Entry #12: Video Review

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

Jacob Lawrence: Jacob Lawrence painted what was going on around him at the time. He was viewed as one of the most respected American artists. The Harlem Renaissance was big for the black and African American communities. Lawrence grew up hearing the powerful names of people who were apart of the bigger plan to freedom for African Americans during slavery so it also became a vital part of his paintings. Most of his work shows the American experience in an African American lens.

Faith Ringgold: Artist & Activist: Ringgold was a painter, sculptor, and writer. She made story quilts which were pretty cool. She became a protest leader in the 1960s to open museums to display the work of African American artists. She was a woman so her art was denied a display so she decided to get involved in women issues. There was a lack of women in events so she decided to also do something about that.

Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey: Romare Bearden was best known for his collage work. He was an Africa American artist who created his artwork through the lens of this "epic story of African Americans". He saw a lot of changes in the world so he had a lot to work with while creating his art. It is possible that Bearden turned to work with "the odyssey" because it was a metaphor to the experience of what was happening to African Americans at the time and maybe his own experience. Homer's odyssey was a huge story and it severed as some kind of inspiration. To him, the art of painting was putting one thing over something else causing an overlap.

Fauvism: Fauvism was a French avant-garde movement that gained recognition at the start of the 20th century. Vibrant colors were used when painting. Drawings were kept simple and colors were widely exaggerated. Van Gogh used color to express emotion powerfully. Fauv artists shifted from urban themes to much more impressionist subjects such as farms and etc. Fewer details were included and art was pretty simple. It looked like a burst of color.

Amadeo Modigliani: Amadeo Modigliani was an Italian Jewish artist. He was an expressionist artist and focused mainly on abstract art that had some kind of emotional quality. He lived a short life and died at 35. He suffered from many conditions and illnesses. He focused on portrait art and nudes. African art and masks influenced him and many other contemporary artists. African art came around in Europe in the late 19th century. Collectors started to sell artifacts and etc and the masks had an exotic appeal that intrigued many artists. African masks had a deep spiritual meaning. His art did not help him financially. People could not grasp his art and it was marked as taboo.

The best moments from Dolce&Gabbana Alta Moda: This is a film where fashion marries art. The women wore tunics and they looked like Greek goddesses. There was no talking in this film so I didn't learn much but what I did notice is that certain cultures were incorporated into fashion.

'On Creativity' interview with fashion icon Norma Kamali: Sometimes it's good to stick with the old things you know of or your "go to's" because that may be the most creative and the thing that sells the most. Art can also influence fashion.

2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

The videos relate to the readings in the text because the text discusses the works of Jacob Lawrence, Faith Ringgold, and Romare Barden. The readings discussed the background on each artist which was done in the video. It also discussed each artists' subject matter and why it came to be their subject matter. This information was also discussed in the videos making it analogous to the readings. The reading talked about African sculptures and in the video, Amadeo Modigliani adopted some ideas from African artwork and masks and incorporated them into his own art.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

Some videos were longer than others but they were all great and full of important information. I liked how the films showed different movements going on throughout history. I also loved the fashion show and how it incorporated Greek tradition and clothing. I loved the Fauvism movement and the burst of color that it came with. This helped me better understand that with different time periods came different and cool new things that were added to the art world.