LAST BLOG OF THE SEMESTER

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW AND RESPOND TO TWO OF THE PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, JUNE 5th AT 6:00 PM.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO WRITE YOUR NAME IN YOUR RESPONSE!!

PLEASE WRITE AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES FOR EACH PROMPT TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!!


PROMPT #1

• Go back over the blog postings from this Marking Period.
• Look at the artists and their work.
• Choose one artist who you appreciate most.
• Discuss what you appreciate most about this artist's work.
• Describe one tile piece in great detail - describe size, color, shapes, lines, pattern, texture and areas of contrast in the piece of artwork.
  

PROMPT #2

• Think back over the tile piece all the students in the class created this Semester.
• Describe the tile piece that you liked most - describe size, color, shapes, lines, pattern, texture and areas of contrast on this piece of artwork.
• Discuss what you like most about this piece of artwork.
• If you could change one thing on this piece of artwork, what change would you suggest to the artist?

PROMPT #3

• Think about the three tile pieces that you have created this Semester.
• Create titles for each piece of artwork.
• Explain why you have chosen these titles for each piece of artwork. Be very specific!
• Remember to write 5 sentences!!

PROMPT #4

• Think about the three tile pieces that you have created this Semester.
• Which piece did you think was the most successful? What did you like best about this piece? Be very, very specific!
• Which piece did you think was least successful? What would you like to improve on this piece of artwork?
• If you could create one more tile piece in the Tilemaking class, what would you create?
• Describe what this piece would look like in great detail.

ISAIAH ZAGAR

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT PHILADELPHIA TILEMAKER, ISAIAH ZAGAR.

RESPOND TO TWO OF THE PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, MAY 29th AT 6:00 pm.


PLEASE WRITE YOUR NAME IN YOUR RESPONSE TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!!


The Magic Garden, Zagar's largest South Street mural, is an indoor/outdoor maze of mosaics inlaid with various pieces of poetry. One line reads, "I built this sanctuary to be inhabited by my ideas and my fantasies." Another says, "Remember walking around in this work of fiction."

Isaiah says of his personal creative philosophy: "In 1959 when I was 19 years old I was introduced to the folk art environment of Clarence Schmidt, My Mirrored Hope, Woodstock, NY USA. Soon after in 1960 there was a groundbreaking exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, NY USA. Because that exhibition included assemblages of artists like Pablo Picasso, Jean Dubuffet, Curt Schwitters, Antonio Gaudi alongside of untrained brickaleurs Clarence Schmit, Simon Rodia and Joseph Ferdinand Cheval that gave me as a trained artist the rationale to include their concepts as manifestations of fine art.

At a crucial time in my life it allowed me to begin what could be called a life's work making the city of Philadelphia PA USA into a labyrinthine mosaic museum that incorporates all my varied knowledge and skills."

He experienced some press attention in recent years when he was asked to provide $200,000 to preserve the Magic Garden in South Street, but he was unable to do so. Citizens of the Greater Philadelphia Area supported the cause with a great turnout. As of May 2007, the Garden is just $7,000 away from its goal.

Embedded in many of his works are the words "Art is the Center of the Real World". His murals reflect an appreciation for the imaginative human and sensual element in the potentially bleak urban environment. Beginning his public works in blighted, decrepit neighborhoods, these murals were part of the inspiration that transformed the environment.

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah_Zagar


Isaiah Zagar's website: http://www.isaiahzagar.org/ (images on website may be seen in more detail than the ones reproduced here!!!)

PROMPT #1:

• Embedded inside of many of Zagar's murals around Philadelphia are the words, "Art is the Center of the Real World."
• What does this mean to you?
• If you were to choose a quote that expressed your personal philosophy and put it in nearly every one of your pieces of artwork, what would that quote say?
• Why would you choose this quote?
• In what type of artwork would you embed this quote?
  

PROMPT #2:

• Zagar cites as one of his influences Antonio Gaudi.
• Go back to the Gaudi posting and look at his artwork again.
• What are the similarities between Gaudi and Zagar?
• What are the differences between Gaudi and Zagar?
• Be specific when you discuss the similarities/differences - talk about subject matter, size, colors, directional elements, etc.
  

PROMPT #3:

• Zagar's tiled buildings have been credited with beginning to change the feel of a neighborhood - in a positive manner.
• If you were had a wall on your building (home or business) that faced an empty lot, would you be tempted to ask Zagar to create a tile mosaic on your wall?
• How do you feel that this would improve your home/business?
• What type of mosaic would you like on the wall? What subject matter?
• Be as specific as possible when describing this mosaic - talk about size, colors used, types of tile/mirror, etc.
  

PROMPT #4:

• Choose your favorite tilemaking artist that we have studied and go back and look at his/her work (remember - you can use this website to search artists: http://www.americanmosaics.org/SAMAindex.aspx?id=MembersGallery).
• Who is the artist and what is the link to their work?
• Discuss what you appreciate about this tilemaking artist - what would you say to describe this person's artwork that would make someone else be intrigued by their artwork?
• Be very specific in your response.
  
  

GLOBAL PEACE TILES PROJECT

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT THE GLOBAL PEACE TILES PROJECT.

RESPOND TO TWO OF THE PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, MAY 22nd AT 6:00 pm.


PLEASE WRITE YOUR NAME IN YOUR RESPONSE TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!!

"The Global Peace Tiles Project is a fun way to involve people everywhere in arts-based learning and sharing. To date, more than 3,000 people - from 7 to 70 - in over a dozen countries have produced thousands of works of art that have been combined into vibrant murals. Produced in structured workshops, these tiles have been used in many ways - to respond to urgent issues like HIV/AIDS (advocacy), to explore aspects of community (self-expression), to learn more about a topic like children in conflict (education), to build connections among groups of people (exchange), and to work through trauma (therapy). We're still learning how Peace Tiles can be used as a research tool.

Peace Tiles is a growing network of people using the arts to inspire social change. Peace Tiles are being used to brighten the spotlight on issues, raise funds to support causes, and inspire hope in communities around the world, from Thailand to Tanzania, Canada to Costa Rica, from India to Indiana.

This year, December 1, marked World AIDS Day and another opportunity to contribute to the global effort to eradicate AIDS. Many people - youth, educators, artists, activists, extraordinary parents and working people around the world - are helping to Make AIDS History. If we all pitch in, we can get a whole lot done!"

WHY MAKE TILES?

Intergroup Dialogue - Sometimes it can be hard to get groups of people talking together. Have each group make their own Peace Tiles and make the issues addressed in Tiles the subject of conversation.

Awareness-raising - In our age of mass electronic media, having an important issue addressed though an exhibition of authentic, tangible media can be a powerful experience.

Fundraising - Turn the Peace Tiles process into a fundraiser for your next outreach effort. Raise community support for a cause you care about by hosting a “Tile-A-Thon.” Or perhaps some reknowned artists you know would be willing to make some tiles for sale during a benefit auction?

Exchange - Use Peace Tiles as a way to reach out into the world and make new connections or strengthen existing ones. Exchange individual tiles or an entire mural with another school or organization.

Materials Development - Peace Tiles are a rich trove of information about how people see the world and particular issues. They can also be great art. Use them in discussion guides, post cards, and other kinds of printed material.

For Fun - Making art is a great way to enliven any group setting. Creativity and self-expression encourage people of all ages to open up in new ways and get to know each other better. Peace Tiles can be kept, exchanged, or combined as a lasting memento.

adapted from: http://peacetiles.mixedmedia.us/


PROMPT #1

• If you were to get a group of people together to create tiles for a cause, what cause would you choose?


• Would you be creating tiles for fun, to begin a dialogue about an issue, to raise awareness about the issue or would you have a larger goal that included fundraising?


• How many people would you get together to create tiles?


• What kind of tiles would you encourage your participants to create? Discuss size, materials, colors available, etc.

PROMPT #2

• Compare the Global Peace Tiles Project to the Empty Bowls Project (http://www.emptybowls.net/ )


• What are the similarities?


• What are the differences


• If you were going to participate in one of these projects, which would you prefer?


• Why?
  

PROMPT #3

• If you were to organize an art-related event like the Global Peace Tiles Project, what type of type of artwork would you have the participants create? Visual Arts (painting, drawing, sculpture, printing), Music (vocal, instrumental), Written (poetry, short stories)?


• If you were going hold this event as a fundraiser, which organization would be the recipient of the money you raised?


• How much money would you like to raise? How many people would need to participate to raise this much money?


• If you were going to have a corporate sponsor, who would you like to have sponsor your event? Explain your choice.


• What would you call your event?
  

RAYMONDE ISADORE

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ON LA MAISON PICASSIETTE AND ITS CREATOR, RAYMONDE ISADORE.

RESPOND TO TWO OF THE PROMPTS BY THURSDAY, MAY 14th AT 6:00 pm.


PLEASE WRITE YOUR NAME IN YOUR RESPONSE TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!!

"A very influential site [in the history of mosaics] has been La Maison Picassiette (Chartres, northern France), the idiosyncratic work of Raymonde Isidore between 1938 and 1964. As a middle-aged manual worker, he covered his entire house and garden with intricate mosaics of broken crockery. His nickname ("Picassiette") came from a French expression meaning a "scrounger" - This expression - "pique assiette" - is the name given today to this very popular style of mosaic." from http://www.thejoyofshards.co.uk/history/modern.shtml



"La Maison Picassiette is the extraordinary result of one man's work between 1938 and 1964. The monument he left behind is a house and garden covered with intricate mosaics of broken crockery, painting and sculpture. Much has been written to try to explain why Raymonde Isidore, a middle-aged manual worker, produced such a beautiful, complicated, inspirational and mystifying environment from the house he had built for his family.


Perhaps what is amazing is not just that he chose to devote himself to his project, but that he achieved so much. The scale and richness is awe-inspiring. The house has just three small rooms. The door opens into the kitchen; this leads into the "morning room", which then leads to the bedroom. Every surface of each room is mosaicked or painted....Perhaps most remarkable is the way that all the furniture is also covered, including the stove, which apparently continued to work fully. Elsewhere, the table, chairs, a footstool, the bedside cabinet and even the bed itself are adorned. The effect is astounding, but it is not hard to imagine the domestic stress this activity must have caused in a small dwelling with three children. There would have been the mess of dust and broken crockery....and where did they sleep while the grout was drying on the bedhead?

It's probably fair to say that Raymond was obsessed, and that argument must have been useless. Raymond Isidore built a concrete chair, in which he could sit at the end of the day, and gaze on his city he had built. At the time of building this courtyard (the mid 1950s) he was working as the caretaker for the city cemetery, on the hillside near his house. There he would have been surrounded by reminders of how short life is, but also he would have looked across to the cathedral [Chartres Cathedral), 800 years old. On visits to the cathedral it is impossible not to be awestruck by the craftsmanship and beauty of its stained glass. "Picassiette" had his own reasons for doing what he did, but perhaps the awareness that he was creating something of great beauty which would outlast him was a guiding force.

from http://www.thejoyofshards.co.uk/picassiette/index.shtml


PROMPT #1

• Raymonde Isadore devoted a huge chunk of his adult life to one thing - decorating his house (courtyard, interior, exterior and furnishings) with tiles. Obsession is a word that comes to mind when thinking about Isadore's work.


• If you were to spend most of your free time as an adult creating one piece of monumental artwork, what type of artwork would it be (it does not have to involve tiles....)?


• Describe the size, subject matter and materials you would use.

PROMPT #2

• Imagine that Raymonde Isadore was one of your neighbors.


• What would you think of having this type of house next door to your home?


• What would delight you most about a house like this next door?


• What would be your major objection to a house like this next door?


• Would you want to help Isadore tile his house?


• Would you be tempted to begin tiling something at your house?

PROMPT #3

• Consider the fact that Raymonde Isadore used mostly tiles to decorate his home.


• What are the benefits of using tiles?


• What are downfalls of using tiles?


• Do you think La Maison Picassiette would be a comfortable house in which to live?


• If you were going to tile your home inside and out - including furniture and appliances - what areas would you leave tile-free and why?

PROMPT #4

• Raymonde Isadore referenced many things in his mosaics - Chartres Cathedral (one of the finest pieces of Gothic architecture in the world - (ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral), the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Coliseum, animals he loved, exotic animals and references to death (creating a fake tomb in the courtyard).


• If you were to tile a house that was going exist past your lifetime what type of images would you put on your house?


• Would you choices be serious or frivolous?


• Why did you make these choices?


• After your death, would you want someone to live in this house or would you want it to become a museum?

OBJECTS IN THE MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR.....

RESPOND TO TWO OF THE PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, MAY 8th AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE YOUR RESPONSES ARE AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!!!!

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR NAME IN YOUR RESPONSE SO YOU CAN RECEIVE CREDIT!!



PROMPT #1

• Look at the mirror mosaics on the right. Choose one piece of artwork and think about the how the artist has used color.
• In your response, indicate which piece of artwork you are describing.
• How has the artist used color to move your eyes around the tile piece?
• Has the artist used color to create a piece of artwork full of color contrast or one that is more unified and visually harmonic?
• If you were to change anything about the color of this piece of artwork, what would you change?

PROMPT #2

• Go to the Gallery of the MosaicArtists.org: http://www.mosaicartists.org/artist/ArtworkSearchResults.jsp
• At this website, find the Search Box on the right - choose "Mirrors" and click "Go"
• Choose an artist that intrigues you.
• Paste the link to that artist’s website into your comment.
• Describe one of the artist’s mirror mosaics in great detail and explain what you find intriguing, exciting or interesting.
• Make sure you describe size, shape, color, texture and materials used.

PROMPT #3

• Mirrors have a rich history of symbolism in art.
• Read some of the definitions of a mirror and some of the symbolism of “mirror” below.
• If you were going to use a mirror in your third tile project, how would you use mirror or mirror piece symbolically? Be specific in you answer!!!!
  


• Narcissus drowned because he fell into a pool that mirrored his reflection.


• Mirrors reflect images but have no actual depth.


• The concept of the "Mind as a Mirror," emphasizes the Buddhist view that the enlightened mind mirror reflecting phenomena placed before it without generating delusion or judgment.


• The Western view of mirror is to analyze the intentionality of the way the mind operates.


• A mirror in computing is a direct copy of a data set.


• On the Internet, a mirror site is an exact copy of another Internet site.


• In a telescope, it is a highly polished surface made to reflect light. Primary mirrors are used to focus the light rays.


• Magic Mirrors tell the future.


• In dreams, mirrors can reflect directly, reflect with additions or deletions, or serve as a doorway into another reality - as in Alice in Wonderland.


• Mirrors have been used in movies and novels for years to represent looking at yourself - especially looking at your motives, thoughts, dreams and fears.


• The world is your mirror and serves as a reflection of your thoughts and beliefs, therefore what's happening in your outer world is a reflection of your inner state of being.


• The image of a mirror is a warning signal. Its effects as a dream symbol are not dissimilar from those in real life. It shows the dreamer his true face.


• A Rear View Mirror can represent seeing life in retrospect. Look back in memory to see your path taken. Viewing the "tracks" of your past to see how you got here. Reflecting on the past.


• A Mirror can be a symbol of vanity and superficiality. You may be concerned about your image and the way you present yourself to the world. Some say that if you see a clear image in a mirror in a dream, you may be getting a glimpse of your true self.


• When a mirror breaks, each piece becomes a mirror in and of itself but at the same time is a piece of the whole.
  

ANTONIO GAUDI

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT ANTONIO GAUDI AND RESPOND TO TWO OF THE PROMPTS BY THURSDAY, APRIL 30th AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE THAT YOUR RESPONSES ARE EACH AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!!!

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR NAME IN YOUR RESPONSE SO YOU CAN RECEIVE CREDIT!!

Antonio Gaudi was “born in 1852 in Reus, Spain. From childhood Gaudí was an attentive observer of nature and felt attracted to its forms, colours and geometry. In 1868, he decided to study architecture in Barcelona, in a college dominated by neo-classical and romantic trends. Thus, his first architectural production swung between a reinterpretation of historical canons with oriental influence and the recovery of medieval events.

Despite his youth he received the first assignments from the religious and wealthy who would always be his main clients. Among these, the Association of Devotees of Saint Joseph stands out as they commissioned him with the Temple of the Sagrada Família. Of equal importance was the industrialist Eusebi Güell, his best client and essential patron, who entrusted him with the construction of a palace, the church for an industrial colony, some pavilions for his summer residence and a city-garden.

After his death in 1926, he and his work entered a period of ostracism until the avant-gardist trends and the international movement recuperated his figure while presenting him as an example of modernisation and renewal of 20th century architecture.”

From: http://mosaicartsource.wordpress.com/2006/11/07/park-guell-colourful-mosaic-iguana/



"Gaudí's originality was at first ridiculed by his peers. Indeed, he was first only supported by the rich industrialist Eusebi Güell. As time passed, though, his work became more famous, up to the point that he is now considered one of history's most original architects."

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoni_Gaud%C3%AD



PROMPT #1

• Look at the Gaudi’s architecture and mosaics. Choose one piece of artwork and write about the following:


• Imagine that you had to write a piece of music that would be played at the grand opening of the park or mural or building created by Gaudi.


• What piece of music/song would you choose?


• Explain why you have chosen this piece of music/song – what characteristics of the music relate to Gaudi’s artwork?

PROMPT #2

• Imagine that you lived in one of Gaudi’s buildings. None of his buildings have right angles; Gaudi created his buildings using only curved lines.


• What type of furniture would you purchase for this building?


• What type of colors would you have on the walls?


• If you were to have one of Gaudi’s mosaics in your home built by Gaudi, where would you put it?


• Why?

PROMPT #3

• Imagine that a wealthy patron hired you to design a home and include mosaics in and on the outside of the structure. The person who hired you gave you full creative rein with no restrictions.


• What type of building would you create?


• Describe it in detail.


• What type of mosaics would you design?

PROMPT #4

• Gaudi’s buildings and mosaics were mostly ridiculed and loathed during his lifetime. Gaudi was stuck by a tram (streetcar) and died four days later; he died a pauper. In the years after his death, Gaudi’s mosaics and architecture have become one of Barcelona’s main attractions and the city celebrates Gaudi and his artwork.


• If you were an artist that made mosaics/architecture during your lifetime that was universally hated, would that stop you from creating/designing it?


• Gaudi had one very wealthy patron who paid for most of Gaudi’s buildings and mosaics.


• Would having one person love your artwork (and pay for it) throughout your lifetime be enough encouragement for you – especially if almost everyone else loathed it?


• How would you deal with all of your very vocal critics?
  

TRADITIONAL MOSIACS

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT TRADITIONAL MOSAICS BY JOANN LOCKTOV. RESPOND TO TWO PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, APRIL 24th AT 6:00 PM.

YOUR RESPONSES MUST BE AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR NAME IN YOUR RESPONSE!

“Mosaics have infiltrated our contemporary world. We have not seen such an explosion of mosaic talent since the 1950s, when mosaics were popular though not liberated by the breadth of materials, textures and colors in use today.

Artists from different disciplines are gravitating towards mosaics; including crafters who have tired of other expressions find a permanent satisfaction in the creation of mosaics. Specialized mosaic classes being taught to every age range throughout the country, and art schools are sitting up and taking notice.

A mosaic cannot be rushed. It is created one piece at a time….a mosaic needs patience; the solid bits are placed individually, separated by lines that can remain empty or be filled and continue the story. The materials are limitless, often recycled. A mosaic can cover the side of a building, impervious to weather, radiating for miles. A mosaic can fit in the palm of your hand.

What draws us to the mosaic medium? Is it the durability? The never-ending choice of color and material? Perhaps it is the connection to our ancient past - to replicate what our ancestors did thousands of years before. In a mosaic there is past and there is future. Perhaps it is the opportunity to ride the continuum that has captured our hearts. Or perhaps in this time of war, ecological disintegration, and technological isolation, mosaics create an oasis of humanity."


JoAnn Locktov, The Art of Mosaic Design and Mosaic Art and Style

PROMPT #1

• Look at the mosaics on the right. Choose one piece of artwork and think about the composition of that image. Focus on the Elements of Direction and Emphasis in that piece. When working with small tiles, it is very, very important to create a strong sense of direction and flow in the composition. Your job as the artist is to move the viewer's eyes across the entire composition.
• Describe what you look at first in the image – what is the point of emphasis in the composition. Be specific.
• Describe how your eyes move across the composition. Be very specific - where do your eyes start? Where do your eyes move next? Where do your eyes end when looking at this image?
• What directs your eyes across the image? The colors? The shapes in the image?

PROMPT #2

• Go to the Members Gallery of the Society of American Mosaic Artists: http://www.americanmosaics.org/SAMAindex.aspx?id=MembersGallery.
• Choose an artist that intrigues you.
• Paste the link to that artist’s website into your comment.
• Describe one of the artist’s mosaics in great detail and explain what you find intriguing, exciting or interesting.

PROMPT #3

• Your third project will be to create a mosaic out of many tiny tiles (and possibly glass, stones or other objects).
• Look at how the members of the Society of American Mosaic Artists (http://www.americanmosaics.org/SAMAindex.aspx?id=MembersGallery) have used tiny tiles and other objects to create realistic and abstract images.
• What kind of image are you thinking about creating for your third project? Realistic?Abstract?
• What kind of subject matter will you use?
• Will you use only ceramic tiles?
• Will you use other materials? What kind of materials?
• Will your piece be glued to a board or to another object or to a wall?