** please post your comments in the section of this post.
Due 9/18
Watch Artist Amy Sillman's "On Color Episode, and please write 2 questions and a paragraph about the episode on something that interested you. Please be ready to discuss in class on Monday.
1. On an individual level, what subject outside of art does art connect most to for you? Is it philosophy, mathematics, linguistics, literature?
ReplyDelete2. What kinds of things do you think you will use color to most represent in your paintings? (like the examples she states in minute 23)
I was most interested by the concept of the relationship between painting and linguistics - that is, between paints and their names. This is because I am in a literary theory class and just read a theory by Saussure about the science behind language. Language isn't just assigning a name to a thing, it's actually a sound-sign that represents a concept. But this gets complicated when it comes to color, which is named entirely arbitrarily, but that idea is hard to comprehend when we understand (without understanding) the name of a color. However, we only understand the name of the color within the construct of our socio-cultural experience, and other people with other languages and cultures have different names for and understandings of color. Across the board, there is no literal and necessary link between the word/sound that we assign and the color we are trying to signify. This makes painting, for me, a freeing experience of color.
I found the concept of rendering color in the digital world most interesting about this talk.
ReplyDeleteAs a photographer I'm constantly manipulating color in my own photographs with the help of photoshop. Even if I get pretty close to rendering the actual color of something there is still no way that my perception of those colors will be the same as everyone else. It was interesting to think about painters and other artists having the same problem in the age of "mechanical reproduction and art distribution". The best way to view a painting is definitely still face to face in real life. However, most artwork shown today is via digital devices which has changed the way we look at and perceive it.
1. If paint has more lasting value than drugs then why are there more addicts than artists in the world?
2. If we all perceive color differently then how important is the theory of color?
Hi Ryan,
DeleteIn response to your questions about addicts and artists-- wouldn't you say that artists are addicts on some way? What about when we fetishize artwork or objects?
It was good to hear how color's dictate feeling and reaction the same way hormones dictate behavior an psyche. I see certain color combinations, like burnt sienna and maroon, and regardless if the structure of the painting (being a good or terrible in composition) I'll enjoy the piece as a whole. It could be compared to a having a balance of hormones in the sense that I physically feel good/alright regardless of my situation (being in non-aesthetic rags or eating berries and chocolate). The colors in a painting or the hormones in my bloodstream dictate if I have well-lit or sickly response.
ReplyDelete1. What constitutes a "terrible color"?
2. What does color usage say about a painter's personality?
P.S.
DeleteI would like to make another comparison between color and composition (the actual image regardless of color). Color is the music of a song. It's necessary to have good music if you want a good song. Good lyrics, on the other hand, are sufficient but not always needed to enjoy a song.
Hi Eli,
DeleteI am intrigued by your question about what makes a "Terrible Color"- I would say that color is always contingent upon the situation it is in. Similarly, color theory is based on colors appearing different, or suggesting different things based on their surroundings. Color is inherently tied to time, space, and the physical relationships around it.
The in depth and microscopic view of color relation, and its importance for being chosen on a particular subject and its direct correlation with the mood or statement one is trying to covey, makes me rethink my approach to color schemes directly related to my subject. Her comparison between cocaine and painting is comedic, how many people get robbed for tubes of paint? A familiar image arose up with a painting by Stephen Westfall, called Civic Signs,resembling a rubiks cube.By far, my favorite piece is by Jutta Koeter named
ReplyDeleteHistory/Hysteria, something with the two works side by side makes my emotion tingle a bit. The idea that if a 1,000 people saw a single red, there would be a thousand different color reds perceived by the people, I thought this interesting not knowing there could be that much variation in a single color.
1)Would you have the ability to uniquely distinguish the difference between paints by simply touching or feeling the paint while blindfolded?Smoothness,grittiness,looseness,thickness?
2)Will you use anything directly from the video on future projects?If so, what?
Does smell and viscosity of paint play a role in our understanding of it too? This is a great question about the ability to distinguish paints blindfolded. Is the luxury of paints just a visual experience or one of aroma too?
Delete1) Why did she chose to go towards the more modern style of art and how did she get there?
ReplyDelete2) What truly inspires her paintings and leads her to create all of her works?
I found this podcast very interesting in the sense that her style is so far from mine that I could never imagine doing what she does. This is because personally I despise every single one of her paintings, because to me, they don't have the color relationships or meaning behind them. I have never liked the modern style of art, even from when I was younger. I disliked the art museum, because in my young mind it was mostly full of crap. Now, I can appreciate the thought process of the piece but I still do not like them. Her ideas on color theory are something that I found not only interesting, but I could relate to them. I typically don't think anything of color theory when I am painting, but yet I subconsciously know what colors look good together. Trying to paint and actively think about color theory isn't something I do, or even like to do. My thought processes don't work in a way in which I can actively think of random things like that. I do what she does in the fact of not paying too close of attention to color theory while I am working on a piece.
She talks about paint -- giving bits of insight in a lecture kind of way, talking about pharmakon, the Pearl art supplies store -- talking most about color; comparing paint to other luxaries giving truth to the affordability of how paint is worthy of wallets. She even bulletpoints the hazards of paint.
ReplyDeleteFor me, what struck me most about this talk was the idea that "time is inseparable from color" which makes sense on many levels -- take a flower for instance, in the warmer months, it blooms bright and beautiful, but as the seasons turn colder, the flower shrivels and changes color because of the pigments reacting to temperature, i.e. example of color in a scientific kind of way. Just from class, everything is changing constantly, paint -- you start with a color, but it turns into another pending on how you apply paint next to or with it, add gamsol and the paint becomes translucent or more easily spreadable, mixing with other paint and becoming something else...
1. painters = fetishists?
2. color theory, after talking to older friends who used to be art students -- they said they took color theory as a class -- at UNM we don't have a color theory course -- why not? Color theory is supposedly influential.
3. how do colors get named? Egyptian Violet and Hematite White? Does the violet have anything to do with Egypt in anyway? What makes the violet Egyptian?
Hi Me'a,
DeleteWe have had a few color classes offered at UNM, but they are usually upper level painting courses in the Art Department. Michael Cook, who will be retiring soon is the one who teaches it.
1. How are colors made from scratch like some of the simplest colors to the complex production of others and how are paints made from that powder in the videos.
ReplyDelete2. Is making a dramatic change in your paintings a sign of a healthy process or is that a drastic change in the artist's process?
What interests me most in her talk was about how she went through her paintings. It was interesting seeing her process from basic shapes and colors to the development of different compositions and it really surprised me and upset me how she changed the whole structure all of a sudden. I understand that it is a good thing to try something or even bold to get where you want to go but for me that seems very hard also because nobody wants to fail and it can be scary to change dramatically but she does that and I am looking forward to getting to that comfortable level in changing something I don't feel comfortable with.
1. Why does Amy Sillman compare the use and expenditure on paint to that to drugs? Why does compare desperately nearly run out paint to that of someone doing the same to mind altering drugs?
ReplyDelete2.Why does she compare an artist love for painting as fetishist?
Amy Sillman is both funny and philosophic on art,color and painting. She jokingly compares painting as a paradox between the divine beauty of God and the primal-ness of smearing feces on a wall. She talks about the thinking behind an artist, of love and hate and irony. Beautiful paints that are crisp and defined at the store turn feces brown when mixed together and proves that mixing oil paint is harder than expected. Artist are expected to make mixing and applying paint to be effortless, at the same time the are required to be unique and well rounded while still indulging in consumerism. The most interesting part of her lecture for me personally was how she pointed out paradox. All along her lecture she discusses how colors,painting, attitudes about painting and the use of corporatism to sell paint all lives in a bizarre paradox.
An example is when she talks about slavery, mining, Nazi's and chemical factories and how are these dangerous and terrible things have been used to make such wonderful and beautiful paints.For me I never thought about this paradox before I saw this lecture. When I think about the paradox of beautiful and terrible things painting is what I thought would be last to come to mind. Rarely do I ever think about slavery when I buy a new tube of cadmium yellow. Her lecture has given me a lot to think about especially when I paint, and just like Amy Sillman feeling’s about these topics, I find myself with mixed emotions of love towards painting, and a hatred for industry and the paradox that lives between them.
Amy Sillman's speech was very funny and entertaining, but also full of knowledge. I really enjoyed her lecture, and there was quite a bit that stood out to me that I enjoyed. I really thought it was interesting how she explained color. I thought it was crazy that we may have the choice of what oil stick colors we buy, but when we buy a pre-organized kit of colors, they are never really our colors. The colors that were organized by Richard P. are never really our colors. Those colors are his choice no matter how you change up the color by add shade or tint. I also enjoyed when she was explaining one of her processes for her painting. I thought it was interesting that she felted she had overworked her painting. Overall, this was a very interesting and funny speech.
ReplyDelete1. How do you know when you overworked a piece? Is it just a feeling?
2. When she talked about how art students can tell the difference automatically one color from another, when does that happen for an art student? Is there a certain point where they just come to a point where they can tell the difference?
Very interesting about how she talks about color theory and color practices being linear with each other yet, both are cooperative with each other. The argue of theory vs. modernism on the topic reminds me a lot of music theory and music in general. I believe the main focus is that theory should be used as a core to the general rule. Thus, anything can be made with that conception and still be called music. Applying this to color, same concept. Anything can be considered art either through color or what we perceive through the theory of it. Also, I'm fascinated through the process of the creation of the tools and colors we paint with. How dangerous, complicated, and sophisticated the creation process is. After watching this, I have great respect now for my tools and I will care for them. Also, Walt Disney is a dick to his workers.
ReplyDelete1. Despite the color wheel being essential during the renaissance period, what was the main color pallet used during the period?
2. A lot of exotic material is used to create pigments but, is there an inexpensive process to create pigments?