Literary Excerpt-
Animal Farm- George Orwell
"Then Snowbell (for it was Snowball who was best at writing) took a brush between the two knuckles of his trotter, painted out Manor Farm from the top bar of the gate and in its place painted Animal Farm. This was to be the name of the farm from now onwards. After this they went back to the farm buildings, where Snowball and Napoleon sent for a ladder which they caused to be set against the end of the big barn. They explained that by their studies of the past three months the pigs had succeeded in reducing the principles of Animalism to Seven Commandments. These Seven Commandments would now be inscribed on the wall; they would form an unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live for ever after. With some difficulty (for it is not easy for a pig to balance himself on a ladder) Snowball climbed up and set to work, with Squealer a few rungs below holding the paint-pot. The Commandments were written on the tarred wall in great white letters that could be read thirty yards away. They ran thus:
THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal."
- (Orwell 42)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Self Portrait Activity
Search the internet for self-portraits by the following artists: Rembrandt van Rijn, Vincent Van Gogh, Susanna Coffey, Lucian Freud, Kathe Kollwitz, Paul Gauguin, Gregory Gillespie, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne, Brett Gamache (a friend of mine).Create a Word document.
1. For each artist, record the title, year of completion, and country of origin.
- Rembrandt van Rijn “Self Portrait” (1659), Netherlands
- Vincent Van Gogh “Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear” (1889), Netherlands/France
- Susanna Coffey “Self Portrait (Cassandra Will)” (2002), United States
- Lucian Freud “Reflection Self Portrait” (1985), Germany
- Kathe Kollwitz “Self Portrait” (1924), Germany
- Paul Gauguin “Self Portrait” (1889), France
- Gregory Gillespie “Myself Painting a Self Portrait” (1980-1981), United States
- Pablo Picasso “Self Portrait” (1907), Spain
- Paul Cezanne “Self Portrait” (1875), France
- Brett Gamache “Self Portrait with Red Shirt and Hat” (2003), United States
2. Identify three comparable (composition, color, mood, etc.) self-portraits from the list. Construct a paragraph which identifies the parallels between these 3 works.
- Three comparable self portraits are by Kathe Kollwitz, Lucian Freud, and Susanna Coffey. All three of these paintings share the same mood and the portrait's have similar features. Kollwitz, Freud, and Coffey each depict themselves with harsh lines and wrinkles over their faces. They arn't afraid to create themselves as old or what some people might consider ugly. Also, each portrait has a dark mood and sadness surrounding them. This is shown through the dark colors used in the compositions and the expression among each or their faces. Thus, Kathe Kollwitz, Lucian Freud, and Susanna Coffey's three self portraits have similar moods and features.
3. Identify the strongest self-portrait. In a paragraph, explain the elements which make it stand out; use your vocabulary words.
- I think the strongest self portrait is "Reflection Self Portrait" by Lucian Freud. Freud uses contrast between lights and darks to show the wrinkles, creases, and age on his face. He shows a receding hairline and uses a realistic color for his skin. Also, he has an expression on his face that intriques the audience and makes them wonder what Freud is staring at or thinking about. Lucian Freud's "Reflection Self Portrait" differs from the other portraits through its composition and contrast, which makes the self portrait stand out.
4. Typically, self-portraits are not lucrative efforts for living artists. Why might an artist choose to focus on self-portraits? What may drive an artist, like Rembrandt, to devote so much time and effort towards depicting himself? Explain in paragraph form.
- Typically, art is a way to express oneself in different ways and in different mediums. Therefore, self portraits are the ultimate way to express oneself for an artist. The artist is able to express themselves in various situations, or in various states of minds rather than showing their feelings through an event or landscape. Therefore, an artist may spend a lot of time and effort and create many self portraits, which express themselves in different situation and with different feelings. Although people would be less willing to buy a self portrait, the artist may decide to devote themselves to self portraits in order to release pent up feelings and thoughts and express themselves through their actual selves.
1. For each artist, record the title, year of completion, and country of origin.
- Rembrandt van Rijn “Self Portrait” (1659), Netherlands
- Vincent Van Gogh “Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear” (1889), Netherlands/France
- Susanna Coffey “Self Portrait (Cassandra Will)” (2002), United States
- Lucian Freud “Reflection Self Portrait” (1985), Germany
- Kathe Kollwitz “Self Portrait” (1924), Germany
- Paul Gauguin “Self Portrait” (1889), France
- Gregory Gillespie “Myself Painting a Self Portrait” (1980-1981), United States
- Pablo Picasso “Self Portrait” (1907), Spain
- Paul Cezanne “Self Portrait” (1875), France
- Brett Gamache “Self Portrait with Red Shirt and Hat” (2003), United States
2. Identify three comparable (composition, color, mood, etc.) self-portraits from the list. Construct a paragraph which identifies the parallels between these 3 works.
- Three comparable self portraits are by Kathe Kollwitz, Lucian Freud, and Susanna Coffey. All three of these paintings share the same mood and the portrait's have similar features. Kollwitz, Freud, and Coffey each depict themselves with harsh lines and wrinkles over their faces. They arn't afraid to create themselves as old or what some people might consider ugly. Also, each portrait has a dark mood and sadness surrounding them. This is shown through the dark colors used in the compositions and the expression among each or their faces. Thus, Kathe Kollwitz, Lucian Freud, and Susanna Coffey's three self portraits have similar moods and features.
3. Identify the strongest self-portrait. In a paragraph, explain the elements which make it stand out; use your vocabulary words.
- I think the strongest self portrait is "Reflection Self Portrait" by Lucian Freud. Freud uses contrast between lights and darks to show the wrinkles, creases, and age on his face. He shows a receding hairline and uses a realistic color for his skin. Also, he has an expression on his face that intriques the audience and makes them wonder what Freud is staring at or thinking about. Lucian Freud's "Reflection Self Portrait" differs from the other portraits through its composition and contrast, which makes the self portrait stand out.
4. Typically, self-portraits are not lucrative efforts for living artists. Why might an artist choose to focus on self-portraits? What may drive an artist, like Rembrandt, to devote so much time and effort towards depicting himself? Explain in paragraph form.
- Typically, art is a way to express oneself in different ways and in different mediums. Therefore, self portraits are the ultimate way to express oneself for an artist. The artist is able to express themselves in various situations, or in various states of minds rather than showing their feelings through an event or landscape. Therefore, an artist may spend a lot of time and effort and create many self portraits, which express themselves in different situation and with different feelings. Although people would be less willing to buy a self portrait, the artist may decide to devote themselves to self portraits in order to release pent up feelings and thoughts and express themselves through their actual selves.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Short Story #3
Andy Warhol "Butterfly" (1983), oil on canvasOne foot.
My grandfather and I are the best of friends. He comes over my house every weekend and cooks the whole family dinner. Afterwards, he plays with all the grandchildren, telling us stories and playing made-up games, but I know I’m the favorite. I’m the youngest of the grandchildren, the baby of the family. I’m the one he lets ride on his shoulders and get away with candy before dinner. He’s the one that doesn’t complain when I force him to play with dolls or tea sets.
Two feet.
Lasagna. He’s famous for it. Every weekend we have our grandfather’s famous three-layer lasagna. When I got older he made it a point to teach me the recipe. It’s the pasta that makes it so good. Grandpa would brag that his pasta was better than all the pasta in Italy. He would embellish the exaggeration with a thick, fake Italian accent just because he knew it would always make me laugh. When the family started to get older, Grandpa always had me help make the weekend lasagna. Out of the whole family I was the only one who he trusted with the recipe.
Three feet.
When I turned ten, he bought me a hand made porcelain tea set. To date it’s the best gift I’ve ever received. It was decorated with butterflies, which he said were his favorite; I didn’t ask why. Grandpa told me it was made in France- his homeland. For the next few months I insisted that he teach me everything about France, from the culture to the language and everything in between. At the end of every tea party I would be able to say certain phrases, enough so I could have a small chat with my grandfather and then wish him au revoir. It wasn’t until I was older that I discovered the “made in Colombia” label on the bottom of the saucers.
Four feet.
As I got older, and so did he, the stories my grandfather told were less like fables and more stories of his life. He told me about his life as a boy in France, growing up with ten other brothers and sisters. He told me about how he joined the army at sixteen, which eventually led him to immigrate to America. He told me how he met, loved, married, and eventually lost his wife, my grandmother whom I’ve never met. He told me of not only the past but the present as well. He told tales of how he knew the answer to the final jeopardy and of the jerk who cut him off on the drive over; tales of meaningless nonsense that we would bond over for days to come.
Five Feet
During my high school years, my grandfather would come over less often. Our lasagna dinners would be more sporadic and the stories would become shorter and shorter. Despite this, I always still felt that special bond that I had grown up with. Even though I didn’t see him every week, when we finally saw each other it was as if we had never left. Grandpa still favored me over my siblings, and I was still the only one who got to help him make his famous lasagna. My best friend was still the always there for me.
Six feet.
The call came late at night, and at first I couldn’t understand what my mother was saying between her tears. I’m still not quite over the shock. The only thing that seemed to have registered since that night was the funeral date. Now, as the first shovels of dirt are being thrown onto the casket, everything hits me. I’ve lost my best friend, the person who knows almost everything about me, the one who gets me. My mothers can’t stop crying and I know I should have brought more tissues. At least he died peacefully.
I can’t stand looking at the cemetery plot anymore. To keep from completely losing it I focus my eyes on the tombstone. Its granite, at least I think, it’s strong and distinguished, just like him. Slowly another object comes into my line of vision. As the last bit of dirt falls onto the grave, a butterfly gracefully lands on the tombstone, directly in my line of vision. The butterfly stays there as my mother reads her prayers and my siblings place various types of flowers at the foot of the tombstone. As my family begins to compose themselves, we start to get back into our cars to leave the cemetery for good. Our car begins to roll down the narrow rode, the forecasted rain begins to spit outside, and as I look out at the window the butterfly stays resting on my grandfather’s, my best friend’s, tombstone.
My grandfather and I are the best of friends. He comes over my house every weekend and cooks the whole family dinner. Afterwards, he plays with all the grandchildren, telling us stories and playing made-up games, but I know I’m the favorite. I’m the youngest of the grandchildren, the baby of the family. I’m the one he lets ride on his shoulders and get away with candy before dinner. He’s the one that doesn’t complain when I force him to play with dolls or tea sets.
Two feet.
Lasagna. He’s famous for it. Every weekend we have our grandfather’s famous three-layer lasagna. When I got older he made it a point to teach me the recipe. It’s the pasta that makes it so good. Grandpa would brag that his pasta was better than all the pasta in Italy. He would embellish the exaggeration with a thick, fake Italian accent just because he knew it would always make me laugh. When the family started to get older, Grandpa always had me help make the weekend lasagna. Out of the whole family I was the only one who he trusted with the recipe.
Three feet.
When I turned ten, he bought me a hand made porcelain tea set. To date it’s the best gift I’ve ever received. It was decorated with butterflies, which he said were his favorite; I didn’t ask why. Grandpa told me it was made in France- his homeland. For the next few months I insisted that he teach me everything about France, from the culture to the language and everything in between. At the end of every tea party I would be able to say certain phrases, enough so I could have a small chat with my grandfather and then wish him au revoir. It wasn’t until I was older that I discovered the “made in Colombia” label on the bottom of the saucers.
Four feet.
As I got older, and so did he, the stories my grandfather told were less like fables and more stories of his life. He told me about his life as a boy in France, growing up with ten other brothers and sisters. He told me about how he joined the army at sixteen, which eventually led him to immigrate to America. He told me how he met, loved, married, and eventually lost his wife, my grandmother whom I’ve never met. He told me of not only the past but the present as well. He told tales of how he knew the answer to the final jeopardy and of the jerk who cut him off on the drive over; tales of meaningless nonsense that we would bond over for days to come.
Five Feet
During my high school years, my grandfather would come over less often. Our lasagna dinners would be more sporadic and the stories would become shorter and shorter. Despite this, I always still felt that special bond that I had grown up with. Even though I didn’t see him every week, when we finally saw each other it was as if we had never left. Grandpa still favored me over my siblings, and I was still the only one who got to help him make his famous lasagna. My best friend was still the always there for me.
Six feet.
The call came late at night, and at first I couldn’t understand what my mother was saying between her tears. I’m still not quite over the shock. The only thing that seemed to have registered since that night was the funeral date. Now, as the first shovels of dirt are being thrown onto the casket, everything hits me. I’ve lost my best friend, the person who knows almost everything about me, the one who gets me. My mothers can’t stop crying and I know I should have brought more tissues. At least he died peacefully.
I can’t stand looking at the cemetery plot anymore. To keep from completely losing it I focus my eyes on the tombstone. Its granite, at least I think, it’s strong and distinguished, just like him. Slowly another object comes into my line of vision. As the last bit of dirt falls onto the grave, a butterfly gracefully lands on the tombstone, directly in my line of vision. The butterfly stays there as my mother reads her prayers and my siblings place various types of flowers at the foot of the tombstone. As my family begins to compose themselves, we start to get back into our cars to leave the cemetery for good. Our car begins to roll down the narrow rode, the forecasted rain begins to spit outside, and as I look out at the window the butterfly stays resting on my grandfather’s, my best friend’s, tombstone.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Scavenger Hunt
1. Monet and Manet are both Impressionists and have similarities beyond their names. Compare and contrast these two artists.
- Manet and Monet were both french impressionsts, Manet was one of the first painters to begin working in the impressionist art period, he used broad colors with a quick brush technique and did many studio drawings. Manet was an influence to Monet who in contrast to Manet painting more "en plein air" (outside). Monet, like Manet, also used quick brush strokes but, unlike Manet, he put paint directly on the canvas without sketching the composition out first. Monet also used individualized color and focused on capturing the effects of light and color on nature.
2. Who is Camille Claudel? Examine her "L'Age Mur" and identify the 3 figures depicted.
- Camille Claudel is a french sculptor and graphic artist during the late 1800s. "L'Age Mur" is a bronze sculpture of Camille pleading for Auguste Rodin not to leave her for his former mistress.
3. Identify the works stolen during the infamous Gardner Museum heist. Identify and describe your favorite piece.
- "The Concert" by Johannes Vermeer, "The Storm of the Sea of Galilee" by Rembrandt van Rijn, and "Landscape with an Obelisk" by Govaert Flinck. My favorite stolen piece is "The Concert" which depicts a two women and one man at a piano, one woman is playing the piano while the other seems to be singing.
4. Summarize the "legend" behind the man with the top hat in Eugene Delacroix's most famous painting.
- The legend in Delacroix's "Liberty Leading the People" is that Delacroix is the man in the top hat holding a muskat. The painting depicts persians celebrating liberty under the tricolor flag.
5. What is David Mach's "Gorilla" made of?
-Coathangers
6. Describe your favorite Ron Mueck sculpture.
- My favorite Ron Mueck sculpture is "A Girl". The sculpture is of a newborn lying down. Mueck shows the wrinkles and ugliness of the baby which holds the viewer's interest even though it isn't necessarily pretty.
7. Paul Rahilly is one of my former professors.
a) What breed of dog is depicted in his "Girl in a Paper Dress"?
- a poodle
b) In which of his paintings does one find a chili pepper?
- "beef and vegetables"
c) a brioche?
- "brioche, pears and eggs"
8. What colors are used in my "concert bill sketch"?
- red, blue, white, and gray
9. Ryan Smith is an amazing artist and a good friend of mine (he attended Norton High).
a) Describe the subject matter in his 2006 piece "Taxidermy Tammy".
- The subject matter is a girl character who has a pizza slicer in her hand, at her feet are a bunch of animals (moose, bear, octopus, zebra, owl, bird, owl, fox, etc..) that have been torn apart and and put back together
b) What "sport" is parodied in his version of "Pig Pile"?
- wrestling
Now it's time to play 6 degrees of Wikipedia. Your responses should look like numbered lists beginning with the first item and ending with the last item.
1. Vincent van Gogh=vampire
- Vincent van Gogh = german expressionists = vampire
2. Francisco Goya=cartilage
- Francisco Goya = Meniere's disease = inner ear = ear= cartilage
3. Lucian Freud=Tool (the band)
- Lucian Freud = painter (painting) = art = death metal = heavy metal = Tool (band)
4. Mark Rothko=serpent
- Mark Rothko = mythology = Bible = Genesis = serpent
5. Diego Rivera=Roger Williams
- Diego Rivera = New York City = Northeastern United States = Rhode Island = Roger Williams
- Manet and Monet were both french impressionsts, Manet was one of the first painters to begin working in the impressionist art period, he used broad colors with a quick brush technique and did many studio drawings. Manet was an influence to Monet who in contrast to Manet painting more "en plein air" (outside). Monet, like Manet, also used quick brush strokes but, unlike Manet, he put paint directly on the canvas without sketching the composition out first. Monet also used individualized color and focused on capturing the effects of light and color on nature.
2. Who is Camille Claudel? Examine her "L'Age Mur" and identify the 3 figures depicted.
- Camille Claudel is a french sculptor and graphic artist during the late 1800s. "L'Age Mur" is a bronze sculpture of Camille pleading for Auguste Rodin not to leave her for his former mistress.
3. Identify the works stolen during the infamous Gardner Museum heist. Identify and describe your favorite piece.
- "The Concert" by Johannes Vermeer, "The Storm of the Sea of Galilee" by Rembrandt van Rijn, and "Landscape with an Obelisk" by Govaert Flinck. My favorite stolen piece is "The Concert" which depicts a two women and one man at a piano, one woman is playing the piano while the other seems to be singing.
4. Summarize the "legend" behind the man with the top hat in Eugene Delacroix's most famous painting.
- The legend in Delacroix's "Liberty Leading the People" is that Delacroix is the man in the top hat holding a muskat. The painting depicts persians celebrating liberty under the tricolor flag.
5. What is David Mach's "Gorilla" made of?
-Coathangers
6. Describe your favorite Ron Mueck sculpture.
- My favorite Ron Mueck sculpture is "A Girl". The sculpture is of a newborn lying down. Mueck shows the wrinkles and ugliness of the baby which holds the viewer's interest even though it isn't necessarily pretty.
7. Paul Rahilly is one of my former professors.
a) What breed of dog is depicted in his "Girl in a Paper Dress"?
- a poodle
b) In which of his paintings does one find a chili pepper?
- "beef and vegetables"
c) a brioche?
- "brioche, pears and eggs"
8. What colors are used in my "concert bill sketch"?
- red, blue, white, and gray
9. Ryan Smith is an amazing artist and a good friend of mine (he attended Norton High).
a) Describe the subject matter in his 2006 piece "Taxidermy Tammy".
- The subject matter is a girl character who has a pizza slicer in her hand, at her feet are a bunch of animals (moose, bear, octopus, zebra, owl, bird, owl, fox, etc..) that have been torn apart and and put back together
b) What "sport" is parodied in his version of "Pig Pile"?
- wrestling
Now it's time to play 6 degrees of Wikipedia. Your responses should look like numbered lists beginning with the first item and ending with the last item.
1. Vincent van Gogh=vampire
- Vincent van Gogh = german expressionists = vampire
2. Francisco Goya=cartilage
- Francisco Goya = Meniere's disease = inner ear = ear= cartilage
3. Lucian Freud=Tool (the band)
- Lucian Freud = painter (painting) = art = death metal = heavy metal = Tool (band)
4. Mark Rothko=serpent
- Mark Rothko = mythology = Bible = Genesis = serpent
5. Diego Rivera=Roger Williams
- Diego Rivera = New York City = Northeastern United States = Rhode Island = Roger Williams
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Community Idea for Concept Folio
For my community portion of my concept folio, I decided to have people make their own artwork. I teach a 3rd grade ccd class, so i decided to have the kids draw their favorite animal and I'll display them in my concept folio.
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