F I N A L

Have you ever walked into an art gallery or Art Museum and wasn’t quite sure what you were looking at?. Yes, I too have been puzzled by the things I seen. I started looking at other people faces and asking myself, “Do they honestly understand what this is? What it means?”. This great American artist began transforming art in the twentieth century. Robert Rauschenberg gave new meaning to art. Cited as an important forerunner of the American Pop Art, Robert was a painter, photographer, print maker, choreographer, onstage performer, set designer and even an composer.

Robert Rauschenberg  died at the age of 82, but he leaves behind a timeline of events and the legacy of being a pioneer to new ideas and ways of creating art. Rauschenberg is known as the greatest artist of printmaking and for introducing the world an transformation from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. He inspired other artist to have freedom of possibility by finding beauty in everyday, he took ordinary everyday objects and added them into his work. This form of creation later paved the way to Pop Art and Conceptual Art. Robert Rauschenberg was most famous for his Combines, combined found objects and paintings. Although many people viewed them as trash, he declared that this was and still is a form of art. Robert Rauschenberg was not the only artist considered the greatest of printmaking and silk-screening, among him were Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, but Robert had the best creative mind out of them all.

Robert’s first and most famous combine was “Monogram”, it contained a stuffed goat, a tire, a police barrier, the heel of a shoe, a tennis ball and paint. This combining sparked the beginning of the Pop Art movement. “Canyon”, another example of an combined painting; which included oil, pencil, paper, wood, metal, buttons, photographs and fabric on a canvas. Then attached to the bottom of the canvas was a stuffed eagle, a pillow and a string. This painting was a remake of Rembrandt’s “ The Rape of Ganymede’ “ (1635), that depicted an young boy being abducted by an bald eagle. The pillow in Rauschenberg’s painting represented the young boys buttocks. Robert believed this piece bought out independence of the use of random materials. Robert then turned his attention back to two dimensional painting using magazine photographs of current events.


By the end of 1962, Robert Rauschenberg paintings included images that were transported as a photograph onto to a canvas, known as silk screening. Rauschenberg continued experimenting printmaking, but onto new surfaces such as clothes, plexiglass and aluminum. During this period, Robert also worked on costumes and on stage designs. In the 1970’s Rauschenberg built the graphic workshop “Untitled Press, Inc. that showcased his works.Throughout the 1980’s to the 1990’s Robert constantly thought of new ways to transfer photographs. Later a Foundation was founded for Robert Rauschenberg and he was later honored with a host of prizes for his artworks and social commitment. Exhibitions were held all over the world that showed the works of the great Robert Rauschenberg.

Not only was Robert a painter,  he was photographer, print maker, choreographer, onstage performer, set designer and even an composer. His association with theater and dance begun around the 1950’s, when he started designing sets and costumes. In 1963, Robert choreographed “Pelican”, which he performed on stage on roller skates and while wearing a parachute and helmet. There was also a tape of colleagued sounds which he recorded. This collaboration of mixing technology and art started experiments in Art and Technology, a nonprofit foundation that fostered joint projects between artist and scientist. While Robert Rauschenberg was expanding on his new found ideas and career other artist of his time were also expanding on their techniques.

Andy Warhol, known as the the “Prince of Pop”,  was famous for painting objects of mass production such as Campbell soup cans and coca cola bottles. After a successful career as a commercial illustrator, in 1962, Andy started making silk screen paintings of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. Although Andy Warhol was a great artist he wasn’t as creative as Robert. Rauschenberg used a far more variety of material when creating his masterpieces, he used abandoned items he found on streets; such as buttons, metal scraps, different types of oils and paints and most importantly photographs. Andy kept his paintings two dimensional never stepping out of his box. Steinberg, from the Chicago University Press reports Jasper John as saying that: “Rauschenberg was the man who in this century had invented the most since Picasso”. Rauschenberg’s creativity on the use of mediums (tools) were way better than Andy Warhol, majority of his works consisted of photographs that he simply transported onto a canvas then painted over. In this sense, Rauschenberg was far more open minded to using new things. He was unique and not afraid to take on a challenge.

Jackson Pollock was an influential American painter and major figure in Abstract Expressionism. Jackson was known for his “drip and splash” style. Instead of the traditional easel usage, Pollock placed his canvas on the floor and dripped paint from a can, rather than using an brush, Pollock used sticks and knives. Pollock’s sense of painting was rather different from most, he had an all-over style painting that avoided points of emphasis. In the 1960’s Pollock was named one of the most important figures of the important movement in American painting, but to a movement that was already established. Robert Rauschenberg created his own movement during his time of painting, he was considered a pioneer for developing new ideas. Robert’s style was just as different as Pollock but even more interesting. Pollock took the real labor out of actually painting a piece, to just dripping it onto the canvas and then afterwards cutting the edges to produce fine lines. Robert put in more labor, working hard from start to finish, not always did he know exactly how he would place the random items that he used. Dripping paint sounds like something anybody can do and whatever the outcome its a masterpiece, that is why I don’t believe Jackson Pollock was such an exceptional artist. His work was interesting but not as amazing and well thought out as Robert Rauschenberg pieces were.

Another great artist, Willem de Kooning, a Dutch/ American of Abstract Expressionism, was known for his large and vibrant paintings. In 1926, Willem worked as a commercial artist, window dresser, sign painter and carpenter. Through 1935 and 1939, de Kooning worked for the Federal Art Project where he painted murals. In the mid 1950’s he started the Woman series which made him famous, The Woman series was a collection of paintings that portrayed naked Woman. Once again Rauschenberg overshadowed the artist, “creating the analogy between the colleagued information and human subjectivity or consciousness was an “invention” indeed, one into Picasso himself had not entered”. Chicago University Press, 2007 (1972), pg 84. Rauschenberg even erased one of Willem de Kooning artworks and it was entitled “Erased de Kooning”. Robert became very famous for this, at first many thought it was a way of protesting against Abstract Expressionism and taking away from history, but later many learned to understand and love it. Willem’s paintings were very “childlike”, from a far it looks like random colors and shapes that were somewhat forming into a figure, but you couldn’t tell right away. It was hard to understand exactly what was being viewed. Its only until you get a closer to the painting that you can see what was created but you still get lost in the colors. Rauschenberg paintings were always clear to view, not always clear to understand but the viewer still had an idea of what was being expressed. Robert’s style of painting was always clear to the naked eye.

Although Rauschenberg had a stroke that paralyzed his right side, he learned to continue to work with just his left hand. His success gave support to other upcoming artist. His foundations allowed artist works help to pay for their medical bills. Robert Rauschenberg also brought property from his neighbors, then allowed them to live rent free, while he maintained their homes. Rauschenberg was more than just an artist, he was real genuine person. Although I have never met him, I feel that he is based upon reading about him. I would’ve loved to see Rauschenberg create a masterpiece in person and then explain what it meant, why he created such a thing. In the article: Robert Rauschenberg, American Artist, Dies at 82, in the New York Times, By Michael Kimmelman, Rauschenberg quotes: “Anything you do will be an abuse of somebody else’s aesthetics. I think you’re born an artist or not. I couldn’t have learned it. And I hope I never do because knowing more only encourages your limitations.”


Works Cited

• Gaymede, The Rape of (1635), by Rembrandt van Rijn

• Kimmelman, Micheal. “ Robert Rauschenberg, American Artist Dies at 82” The New York Times 14 May 2008 <<http://www.nytimes.com>>

• Steinberg, Leo. University of Chicago Press, 2007

Peer Editing && Viewing Myself

Peer editing taught me that the writing process is not a easy process. It takes a lot of time and energy out of an individual. It’s constant criticism on yourself and holding back on what you have to say. Often times people feel that the readers will react a certain way based on how they phrased something in their paper. Feeling this way leaves your paper not as strong as you imagined it would be. Not saying that you should insult someone, but just get your opinion out in an mannerly way. Editing in general is a hard job, you never want to seem mean or rude, but you do want to have some type of backbone. Its a thin line between giving advice and actually telling someone what to do. You want to be conscience of how you phrase your words because the writer can take it the wrong way. To me it seems like some emotion is tied into editing, having sympathy on the other writer’s work.

Peer editing the 101 essays was a good experience for me, I have edited other people papers in the past but each time is always different. The one essay that I read was a good start for an 101 student on their first draft, she had a lot of supporting details and good points. I felt she was a better writing than I was, that made me look at myself and question “What can I do to make my research paper better?”. The essay contained great organization, something that I need to work on more. One thing that I loved was here conclusion, she compared having a healthy relationship to a house, if you don’t have a strong foundation it will crumble. I agree with this one hundred percent, everything needs a strong foundation in order to stand. Not only can this be applied to a healthy relationship, but this can go for anything in general. For example, my research paper needs a strong foundation. If I map out exactly what I want to include in the paper and organize it well enough then it can make my paper even more stronger in the end.

This whole editing experience has made me look at myself as a writer. I know I am not as strong of a writer that I would like to be and by criticising my own work I can acknowledge my flaws. I have noticed that I often struggle with opening and closing a paper. I never know where to start and how to close in on my ideas. Another flaw is expanding my ideas, I want to include more information but without sounding like I’m repeating myself. I don’t want my reader’s attention to drift off after a while. I have a lot of revising to put into my paper. In the end I hope to have a well thought out research paper with little to no flaws. :-)

Revised Intro

Have you ever walked into an art gallery or Art Museum and wasn’t quite sure what you were looking at?. Yes, I too have been puzzled by the things I seen. I started looking at other people faces and asking myself, “Do they honestly understand what this is? What is means?”. Sometimes I felt embarrassed that I was not able to appreciate good art. I guess my interest wasn’t as strong as others. Over the years my interest toward art began to change, no I wasn’t Picasso, but I knew how to draw more than some stick figures. In high school I was given an art class and those fifty-three minutes was the best of my life. It was a time to escape from the ordinary pen and paper with lines to a blank sheet that I could control the outcome. I was able to choose from a pencil, colored pencils, markers, a paintbrush and even chalk. After high school, art wasn’t really a part of my life, I still loved the idea that I could create whatever I had in my mind and it would be art, but I just didn’t have the time nor did I try to put the time in. Then I came to LaGuardia Community College, here I was offered a chance to take an art class. I didn’t second guess the option when it was time to register, I was overly excited.
Throughout the class, the Professor showed us many different forms of art that were created by various great artists around the world. She often explained what we were going to be learning and she planned trips to Museums where the students can get the physically experience of viewing art up close. One day, the Professor took us on a class trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this is where I first laid eyes on a very interesting piece entitled “Canyon”. As I viewed the piece my interest continued to grow. It was a basic painting on a canvas, just as any other painting, but at the bottom was as stuffed bald eagle attached. I have never seen anything like this, as I read the short piece of info about the painting, that the Museums put next to the artworks, I read that this masterpiece was created in 1959, by a man named Robert Rauschenberg. I have never heard of him, but I was immediately drawn to his sense of style.  

Robert Rauschenberg  died at the age of 82, but he leaves behind a timeline of events and the legacy of being a pioneer to new ideas and ways of creating art. Robert Rauschenberg is known as the greatest artist of printmaking and for introducing the world an transformation from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. He inspired other artist to have freedom of possibility by finding beauty in everyday, he took ordinary everyday objects and added them into his work. This form of creation later paved the way to Pop Art and Conceptual Art. Robert Rauschenberg was most famous for his Combines, combined found objects and paintings. Although many people viewed them as trash, he declared that this was and still is a form of art. Robert Rauschenberg was not the only artist considered the greatest of printmaking and silk-screening, among him were Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, but Robert was the best out of them all.

First Draft

Born Milton Ernest Rauschenberg, later name changed to Robert,  in 1925, in Port Arthur, Texas, Rauschenberg first started out studying pharmaceutics at the University of Texas. After being drafted into the military service Robert began studying at the Kansas City Art Institute and the Academy Julian in Paris.This great American artist began transforming art in the twentieth century. Robert Rauschenberg gave new meaning to art. Cited as an important forerunner of the American Pop Art, Robert was a painter, photographer, print maker, choreographer, onstage performer, set designer and even an composer. Robert Rauschenberg pushed American art on to Abstract Expressionism and was known as one of the greatest artist to create print making and silk screening, among Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning.

In the year 1949 to 1952, Robert studied at the Arts Students League in New York., where he first started his “white” and “black paintings”. In 1952 Rauschenberg started his series of “Black Paintings” and “Red Paintings”, these paintings consisted of a collage, or as Robert called it “combines” that were then painted over. Rauschneberg immediately took this concept a step farther by attaching objects to the canvas, adding a three dimensional feel to his works. Robert’s first and most famous combine was “Monogram”, it contained a stuffed goat, a tire, a police barrier, the heel of a shoe, a tennis ball and paint. This combing sparked the beginning of the Pop Art movement. “Canyon”, another example of an combined painting. It included oil, pencil, paper, wood, metal, buttons, photographs and fabric on a canvas. Then attached to the bottom of the canvas was a stuffed eagle, a pillow and a string. This painting was a remake of Rembrandt’s “ The Rape of Ganymede’ “ (1635), that depicted an young boy being abducted by an bald eagle. The pillow in Rauschenerg’s painting represents the young boys buttocks. Robert believed this piece bought out independence of the use of random materials. Robert then turned his attention back to two dimensional painting, using magazine photographs of current events.         

By the end of 1962, Robert Rauschenberg paintings included images that were transported from a photograph onto to a canvas, known as silk screening. Rauschenberg continued experimenting printmaking, but onto new surfaces such as clothes, plexiglass and aluminum. During this period, Robert also worked on costumes and on stage designs. In the 1970’s Rauschenberg built the graphic workshop “Untitled Press, Inc. that showcased his works.Throughout the 1980’s to the 1990’s Robert constantly thought of new ways to transfer photographs. Later a Foundation was founded for Robert Rauschenberg and he was later honored with a host of prizes for his artworks and social commitment. Exhibitions were held all over the world that showed the works of The great Robert Rauschenberg.  

Andy Warhol, known as the the “Prince of Pop”,  born in 1928, was famous for painting objects of mass production such as Campbell soup cans and coke bottles. After a successful career as a commercial illustrator, in 1962, Andy started making silk screen paintings of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. Although Andy Warhol was a great artist he wasn’t as creative as Robert Rauschenberg, Andy kept his paintings two dimensional never stepping out of his box. Steinberg, from the Chicago University Press reports Jasper John as saying that: “Rauschenberg was the man who in this century had invented the most since Picasso”.

Jackson Pollock, born in 1912, was an influential American painter and major figure in Abstract Expressionism. Jackson was known for his “drip and splash” style. Instead of the traditional easel usage, Pollock placed his canvas to the floor and dripped paint from a can, rather than using an brush, Pollock used sticks and knives. Pollock’s sense of painting was rather different from most, he had an all-over style painting that avoided points of emphasis. In the 1960’s Pollock was named one of the most important figures of the important movement in American painting, but to a movement that was already established. Robert Rauschenberg created his own movement during his time of painting, he was considered a pioneer for developing new ideas.

Another great artist, Willem de Kooning, born in 1904, a Dutch/ American of Abstract Expressionism, was known for his large and vibrant paintings. In 1926, Willem worked as a commercial artist, window dresser, sign painter and carpenter. Through 1935 and 1939, de Kooning worked for the Federal Art Project where he painted murals. In the mid 1950’s he started the Woman series which made him famous, The Woman series was a collection of paintings that portrayed naked Woman. Once again Rauschenberg stood out by “creating the analogy between the colleagued information and human subjectivity or consciousness was an “invention” indeed, one into Picasso himself had not entered”. Chicago University Press, 2007 (1972), pg 84.

Undecided :-(

I know that by now I should have a topic and thesis set on what it is that I am going to write about, but right now all my ideas are up in the air. I understand that the base topic that I choose was too broad and I needed  to simplify it more, but now I'm stuck. First I started out with "Communication Through Art:, then I jumped to "Renaissance Art" and now I'm thinking about just writing about a specific artist, Robert Rauschenberg., but now I feel like its too late to change my mind. I want my paper to be more focused rather all over the place. Hmmm... decisions decisions

But Robert Raunschenberg is looking like a go for me....also because Ms. McCormick said she loved him :-)

Blog #4

Renaissance Art
During the 1400’s and 1500’s in mainly Italy, then later spreading to Europe in the 1600’s, there was a major change that took place, The Renaissance. The Renaissance was a movement that expanded cultural ideas. the church was the center of attention, thus explaining the reason why most paintings included images of Jesus. In the period of time, artist created images of they depicted the world around them. Italian Renaissance were divided into three major groups, Early, High and Late Renaissance.

The Early Renaissance was led by sculptors, architects and painters, who began the development of new ways in producing art. It was also the launch of ones career. There was a debate between Humanist and Pious believers. Humanist believed that the art of drawing images of Jesus posed a challenge on the faith of the Church, this thought caused an unexpected rise in Humanists. Florence, capital city of Italy, established themselves as philosophers and attracted Pious believers, which allowed artist to freely express their ideas. This opened the door for many of the important artists that we know of today, who were able to create nude art, portraits and even landscapes.

The High Renaissance changed the style of art, no longer focused on sculptors, but now on physical presence and balance. Artist studied the poses of figures from live models, who were mostly naked. The birth of anatomy came into play, artist started created more lifelike works. Artist had new tools, technology and training. Artist began to scatter out, not only in Florence, but now in Milan and mostly in Rome. During the High Renaissance, the discover of three great artist emerged, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti and Raffaello “Raphael” Sanzio.

By the time the Late Renaissance arrived, artist have experimented with a variety of techniques from using oil-based based paints to mixing powered pigments with linseed oil. These techniques allowed paint to dry slower, so that artist can edit their work over a period of time. They also began to think through exactly what is it that they were going to draw. This type of preparing went back into the Early Renaissance, where the Church was the center of the attention, and usually surrounded by beautiful monuments that were carefully thought out as well. Artist were taking their skills of building and sculpting to paper and paint creating an transition of art, one that people were able to appreciate more because that could purchase such items and bring them back home with them. Sadly the Late Renaissance had to come to an end, based upon radical arguments on the Church, the Church didn’t agree and soon ended all Renaissance movements.


OUTLINE:

Paragraph 1: Intro on what is been discussed

Paragraph 2: Early Renaissance

Paragraph 3: High Renaissance

Paragraph 4: Late Renaissance


**NOTE: More information will be added into the paragraphs, further research is required.**

Sample Introduction

Art is a form of expression, and for many years it has been know as a way of communication. The communication between the artist and the viewer itself. What drives an artist to make a painting? What was the artist thinking when they created this piece? A lot of questions come to mind when first viewing a painting. Many often feel confused and start to doubt their inner artist. Whatever the artist presented in a painting is your perception. You can never be wrong for your view on things, but then there is the question of “What is considered art?” Art holds a mixture of emotions to telling a story.