IMAGE ANALYSIS STUDY LIST

Here is a list of topics we will cover this week in class. This will be of help for your paper due on Tuesday, October 4th. If you wish, you may bring in a photo of your choice for class discussion.

IMAGE ANALYSIS

FRAME
• Open
• Closed
• Aspect Ratio (Academy, Widescreen, Scope)

LENS
• Long/Telephoto
• Standard
• Wide Angle
• Fish Eye
• Zoom
• Anamorphic

SUBJECT
• Static
• Dynamic

DISTANCE
• ExLS
• LS
• MLS
• MS
• MCU
• CU
• ExCU

ANGLE
• High
• Middle
• Low
• Dutch/Canted

DEPTH
• Field
• Focus
• Rack Focus

LIGHTING
• Available
• High Key
• Low Key
• Three Point

COLOR
• Black & White
• Naturalistic
• Saturated
• De-saturated
• Two & Three Strip Processes
• Dye Transfer

TEXTURE
• Film Speed
• Grain

MOVEMENT (Fixed Camera)
• Pan
• Tilt

MOVEMENT (Mobile Camera)
• Hand Held
• Dolly In & Out
• Track Left & Right
• Crane Up & Down
• Steadicam
• Zolly

"BLOW UP"

Here is the original one sheet poster for the US release of the movie.

What is Art?

Throughout history, art has been universal and enhances all cultures with expression and creativity. Art is defined in the dictionary as “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance”, which definitely is the aspect of art that people strive for through their creations. Whatever form of art he or she creates must have a greater significance to the artist and the one viewing than what one see’s on the surface. However, art is also more than a specific artifact, or object that elicits a greater significance. It is everywhere in society and would be incredibly hard to live without. One may just not think of it in that sense. For example, the graphics in someone’s favorite video game, or favorite pair of shoes were carefully designed and shaped according to a pre-determined vision, thus making it a branch of art. Even something as simple as the table one eats at for dinner, is art, although not as bold and probably not under the category that one generally thinks of when regarding something as art. It is definitely a form of it and would be impossible to live without.

Art gives humans a way to express themselves and be creative. This aspect of art may be more evident in some people than others, but it remains as a healthy way for humans to enhance their creative side and have the ability to make or appreciate something beautiful. Art is a fantastic part of life because no matter the language, or culture everyone can appreciate the feelings or thoughts that are often provoked by something incredibly artistic. The world becomes a better place when people can find a way to bond and relate regardless of their differences. Although cultures may be different, generally when one views a beautiful painting or listens to a beautiful song a positive feeling, or outlook is radiated from the individual regardless of their possible language or cultural barriers. Art’s ability to break through language and cultural differences remains as one of the great and beneficial aspects of art, and can be done by very few things in the world today.

Art may be universal when looking at it but people definitely have different opinions of how deeply it moves them or how much emphasis they put on it. Just as some may not like a certain color, but in others minds it may be their favorite, the same goes for art. However, generally speaking art seems to be a pretty universal concept if someone regards something as art or not, just the feeling generated from that specific piece of art may vary. It is hard to define what is not art in the world because most things can be looked at as art. Even if it is not as obvious as a sculpture or a beautiful piece of clothing, almost everything is art. Even the stapler on ones desk was planned and shaped a certain way although it may not create an emotional feeling for someone, and probably no one regards it as their favorite piece of art it definitely is a form it.

It would be difficult for someone to challenge this view because although they could try and defend that some of the more simple forms of art mentioned did not elicit an emotion or a reaction for them. So for them perhaps it should not be regarded as art, but it clearly has a specific design and shape in which someone had to create. Even though it may be very simple, it is nonetheless art.

Art has been a constant in society as a way to make life more beautiful and can make people view things in a different light. It also remains as healthy way for one to express oneself and a tool to elicit feelings from others, no matter what language or culture barrier. Art is incredible because it does not just bring happiness and joy to the one who created it, it can also do the same for the individual absorbing it. The more obvious forms of art like a painting, sculpture, movie, play, etc are generally the generic go to types of art people refer to when thinking of art. However, there is also the side of art that is not as obvious like ones coffee mug or other everyday appliances that one wouldn’t generally refer to as art because it probably doesn’t look to them as beautiful or have an emotional effect on them. No matter how simple, someone had a vision and a design for the world’s everyday appliances, which transcends as art. Art is an aspect of life that brings people together, and allows for healthy expression and creativity. Without the positivity of art and the many feelings it often radiates in people, there would be an aspect of history, and inspiration missing in all cultures and society.

Back to the Future

I love this movie and though that Nike was making this shoes was really cool.

YAY finally on the blog :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=hv7ha_iCM2Y

this movie looks so good. you know its amazing how much movies have changed throughout the last 10 years. without todays special features i dont think you'd be able to make movies like this or batman or anime.

What is art?

COM 232 Visual Literacy

Fall 2011, Assignment 1

What is Art?

David Diaz

What is Art?

I have come across this question several times, and answering does not seem to get any easier. Art by definition is the representation of ideas and concepts through a medium that can be picked up by one or more of our senses. Art takes several shapes and forms; some of these are sculpture, painting, film, photography, music, literature, architecture and digital arts. Modern societies bombard our senses with all kinds of imagery, sounds, readings, three dimensional objects, flavors and aromas; consequently, losing track of true genuine art is easy. So, what is and is not art? Is a poster at the grocery store art? Is art universal? Do we all interpret and understand art the same way? And what are the criteria to defend a work as art?

For me art is the process of communicating ideas and concepts though a medium in the right context. Art is an amazingly interesting human desire, for millenniums we have shown a strong drive for the most basic element of art which are space, line, color, shape, texture, form and value. We humans also have a strong attraction for harmony, balance and rhythm. These characteristics, as we experience them in art today, are not any close to being essential for our survival, yet we have developed this craving for art beyond our basic instincts; furthermore, we have achieved the impossible, and that is the materialization of the intangible; ideas and concepts.

Art is when an artist goes through a process of conceptualization and creation of a piece that carries an idea, concept or feeling. Then this piece should be displayed for it to serve its purpose of creating the desire reaction on the viewer. The context in which the piece is created and displayed also plays an important role; the artist should understand the correlation between the piece itself, the space where it is displayed, the timing, and the viewer. Any piece created by an artist that has all these characteristics is a piece of art. Brazilian artist Vik Muniz is an example of an artist that has well structured process for the creation of his art. First, his pieces start with an idea follow with an exploration of it; then a conceptualization of the work. Finally the piece is created and displayed to convey the desired message. Muniz’s Picture of Garbage Series is a collection of pictures taken at Jardim Gamacho world’s largest garbage dump in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There, he created portraits of the catadores, pickers of recyclable materials. His work was displayed and sold in actions all around the globe. The main idea of the project was to create awareness of the conditions in which the catarores work and the invaluable importance of their work for the local economy and the environment. A documentary film of this project was created with the title of Waste Land. Muniz donated all the money to the catadores to create better working conditions and a better standard of life.

Decorative pieces, crafts and any other mass produced artifact which sole purpose is to acquire an economical gain are not art. I have tremendous admiration and great respect for craftsmen and graphic designers; I appreciate and enjoy their work, but what they do is not art. The line between arts and crafts is very thin. Even though I do not consider craftsmen and graphic designers to make art, I understand the importance of their creativity and the immense part they take in society. Without them we would live in a grey world lacking of any sensory stimulation; moreover, we probably would not have fine arts as we know them today. Some examples of these are craftsmen like jewelers, textile workers, furniture makers, production artists, graphic designers and industrial designers.

My views of what is art and what is not are very contemporary and westernized; when asking myself, is art universal? I have to say yes, but not by definition; people around the world have different understanding and interpretations of art. What is true for me is not necessarily true for everybody else. I believe is possible to come to a common ground on the definition of art. An artist in New York City is exhibiting her work at a prestigious gallery; a craftsman in china uses a thousand years old technique to make fine pottery and a shaman in the heart of Africa sculpts a figure out of wood for a religious ceremony. Art is a vast field. Each culture perceives and treats art differently according with their customs and believes.

If I were going to find myself in a conversation where the subject was a piece of art, the way I would defend it would be by bringing up the characteristics and context that a contemporary piece of art should meet. These characteristics are idea, conceptualization and construction. The context is the strong and clear relationship between piece, place, time, and viewer. First, I would talk a about the artist background and his/her body of work. Second, I would refer to the artist statement to talk about the specific piece in discussion. Then I would try to imagine and explain the process that took place from idea to concept to art piece. Finally I would try to understand and make clear the connection between piece, place, time, and viewer.

Art take many shapes and forms; modern societies overload us with all kind of elements that are easily mistaken for art. Art communicates ideas and concepts though a medium using the right context. Pieces of art go through a complex process orchestrated by the artist; in this process the idea becomes a concept then a piece of art; this piece then stimulate the viewer at the right moment at the right place. On the other hand, craftsmen and graphic designers play an important role in society, but their end products are not considered art. For most societies there is a form of art. We all have different interpretations and understanding of it, but we can come close to have a universal concept of art. Defending a work as art is possible by understanding the creative process and the context in which the piece is placed.

What is Art Raaaport.

James Eshleman

Visual Lit.

September 12, 2011

What is Art?

Art is subjective and comes from the imagination of the individual creating the piece whatever it may be. There is no definition for art due to its vast capabilities and views. Art can be anything that sparks interest and inspires a reaction that furthers a person’s understanding of what the creator was trying to convey. It can bring about emotions that could remind the viewer of a childhood experience like a recurring nightmare or of something that once inspired you to do great things. I see art in architecture, any type of photography, painting, clothing, and the way someone carries themselves. Like beauty, art is in the eye of its beholder and is therefore not universal which is why there are so many different forms. Some people can see the work but not the underlying emotion that is to be exhumed and this is where differing opinions begin but to be successful at creating or arguing a piece of work one must find the trigger that will make the opposition feel the emotion to see the piece through their own eyes and understand what the creator was trying to accomplish while connecting it to their own lives.

One of my favorite movies is American Gangster because of the great acting, underlying business themes, and life lessons however my grandma would find that movie offensive and extreme due to the excessive drug abuse and murder that occurs both in cold blood and overdoses from heroin. I would point at the story of Richie Roberts, the policeman that eventually brings down Frank Lucas the drug kingpin and Richie’s growth as a person both intellectually and emotionally because I know my grandma has a soft spot for human betterment. She will begin to appreciate the story more and more creating her own point of view that is unique to her but follows the overall concept of the story.

Now, my dad is a hardcore Elvis fan and some say that Elvis was the father of rap music due to his suggestive lyrics and whatnot but for the most part we can say that generation has a fairly large disgust for rap music and what it stands for. Sure the lyrics get a bit out of hand and portray women as possessions and not human beings but to be fair, some of the beats involved in rap songs show great creativity whether or not the sound was artificially manufactured. These beats can be soothing to the individual’s idea of art, which was the case with my dad and his appreciation for DJ Khaled’s song “We Taking Over”. A rather “hood” song that would typically scare white suburban men was the only rap song on his iPod but he found it amusing after my brother and I had introduced him to listen to of which he was skeptical of it because it was on the wrong radio station. This sensation created enough enjoyment for him to consider it art however there are many other sensations that do not belong in the category of art no matter how beautiful and majestic such as the sight of the Grand Canyon. It may do all of the things art does but it occurred naturally in nature and therefore I would not consider it art. Now some may say it is God’s art but I am an Agnostic and this is my opinion.

what is art report

Eric Frazier
Visual literacy
What is art assignment

What is art? Art is what someone creates. It is a picture, a song, a movie, anything that is pleasing to the eye. It is also a sculpture. There are many types of art. You have artists who draw pictures, composers that make music, recording artist who write and make music and movie directors who make movies. Djing music is also an art, it takes a lot of skill to be able to mix and blend songs. Directing and making movies is also an art. Anyone can take a video of something and show it, but it takes passion and true feeling to make the movie good and worth watching. Yes, art is universal. It is universal because it comes in many ways. There are many types of pictures a person can draw like portraits, scenery and designs of stadiums. Also there are many types of movies a person can direct such as horrors, comedies, dramas etc. There are also many types of music a person can make such as rock, country, rap, r&b, orchestra and symphony. There are also many different sculptures, building and statues that people can erect. What isn’t art? That’s hard to say, but I think that if something doesn’t mean anything, is pleasing to the eye or is not in good taste, is not art. There could be a movie made but if it doesn’t make sense or doesn’t mean anything, then it’s not art. An artist can write and sing or rap a song but if the song doesn’t make sense or it its offbeat, no one would want to listen to it. Someone could draw a picture of something but if it doesn’t have any meaning or if it’s offensive, then it’s not art. Defending my view of art is a very touchy subject for me. A lot of people don’t believe that hip hop and rap is music and art. They seem to think that that type of music is ignorant and ghetto and anyone that listens to that is ignorant and ghetto. They think that way because they don’t understand the music, what the artist is saying in their song and they don’t like the cursing. I have to defend it because it is not ghetto or ignorant. I try to show people that it’s all about expression and that these artists are just expressing themselves and telling a story about their lives. Djing has made me better understand the hip hop culture and how much talent it takes to make a song and count beats. There is more to playing, making, mixing and singing songs than just going yo yo yo. It is an art form because a person has to have a lot of talent to take beats, verses and other types of equipment and put them together to make it sound good; otherwise, it would just be noise. All in all, those are my views of what is art, if art is universal, what is not art and how I would defend my views on what is art when someone says that it is not art. I feel that some people need to look into the hip hop culture before they pass judgment about someone’s way to express themselves.

"UN CHIEN ANDALOU" - 1929

In spite of varying interpretations made since the film originated, Buñuel made clear throughout his writings that, between Dalí and himself, the only rule for the writing of the script was that "no idea or image that might lend itself to a rational explanation of any kind would be accepted." Moreover, he stated that, "Nothing, in the film, symbolizes anything. The only method of investigation of the symbols would be, perhaps, psychoanalysis."

"METROPOLOS" (Germany - 1927)

Here is the trailer for Fritz Lang's great sci-fi classic. This film is not required viewing but is well worth a look. You can stream it on Netflix under the title "Metropolis Restored". Here is the link to cut and paste:
http://movies.netflix.com/WiSearch?v1=Metropolis%20Restored&oq=metropolis&ac_posn=2