The Language of Art

Final Exam - Thursday, Dec. 8 from 10:30am-12:30pm

2011-12-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Students,

As you know, you will take your final exam on Thursday in room C466 from 10:30am-12:30pm.

**Bring a paper dictionary and/or thesaurus
**Bring 2 pens
**Be on time - you need to use the full two hours!

Don't forget to review your book chapters for vocabulary and your blog posts to remind yourself about the things you have seen in museums and the things you researched online.

Blog Post #8 - Reflection on Paired Course - Art and Academic ESL

2011-12-06T07:42:00.000-08:00

Please write one final blog post and reflect on your experience in the paired course. How do you feel it has been to take the Academic ESL course (ESL099) and the Intro to Art course (HUA101) together?

Consider the following questions:

Do you feel that it has enhanced your experience in each class to have the two classes connected (sharing some content)?
Are you happy that you were able to take a majors course while taking ESL?
What are the biggest benefits?
Do you think there are any problems with taking paired courses?
What suggestions do you have for the instructors for this pair in the future?

**We really appreciate your feedback!**

Survey about Blog Use in this Course

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/c20_post_FA2011

Blog Post #7 - Reflection Blog: What has your experience with blogs been so far?

2011-11-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

Dear students,

Please write reflections on your experience using blogs.

Consider the following questions:

What have you learned from creating your own blog?
Have you spent very much time outside of class working on blog posts?
Do you think that creating blogs is a type of art?
What blog activities have been your favorite?
What other things would you have liked to have done on blogs?

Please spend some time thinking about your reflection and writing it up.

Please title your blog: "Blog Post #7 - Reflection Blog

**This Blog Post will be due by Friday, Dec. 2**

The Conditional Tense and Songs

2011-11-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

Here are links to some of the youtube videos we looked at today in class - songs using the present/future speculation (for things untrue now):

"If I Were A Rich Man" from the movie "Fiddler on the Roof":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=244Str11YNA

"If I Had a Million Dollars" from the band "Barenaked Ladies":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXdFTh1yX2c

"If I Were a Boy" by Beyonce:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWpsOqh8q0M&ob=av3e

MLA and APA resources

2011-11-28T10:18:00.000-08:00

Here are some places to go to get more information about MLA or APA style:

The LaGuardia Library Site:
http://library.laguardia.edu/research/cite

The Purdue U. information on MLA Style:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

The Purdue U. information on APA Style:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/664/01/

Homework for next week

2011-11-22T15:58:00.000-08:00

Dear students,

Please finish Blog Post #6 (Memes) for next week. Be sure to give good explanations for why you have answered the questions the way you have. Practice good argumentation!

Don't forget to post your Food Art projects on the Food Art Yum! blog for extra credit! Many of you have nice posts on your own blogs, so please also post them to the Food Art Yum! blog. Several of you have also showed me great pictures you have taken of things you've made, so be sure to post them, too!

In addition, please read and do the exercises for Grammar Troublespots 18 and 19. These are important but difficult grammar points, and I want to discuss them next week in class.

We will only have two weeks of class left when we come back from the holiday break! The final exam will be given on Thursday, Dec. 8 in class!

Have a happy Thanksgiving break!

-Professor Johnson

Blog Post #6 - Memes and Art - The Pepper Spray Cop goes Viral

2011-11-21T16:12:00.000-08:00

Recently, a police officer pepper sprayed some students protesting on the UC Davis campus. People seized the image and added it to many well-known works of art. For example:

This website contains more images:
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/casually-pepper-spray-everything-cop

Here is a link to a news article with the original video of the officer pepper spraying the students:
http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-11-21/news/30424391_1_pepper-spray-protesters-university-police

Discussion:

Is this art? Why or why not?
What message do you think the creators of these images has? Is this "art for social causes"?
Is using a meme and re-creating art images in different ways a type of plagiarism? Or is it the creation of new artworks?
Do you know other Internet memes? Can you show images of them?

**extra credit points if you can name the original artworks above**

**This Blog Post will be due by Monday, Nov. 28**

Practice Post #6 - Internet Research

2011-11-15T06:47:00.000-08:00

Please look at the information on Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in your books (Chapter 6). Think about his artistic style. Next, please search for Toulouse-Lautrec on the Internet to find other images of his artwork. Then write a new blog post, answering the following questions:

1. What themes (types of subjects) does Toulouse-Lautrec usually use in his artwork?

2. What type or types of media does he use? (Painting, prints, photography, sculpture, folk art, etc.)

3. Do you like Toulouse-Lautrec's style? Why or why not?

Please use this title for your blog post: Practice Post #6 - Research

Mid-Semester Course Survey - please take a few minutes to complete this survey and let me know how you think the class is going!

2011-10-31T12:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Students,

As an educator, I want to always look for ways to make classes better and serve my students in the best ways possible!

Please go to the following link to take the anonymous Mid-Semester Course Survey to let me know how you think the class is going and what improvements you would like to see in the class.

Fall 2011 Mid-Semester Feedback for Professor Johnson:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K8NXZPM

Sincerely,
Dr. Johnson

Blog Comments Assignment - Due Oct. 28

2011-10-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

Please post comments on the blog posts of students in the other Intro to Art course.

1. First look at the BP assignments on Professor Ari Richter's class blog for

Field Trip #1 Reaction

(named “Art and World Events Reaction” on the student blogs)

and

Field Trip #2 Reaction

(named “Design in Our Lives Reaction” on the student blogs)

2. Then go and post comments on the student blogs by following the links to the student blogs you are assigned on the right-hand menu of Professor Ari Richter's class blog:

http://introtoart1105.blogspot.com/

The students you need to blog about:

GROUP 1 - Sahir, Xiangdan:

JustynART

Adara

Arkyder Fabian

GROUP 2 -Sunara, JuhYeong:

intro to art by mel

Gennaro's Phantom Barrier

Takisha Artworld

GROUP 3 - Erickson, Juan:

Valentina Rojas

Lia's Introduction To Art

Joanne ClermART

Rakesh's Blog

GROUP 4 - Bich Lien, Sonia:

Eddie's Art

Rumyana's Artsy Blog

JavierG.FundamentalVybe

GROUP 5 - Eufemio, Angela:

Yesenia's Blog

~ Rhea's Zone ~

Pamela

3. Your comments need to reflect on what the students wrote in their post. In each comment, please answer the following questions:

What did you like in their post?
What do you feel about the events of 9-11, in response to what the writer discusses?
What is one question you want to ask the writer?

**This is due by the end of ESL Lab today, October 28**

Online Dictionaries

2011-10-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

Today I have mentioned several online dictionaries in class:

The Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
http://oaadonline.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary
http://www.m-w.com/

Dictionary.com
dictionary.com

Food Art Project

2011-10-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to be thinking about what you would like to make for the food art project (see the link to Professor Ari Richter's "Art Food Yum!" below on the right-hand menu to see the projects other students have posted).

You will need do do the following to complete your contribution to the project:

a - tell the story of the food you have chosen -- why you like the dish or where you learned about it
b - the recipe (ingredients and cooking directions)
c - pictures of your process and the final product

Have fun with this!

(I will need to invite you to join the Art Food Yum blog, so please let me know if you are interested in doing this extra credit assignment and I will sent you an invitation from the blog.)

Blog Post #5 - Reader Response Mini Essay

2011-10-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

Please read the following text and then answer the questions below by writing a mini essay (a short essay):

READING:

The Power of Art in Society
by Deborah Barr

     Recent art theory and criticism reflects a shift of emphasis from the object to the experience of the viewer. Always before the object fit into theoretical emphasis and formal content. Now there is a suggestion that art can, through intimate identification, create empathy. This means art that challenges the viewer not just visually or through the intellect, but through their whole emotional, spiritual, ethical, intuitive and psychological being. To find empathy, requires us to reach beyond our differences to a point of shared humanity.

     Art communicates on a much deeper level than the written word and can challenge and encourage critical thinking. Certain types of art can also be used to build awareness within a society about given issues, but it must do so from a place of affinity for and with the viewer. Art that empowers the viewer immerses both the artist and the audience in a conversation where subjectivity is tested, and agreement sought. It requires art work that respects the personal dimensions of resistance to transformation that each of us have within us, and which can help build community by presenting shared experiences, including difficulties or suffering, in such a way that empathy for self and others is created.

     Empathy begins with the self reaching out to another self, an underlying dynamic of feeling that becomes the source of activism.   As an artist who addresses issues regarding children, I have often reflected on how my work relates to the idea of "artist as activist." My intention in my creative process is to catch attention by creating a visual dialog that the viewer can intimately identify with, and the challenge for me as an artist is to go beyond the internal barriers that separate us from each other. What I want is for my art to act as a "reflection of self" in such a way that it awakens a glimmer of understanding and compassion both for the "child within" and - by extension - for children everywhere. I approach my work not as a politician, or as a social worker, but only as a mother, and an artist interested in drawing attention to children’s issues.

Adapted from "The Power of Art in Society," by Deborah Dague Barr, retrieved from: http://www.lafterhall.com/power_of_art.html

Art by Deborah Dague Barr:

QUESTIONS:

1. Do you agree with the author that "art can create empathy"?
2. Barr also writes: "art communicates on a much deeper level than the written word and can challenge and encourage critical thinking." What do you think about her claim? Do you agree with her or disagree? Why or why not?

**Blog Post #5 is due by Monday, October 24 before class**

Blog Post # 4 - Met Museum Paper

2011-10-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

Please post your museum paper for the Metropolitan Museum of Art visit.

Hugo F.

Practice Post #5 - Citing Other Sources

2011-10-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

Academic Integrity

When you cite other sources (books, websites, magazines, other blogs) you need to always use:

the author's name
and the title of the source (book title, article title, blog post title, website or webpage title).

If you use the exact words from the source, you must put it into quotation marks. Otherwise, you must put it into YOUR OWN WORDS.

Example:

Greek Footbath

I chose to research a beautiful bronze Greek footbath which is at the Metropolitcan Museum of Art in New York City. It is beautiful and has an intricate design, and I can imagine using it!

According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/38.11.5a,b), this bronze footbath from Greece has a large, shallow bowl and "a delicate overhanging lip decorated with small beads and a pattern of narrow tongues around the outer edge." This is from the late 5th or early 4th century, A.D.

Milne (1944), in her article, "A Greek Footbath in the Metropolitan Museum of Art" (http://www.jstor.org/stable/499216), writes that there are not many of these footbath around these days but that they "appear fairly often in vast paintings" (p. 26). Therefore, this artifact is a priceless item that has survived since ancient times.

Milne notes that the bowl is separate from the base and can be removed.

Milne also shows evidence from other artwork (such as paintings on vases) and writings (such as stories in the Bible) that a footbath such as this one was used in both Greek and Roman times.

WORKS CITED

"Bronze footbath with stand [Greek] (38.11.5a,b)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/38.11.5a,b (April 2008)

"A Greek Footbath in the Metropolitan Museum of Art."

Marjorie J. Milne. American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 48, No. 1 (Jan. - Mar., 1944), pp. 26-63

Published by: Archaeological Institute of America

Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/499216

Assignment

Please research Egyptian art, Grecian Art, Roman Art or Asian Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Find one interesting piece of artwork and write a review of it for your blog post. BE SURE TO CITE THE SOURCE (author/artist, website or article) and use quotation marks if you borrow the text. Otherwise, please write the ideas IN YOUR OWN WORDS.

Title your blog post: Practice Blog Post #5

Blog Post #3 - AMNH paper

2011-10-12T08:16:00.001-07:00

Here is where I would like you to post your first museum paper from the American Museum of Natural History. Remember that the paper should include images, hyperlinks and whatever citations you feel are necessary

Hugo F.

Practice Post #4 - Evaluating Art

2011-10-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

Please find a painting online and post the image on your blog. Then write up an art critique and be sure to have the following:

formal evaluation
contextual evaluation
expressive evaluation

You may need to research the artist's history or background in order to do the contextual and expressive evaluations.

Artist: Claude Monet

Formal evaluation: Monet used broad brushstrokes and "spots" of color to create images, not clear lines. Monet was one of the major artists to use these splotches of color to create a larger picture, so he was very innovative.

Contextual evaluation: Monet painted around Paris when many other painters were also doing Impressionism and he influenced others and was influenced by others. This painting of flowers does not have any great political or economic or historical connection, however.

Expressive evaluation: Monet uses bright colors to highlight the flowers and his use of reflection and contrast for shadows makes the picture bright. Monet clearly had a love for flowers, trees, and water, as these are in many of his painted scenes.

You should title your blog post: "Practice Post #4"

Blog Buddies Groups

2011-09-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

You will need to read the posts of your blog buddies and make comments on their blogs for all of our blog assignments in the class.

Group #1
Abdelrahman
Xiang Dan
Sonia

Group #2
Sunara
Eufemio
Juhyeong
Bich Lien

Group #3
Juan
Erikson
Sahir
Angela

Blog Post #2 - Cave Art 101

2011-09-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

What happened in class last week? Why did we make those group images? Why mix the chalk and charcoal with Crisco? What lessons did we learn or ideas from the first three chapters of the textbook can we apply?

When responding, try using some of your new vocabulary from working with Rebekah. After posting your comments, look at someone else's blog and respond through making comments.

Hugo F.

P.S. Here are a couple of links that you might be interested in looking at to help you with some of your thoughts.

Lascaux

Chauvet

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Lecture on Creativity: Using Words and Images

2011-09-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

Please go and watch this presentation on Creativity:

Creativity: Using Words and Images

How does this relate to this class, "The Language of Art"?

Survey on using a Blog in the Class

2011-09-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

WE WILL DO THIS IN CLASS ON TUESDAY

Please go to the following site to take a brief survey about using blogs in this class:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Community2-0_StudentPreSurvey_Fall2011

(Practice Post #3) Research one of the artists from Chapter 1

2011-09-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

Please search on the Internet for the artist of your choice from Chapter 1 in the book. You can start with the search engine at:
www.google.com

Find more information about the artist and their other artwork. Post at least one image of their other artwork and write 3 sentences about the artist from the information you find online.

Please title your blog "Practice Post #3 - Artist Research"

Blog Post Assignment #1 - What Is Creativity?

2011-09-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

In your book, Artforms, there is a section called "What is Creativity?"on page 12. In this section it talks about what we mean by "creativity" and there is a list of traits that most creative people share. Here is the list. Please look at the list and decide which of these traits you have.

ASSIGNMENT

Write a new blog post, titled "Blog Post #1 - What Is Creativity?" and talk about which traits from the list you think you have and why you think you have them.

wonder and be curious
be open to new experience
see the familiar from an unfamiliar point fo view
take advantage of accidental events
make one thing out of another by shifting its function
generalize from particulars in order to see broad applications
synthesize, integrate, find order in disorder
be in touch with one's unconscious, yet be intensely conscious
be able to analyze and evaluate
know oneself, have the courage to be oneself in the face of opposition
be willing to take risks
be persistent: to work for long periods--perhaps years--in pursuit of a goal

**This is due on Monday, Sept. 19 before class.**

Blog Practice Post #2 - Images and Links

2011-09-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

Please practice adding an image and a link to your post.

Find an image online that you think it interesting. Then search for a website that talks about the content of the image (e.g., if you find an image of a cat that you really like, then search for cats online, perhaps in Wikipedia).

Create a "new post" on your blog and insert the image and the link to the website you found that talks about the content. In your post, tell us why you chose the image. Please title this post "Practice - Images and Links".

EXAMPLE 1:

(I have searched for an image and found a picture of a cat that I like, so I inserted it here)

Why Do Cats Have Green Eyes?:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080801065159AAuKRO5

(I also searched on the Internet for "cats green eyes" and found the website above that talks about that topic, so I inserted the link. I also put the title/subject of the link above the link so that people know what the link is for)

I chose that picture because I really like cats and this is so cute.

EXAMPLE 2:

Sunflowers - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower

I really like sunflowers, so I chose to search for a picture and information about sunflowers.

Blog Introduction (Practice Post #1)

2011-09-13T08:07:00.001-07:00

On your own blog, please create a "new post" and in the new post, please introduce yourself to your classmates.

Please tell us where you are from, what languages you can speak, and please explain the picture or piece of art you chose as your blog header. Why did you choose that picture? How does it make you feel?

Please Comment with your URLs

2011-09-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

Please comment on this blog post and copy and paste your blog's URL in the comment. This way I can add your blog to our class blog's list.

Adding Images and Links to your Blog Posts

2011-09-13T06:09:00.001-07:00

To add an image, be sure to save the image onto your computer desktop. Then click on the icon of a picture in the menu at the top of the text box when you are typing your blog post and you can add images by clicking on "choose files" and then selecting the picture or pictures you want to upload (select from “desktop”).

Here is a link to a tutorial on how to add an image to your blogger post:
http://personalweb.about.com/od/easyblogsandwebpages/ss/bloggeraddphot2.htm

You can add a link to a website by clicking on the word "Link" in the menu at the top of the text box when you are typing your blog post and then typing in or copying and pasting the URL to the website.

How To Make a Blogger Account

2011-09-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

Follow these steps to create your own blog on Blogger:

1. Create an account (www.blogger.com)

You will need to first create a gmail email account (gmail.com) if you do not already have one – if you do this, write down your gmail email name and your password right away so that you can find them again to log into Blogger later
You may need to input your cell phone number to verify your account and receive a verification number by text. If you do not have a cell phone that can receive text messages, please ask a friend to have it sent by text to their phone.

2. Create a blog and give it a title that has your first name in it.

Your blog’s name can be creative, just be sure you have your name in it, too (e.g., Rebekah’s Corner; Hugo’s Café; Lemondrop Mountain (Rebekah); Ari’s Super Cool Party Place)
You will also need to select your URL address – this is the address that will be at the top of the page in the URL box when you are on your page – and the address that anyone can type into the search box to go to your blog

A good URL will have your first name and something about your class (e.g., rebekah-esl-blogspot.com; hugo-art-blogspot.com) or your blog’s name (e.g., language-of-art.blogspot.com)
If the URL you select does not work, that means someone else is already using that address for their own blog page, and you need to select a different URL name – maybe by adding numbers to your name
Write down your URL address so that you can remember it and can share it with classmates if you need to

For your privacy protection, DO NOT use your last name on the blog name or in the URL – you don’t want too much personal information available to everyone on the Internet!

3. Select a “template” (background design) for your blog and then go to the “Design” tab at the top to set up your blog page to set up your blog page.

Look at the “Header” and select “Edit” – here you can add a few sentences to the top of your blog to describe your blog and you can add a picture or image to the top of your blog. Search for a picture you like on the Internet (images.google.com) and save it to your Desktop. Then “Browse” for the picture and upload it to your blog’s header.
Go down to the side menus and go to “About Me” and select “Edit” – here you should write a few sentences about yourself in the “Description” section.

4. Go to our class blog page at this URL: http://language-of-art.blogspot.com

Look at the first blog posts (below the picture) and post a comment for your class section that has your blogger URL address in it

5. Set up your blog to connect to other blogs:

On the side menu, select “Add a Gadget” and add “Blog List”
After you have added “Blog List” it will be called “My Blog List” on your menu. If you are in “Design” select “Edit” and if you on your blog page (in “View Blog”) select the tools picture to edit.
When you edit your “My Blog List,” you can add other blogs to follow. Please add our class blog’s URL (http://language-of-art.blogspot.com) to this list.
Then add the URL of each of your classmates to this list (you can copy and paste these URLs from the comments for your class on my blog)

NOW YOU ARE ALL SET UP in BLOGGER for our CLASS BLOGGING!

A few more things about using Blogger:

You can always see what your blog looks like to everyone by going to “View blog” and you can always change your blog by going to “Design”

To change your Profile (and add a photo that will appear on your blog page), you will need to “Edit Profile” and “Edit Photo” when you first log into Blogger and are on the “Dashboard” page.

In Blogger, you can have more than one blog! Just create another blog (“create a blog”) when you first log into Blogger (when you are on the “Dashboard” page).

You can easily edit your blog posts, even after you have already posted them. Just click on the little pencil icon (which means “edit”) and the post will reopen and you can change anything on it and then re-post it.

YOUR FIRST BLOG POST

Your first BLOG ASSIGNMENT will be making your first blog post.

To post a new message to your blog, go to your Blog Page (“View blog”) and at the top of the page, you can select “New Post”

Title your post “Introduction” or “Welcome” and then type up your message. At the end, you will need to click the “Publish Post” button so others can see it!

Welcome to the Language of Art!

2011-09-02T07:52:00.001-07:00

This blog will serve as a virtual collaborative space where students and faculty will deposit written and visual assignments for the paired courses ESL 099 and HUA 101 at LaGuardia. Through this portal, you will be able to see how other people answer many of the same questions you will be dealing with and get ideas as to how to go about doing future work. You will also have the opportunity to comment on your peers' posts. In this way you will be learning in and out of the classroom.

Next week, we will set up blogs and begin blogging during the ESL099 class. You can set up your unique blog page and choose your own designs. You will become more connected to online and social media communication through the class blog. This blog will also be a great way to share your ideas with other students.