The AGO; Inspiring Works of Art

Art is a valuable tool for conveying one's very unique emotions and characteristics. Yesterday we went on a class trip to the Art Gallery of Ontario to learn more about different styles of art. I learned that you do not need to draw something amazing or detailed just to achieve a message. Art is about the message not the image; just because your work may be extremely detailed and looks very good doesn't necessarily make it art. Adversely, a work that is very minimalist may have a significantly stronger message while still maintaining a certain degree of visual pleasure. Discerning art from doodles on a page is a lesson in futility. The artist may feel they have captured the soul of art in one of their works, where the viewer may look at the same work as a group of scribbly lines with no structure and beauty. To me art is a mixture of visual effects and knowledge but perhaps more importantly it's the way it makes you feel. When you look at art if all you're feeling is, "wow, that looks cool." then in my opinion it's not really art it's simply a good drawing. Art provokes thought and with that thought comes many more thoughts and from those you get an idea. This idea has been inspired, not only by what art you've just seen but also by every single thought is has just provoked in you; art is a living thing. Art is what you feel and how you show it; it's inside you. 

This is a piece by Mary Pratt, I found it inspiring not only because of its contents but also by the title. "The Service Station" accompanied by the gruesome image of skinned and gutted cow hanging by its hind legs and missing upper body. Seeing this almost makes me want to become vegan, although I won't because I lack significant willpower. It makes me wonder, though, how accurate is this to the way livestock is treated. As humane as the human race wants to feel, there are many things we continue to do that are outright barbaric and, as they are, quite inhumane. The true intentions of this piece remain solely in the mind of Mary Pratt, however those are just some thoughts that were provoked by this piece. 

The Service Station-Mary Pratt-1978

This piece is entitled "Slaughter of the Lamb" and is a healthy mix of sanity and surrealism. There is, actually, a lamb's head in this painting. Although this piece is abstract, there are little pieces of realism. The lamb's head is dead center yet evokes movement in the blood splatter across the canvas. I felt inspired by this as well but for evidently different reasons. The color and the way it looks so nice without creating an actual image makes me appreciate surrealism and abstract art more as opposed to seeing it as a bunch of blobs and lines. 

Slaughter of the Lamb-Jack Chambers-1961

The Font That Changed History

WWI was a pivotal ordeal for the world, changing not only the way people lived but also the fonts that were used. In the years leading up to WWI, something called Modernism was in the making. Modernism consisted of clean lines, simplicity, and grid-like appeal. Following WWII Modernism really took off, serving as a worldwide rebirth from the atrocities of the Great War. Leading this rebirth was Helvetica.

Helvetica has been the center of typeface debate for over 20 years, with some people believing the sans-serif font is a godsend and others interpreting it as an overused tool designed to instill fascism and perpetuate conformity. 

"Don't confuse legibility with communication. Just because something is legible doesn't mean it communicates and, more importantly, doesn't mean it communicates the right thing." - David Carson

What Carson is saying is just because the font can be easily read doesn't mean it is easily understood or that it is being used effectively. Helvetica is a typeface that can fit into a wide array of different subjects and still be considered appropriate, however, is appropriate the highest standard for conveying a message or marketing a product.

You cannot look around without seeing Helvetica being used somewhere. It is no secret that the miracle font is constantly doing its duty to employ neutral and humanistic qualities to companies, products, ideas, and other forms of social media. Regardless of if the user is actually as good as Helvetica makes them look, once you see it your mind is made up and has no choice but to assume that they're friendly because Helvetica tells you that. Whatever you think is your choice is actually the world shaping you into what you're supposed to be. When you see Helvetica you immediately have a sub conscious intrigue towards it, whatever it may be, you may not act on it immediately but it draws you in. A marketing tool that is used to persuade you into consuming and believing that your purchase (product or idea) was entirely worth it. Humans are critical thinking machines and, personally, I find consistency and routine extremely dull. I prefer variety and contrast; seeing or hearing something being overused becomes very unpleasant just like playing a song you love over and over until you hate it. Whether or not Helvetica is what it is is entirely personal, although it brings a certain identity to our culture that was simply non existent preceding WWI and II.

World History; Crash Course

This is a video by a man named John Green which explores our world's history in a humorous and informative manner. He uses a variety of tools and tricks to make his videos appealing. I think the show is well written and is more than effective in generalizing information without depleting it entirely of relevant facts and knowledge. If you enjoyed this video you will be glad to know there are many more where that came from, click here to see John's extensive Crash Course in World History series, or if history isn't your thing and you prefer a deeper look into the science of living things try the Crash Course Youtube Channel here. 

The One That Got Away

This is my print making idea entitled "The One That Got Away" which features two robins highlighted by eccentric red color and contrasting black and grey. I originally intended to have four colors, including eyes and legs but due to printing malfunctions and visual aesthetics it was decided that less color was better. Especially basic colors such as black and red which accentuate very well I found. The blobs of color speckled around the page were also a desirable accident, they were produced by the tips of the carved away material during printing. Another thing I liked about this was its post modernism appeal and the way the grey appears to have texture almost feather-like (also accidental). This print making process taught me that even mistakes can have desirable outcomes.