Annie Leibovitz

I am currently writing a paper about her in my 2D design class. Her life is very amazing. I wish I could work for her to really experience what it is like to be around a true photographer. Her style is like no one else. There is always a mood set. Every person and object has a meaning and perpose. She learns about the person in which she is photographing to then bring that person to life behind the lens. The two pictures are apart of her Disney series. They are my favorite photographs she has ever taken. She used famous people to capture a story while at the same time bringing out their personalities. Both of these pictures were published in Vogue.

Blog #8

This the first Sculpture that I have seen in the book that the people are happy. The Ladies that are dancing around the man are all smiling. The piece was carved by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. Within it, Carpeaux used mythical symbolism to show the theme of uninhabited Dionysian revelry. 

The most important thing about the sculpture is that Carpeaux refused to idealize the figure's physical structure. This went against the Neoclassical way of creating sculptures. So the French academic art moved more towards the realistic side. 

I think that this sculpture is a good example of why we do not have as many sculptures of people in public areas. Artists have moved more towards the realistic idea of art, which brings a problem for those people who are having a sculpture created after them. People do not like to see the real view of themselves because it can show their flaws. 

Blog #7

Delacroix painted this art work to recreate the revolt against the reinstated press censorship, returned education to Catholic church control, and limited voting rights. The woman in the middle of the canvas is a representation of liberty. It almost brings the idea of "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." I don't think that Delacroix was trying to show that there were women in the revolt but to show the idea of liberty helping the men to move forward. She has an almost god complex from the clouds around her, how high she is in the canvas, and the man down below looking up at her. We all have that sense of feeling that we all need to push on to get ahead in life. Just like what this painting does for the French, the Statue of Liberty does for us. It is a reminder of what we all have worked and suffered for to us have faith in ourselves.

blog #6

I this is late....I was very sick this last week.

The role of art in society is very different now then it was in the 18th century. I think the art is more used publicly. You can find it in office buildings and at airports. There are even art installations on hill sides like the one done by Christo and Jeanne Claude. People are trying to invent new ways to create art and place them in different parts of the world to have a different reaction from viewers. There are pieces of art along building sides in San Francisco and even the tragedy of the twin towers is now becoming a work of art. They are creating a memorial for the  people who died through architecture and sculpture. Art is not used as politically as it once was. Since we have other ways like advertisement with the use of television, billboards, and so on people are able to over look art in a political statement. In the 18th century, people used art for propaganda and other political ways because there was no other technology more advanced then paintings or sculpture. 

What I am trying to say really is that since society has advanced with technology so has art and its uses. I think its good that we can see art more as beautiful pieces then just was a way to get a point across. But politics in this country do not use art as a way to get a point across, and they should. People do create pieces to convey a message but if they were used in a campaign it would have a bigger impact on society. 

Blog #5

Many Artists paint the image of Mary Magdalen. This one on the left was created by George de La Tour. This artist usually uses a single light source in the image. The light sources are so intense that you would think that it is the subject. The use of negative space brings the eye towards Mary and the flame. The version of Mary Magdalen is emotionally dark. I feel as if the artist is creating a story with the skull and flame. She holds the skull which could mean that someone close to her died or she is close to death. The flame could represent her looking on the positive side of things, or looking forward to her bright future. This piece reminds me of a photo project that I had. We had to create an image with the littlest about of information in it. We had to use negative space as our main subject. The use of light in a piece of art makes the it so strong. 

Blog #4

Venus Urania is part of the mannerist style in 1573. The most influential sculptors, Giovanni Bologna, was inspired by Michelangelo. He used graceful poses and forms to create pieces just like this one. She is a classical prototype of Venus, but has a newer feel to her. He body is posed in a way that makes her twist around. You get the feeling of a very dramatic pose and it almost is a little sexual. The sculpture is can be viewed in all angles. The smoothness of the body also brings in the idea of Venus as a sexual being. Out of the whole book, I think this is the first piece of art that shows women as strong and sexual. It shows women for what they are. Women my not pose like this all the time, but each woman has a sexual, strong, and intelligent side to her.This pieces represents that. 

Blog #3

The Battle of the Nudes by Antonio del Pollaiuolo was created to depict muscles of the male body reacting under tension. This is an engraving of men fighting. The artist took one model and put that model into different positions. This piece reminds me of how men fight. Although I do not think that men now a days would be fighting nude. They are trying to show how strong they are both physically and mentally. In the piece the artist shows just that. You can see all the muscles in their body flexing to show their strength. Also the piece shows how hard it is to deal with stress or tension. Every form in the image fights with great intent to live. It is all a competition.