This piece of surf art is titled "sunset sessions" and was created by Drew Brophy. He has a unique style which is made possible by using a  method which uses oil based pens that he created. This is a very abstract piece of art that utilizes the bright colors and cartoony images to catch the eye. The large scale wave and the crazy sunrays really grab my attention. i believe the iconogrophy of this piece and of  majority of his works are based around perfect days to simply enjoy.

Abstract Paintings

 

When an individual looks at art, they may see something completely different then what others perceive.  This particular artwork is an abstract painting done an a two dimensional format.  This painting is abstract because of its alterations with color, shape, and size.  When one looks at the painting, they can interpret it to be whatever they want it to be.  Personally, I see many abstract flowers, but someone else may see something else.  I believe that this artwork is non-objective because you are not able to identify what it is actually representing and you are able to use your own imagination to create your own thoughts. 

-Dana-Lynn

tired

 This painting is made by a talented artist named Rob Hefferan. This is a realistic 2D oil painting and has nothing abstract in it since everything is identifiable. It's content is not complex, representing an exhausted and maybe even sad female.  The texture and the details in this painting are phenomenal, whether its the sheets or what shes wearing, and even the covers and pillows. He uses very neutral color. This painting is very calming to the eye and although contains many details, it is not overpowering. This painting contains no symmetry. 

End of the Day

The painting I chose is one that was made in the Philippines. I believe that it is an oil painting. This is a painting of the Boracray Islands, which is a part of the context. The form of this painting is very interesting. The painting is very realistic. It looks as if the man is a native of the area returning at the end of a day on the water. I believe that the person in the painting does not have a specific face so that much more people are able to relate to the painting. There is a multitude of colors that are displayed and they are very beautiful.

-Sam

Iceberg

The image that is shown is a realistic representational image because it shows the realism in an iceberg. The fact that you can see the bottom of the iceberg is a little abstract, however it is still realistic due to the fact that it is a real thing and the only reason the artist is showing the bottom is to be informative and show the viewer that there is more to be seen then just what meets the eye. The form of this image seems to be a large iceberg directly centered to add to the pictures effect that the iceberg is large. The image almost seems as though its a photograph however it has been edited because there is no way you could see the bottom of the iceberg through the frozen water. The blue in the iceberg really adds to the pictures form as well because everything in the picture is blue from the sky, to the water, to the actual iceberg itself. The context of this work tells me that this image must have been made sometime in recent history because a long time ago they did not have the digital technology to make this iceberg appear the way it is. This image truly interests me because it shows something that most people will never know in their entire lives unless a true artist shows them such as in this picture. 

The Shipwreck

The Shipwreck is a 2D oil painting. This painting can be considered to be realistic and representational because the photo is not far from being what the actual scene would look like. In the painting you see three boats that seem to be taken over by harsh storms and rough waters they are traveling on. The colors are realistic and the textures of the water and the people are all realistic. I chose this photo because it is simple, but is very real looking. Also the simple blasts of color from the peoples clothing catches your eye. Great, simple painting that conveys a very realistic message.

Gorge near Amalfi

Gorge near Amalfi by Carl Blechen is a 2D work of art.  It is an oil painting on canvas.  The painting is realistic and representational because the artist shows how this scene would look like in real life.  He shows the shadowing as it would be in real life because there is a mountain on the left side of the painting preventing the light to shine on it.  The work shows a scene from nature and three men cutting down a tree.  There also looks to be a house or some type of building that produces smoke or heat.  The men cutting down the tree could be gathering fire wood as it looks like that is how the building is heated as illustrated by the smoke.  The men probably got to the tree by the bridge crossing over the water. 

Love and War.

The image shown is a photograph taken by the famous photography duo known as "Petrovsky and Ramone", that portrays a collaboration of Love and War. The composition and content of this photograph displays the word "LOVE", centered, created by the arrangement of bullets and/or bullet shell casings. I think the iconography of this image represents the events that are taking place in our world today as far as the war in Iraq. I also believe this photograph art work gives off the message that love can be expressed in many ways, including war.

- Alfonso Robles

Art by Emily Hoy

This piece is by one of my favorite contemporary artists Emily Hoy. Although I greatly appreciate representational art, I am fascinated by the abstract types of art that defy reality. Emily Hoy undoubtably has a certain style that is shown throughout all of her work. She always uses many bright colors, text, and geometric shapes. In addition, lips seem to always make their way into her pieces. As a viewer, I see the subject matter of this work of art to be how women can be seen as objects. On the top, there are two girls with just their bodies being shown, and their faces covered with lips. Also, the lipstick and words "flash" and "pump"reveal stereotypes about women. The large image of the tiger in the center may mean that women are stronger than they are perceived to be.

- Melissa Mastrorilli

John Marchetti

This painting is called "Fishing boats on the beach at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer", by Vincent van Gogh. It's was created using oil paints. You can see from the brush strokes in the sky and water. It's composition is interesting because at first you would just think its another ordinary picture of boats on the beach, but van Gogh made the land and sky almost identical in size to each other, making the boats pop out. The boats are placed off center so we can see the beauty of the ocean as well. This painting is representational because it looks like the real thing. Its content is pretty simple; it is the beauty of the sea and its calming/relaxing atmosphere. There isn't anything subjective in this piece. Van Gogh made this after visiting the Mediterranean sea, showing that it struck a lasting memory/feeling in him.

John Marchetti

Starry Night

Starry Night is an oil on canvas painting by Vincent Van Gogh. Though its current location is in New York City, it is greatly admired by many around the world. Most would agree that this is a peaceful and calming work of art. This is an example of a representational piece. You are able to see things such as the moon, houses on hills and the colors relating to the typical night sky. The composition of this picture plays around with swirls and the contrast of the colors blue and yellow. This allows for people to see movement of the sky even in a still picture.
-Michelle Ketcham

Ballerina People.

This photograph represents a dancer or part or feeling in a theatrical work.  The medium used here is clearly photography; and although simple, it says so many words.  As for the composition of the photograph, she is placed in the center but the shape of her dress and lines of her body move the eye throughout the entire piece of art.  Clearly the subject matter is the dancer and she tells her story through her movements and interpretive dance; however, the photograph does not give a hint to what specific story is being told. 

Emily

American Virtue

This painting, (American Gothic) was created by Grant Wood in 1930. It is a portrayal of the American Dream, marriage, hard work, and something to show for it. By the time line and the expressions on their faces, this couple is struggling through the great depression, as most if not all Americans went through. Observing the shadows on their faces and on the house, the detailed wrinkles, and just the scenery alone this painting was made to be representational. You can see the struggle in the man's eyes, but also the sense that he is not willing to give up, as you can see by the clenched fist around the tool of his hard labor. On the other hand, with the wife's expressionless stare away from you, she seems to have given up.

Death of Socrates

This painting by Jacques-Louis David is an oil painting.  It is a representational painting in that it records an event that took place several thousand years earlier.  The content is not at all complex.  The subject matter tells you that a person's death has occurred.  The message relays that this is no ordinary death.  The iconography is that it is horrific because a great leader has died.  This painting ultimately serves as a medium for putting the death of Socrates in perspective.

Mike Rizzi

The Two Sisters

This is the painting "The Two Sisters" by Jean Baptiste Claude Richard in 1770. This is a representational painting and I'm not entirely sure about which kind of paint it is but I think it's oil. It is obviously representational because it shows these two girls much like they would look in the real world. As for the content, it looks like two French, wealthy little girls who are playing with their toys. There is some sort of horse on wheels they are both leaning on and underneath that, there is a doll. The further back one looks like she is telling her sister something but the sister is looking straight at whoever is painting them. There is also light shining on the girls, the front one in particular, making them the focus of the painting. I could see this painting being interpreted as symmetrical because there is some sort of protruding shape on either side with the girls heads in the middle. It has a very innocent and carefree feel to it, possibly reflecting the feelings of the children.

Form and Content in Van Gogh

This Vincent Van Gogh painting is entitled Along the Seine and is located in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.  It is an oil painting on canvas that Van Gogh made in 1887.  This is a representational painting that leans more towards the naturalistic end of the spectrum.  It is clear to see what this is a painting of, but it is created with less realistic forms and color combinations than realistic pieces.  It has a very "open" feeling to it because there is only one main figure that is overshadowed by the scenery.  The large amounts of open space in the ground and sky draws the viewers attention to the open space rather then the small, central figure.  The lines in this piece are not very distinct which makes the piece easier to view because the different figures seem to blend into each other rather then being crisp and clean-cut.  On the surface, this is simply a painting of a figure walking along a body of water.  Because of the way the piece flows together, it suggests that the figure is walking in peaceful reflection about something that may have happened; just being thankful to be walking along and enjoying the day.  It shows that even among all the stress that daily lives create, there is always time to get away and reflect.

B. e. a. utiful.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  What is beautiful to one person, is dull or even hideous to the next.  You know something is beautiful when a certain feeling comes over you when you look at it.  This feeling could be love, scared, lonely, passion, etc.  The point is that the work of art made you feel something, and therefore makes it beautiful to that particular person.  This image is beautiful to me because it is out of the ordinary; beautiful art to me are things you dont see everyday.

"View of Toledo" by El Greco is an oil painting. This painting is representational, the artist wanted to portray the city/landscape as real as possible for this period of time. If you look closely, the buildings are depicted realistically, and he doesn't ignore small details, such as trees on the back hills and windows in the main building. However, as you look to where the ground meets the sky, some may argue it is abstract. There isn't an exact line between the two, but instead dark, ominous colors and shades that look quite spherical. In my opinion, it looks like this painting was a portraying a scene immediately before a large storm. Metaphorically, this could mean there is chaos in the city, the capital building, or the church for that matter. As the calm daylight tries to fight off the coming storm, it is unstoppable. It actually looks like the coming of an apocalypse, before the beautiful city is drenched or ruined. Whether the artist meant for this to be interpreted metaphorically or literally is up for debate.

--Alexis Swoyer

Form and Style post

This is a Pollock painting but it is not one of his famous drip paintings.  This 2-D oil on canvas painting is an abstract style because color is played with and shapes are recurring throughout the piece. It's composition is not exactly symmetrical but it does have a lot of recurring brushstrokes that make the appearance of  waves in the theme. I believe it is nonrepresentational art because figures are seen in it.  So, he had a purpose in creating the work and it it not without an artistic direction. The content of the piece is what the viewer makes of it. I see flowers, but Pollock named the piece Ocean Greyness and he said that the circular things are eyes. To me the eyes are flowers and the piece says "life is a balance of light and shadow, good and bad, (flowers and water)". To others, the piece may say something else. -AnnMarie Pollock

Girl with the Pearl Earring

I chose one of the more known paintings by Johannes Vermeer. This painting is called Girl with the Pearl Earring. This particular painting is an oil painting by the looks of the visible brush strokes shown on the blue part of the headdress and on the clothes of the painted girl.  I chose this 2D painting because it is well known and shows mystery. The painting is very representational in the sense that it shows a real girl or what a real girl could look like. The girl seems to be a high class girl assuming from the fact that she is wearing a pearl earring and form of headdress. The dark background gives the painting a sort of mysterious sense, and makes the audience think whats behind her and why it is so dark.

This oil painting created by Gustav Klimt, portrays a man and a woman kissing and their close bodies looking like one unit. The form of the art work is 2d and the main focus points, the two people, are centered in the middle. I think the content of the piece shows how close this man and woman are, yet it is their relationship is undetermined; we don't know if they are married, dating, etc. It seems that they are both happy to see one another and the woman looks like she might be taller than the man if she were to stand up. The way they are dressed and painted seems like they might have to do with Greek gods and goddesses because of their flowing robes and the ivory and flowers on each of their heads. The composition is not very rigid, has a lot of space, and the free moving shapes the artist painted with allows the viewer to not take it too seriously. When I look at the painting I don't feel like I have to be quiet because the picture doesn't make the viewer tense up; it allows them to feel happy and carefree almost.
-Rose Migliara

This is a 2D, oil on canvas paiting by Matisse entitled The Goldfish Bowl. I would consider the painting to be naturalistic because you can identify that it is a goldfish bowl on a table or dresser alongside some fruit, and what appears to be a bottle. I would consider it naturalistic because though the subject of the painting is identifiable, other elements, such as the newspaper(?) are not as clear. Also, it is not an exact representation. Matisse experiments with the form and color of the fish, the other subjects on the table, and the picture in the background. The style of the painting is similar to other Matisse paintings in that details are not clearly defined. The content of the work is a goldfish bowl on a dresser with other objects. I interpret this to be a quiet moment depicting everyday items that could be found in almost any home. This painting says that there are commonalities between everyone which can be found in the simple objects that are lying around our homes. The painting is currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

To anyone you question about this painting they will most likely tell you the paining is of clocks which are melting. However, people can interpret this painting in many ways. The painting is obviously a 2D form of art which was painted with oil on a canvas background. This style of painting would be considered abstract because of the way the clocks are painted they seem to alter what we perceive to be normal. The elements of this painting are composed in such a way where it seems as if a lot of the elements are either melting of slowly decomposing. I feel like art work is trying to represent how time can slowly melt away from us. The withering tree branch and carnage are both representations that a lot of time has gone by.

What is Beauty?

When I first asked myself what I thought was beautiful; all these images popped into my mine along with a myriad of others. I think life is beautiful. I think nature is beautiful. Did you ever just sit outside one day on a nice sunny day and look at the world around you; life is everywhere. Nature gives people a sense of life and peace. Nature is life and life is nature, whether it be a baby, an animal, or flowers; beauty is around everyone.
-Tara Alves

(Credit to my grandmother for her garden, my dog when he was a bit younger, and my baby cousin, who is always my favorite subject when I take pictures). [disclaimer: I am not a photographer, nor have nay skills; I just like to capture certain moments and things in my life]

Beauty In Culture

Henna is a big part of my culture. It is usually done on special occasions, such as weddings or special holidays. Henna is a plant, which is crushed and made into a paste. Henna can be used as a temporary tattoo, because it only stains the body. I am a huge fan of henna, it is a big hobby of mine. In this design, the intricate details, the shading, the different designs combined into one make it so beautiful. As they say "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," well this is what I see as beautiful. Its beauty ranges for the most intricate of designs (top image) to the simplest of designs (bottom image).

Beauty Right In Front Of Me

Beauty. It can be different to everyone and is said to be "in the eye of the beholder." I myself find many things to be beautiful, but everything I find to be beautiful have something in common. They all are things that can convey emotions. This doesn't have to mean you are moved to tears when you see these things, but you get a feeling inside that before seeing whatever you are seeing, you we not feeling before. We all look around our world everyday without seeing the true beauty in it. When I walk out of my dorm to see the beautiful campus Monmouth has, I admit I take it for granted. It conveys beauty through its landscape held up to the standards of perfection, and the old buildings that have had thousands of people walk in and out of them. Every spot on this campus has had some sort of special purpose for someone leaving them with an emotion. Whenever I go to walk through the tunnel and see "Carpe Diem" above me, I get a feeling of wanting to be myself, so my best, and live everyday as if it were my last. Sad or happy, emotions are natural and beautiful, because without emotion, I believe art would not exist.

Beauty in Art: Nature

I find beauty in the form of nature. Nature's formal definition is "the phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations". My personal definition of nature is something that is natural, meaning that no single person can create or make. I believe that nature is true beauty in today's world. Specifically, I have always had a fascination with water and more specifically the beauty of waterfalls. This specific waterfall is called the Huangguoshu Waterfall located in China. I believe that this photo is the definition of true beauty in the world.

Beauty in the Ocean

I believe this is one of the most beautiful things in the entire world. This is a 

picture of a marine reef somewhere in the world and nothing else is quite like it because it is individual and beautiful

in its own way. Each little part of the reef adds to the community and helps it thrive in its own way. Not only is it 

visually beautiful but it is beautiful in the way that so much life comes from one little area. Even what just appears 

to be rock and not have any life is actually currently a living organism. It actually blows my mind a little bit how it 

really functions. But overall pictures and art overall about reefs are really amazing in my opinion just because you 

can look at it a million different times and notice something new every time.

Art & Beauty - What Makes Something Beautiful to You?

For this assignment, I have selected the most spectacular work of art - The Grand Canyon in Arizona. To me, it displays and represents the majestic power of Mother Nature over the course of many, many years. My family and I have visited this national, natural treasure on two separate occasions. At both times,  I have experienced a spiritual serenity; a feeling of calm. Depending on the time of day and the height of the seasonal sun, there is a vast display of colors represented. Pictures do not do it justice, it must be seen to be believed. It is truly a "work in progress". For me, art needs to have an emotional connection. I need to feel it deep inside me. I find these feelings through nature whether it's looking at waterfalls, animals in their habitat,  flowers, mountains, or our vast array of bodies of water.