Wood, and Thomas H. Benton 1 Analysis of the Arts of Edward Hopper, Grant Wood, and Thomas H. Benton Student Name University Name Analysis of the Arts of Edward Hopper, Grant Wood, and Thomas H. Benton 2 Abstract The 20th century is marked by development of new style of arts. The painters with the likes Edward Hopper, Grant Wood, and Thomas H. Benton played pivotal roles in taking this form of art to the next level. Their works carry elements of modernism in them however they have different styles of depicting their arts. In this paper, we have taken Office at Night, Woman with Plants, and Sorghum Mill (Buffalo River, Arkansas) for analysis which are painted by Edward Hopper, Grant Wood, and Thomas H. Benton respectively. Analysis Thesis Statement The works of Edward Hopper, Grant Wood, and Thomas H. Benton truly represent the modern era of painting with some similarities and some dissimilarities. Introduction The painting of the 20th century was inclined towards developing a new form of art which carries modernity. It was a revolutionary period for painting and saw some great painters of all times. The artworks have huge impact of the modernism in them. Edward Hopper, Grant Wood, and Thomas H. Benton were the prominent painters of the era who have great contribution...
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...Nina Wohl Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences AHIS W4855 African American Artists in the 20th and 21st Centuries Spring 2012 Research Paper – African American Art & the Great Depression The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn of the twentieth century. The federal government took unprecedented action to provide relief, recovery and reform. No group was harder hit by the Great Depression than African Americans. The New Deal was slow to deal with the unique situation faced by African Americans. The struggles of the Great Depression laid the foundation for the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Art would play an important role in influencing the future. Despite its limitations, the New Deal, through the Works Progress Administration’s (WPA) Federal Arts Program (FAP), was responsible for reshaping the cultural agenda and “marked a significant turning point in the production of black culture.”1 The artists of the Great Depression built upon the work done during the Harlem Renaissance. New Deal art extended and affirmed art that translated “politics into cultural terms.”2 The FAP looked for a “new sense of authentic American culture – one that championed national values and traditions by celebrating regional and racial diversity.”3 As a result, many artists worked to place African Americans in the historical narrative of the United States while combating long held stereotypes. None were less important than Aaron Douglas...
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...honors research project in which I planned, organized, and collaborated with academic and community professionals to create Enterprise State Community College’s first Veterans Day ceremony. The project included collaboration with the college’s choir and fine arts department, Alabama Aviation Center director who donated four airplane noses, local radio host and personality who narrated the event, Enterprise High School JROTC who presented the colors, and local U.S. Army surplus store owner who provided uniforms and artifacts. Showcased in the event were reproductions I had created of historic military aviation artwork which veterans signed to create a lasting memorial. The purpose of the Veterans Day project was two-fold. I wanted to share with my community the inspiring perspective of America’s wars as told by military aircraft nose art and take them on a walk through history. At the same time, I wanted to use the...
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...websites are resources for your final project and course assignments. U.S. Art Museums The Metropolitan Museum of Art: http://www.metmuseum.org/ The Museum of Modern Art: http://www.moma.org/ National Gallery of Art: http://www.nga.gov/ Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: http://www.mfa.org/ The Phillips Collection: http://www.phillipscollection.org/ The Art Institute of Chicago: http://www.artic.edu/aic/index.php Whitney Museum of American Art: http://www.whitney.org/ Guggenheim Museum New York: http://www.guggenheim.org/new_york_index.shtml Guggenheim Museum Bilbao: http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/ Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery: http://americanart.si.edu/index3.cfm Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: http://hirshhorn.si.edu/ Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African Art: http://www.nmafa.si.edu/voice.html Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery: http://www.asia.si.edu/ The National Portrait Gallery: http://www.npg.si.edu/ Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum: http://cooperhewitt.org/ National Museum of the American Indian: http://www.nmai.si.edu/ The Getty: http://www.getty.edu/ San Francisco Museum of Modern Art: http://www.sfmoma.org/ National Hispanic Cultural Center: http://www.nationalhispaniccenter.org/index.php American Visionary Art Museum: http://www.avam.org/ American Folk Art Museum: http://www.folkartmuseum.org/default.asp?id=886 National Museum of Mexican Art: http://www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart...
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...Did You Know? Young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours on three days each week through at least one full year are: 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem Young artists, as compared with their peers, are likely to: Attend music, art, and dance classes nearly three times as frequently Participate in youth groups nearly four times as frequently Read for pleasure nearly twice as often Perform community service more than four times as often Living the Arts through Language + Learning: A Report on Community-based Youth Organizations, Shirley Brice Heath, Stanford University and Carnegie Foundation For the Advancement of Teaching, Americans for the Arts Monograph, November 1998) The facts are that arts education... makes a tremendous impact on the developmental growth of every child and has proven to help level the "learning field" across socio-economic boundaries. (Involvement in the Arts and Success in Secondary School, James S. Catterall, The UCLA Imagination Project, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, UCLA, Americans for the Arts Monograph, January 1998) has a measurable impact on youth at risk in deterring delinquent behavior...
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...Art-Based Intervention for College Student’s Suffering from Anxiety According to the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment, Within the last 12 months, 21.9% of the students reported anxiety affected their individual academic performance, they either received a lower grade on an exam, course, received an incomplete or dropped the course. Twenty-three percent of the students also reported that in the last 2 week they felt overwhelming anxiety (American College Health). Anxiety, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, is excessive and constant uneasiness and worry (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). College is a transitional phase—college students have to leave home, tackle new and more...
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...Kerry James Marshall was born in 1955 in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from Otis College of Art and Design where he developed his artistic skills. He is married to an actress named Cheryl Lynn Bruce and currently lives in Chicago. Marshall is an American artist well known for his fascinating paintings that interpret both real and imaginative events from African-American history. Most of his work has been influenced by the Black Power and Civil Rights movements, as well as, his experiences as a young man. Marshall’s large-scale paintings and sculptures often incorporated African American’s as the subject of the piece. An example would be the painting called, Many Mansions, which is the first series out of five paintings that depicts the public housing projects in Chicago and Los Angeles. Marshall’s idea of this series came from a sign he saw in Chicago that stated, “Welcome to Wentworth Gardens.” From then on, Marshall became intrigued by the fact that many housing...
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