Film 21: Exit through the Gift Shop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alSYMvObQgs&feature=plcp

Question for open discussion: Why was Tierry's obsession video recording everything he saw? What was your input on the video itself?

Film 20: The Universe of Keith Haring

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5mBcPzg6zs&feature=plcp

Question for open discussion: Do you think the people in the two videos have the same common interests with the two different artists? And what makes the two artists almost the same or different?

Film 19: "The Radiant Child" (Bisquiat)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUGG6RQzTAc&feature=plcp
Question for open discussion: What did you like about "The Radiant Child"?

Film 18: Painters Painting

Q1.  What were the one thing the painter’s paintings did well? They created a national art; American painters took hold of abstract and made high art out of it.

Q2.  What was Jackson Pollock’s point of view on paintings?
He felt that it was time to leave the era of the small paintings on an easel, to painting large paintings on a wall size picture.

Q3.  What was the purpose of the painter’s paintings?Not only did they create a national art, but they took America’s art and turned them into paintings. They made painters see that abstract painting is all around them.  It was done because they wanted us to see the art around us. The simplest things in life can be art, from a simple butterfly floating around flowers, to a tall skyscraper building with different colors on it. The city of Chicago itself is like art, all the different styles and heights of the building and how they light up at night is what gives Chicago its uniqueness.

Question for open discussion: What are your thoughts and views on today’s art? Do you feel people are more open to contemporary art or abstract paintings?

Film 15: Picasso & Braque

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_cRXVw9680&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Question for open discussion: Why did these artists/filmakers chose to do these kinds of films? What is the meaning behind them?

Film 11: Manet/Monet/Timothy Marlow

Q1. I chose Edourd Manet and Claude Monet. I chose these artist because they have some similarities. They both like to paint their families in their paintings, and seem like they have a strong family background. Edourd Manet was the forefather of impressionism and Claude Monet was one of  the greatest impressionists. They both also like to paint the same way according to Timothy Marlow "seductive and their paintings would catch the eye of the public passing by".  Timothy didn't really treat any one of them different, it seemed like to me he had a great interest in both of them and of their work.

Q2. This painting was painted by Claude Monet, whom loved to paint pictures of his family. It has been told that his mother, father, and uncle are in the picture. They are enjoying a nice beautiful day outisde and have a nice conversation by the water. His uncle looks like he is enjoying his day as well as sitting in the chair thinking.

This painting by Edourd Manet is called the "Absinthe Drinker". It seems like this man is dealing with some sort of issues with the shadow of himself that is behind him. The painting is dark, but the man in the painting is dressed very sophisticated with a top hat on. Could it be this man is dealing with some heavy issues that are weighing on his mind?

Q3. Hughes and the others sort of interwine with one another because every painting and story is supposed to represent some sort of toughness within themselves. I think all of them are great story tellers, its hard to distinguish between them all because in some way they are all connected in some way.

Question for open discussion: Do you think that Manet & Monet have some kind of hidden dark secret as to why their paintings are almost similar? What kind of roots did they come from?

Film 10: VanGogh/Schama

Q1. Schama talks about Van Gogh with carefulness and seems like he feels sorry for him because of what he has been through throughtout his life. I did some research and it seems that Van Gogh was suffering from anxiety and other mental illnesses. He killed himself at an early age, I believe the article said he was 37 years old. You can see in the video that he has a great deal of anxiety and doesn't know how to handle it. He is constantly jittery or walking around in the video. He doesn't sit still long enough. Hence, why Schama talks about him a little more differently than the others, with the other painters Schama was a little more aggressive with his voice and his points. I like Van Gogh more than the others because even though he was suffering from anxiety, it seems as that was the best time for him to paint his paintings. Under the pressure is when he worked best, and thought best about everything that surrounded. You can see clearly in his paintings that his mood played a big role in his painting, by the colors, by the dramaticness of his paintings.

Q2. I like the starry night over the Rhone, its quiet, calm and nobody is around to hear your thoughts. I like the bright blues, yellows, and the motion of the water in the painting. The sky is lit up by bright yellow stars and there are so many of them, assuming that its the furthest away from a city. The further you are away from the city lights, the more stars you will see in the sky. There are a few fluffy clouds in the sky. I love going to places like this, because it gives me the opportunity to clear my head or to listen to my own thoughts without hearing my children or fiance in the background.

Q3. I like all of Van Gogh's paintings, in each painting has a different meaning or symbol that reprsents him and his thoughts. It's about how he sees the people and subjects he is painting. If I could have a skill like his and paint that many paintings I would feel very accomplished and relaxed because I would be able to put all my thoughts on a black canvas and make something beautiful out of it.

Question for open discussion: What did you convey from Van Gogh's paintings? What do you think his thought process was like?