In the video below, watch the images as they move from real to abstract to non-objective... Piet Mondrian was mentioned in the first video and these are some of his paintings. ASK YOURSELF: At what point is the tree no longer the subject? Without a tree, what becomes the subject? How does this shift in subject affect the content of the work? How is this style similar to/different from realistic art? Think about these things are you prepare for your next project,  Abstract Expressionist painting!

Full name: ​Raffaello Sanzio (or Santi) da Urbino

Read and take notes:

(adapted from https://www.raphaelsanzio.org/biography.html)

• Raphael was one of the finest draftsmen in the history of Western art, and used drawings extensively to plan his compositions.
• Raphael's art marks "a shift of resources away from production to research and development".
• When a final composition was achieved, scaled-up full-size cartoons were often made, which were then pricked with a pin and "pounced" with a bag of soot to leave dotted lines on the surface as a guide.
• Most Raphael drawings are rather precise—even initial sketches with naked outline figures are carefully drawn, and later working drawings often have a high degree of finish, with shading and sometimes highlights in white.
• He was one of the last artists to use metalpoint (literally a sharp pointed piece of sliver or another metal) extensively, although he also made superb use of the freer medium of red or black chalk.
• In his final years he was one of the first artists to use female models for preparatory drawings—male pupils ("garzoni") were normally used for studies of both sexes

Additional biographical information - read and take notes:​  
​https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1818.html#biography

Watch, listen, and take notes:

The 2 videos below are also really good to remind ourselves about the importance of art and the development of art history....

The video below is best watched in VR...otherwise, use a smart phone and physically move it around or use the track pad/mouse on a computer.

FIRST: Review this background information about Abstract Expressionism

THEN: Watch the video below (which is also embedded in the above resource, btw)

​NEXT: Find TWO Abstract Expressionist painters, beyond Franz Kline, to investigate. You may want to choose from the artists who you looked at while preparing for the D.C. field trip BUT there are many others (see the resources below for ideas)...Make sure to:

• Select artists who are considered important in the field AND who fall into the time frame of the original Abstract Expressionists (make sure that your artists are Abstract Expressionists!)
• Look for artists whose style you particularly admire so you can draw specific inspiration as you begin to paint.

THEN: After investigating these two artists and documenting your work in your sketchbook (DUE with SB Q2 on Jan. 13th), choose ONE to present on your blog (DUE January 20th). 


WHY IS AB EX SO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT?


Include in the blog post:
1) Name/dates
2) An image with credit line
3) Basic facts/background - biographical, stylistic, contextual, etc.
4) A helpful resource, which supplements the prior info. (video, website, article, etc.)
​5) Three questions that, when answered, would allow for review of the artist's place in art history and their specific link to Abstract Expressionism.

DUE March 31st - Use the 2 articles below to introduce yourself to important sculptors. Choose TWO to investigate in your SB and use ONE as a formal blog post.

• LEGENDARY SCULPTURE ARTISTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY
• TOP TEN SCULPTORS WORKING TODAY
  • You may go beyond these sculptors but make sure that you choose an artist who is considered important in the field and has a vetted reputation
  • Look for artists whose style you particularly admire so you can draw specific inspiration as you begin to paint.
  • Consider also the general idea of sculpture and how it differs from 2D work.

THEN: After investigating these two artists and documenting your work in your sketchbook, choose ONE to present on your blog. 

Include in the blog post:
1) (Title) Artist Spotlight/Sculptor: Name of artist (birth/death dates)
2) An image of a pivotal work, with credit line (make sure that the image is clear/high resolution and is large enough to view easily - make sure the credit line is easily distinguishable from the overall text). 
3) Important facts & background information about the artist - biographical, stylistic, contextual, etc.. Don't write a research paper but don't be stingy with info. either.
4) A helpful resource, which will supplement the background info. that you have already provided (video, website, article, etc.). Introduce this resource by providing an introduction to what we will be learning by accessing it. THINK ABOUT THIS: It would be helpful if this provided resource included additional images of the artist's body of work, beyond the one require image....
​5) Three questions that, when answered, will allow for review and comprehension of the artist's career, their place in art history, and their specific connection to  the art of sculpture. Make sure that each question addresses a different aspect of the artist's life and/or specific information about sculpture; the reader should gain a comprehensive review of the topic by answering the questions.

The Life Line, 1884, oil on canvas, 28-5/8 x 44-3/4 inches / 72.7 x 113.7 cm (Philadelphia Museum of Art). ​

REALISM