1: Most interested

Andy Warhol's "Shadow" (1979)

-Synthetic polymer paint, diamond dust, and silkscreen ink on canvas.

I would say that Andy Warhol used the golden triangle because the positioning of the abstract contrasts form somewhat of a triangle throughout the work. This was my favorite piece because of the whole day because of the different and unique materials used, specifically the diamond dust. The way the light hits these particles is different at each angle, so wherever you stand and the position you look at it from, you are technically seeing a different image each time.

2: Interested

Andy Warhol's "Self Portrait" (1986)

-Synthetic polymer paint and silkscreen ink on canvas.

Leading lines are the most obvious composition of the work although I believe several others could apply as well. The real and implied lines in his hair and face lead the viewer's eyes to the portrait's eyes. My favorite part of the piece is how it looks 3D-like with the use of negative space and colors. Also how the colors blend into each other, meaning no piece is fully pink or fully black. I also love how the eyes are duplicated, adding to the intensity of the portrait.

3: Interested, but not as interested as the others

Gustav Klimt's "Pine Forest II" (1901)

-Oil on canvas

Klimt utilized rule of thirds because the two darkest trees are present where the vertical lines in rule of thirds would be. In the room full of art, this piece immediately drew my attention because of the aura that it gives off. It reminded me of slender-man with its mystifying dark woodsy colors. But I especially liked how in the background there is a subtle amount of light permeating the trees.

Ways of Seeing

John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” was pretty insightful in the sense that it causes readers to think about things differently than they normally would. For instance, he draws upon two different way to look at the sunset. For one, there is the scientific knowledge that the earth is spinning, causing the sun to slowly go out of view. Then, there is the more surreal view that can be captured in paintings, highlighting the true beauty, simplicity, and yet complexity of a sunset. 

They way we interpret things are shaped by past experiences and personal beliefs; both the conscious and unconscious. Because of this, the same representation can mean so many things, each unique for each person. In the same sense, a painting can have different meanings for the same person over time. This is also as a result of the way we look at things are shaped by our lives. 

Aside from a single work of art evoking countless emotions and perspectives, I thought it to be very eye-opening how the camera has done so much to change the way we see and value different experiences. For example, the reading mentions how an image is simply a sight that has been reproduced and, as a result, is now detached from place and time. Further, the camera has the ability to make a moment in time stay still. And this allows people in different places and different times to have the opportunity to develop their own perspective of the pictures.

Visibility

In reference to Dante's Inferno, "Visibility" speaks of the imagination and how powerful it has the potential to be. When Dante was traveling through the layers of hell, he realized that "it is useless at every circle to invent a new form of metarepresentation, and that it is better to place the visions directly in the mind without making them pass through the senses. What I think he means by this, is that, the mind has the ability to represent representations, and to recreate thoughts and concepts based on self-experience and reflection. It is for this reason each person can uniquely interpret art and experiences. The author of "Visibility" goes on to connect how imagination has a similar power capable of "stealing us away from the outer world and carrying us off into an inner one, so that even if a thousand trumpets were to sound we would not hear them." Similarly, visions were presented to Dante in which he saw differently than the objective reality that was right in front of him.

"Visibility" also questions the role of the visual imagination in relation to the verbal imagination. For example, the first process, visual imagination, takes place when we read words then imagine it in our minds. As mentioned in the text, movies are examples of metarepresentations because the process of making a movie is in phases that require several interpretations. But then, even when we witness a movie, it once again goes through the imagination of the viewer. St. Ignatius of Loyola is then cited, making two points about the importance of imagination, representation, and how we must actively choose to see people. The first point he makes is that, in sum, we must see people from all perspectives and put ourselves in their shoes in order to have clarity. Further, the second point reminds readers to understand and have a relationship with the divine without having to physically see them or imagine them as something physical.

The entire concept of the profound imagination is one that is deep and multifaceted. It constantly shocks me how a single piece of artwork, abstract or straightforward, can have so many different meanings and evoke countless emotions for every single person who has the opportunity to gaze upon it. Or, in Dante's case, he thought it be better to place the images he viewed directly into his mind without allowing them to pass through the senses. Whether this would be possible or not, it definitely arises some new ideas about the power of the imagination and our own ability to control it. For instance, this entire reading caused me to think about the process of deep meditation in which people go into a state of being totally in control of all their senses. In the case of the burning monk, 1963, a man burned himself to death while remaining sitting still. This horrific example shows the extent to which the imagination can be controlled by some.

Pictured below: The Burning Monk, 1963.

"The Whole Ball of Wax" by Jerry Saltz

Jerry Saltz's piece comments on and discusses how art is part of a holistic system rather than just another field of study. Being adaptable and subjective, art "sees things in clusters and constellations rather than rigid systems." The title of the article, "The Whole Ball of Wax", refers to the idea that art is part of the whole, but without it, the whole wouldn't exist, or at least not in its current state. Art isn't just one system, but instead it is an idea that is intimately interconnected within society. This is where Saltz got into the argument that academics "demonize" and don't respect is as something that is crucial and can be learned from. In the article, Saltz notes how myopic individuals regard it purely as amusement rather than a tool.

Unlike more rigid topics such as science and politics, art does not demand that it be categorized and defined by objective dualisms. Actually, it would be inappropriate to constrict art to such limitations. For instance, moral philosopher Mary Midgley describes this phenomena by claiming, "It's like saying that shape and size are competing opposites when they're complementary aspects of a larger whole." Midgley goes on tho further emphasize the power of art by saying, "Imaginative systems don't suddenly perish and they don't go away until the things they were invented to deal with have been resolved." She adds this idea in contrast to what most scientists and Cartesians feel about art. Which is that authors, paintings, history, and artwork that is not comprehended is dead. However, Oscar Wilde disagrees in that "the moment you think you understand a work of art it's dead for you."

Upon reading and understanding Saltz's argument, I agree with him to a much further extent than I thought I would prior to reading. Overall, I think be did an effective job at calling upon the common criticisms of art and refuting the misconceptions with examples and farsighted thoughts. For example, one quote of his that stood out to me is that, "art tells you things you don't know you need to know until you know them." In this respect, art allows for individualistic interpretation and understanding rather than concrete definitions and theories. Futher, Peter Schjeldahl's describes how art has transportive powers in that it can be "a vacation from the self" or "a journey to it." With the idea that art is a vacation and a journey, the same piece of art takes everyone to a different place. Art is also unlike science in that you don't have to understand the meaning in order to understand its purpose and effect. Gerber calls on this idea by referencing the Vietnam Memorial and how it "channels a nation's remorse" even though it is based on abstraction.