Courtney Cole

Professor Hicks
01 December 2015
LBST 1105
Final Reflection
Could it be the bright colors, the sharp lines, the contrast, the striking subject matter, or
maybe its the odd texture, the balance, or is it the pattern that catches your eye? Is it the way it
makes you recognize the worldly woes, reflect on your experience, or maybe its the way that it
makes your mouth gape open with wonder? Does it make you scratch your head with confusion,
smile with glee, or weep with sadness? Does it make you remember the time or does it make you
want to forget? Is this your therapy, your weakness, or past time? Art has the power to affect
individuals beyond comparison. Art as I said in the beginning of the year, is a gateway into the
past, a steady walk in the present, and a trail to the future. Its universal, and even though we
may not all appreciate everyones work of art, art is purposeful; art deserves a chance. That
said, here is the chance I took on art and all that it taught me.
Prior to this class, I could look at art and say minimal things about it, oh thats pretty, I
could hesitantly state what I thought it meant, and I could look at it and grin with confusion and
wonder, thinking that the more I looked at it the clearer the meaning would becomenow I am
confident in my opinions on art, my knowledge, and my interpretations. I learned that art has the
ability to affect culture just as much as culture affects art. From our viewing of More Human
Than Human and its emphasis on the Venus of Willendorf, I know that we as humans place a big
standard on image and body types. It is evident that because of the art motifs based on the Venus
of Willendorf and the other exaggerated bodies we have adapted a mindset that bigger is better.

Photoshop, plastic surgery, and extreme workouts for some are used to achieve the ideal body
that we have grown to see in art. In this case art influences culture and at the same time these
individuals end up being muses for other art forms. I have also learned from the Tolstoy reading
that art is not always genuine. There is such a thing as counterfeit art and only if art is sincere,
clear, and individual by the artists true intent to share their experiencethe is piece art. When
discussing counterfeit art, Tolstoy states, however poetical, realistic, effective, or interesting a
work may be, it is not a work of art if it does not evoke that feeling (quite distinct from all other
feelings) of joy and of spiritual union with another (the author) and with others (those who are
also infected by it). I have also learned that art has the ability to offend others but at the same
time morally it is okay to make that type of art, I have evidence of this from Andre Serranos
Piss Christ and the article On Desecration. In this article, the two speakers Gracia and Stavans
discuss the moral implications and judgments from Piss Christ, as well as the idea of moral
ownership and destruction. Is it just to make this piece of art even though it may offend every
single Christian? Does this make it any less a work of art? According to the article and my
response afterwards, I have gathered that Serranos Piss Christ may not carry any legal
repercussions, but the morality of it still hangs in question based on the connotations of pissing,
the degradation of the cross, the idea of ownership, and the moral implications of the work of art.
So not only does art have the power to uplift and inspire, it also has the ability to influence, fake,
and offend.
As far as the aesthetic qualities of art, I have learned more beyond the surface
descriptions I was used to. During our look, see, think, and feel, interpretations, I have been able
to describe artistic pieces based on the elements and its principles of design. When observing a
piece of art color is the most apparent, and the quality that many of us go to; however, theres

more to just saying oh I see yellow, and gray, and blue. I can now saw the bright yellow
contrasts with the blue; however the segment of gray in the image produces a low value. Its
important to recognize if the colors are primary (red, blue, yellow), secondary (green, orange,
violet), intermediate/tertiary (yellow green, blue green, blue violet). In addition to color I can
recognize how the texture affects my perception of the piece, is it smooth or rigid, bumpy, or
flat? Its also pretty easy to identify shapes and figures. Lines have a mind of their own and can
either be horizontal, vertical, curved, or straight, to name a few. There can also be the presence
of two-dimensional or three -dimensional shapes that can create further depth to the image. As
far as the principles of design I can analyze how pattern and repetition go hand in hand, the
presence of the emphasis, and unity between objects can all direct the viewers eyes and establish
focus. Appealing to the eyes is just the first step towards interpretation. Because by looking and
seeing we start thinking and eventually feeling.
I feel like the most valuable part of this course is the fact that not only did we learn about
art inside the classroom, but we got to apply our knowledge first hand by visiting museums and
applying our knowledge to the pieces we observed. Professor Hicks, mentioned earlier in the
year, that would be a far better option than staring at pieces in a textbook. By seeing the art
pieces from different artists and different periods we can directly apply our look, see, think, and
feel skills first hand. I have engaged in integrative learning in the classroom, at the museums,
while writing my reflections, asking questions, and reflecting about my experiences. More
importantly the writing and thinking have greatly aided my learning and development. Yes the
guidelines helped, but its the fact that I had to fully interpret these pieces for myself and more
importantly, drawing connections between art and culture has helped too. By allowing room for
discussion in the classroom, providing online examples in articles and pieces by various artists,

and implementing visual responses, has helped make my learning connected and coherent.
Discussion allows all of our thoughts to bounce off one another and see are differences in
opinion, the online examples like Tolstoys What is Art, On Desecration, and What is Art
For have provided further insight into the world of art.
My learning about art has been valuable because it has strengthened my interpretive and
critical thinking skills, it has also brought me more in touch with real world examples. In
Antoine Williams Cause You Are the Son of Slaves, Your Daddy Was a Bastard, I see the
misconceptions faced by the black male and I also the disregard for black history. In Renewal of
the Insignificant I saw individuals from various backgrounds, races, sexual orientations, and
interests that may have been seen as insignificant. Through art I have seen how other individuals
may be treated, observed, perceived, and honored. In addition to that I can relate personally to art
depending on the subject matter. Again, the topic of a piece can vary from race, gender, identity,
etc. As far as my ethical development, going back to Piss Christ, there is a line between making
something offensive and not; however, people will never be satisfied and what offends one
subset of people may not offend one person and vice versa. As far as myself, I wouldnt
intentionally destroy a sacred symbol or work for the sake of art, and I would hope that whatever
art I create would not offend anybody. My proudest moment of learning about art has been both
the conclusion of my art responses as well as my interpretation of Yang Yus Landscapes,
Strings, and Jellies. By writing I can see what I actually know and collectively use my see, think,
feel observations to create my full interpretation. I know many classmates and myself were all
scratching our heads and confused because we just couldnt grasp what was going on. But it was
during a conversation with my group member Courtney, that we took the time to put our ideas
and assumptions together and we found that her pieces described her immigration to America.

An artists experience isnt always going to be out in the open and it requires thoughtful
reflection, critical thinking, and willing interpretation. I havent had any major disappointments
regarding art this semester. I try to keep an open mind when viewing others art and visiting
different venues, because if the artist is willing to bear it all and share their story, I should be
willing to take the time to understand and receive it.
Art as I said in the beginning of the year, is a gateway into the past, a steady walk in the
present, and a trail to the future. Its universal, and even though we may not all appreciate
everyones work of art, art is purposeful; art deserves a chance. That said, here is the chance I
took on art and all that it taught me. So, I guess its not one thing or the other that captivates me
about art. Art is multi-dimensional and functional and I look forward to expanding my
knowledge, broadening my horizons, and seeing new things.