Composition V (1911) by Wassily Kandinsky

Kandinsky painted a series of ten "compositions" that explore the life of color and abstraction.  Composition V was exhibited in the first exhibition of the art group Kandinsky founded, called Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), named for Kandinsky's and Franz Marc's shared love of horses, riders, and the color blue, which Kandinsky felt was the color of spirituality. I choose this painting because I immediately thought of a busy restaurant that is italian or spanish with fancy servers. People are dancing, conversing and eating. Basically, I feel the happiness and energy coming from this party. Even tho, Kandinsky claims this painting to be part of his "color blue" collection.

The Dessert by Henri Matisse

I like how everything blends together, the pattern from the wall matches the pattern of the table clothes. I like the color scheme of the red and the dark blue/purple. I also noticed the flatness in this painting.

This painting is called The View of Basel and The Rhine by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. I find this painting really interesting  because of the colors and the shading techniques incorporated within this painting. I really like how most of the colors used are pastels and compliment the painting extremely well. I also like how it is original and doesn't follow the color norms established in art already.

Summer in Davos

This painting created by Ernest Ludwig Kirchner in 1925  is known as "Summer in Davos". His use of three different colors for the mountains was the first thing that drew me into this painting. This painting, in particular, caught my eye because of Kirchner's use of color. I like his use of purple and red, such as in the mountains and trees. I also like how he includes pops of different colors within the buildings that aren't really used in the surrounding nature.

The Olive Trees at Collioure 

by Herni Matisse 
1/30/2020 

The Olive Trees at Collioure was painted by an artist of the name Herni Matisse in the summer of 1906 at Collioure, which was a scenic town along the coast of the Mediterranean seas. Matisse adopted the vibrant and unnatural color painting style of Fauve to capture the sun-drenched landscape. This particular painting stood out to me because it reminded of my experiences of hiking through the forests. As I hike through the woods the day continues to pass by and is marked by the transitioning of sunlight. As the day progresses the changes in the sunlight cause different colors to become apparent changing the color of the landscapes. Through the use of vibrant and non-natural occurring colors, Herni was able to illustrate how the changing of the sunlight can reveal new colors that bring a fresh and bright perspective about the beauty of the landscape. the shading that outlines the structure of the oil trees creates a contrast with the background scenery highlighting the color of sunset and color of the leaves. 

The woman with the hat-1905-Oil on canvas, Henri Matisse

I like this piece of art because of all the different colors incorporated into it. Even the woman's face has colors on it, which is atypical. I love the way oil artwork blends. The woman's hat also catches my eye because its very unique and large.

Kircher

Kircher was a German expressionist painter in the 20th century. I like this painting because the point of view gives an illusion. This is a picture of the streets in Germany.  I also like the colors he used. He made the picture seems dark with the yellow, green and blue Colors. This captures a picture of busy Germany.

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Self Portrait Sick

This portrait was made by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was created in 1918.  It depicts a sick looking man sitting in a bed wearing what appears to be a blue pajama and hes holding onto his chin with one hand.  The man in this portrait looks mentally ill.  It is said that Kirchner was an alcoholic for the first part of his career and many of the paintings he created in one way or another came true.  I like this portrait because of the worried look in his eyes and the position of his hands.  Colors look dark yet vibrant.

Self- Portrait as a Soldier Kirchner

What caught my attention from this painting was the strange man and the nude person behind him. Another interesting thing about this painting is the fact that the solider was painted without a right hand, I have never seen that in a painting before. I also enjoyed the blues and the reds that were incorporated throughout. 

Composition VII

I really love the concept of this painting. At first glance you look at it as though anyone could do this, it is just random colors on a canvas. It looks so simplistic but it isn't until you really start to look at his painting where you start to see the real complexity and depth of this painting. I really enjoy how Composition VII is speculated to allude to the apocalyptic themes of Deluge, Last Judgement, Resurrection and Paradise. It really makes you think about what the artist was going through at the time he made this painting. To this day, it was considered by Kandinsky to be the most complex piece he ever painted and it is the most famous painting by the artist. 

Black Lines I -Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky made this painting called 'Black Lines I' in 1913. I like Kandinsky's work a lot. I like that it isn't anything specific, it is just a painting. Almost child-like. All of the bright whimsical colors splattered, yet so nicely placed on the canvas. Each color complimenting each other. Along with the mini black lines. At first I didn't see the black lines, but if you look close you can see the little random black lines under and over the colors. It doesn't tell a story or anything, but yet it still flows and works together. I look forward to learning more about his work.

Composition VIII (1923) Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky's  Composition VIII is a simple but yet very interesting piece. I like how it  doesn't have any meaning yet you can find something unique about it. What i found unique was that he put angles in his art. Also there is a lot of bright colors and different shapes within this artwork. This artwork caught my eye due to the bright colors and uniqueness within this piece.

Violett House in front of a Snowy Mountain

Kirchner painted the Violett House in front of a Snowy Mountain in 1938. To paint this he uses oil on canvas and a landscape setting. I picked this painting because I liked how he used shadows and how he painted bight the green grass even though there is a snow mountain behind the house. 

matisse red room

This painting by Matisse is called The Red Studio was painted in 1911 and is an oil on canvas. I picked this painting because the color red is very aggressive and it looks like the painting is flat.  The paintings on the wall pop out at the viewer which I find very cool. Red was not a traditional color in that time and painting the whole room red was not the norm for that time period so I like that he did that and used this color to create the illusion of a flat room

Coffee Drinking Women-Kirchner

In 1907 Kirchner created this painting "Coffee Drinking Women". This painting stood out to me because of the color contrast. I like how everything around the women is painted with bright colors but, the women are all dressed in black so it starts to give it a serious look. I enjoyed how the faces aren't perfect or all symmetrical, it is very different.

Archers - Kirchner (1935-37)

What drew me to this picture was that Kirchner seems to add his own touch onto the painting when he implements the brown shapes over top and also behind the people. I'm not really sure of the significance of doing that or what the differing depth of the spots represent, but it just adds to the painting. It's not just an ordinary painting of archers shooting arrows at a target, it seems like there's something more to it. 

Kirchner's The Tiolette (Woman Before the Mirror)

This painting caught my eye due to its taboo art style and setting, which is not surprising since Kirchner was a post-impressionist. First off, usually, most objects would not have the same hue, let alone color, as the background, and walls and vanities are not often a dark blue. Using such a zest for these things is odd, but this is what I like about this painting. Another "odd" feature is the position in which the woman's arms are--if you tried to do a pose like this in real life, it is nearly impossible to do and, if achieved, would result in joint pain. Lastly, I like that the reflection's pose is different from the person looking into it. The woman's reflection appears hunched over with a hand to her cheek, whereas the woman herself is in no such position.

Berlin street scene by Kirchner

I was really attracted to this painting by Kirchner because of the colors he used that stand out. The blues and reds conflict each other, making the painting look very interesting. I like how the people look kind of strange, especially the guy with the cigar in his mouth; It is almost hard to tell which way he is facing. The women painted also have strange hats on their heads which blend into the background, making the colors all mash in together.

Mountain Atelier-Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

This is Mountain Atelier, 1937, by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, oil on canvas. Kirchner was from the expressionism era of art. I chose this painting because the layout of the room stood out to me at first. Then the more I looked at the photo the more I noticed other things in it. There is two cats in the front, a person with a farm animal on the steps, people in another room, and it shows you outside as well. I enjoyed the various depth perceptions of this painting. I thought this painting was interesting because of the bright and dark colors and the various objects within the painting.

The Night Cafe 1888

I like the way the cafe is portrayed in the painting. I love the colors and vibes given off from the painting. Very few people, very relaxed. I love the pool table involved. I like how he adds the effect surrounding the lights.

Van Gogh: at eternity's gate

Van Gogh painted this painting called 'at eternity's gate' in 1890. The man in the picture is actually a war veteran. I like this painting because it shows a strong war veteran slumped over looking vulnerable. This picture is almost depressing. The blue outfit, the posture of the old man, and the man covering his face. It's as if he is too ashamed to look up at you.

Enjoying Modern Art Spring 2020

23 January 2020
The Night Cafe 




This painting known as the "Night Cafe" was created by Vicent Van  Gogh in September of 1888 in Alers. The "Nigh Cafe is a very interesting piece of art that focussed on the commonwealth of the population illustrating how the lower classes spent their leisure time. the things that I find the most intriguing about this work of art is the color choices and how Van Gogh depicted the lighting. The use of bright colors really brings the scene to life, revealing how the vibrant the social activity while at the same time the bright colors contrast with the people in the painting exposing them to the viewer. Although the scene is full of color, Van Gogh painted the lamps showing how the light was radiating from its source with circular paint stocks/dabs form strong color to slowing fading at the edges, depicting how he thought the light was transmitted. Although this was a simplistic painting there were many details in the painting that brought the scene to life, reflecting the creator's perspective of what his idea of a night cafe was in terms of atmosphere, social activity, and culture of daily life. 

Four Sunflowers Gone to Seed

This painting was from a series of paintings that van Gogh did in the Summer of 1887. This was part of the era in where van Gogh did "still life" pieces. The painting here was named "Four Sunflowers Gone to Seed." This painting really intrigued me, between the depth and intensity of certain colors he used. The little nuances of the same colors really help to differentiate the shapes of the flowers we view on this painting. It also shows us how much control van Gogh had with each and every one his brush strokes.

Starry Night Over the Rhône

This painting, known as "Starry Night Over the Rhône", was created by Van Gough in September 1888, in France. This piece caught my attention because of its similarity to his well-known painting "Starry Night", such as his use of similar colors and the effect of light at night. I like this piece because of the use of simple brush strokes in various colors in order to bring definition and depth to the painting. I like in particular how he used yellow horizontal brush strokes on the water to represent the lights reflecting. Although this painting is very simplistic on the whole, the little details and variations in color make this painting as a classic Van Gough piece. 

Still Life: Vase with Twelve Sunflowers

I like this particular painting of Vincent’s because of the bright vibrant colors. I feel as though this painting says a lot of time and life itself. I think this painting should the cycle of life because some of the sunflowers are dying while others seem to alive and thriving.

The Church at Auvers

THE CHURCH AT AUVERS
By: Vincent Van Gogh

   
 This painting is the Church at Auvers, it was created in June 1890 by Vincent Van Gogh. It was done with oils. Vincent painted this from his memories of his childhood and youth. He always remembered his hometown even when he was ill, he loved to draw/paint things that gave him a nostalgic feeling. This painting has a an eeriness to it, the Church looks very daunting. The dark purple sky gives the painting a certain scariness to it that catches the viewers eye. I also liked how he kept the grass and nature light with colors. This is a fascinating painting, i really enjoyed viewing and reading about this painting.

Vincent Van Gogh Cafe Terrace

This Vincent Van Gogh painting stood out to me the most. The contrast of the yellow cafe against the blue sky really caught my eye. I like the fact that there are people in the painting, it gives it a warm feeling. I enjoyed that this painting was during the night whereas a lot of paintings are of the daytime.

Wheat field with Crows

Wheat field with Crows is a painting by Vincent Van Gogh. It was painted in 1890. This was the last painting Vincent ever had painted before he died. People think this was a suicide note Vincent left before he supposedly shot himself. I like the color of the sky and the way the wheat field looks with the strokes of the brush.

The Langlois Bridge at Arles

Vincent Van Gogh made Langlois Bridge at Arles in 1888, while he was in Provence. This painting is an oil on canvas and can be found in the Wallraf Richartz Museum. I picked this painting because Van Gogh made this painting with bright colors making the viewer feel happy. In this painting, you can see that everyday people just enjoying the bridge and using all of its features. 

I picked this painting, The Bedroom by Vincent Van Gogh because of the colors he used makes the painting pop out to the viewer. The colors add depth to the painting and make it looks very realistic. To me, it looks like I am looking into a real-life bathroom of an individual. This painting feels like you can step right into the painting and sit on the bed. This painting was an oil on canvas in 1888. This is his bedroom in the Yellow House.

Wheat Field with Cypresses - 1889

This painting caught my eye due to the fact of the foreground being very detailed in the way it is depicted, while the mountains, sky, and clouds remain in their simplistic style. To me, it's almost like they're painted in two different styles. The clouds seem to be painted in his own view as well, looking kind of cartoonish. The red of the flowers in the bottom of the painting also break up the greens and blues used throughout the whole work, while complementing it nicely.

Avenue of Poplars in Autumn

This painting stood out to me because it gives the viewer the feeling of walking down the road to the cottage. The warm orange colors give you a sense of peace and calmness. I also enjoyed that the sky and leaves were much brighter than the rest of the painting. There is also a person in the walkway which I enjoyed because if he/she was omitted it would have left a blank space in the painting making it look a lot less welcoming. 

Van Gogh's Cypresses

This painting by Vincent van Gogh entrances me in more ways than one. I enjoy the different tones of green he used on the foliage, including how easily you can tell where the light source is with one glance at it. Although I prefer paintings to be smooth without any trace of brush strokes, I like that I can see almost every color van Gogh used on the canvas. Additionally, his impressionism speaks to me when seeing the swirling clouds on the upper left.

Starry Night Van Gogh

This painting stood out to me because the way he designed the swirl-like sky. The bright moon against the blue swirly sky reminds me of a warm, fun summer night. I like how there's only a few colors used in this painting, yet it still looks colorful because of the different shades, and the bright yellow contrasting with the blue.

Irises Vincent Van Gogh

This painting by Van Gogh really stood out to me because of the color choice. For example, the reds and yellows together remind me of fire and it almost seems as if the flowers are growing out of that. The flowers are a blue color and look as if they are dancing in the field. It also looks like there is one white flower thrown in the middle of all the blue irises, which caught me by surprise. I can't exactly make out what orange flowers are growing in the background but they add a sense of depth to the painting.

Skull 1887 van Gogh

This piece caught my attention because it appears as if the skull is emerging out of the photo towards the viewer. The bright background in combination with the dark colors used for the skull give this appearance. I enjoyed the harsh, streaky lines in this piece with the smooth outer line of the skull, together they clash to make the piece standout. I also like this piece because it makes me wonder if he was drawing a view of himself or how he viewed death, harsh. Overall I enjoy this piece with the bright yellow against the otherwise plain background.

Vincent Van Gogh's The Bedroom

I really enjoyed this piece by Van Gogh, the colors within this painting is colorful and vibrant. What caught my eye mainly was the floor boards and the way he emphasized some more than others. It created a texture look compared to the other objects in the room like the chairs. What also made me enjoy this piece was how Van Gogh put his other works within this piece as you see on the walls. The Bedroom is a vibrant piece which catches your eye and makes you look more in depth.

Van Gogh Sorrow

Syllabus

Syllabus

Mount Saint Mary College

Enjoying Modern Art Course Syllabus

Course Number:        ART4017                                                        Credits:          3         

Course Title:              Enjoying Modern Art            

Professor:                  Gary Jacketti

Office Hours:             Tuesday, Thursday before or after class

email:                         gjac4166@my.msmc.edu

Text:           The Annotated Mona Lisa 3rd Edition, Carol Strickland

ISBN 13: 978-1449482138

blog:                            modernart2020msmc.blogspot.com

Class Times:              Tue/Thu, 6:00 to 7:45

Course                         Course Outcomes:  The objective of this course is to introduce and understand the concepts, theories and movements associated with modern art.  They will develop an understanding of the reasoning and time in the context of art history.  This will occur with slide presentations, documentaries and movies associated with the period and artists.  The students will be introduced to the various techniques and mediums and explore projects related to the various Modern Art movements.  They will also be able to recognize the difference between modern and contemporary art through readings, discussions, blogs, presentations and 1 required field trips.

Grading and Evaluation Students will need to complete 4 digital projects, post weekly to the class blog, and take a midterm and final examination covering the materials and history in the text.  Attendance is mandatory.  Three unexcused missed classes will result in the dropping of the letter grade by 1, 5 absences the grade will be lowered by 2.  I will evaluate the content as follows:

Midterm Exam              25%

Blog Posts                    20%

Projects                        20%

Final Exam                   35%

Division of Arts and Letters Grading Policy

Points	Grade Equivalent	Quality Points	Meaning
100-95	A	4.0	Superior
94-90	A-	3.67	Outstanding
89-87	B+	3.33	Excellent
86-83	B	3.0	Very Good
82-80	B-	2.67	Good
79-77	C+	2.33	Above Average
76-73	C	2.0	Average
72-70	C-	1.67	Below Average
69-65	D+	1.33	Poor
64-60	D	1.0	Passing
59-0	F	0.0	Failing

Blog

This is a group experiment, and this will be a work in progress.  The idea is to be actively involved in the reporting of the arts in the media, i.e. newspapers, magazines and the web.  We will then post these ideas to create a body of research and ideas directly published on the web.

Projects

The students will be introduced to projects using a variety of mediums designed to synthesize, understand and interpret the movements associated with the movements of Modern Art.

Exams

There will be two exams in this course which will cover materials from the text and the lectures.   

Course Schedule and Readings

Week 1                                                Introduction, Review of Syllabus, Q & A, Overview of Western Art

Birth of Photography  92

Impressionism 96

Post Impressionism  112

Media: Vincent and Theo

Week 2                                                

Symbolism 124

20th Century Modern Art 128

Fauvism 130

                       

Week 3                                                

Twin Titans of 20th Century 134

Cubism 138

Expressionism 142

Media:  Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo

                                 

Week 4                                       

Dada and Surrealism 148

American Art 154

Week 5     

Abstract Expressionism 158

Media: Basquiat

                                         

Week 6                                                

The 20th Century and Beyond 168

Pop Art 174

Final Critiques and Exam