Unit 2: Shapes in paintings.

When painting a portrait, landscape or even an abstract work, it is impossible not to make shapes given that they are one of the most important contributing factors of a painting. From Venus of Botticelli to Miro’s Harlequin's Carnival, the use of geometric and organic shapes really define the overall works because of the exceptional symmetries created by them. It can be seen how shapes in paintings change with the origin of new tendencies, some using more negative than positive shapes and other using only free form shapes. Also, it is very interesting how people does not notice shapes in paintings at all. Most people just see the overall picture instead of checking the details of how the painting was made. But I think that only painters and experts do that. I think also that the kind of shapes used in a painting gives observers a hint of the painter’s unique work technique. Even when trying to make a circle either by hand of with help of an object, it is impossible that two painters would do and use the space in the same way.  Consequently, the pattern of the shapes make a painting unique. Therefore, aside of the use of colors, texture, materials and tendency, shapes are what really makes a work understandable for the public.

Unit 2: The value of art.

It is possible to say that art is in many ways one of the most influential things of our lives. Today the media has imposed art in our everyday life in the form of music, movies, books, paintings and even sculptures but people does not know it. Though, the truth is that people in general do not give any value to art and I think that it is because they do not really understand art and the artists. I once went to dinner with a family friend who has two famous singer sons and a painter daughter. He told me that singers as painters and any other type of artists, just as their work meant nothing to him. He said that almost anyone can sing, dance and paint because these “things” are the reflection of every day’s feelings and everybody can feel. He told me that artist are either crazy and weird or fragile and effeminate. Plus, they are also poor. I think that many people as my friend have that perception of artists and art because of the media business that only cares to create whatever sells as easier as possible. If the media showed the work of real artists, people would be more educated and would get to respect and value art. Art is passion, love and complete dedication just as the most valuable things of life and once people gets to know that, they would see it as something that counts in the life of everybody.

Unit 2: The feeling of colors.

When walking, sitting or even laying down at any place, there would always be color around us. Just as any other thing in our lives, like watching our classroom partners the first day of school when trying to find a comfortable environment, we feel something when looking the colors of every place we are in. They make us feel comfortable, stressed, depressed or happy. The problem is that most people does not realize that they do notice them. Though, the truth is that we all do. That is why when the sun does not show and the sky is grey, most people prefer to stay at home in pajamas and watch movies, even if there are places to go to or activities to do. On the other hand, when the sky is shining with an extremely yellow sun, most people prefer to go out and do outside activities, even if it is raining. The effect that colors have upon our feelings is very strong and almost irresistible. Colors are even classified by how they make us feel because of their light and tone. There are warm, cold and neutral colors. So, if we look at a yellow painted room, it may overwhelm us with little or great happiness, energy and coziness. But if the same room is painted with a bluish grey color, it may give us feelings of emptiness, sadness and that it is even larger. Therefore, it is possible to say that our feelings depend very much of the colors we are surrounded by and that their effect is almost as strong as when we see the love of our life. They completely change us.

Unit 1: Art in my Heritage

The fact of being half Cuban half Mexican with Spanish, French, Aztec and Taino heritage, gives very diverse forms of art and culture in my life. From the traditional instruments of music and dances to the sometimes primal and sophisticated techniques of painting, I represent somehow all of them. It can be said that Mexican art is the one I have more influence from. I grew up in love with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, the sound of the music and the colors of the traditional folklore. Then it is possible to say that because of my Cuban heritage, I can imitate the sound of tribal percussions and dance like the original people from the island did. Finally from the Spanish art, I got the most graceful movements of a flamenco dancer that my grandmother taught me, and from he French I got the profound admiration for painters like Monet, Toulouse Lautrec and Pissarro. I believe that it does not matter where you come from or what is your heritage because after all, every culture in the world, even with different traditions, they reflect their autochthony with the same purpose of representation.

Unit 1: Orlan

The fact that Orlan transformed herself into the characters of famous paintings is almost incredible to the eyes of the world. When thinking about new or old artistic tendencies, there is none a similar to Orlan’s. When analyzing her work, that was not even consider a form of art at the beginning, it can be said that it is completely new, contradictory and a little terrific for the fact that she is her own “canvas.” I believe that if her work is to be analyzed, it would be very important to wonder why someone would transform himself or herself in something completely different than he or she actually is. The answer may be that people with body alterations such as piercings or horns, and tattoos may have the same perception of themselves just as Orlan. This because most tattooed people get tattoos because that is what they need to be themselves. Orlan in this case, just as any other artist, needs to become what she wants in order to be herself, and I think that is what artist do. An example of this is can be seen in musicians when they perform, the fact of being a musician has to do with him or her fusing with the instrument so they can be and sound as one and that is what Orlan do with herself, she fuses with the paintings so she and the painting can be one.

Unit 1: Van Gogh

Van Gogh is perhaps one of the most controversial artists in the history of painting because of his personality, his work and well, his ear. This last fact is perhaps what made him a controversial and admired painter around the world, even after several years of his death. Because Van Gogh’s works are said to be part of the post-impressionism and the time in which he lived in was in some ways dark for a person like him, the assumption of him being crazy at the greatest potential made his art and life more interesting for everyone. The fact that the inspiration of many of his paintings came from what he used to see in his surroundings made his work path very diverse and sometimes contrasting. From my perspective, Van Gogh painted from the outside to the inside of his body because in some way his works such as portraits, landscapes and drawings show parts of the outside world but at the same time they represent what was inside of his mind. The fact that many people considered him crazy and very mentally ill may be reflected in his paintings, but for me, because his work was diverse in colors and techniques, I can only see the expression of a normal human being trying to expose his feelings that sometimes where bigger than himself.

Unit 1: Frida Kahlo's art

As seen in her house, Frida Kahlo is a very difficult person to understand, because from my point of view, when analyzing and comprehending an artist’s work it is almost essential to know a little part of his or her life as a normal person. In Frida Kahlo’s case, her life and interpretation of it in her paintings, give her spectators a hint of what not little, but great parts of her life was like. The opposite of any other painters circumstance, as previously mentioned. So when you get to see the inside and outside of her house, the blue house surroundings in the little town of Coyoacan, it is almost impossible to imaging her shopping around with her xoloitzcuintli dogs or painting while laying down in her mirrored bed. Because the feelings expressed in her paintings, she became one of the most popular painters of her time. Though, what I think people does not know is that in reality, she became very popular and admired for many people because of being herself, an intelligent Mexican woman that exposed her ideals and personality without being afraid. There are many quotes from her that make people paralyze, as well as paintings but I think that what really makes Frida an artist is the fact of being Frida herself and watch her either in person, pictures of her own paintings.

Unit 1: Art as a form of revolution.

Since the beginning of life, humans have been leaving marks everywhere they go. Many people think that Neanderthals left marks in caves because they wanted to illustrate their lifestyles just as many painters do today. Though, I believe that Neanderthals left marks in their caves to let others know that they have lived there and in some way proclaim the cave theirs. In modern times, young people mostly leave marks on buildings and/or in any blank wall they find, not only for letting people know of their presence in that place, but because they want people to pay attention to their work. Graffiti, paintings of any kind, music and cinematographic works are the most relevant forms in which artists express their comfort or discomfort for some situations. An example of this can be the movie “Seven Years a Slave” in which discomfort for racism and inequality is showed. Also, the famous Mexican song “La Cucaracha (The Cockroach)” was written to demonstrate discomfort against the Mexican government during the Mexican Revolution. Additionally, paintings by Diego Rivera and Botticelli showed the discomfort of the people against political images and beliefs. Therefore, since art is a form of expressing what we feel, every belief that people follows have taken part of revolutions around the world.

Unit 1: An artist's feeling

Because art is an expression of feelings, all its executors may be more emotional that an average person. Therefore, because of the natural need of letting out feelings such as sadness, frustration, stress, love, among others, artists need something more than spoken words to fulfil their expressionism as persons. Examples of this argument can be given when observing the paintings of Frida Kahlo who mostly represented the pain she felt during her life in her works. Another example is the music of Ray Charles who have written and sung every song inspired by love, sadness and admiration for his place of birth Georgia. There can be millions of examples that can be given to exemplify the diverse forms in which artists of all artistic disciplines express their feelings. Because I consider myself an artist for my love for painting, music, dance and poetry, I am able to say what I feel when I do any of the previous activities. What I feel when I paint or play violin or sing or dance is something very similar to happiness or an approximation to it. At least any of these activities give a little or a huge relieve to what I felt before doing something and that is perhaps more than happiness or simply life.

Unit 1: Evolution of Art

From the primal paintings on caves to today’s digitized pictures in cafe shops, art is still giving the same messages to people, awareness of something. Because art is pure human feelings and/or emotions, human evolution is been reflected on it. It can be quite surprising how humans have always tried to communicate their feelings towards a situation and search for a medium to express them. It is almost unbelievable how the methods of painting and music production have changed through the time. The fact that only a hundred years ago, we were still trying to figure out how to get a perfect picture, when now, everybody can take pictures as professional photographers. As everything that humans do to evolve, the methods and practices of almost all arts have been altered to make the process of creation easier that in the past. Therefore, human progress and art have and will always be together because one can never live without the other and while one exists the other will prevail even when one has to adapt to the other. 

Unit 1: What is Art?

It can be said that art is simple human expression. Also, because art is something created from practically nothing, it can become everything for its creators. When humans create something while feeling any possible emotion it can be called art. Consequently, because humans are emotional beings (they are always feeling something), it can be said that almost everything humans do is art. When making sounds, speculating words, writing thoughts, acting, painting and capturing even a single particle of dust, humans create art. It is not the fact of making sounds or acting what represents art, but the meaning of these actions. That is why I think that not only actors, musicians or painters are artists but ordinary people doing ordinary things, such as a mother cooking for their children or a passionate business person closing a deal. Because art is not the painting but what the painter felt while doing it, a mother’s meal is not just food, but love and dedication for her children. Therefore any kind of creation by humans can be considered art and consequently we all live in a world full of art.