“All art consists in bringing something into existence.” -Aristotle What is Art? “All art consists in bringing something into existence.” -Aristotle Project will be oil pastels, etchings, emphasizing grace, proportion, shape, and balanced compositions.

Art is . . . There is no one perfect definition for what art is! Art is perhaps humanity’s most essential and universal language. - Art is using visual images to communicate. Art uses visual images to communicate. We then use words to talk about the images, their meaning, and our reactions and feelings. Museums are filled with all sorts of paintings, bowls, chairs, and statues considered art. How do people judge and select art? About Featured Artwork: This exhibition features fifty paintings by Cy Thao, which document the history of the Hmong people. Thao's series begins with Hmong creation myths and chronologically depicts the migration of the Hmong community from Southern China, to the mountains of Laos, to the refugee camps of Thailand, and finally to Minnesota. Thao was born in Laos in 1972. His family spent the first two years of his life trying to escape the war, and the next five in a refugee camp. His family came to Minnesota in 1980. Cy Thao is now a community activist and Representative in the Minnesota State Legislature. Cy Thao, The Hmong Migration #14

Why do we make art?

Art for Religion; express beliefs Religious art expresses humanities deepest convictions about how and why we are here on earth. Religious art includes images that stand for ideas. These images often become cultural icons. What religious icons do you know? http://www.artsmia.org/world-religions/

Art for Politics, History, or Information Sharing Throughout human history, art has been used to communicate. -to announce political beliefs and agendas -to record historical events from different points of view -to share stories and teach lessons Artist/Creator(s)      Name:   West, Benjamin   Nationality:   American   Life Dates:   American, 1738 - 1820     Object Description      Inscriptions:   Signature and Date LC in black: [B. West 1804]   Classification:   Painting   Creation Place:   North America, United States   Accession #:   15.22   Owner:   The Minneapolis Institute of Arts   ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benjamin West   Destruction of the Beast and the False Prophet   1804   http://www.artsmia.org/collection/

Art for Utility; art meant to be used Utilitarianism is a (1827) doctrine that useful is good and that the way to choose right conduct should be the usefulness of the consequences. Utilitarian art is useful and designed to work well, such as bowls, chairs, lamps,and coffee pitchers. Robert Davidian, Batushka   1991   Wool, cotton; ikat  

Art for Aesthetics;appeals to the senses From Greek, Aisthetikos, meaning perception or sensing, aesthetics relates to a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. Different people have different ‘aesthetic’ tastes. Wassily Kandinski Composition IV 1911 Top Right: Ceramic Duck  1-8 B.C. South America, Peru, Northern Andes http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/kandinsky/

So why do we make art?

The art of finding and preserving Archaeology is the unearthing and study of evidence from past cultures. King Tut’s tomb is one example. Archaeology requires research to know where to look.

Learn from the past Archaeologists often discover art. Art Historians try to explain how art may fit in human history. - What does the art reveal about the times? -How does the work influence other artists? Art historians use art to explain how human cultures have changed. Today we see different forms of art for just that, being different, not being better. Art history did not always work like this.

For the Ancient Greeks Art history was a record of human improvement until 250 B.C. This ‘Classic’ period became a standard for all time. ‘Classic’ Greek art imitated nature ideally. Artist Polykleitos Doryphoros (The Canon, or Spear Carrier) marble, c450 BC

Art History Evolves Middle Ages: nobody thought about art*. Renaissance: a man named Giorgio Vasari compiled a book of art chronologically. 1800s: formalized academies categorized art into periods/styles. * 0versimplified http://www.michelangelo.com/buon/bio-index2.html

When people want to hear good music they go to a concert hall. When people want to see art they can go to a museum.

Museums? This seems simple enough,but in the past artists created work for patrons and collectors, not for museums Kings, nobles, and wealthy families 1800s: political changes King’s palaces became people’s museums like the Palace of the Louvre. For enjoyment and for study Sometimes museum buildings are architectural works of art themselves. The 15C Topkapi Palace of Istanbul is a magnificent structure of great historical and archaeological interest. It now contains the fabulous collection of jewelry, ceramics, furniture, and relics of sultans and the Ottoman Turkish Empire. Although not designed as a museum, it is a worthy setting for such a co0llection. Many collections in America belong to cities, like the Museum of fine arts in Boston,. And the National Gallery in Washington belongs to all the people of the United States. The Guggenheim in New York is an example of a private collection made available to the public

For us . . . A study of art history can increase your knowledge of the world and human history, as well as your ability to detect visual clues Ferdinand Richardt View of the Mississippi River The Mississippi River has long been the stuff of legends, from Marquette and Jolliet's earliest exploration to later expeditions in search of its headwaters. Early explorers sought to map its scope, to stake their political claims for European powers, and to discover what riches the new land might offer. Later, in the 18th and early 19th centuries, fur traders and voyageurs described a land not only of striking beauty and vast natural resources, but also of great commercial value. By the middle of the 19th century, the Mississippi River was firmly entrenched in the American imagination as the Father of Waters, a romantic appellation recalling both the river gods of classical antiquity and Native Americans' perception of the great river. Artists throughout the world were drawn to the Upper Mississippi's dramatic forested bluffs and fantastic rock formations, which evoked the vanishing wilderness. Yet the river was never far removed from the world of commerce. Imaginative allusions coexisted with the Mississippi's growing importance in the economic life of the American West, and artists depicted the bustling riverbanks and steamboat traffic that opened the interior of the continent to new settlement.

For us . . . Art history provides skills you can use many ways in life! -seeing details -not getting ‘swayed’ -convincing others -social awareness -connections Seeing details: visual awareness. Blue and white Moon Flask with dragons Mark and period of Qianlong,