Intro to Visual Arts | Art as an Expressive Medium

 
 

Interdisciplinary Art
Consider all of the styles and techniques you learned as you embark on your own journey in the arts.

In this lecture, we discussed several experimental artists working in different media. You've explored case studies that touch on fashion, architecture, video games, music, performance, and more, comparing and contrasting them and discussing their place in the arts.

My hope is that this final lecture will help you define your own concept of the arts.

In this exercise, you will form your personal definition of the arts, and create your own interdisciplinary work. As you work, consider the many artists and media we've covered throughout the course, from the beautiful textures painted by Van Gogh to the renegade crossover art of the Fluxus network.
In this exercise, you're expected to:

Create a personal definition of the arts that reflects your approach to art and how art affects your everyday life.
Choose and comment on a piece of interdisciplinary art, describing the aesthetics and media and reviewing the result.
Create a piece of interdisciplinary art that demonstrates one of three given themes and describe your process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assignments are evaluated for understanding of concepts covered in the lecture.
 
Creative Media
 

I. Defining the Arts

In this lecture, we discussed many types of art that live under the umbrella of the arts, including:

 
 

  • Fine arts: Traditional 18th century definition describing a limited number of visual media such as painting, sculpture, and printmaking.

  • Visual arts: Art practices that are physically visible such as photography, video, performances, and so on.

  • Applied arts: Art with utilitarian ends, responding to basic necessities.

  • Interdisciplinary (crossover) practice: Art that ranges from the visual to the acoustic and from the intellectual to the sensorial.

  • Other experimental arts: Unconventional art practices such as fashion, investigative art, dance, games, and so on.

  
 

In two to three paragraphs, create your own definition of the arts including your personal approach to the arts and how it affects your everyday life. Comment on your individual artistic preferences.

II. Interdisciplinary Analysis

Locate an inspiring example of an art project where different disciplines intertwine (include an image, video clip, or link with your submission), specifically one that backs up your definition of the arts. Briefly analyze the process, commenting on the aesthetics and media involved and add your own short review.

III. Interdisciplinary Art Piece

For your final project, create an interdisciplinary art work that blends two or more creative practices or mediums you learned about (or others that you are familiar with).  You can combine sound, images, drawing, painting, animation, computer-generated images, video, sculpture, architecture, anything! 

Save your finished piece (or photograph your finished piece) as a JPEG file at 72 ppi, with no side larger than 700 pixels, or provide an MOV video file.

Choose between these three themes:

 
 

  • Mainstream vs. counterculture

  • Construction/creation vs. destruction/deconstruction

  • Reality vs. imagination

  
 

In presenting your final piece, describe your approach to creating it and how it exhibits the theme.

 

 

 

 

Grading Criteria:

What your instructor expects you to do:
 
Create a personal definition of the arts that reflects your approach to art and how art affects your everyday life.

Choose and comment on a piece of interdisciplinary art, describing the aesthetics and media and reviewing the result.

Create a piece of interdisciplinary art that demonstrates one of three given themes, and describe your process.

How to Post:

Once you're done, go to the Dropbox for this lecture and post your written answers and any supporting images. Attach your final piece as a JPEG or MOV file.

If you have a question before sending your completed exercise for grading, use the Send Mail area to contact your instructor.

I look forward to seeing your work!