Art History Resources

This resource includes information about the following movements in Art History, the “big ten”: Early and High Renaissance, Baroque, Impressionism, Pointillism, Cubism, Surrealism, Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop-Art.

You may choose to download, or simply open the file (PowerPoint).

Click on the image to open or save this presentation.

Other files:

Fauvism

Dada Art

 

The Arts, Social Commentary and the Global Environment

Arts & Society Presentation Finally Completed!

My presentation, “Arts & Society: An Exploration of Historically Significant Communities of Artists and Their Ability to Spark Social Change,” is finally completed!  It is on-line and can be viewed below.  Patience is needed, as the file is quite massive and will take several minutes to load.  The PREZI presentation contains hundreds of images and even a few video clips.

What are the greatest ‘sparks’ of social change?

Click the above image to go to survey and enter your vote.

Proud to be…

What is Rock and Roll’s Greatest Social Impact?

Yesterday, I posted this question on Facebook, and got the following responses.  Some have value, some just humour.  What do you think?  Please share your thoughts about the social effects of Rock and Roll.

The Power of Money … It is Your Vote

In my last post [Capitalism Reigns... Democracy is Dead] I discussed my lack of faith in our political system and its leaders to do the right thing.  The world leaders of our most developed nations are far more concerned with issues relating to their economy than about anything else, including the global climate crisis.  Many world leaders have accepted that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and yet they are not willing or able to create significant change in this regard.  Many of our world leaders view global climate and environmental issues as separate or ‘external’ to their more pressing economical issues.  The truth is that the environment is not an externality,  climate change is not separate.  Without a healthy, sustainable planet, there will be NO economy.

Alright, so what do we do with this knowledge?  We need to understand the power of our vote.  And by that I do not mean our vote in our systems of Democratic government – as I’ve said – true democracy is dead.  We need to realize the power of our vote in the reigning system of Capitalism.  In this system we vote virtually every day, but with a different ballet known as the dollar.  We vote every time we exchange capital.  Every time that we hand over money or credit, we are voting for that product.  We are saying that we want that product, that we support that company, or that we support that industry.  We need to think very carefully about how we spend our money.  Many of us are simply voting too much, on things that we don’t need or really even want.  We are often voting for things that do not even make us feel good about ourselves.  This is rampant consumersism, this is capitalism.  This is the power of our vote.  The system of capitalism is more powerful than our systems of government.

Again, what can we do with this knowledge?  We need to accept that quick and important changes are needed for our survival.   And we need to accept that we are in control.  We are in control of what we spend, what we buy, as well as what we do not buy.  We are in control of the decisions we make.  We are in control of what industries we choose to support.  We are in control of our vote.  And all of the little things matter.  The little things add up, especially in a world in which millions upon millions of people are consuming little things every day.  Buy a reusable water, buy a Brita water filter, and save hundreds of plastic bottles every year.  Make that choice.  Choose to support reusable products and don’t vote to support the bottled water industry.   Buy reusable shopping bags [the ones made from recycled plastic] and avoid using plastic or paper bags.  Replace old incandescent light bulbs with compact florescents; vote to support the more sustainable products.  Support local produce growers.  Spend the extra dollar to buy free-range chickens and eggs.  Cut down on fast food.  Every time that you buy fast-food, you are supporting the industry of factory farmed animals and contributing to the poisoning of our food supply.  Yes, indeed the little things matter.  The little things are your vote.  Vote less often, and vote to support organic and sustainable products whenever it is possible.

Capitalism Reigns… True Democracy is Dead

Democracy is dead.  Capitalism reigns.

This has never been more clear than it is today.  For those of you who followed the Copenhagen summit for global climate change, I’m sure you’ll understand what I’m saying.  Last December, the Presidents, Prime-Ministers, and dignitaries from 192 of the world’s 197 countries met in Copenhagen, Denmark to discuss the global climate crisis.  [Ministers of five developing nations boycotted knowing full-well the resulting actions from developed nation's leaders.]  As predicted, no substantial agreements were made at these very important meetings.  Nothing substantial enough to counter the the effects of climate change.  Nothing substantial enough for us to feel any pride for our leaders.  Instead, the leaders of developed nations did exactly what many would expect they would do.  

Stephen Harper, Barack Obama, Gordon Brown and many other leaders put more effort into protecting their economies than in becoming leaders of significant and necessary change.   They sought for agreements in 2020, well into the distant future, and well past their reign of power.

The summit has resulted in the Copenhagen Accord, in which the leaders who have signed have recognized climate change to be one of the greatest challenges faced in our time. Unfortunately, recognition is not enough.  We are way past the time for recognition.  This is a time for action, as quick and drastic changes are needed.  The Copenhagen Accord document that resulted from the summit outlines 12 proposed actions as set out in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change report (unfccc.int).  However, this Accord is considered by many to be a rather vague document in which there is no accountability for any real or immediate actions.   For many climate change activists, what is outlined in the Copenhagen accord is simply not enough, and many still consider Copenhagen to have been a failed opportunity that could cost the planet and its inhabitants dearly.

Although I agree that the result of COP15 is rather disappointing, I think that some very important knowledge has developed out of the Copenhagen summit.  [That's not to say that we didn't know this before, but now it's very clear.]  We now have a clear picture of what is of foremost importance for many of our leaders.  The main focus of our Presidents and Prime Ministers is the economy, not the people, or the needs of the people.  Democracy is dead.  I’m not convinced that true democracy ever really existed in the first place.  However, what we have today can not be called Democracy.  This is Capitalism.  Our leaders are more concerned about economics, finances, capital, and trade.  They serve capital interests before they serve their people.  Democracy is dead.  Capitalism reigns.

We cannot rely on our systems of government to make change.  They do not represent the people, they do not look out for the needs of the people.  Democracy has been hijacked.  We can not rely on our elected leaders to create the changes that are needed in order to protect ourselves from climate change.

Below is the tag cloud from a blog post that asked for the public’s reflections and perceptions of the COP15 summit and its resulting Accord.

Read more at Suite101: Copenhagen Climate Change Summit’s Vague Results: Hopenhagen Conference Provides Little Comfort for Environmentalists

Allowing Things to Happen

After my first discussion about this directed study with Dr. Norm Yakel,  something important repeated in my mind.  Norm advised me to allow this project to take me in places that I haven’t intended.  Perhaps that may be where some of the greatest learning takes place.  Where is this taking me, and what is my focus?  The first community of artists that I have begun to study has come about rather matter-of-chance.  I did not set out to study a group of musicians, let alone the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  And yet, the Rock Hall is a great example of exactly what I’ve been looking for.  It is a unified community of artists that has had significant shaping force on the western world and beyond.  Before the start of this study, I thought that I knew exactly what I was looking for.  I want to find common elements between several major communities, and I want to find ways to replicate these elements in order to spark and fuel change from within my community.  However as a study of this scale unfolds, there is a need to allow it to take me to unintended places.

One of the central focuses of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation is to celebrate its culture and heritage.  One of the Foundation’s many functions is to recognize the contributions of those who have had a significant impact on the evolution, development and perpetuation of rock and roll by inducting them into the Hall of Fame.  This very process of recognition is something that could be emulated on a smaller scale.  In my situation, as a teacher of visual arts, I could make better use of awards ceremonies and banquets in order to better celebrate achievements in visual art in my school community.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame invites musicians to speak about the impact of and influence of their peers.  I feel that for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, these induction ceremonies solidify the sense of community while the musicians celebrate their common purpose: the evolution, development and perpetuation of rock and roll.   Perhaps this is a model that could work in my setting as well.  Perhaps I could have student artists introduce and say a few words about their peers at awards ceremonies.  Perhaps this would contribute to, and enhance, a sense of community among the artists in my school community.

The Rock and Roll Community of Fame?

com⋅mu⋅ni⋅ty: /kəˈmyunɪti/ Pronunciation [kuh-myoo-ni-tee] – noun, plural -ties.

1.	a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.

2.	a locality inhabited by such a group.

3.	a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists (usually prec. by the): the business community; the community of scholars.

4.	a group of associated nations sharing common interests or a common heritage: the community of Western Europe.

5.	Ecclesiastical. a group of men or women leading a common life according to a rule.

6.	Ecology. an assemblage of interacting populations occupying a given area.

7.	joint possession, enjoyment, liability, etc.: community of property.

8.	similar character; agreement; identity: community of interests

The definition above is from www.dictionary.com.

Is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a community?  Perhaps not in the traditional sense of the word, but yes, I think that it is a pretty good and clear example of a community in the modern world.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a professional and social group whose members have a common cultural and historical heritage.  The Rock Hall is all about its heritage and celebrating the culture of Rock and Roll.  Its members have all been voted and inducted into the hall, and so in this way, share a form of government.  The Rock Hall is a group of some of the most elite and talented musicians in the history of Rock and Roll.  These musicians share common characteristics in that they are the musicians that have shaped, altered, and influenced the path of music in our society.  There is a locality, and a sense of interaction.  Many of the members gather year after year at the induction ceremonies to celebrate the induction of new members, often at the same venue – the Waldorf Astoria Theater in New York City.

German sociologist Ferdinand Tönnies, in his 1887 work entitled Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft [which means Community and Society], argued that community is perceived to be a tighter and more cohesive social entity, due to the presence of a “unity of will.” He also stated that family and kinship were the perfect expressions of community. These are perhaps the aspects of community that I have found most apparent to exist among the members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  There is a true sense of family and kinship between many of the Hall’s members.  There is also a presence of a “unity of will.”  The members have all willfully accepted their place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and willfully attend annual induction ceremonies and concerts.  [Some haven't.  In 2008, original punk rockers, The Sex Pistols, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and yet declined to attend, sending a letter denouncing the Hall instead.]

Although the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame may not be a community in a traditional, geographical sense of the word, it is quite clear to me that it is a great examples of a community none-the-less.  Now that we’ve established that, it is time to get onto the larger questions:  What is the focus of this community?  How was this focus created, and what have they done with it?  What is the overall impact of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its larger society?  Is there anything that can be learned from this that can be emulated on a smaller scale?

Stay tuned…

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame LIVE

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a very important community of artists that has made significant impact and has created change in the greater society of which it is part.  Rock and Roll is a vast genre of music that originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s.  The genre was influenced and derived from early forms of blues music, jazz, as well as country, folk, and gospel.  Today, more than sixty years later, the term rock and roll has become an umbrella term which encompasses a large variety of its derived sub-genres, from blues-rock to heavy metal and everything in between.

For the last 25 years, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has honoured the music’s most influential and important musicians at annual induction ceremonies.  This year, the Rock Hall, in conjunction with Time Life, has released an unprecedented collection titled the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame LIVE.  This is a massive collection of nine DVD video discs and contains over 30 hours of footage of rare and unique performances by the greatest musicians in the history of rock music.   The main segment of each video is a collection of live performances, mostly unique ‘one-off’ musical collaborations and reunions.  Often the Hall puts together performers who have intense respect and admiration for eachother’s talents and contributions to the evolution of music and free thinking.  The most intriguing part of the collection  might be its inclusion of dozens of witty induction speeches in which musicians pay tribute to their idols in extremely honest, sincere, and often revealing ways.

This collection shows that this hall is clearly a community of artists.  The collection includes hours of priceless bonus footage of ‘behind the scenes’ moments and rehearsals.  When viewing these scenes, the real connection, friendship, and kinship amongst the musicians is clearly evident.  Have you ever wished that you could be a fly on the wall when rare geniuses connect?  This is exactly what it is like to view some of the special moments in rock history in this collection.  It is truly inspiring.

Identifying a New Purpose…

Most of the posts in this blog space will contribute to my understanding of a new purpose.  I have recently begun an independent directed study though which I aim to explore several communities of artists that have had significant and shaping impact on their greater societies.  The aim is to discover common traits and characteristics that can be emulated and applied to my own pedagogical practices.  The end goal is to learn from significant communities of artists and find ways to create and inspire change in my society, from my community.

Some clarity has come from my first meeting with my advisor, Dr. Norm Yakel.  In our first major discussion about how this study will take shape, it became clear to me that I was perhaps ‘biting’ off more than I can chew’ (again).  My original plan was to investigate several communities of artists, however, with Norm’s guidance, I can see that it may be best to narrow this down to about three groups first.  At first that sounded like a simplifying task, however, this is no easy job.  I want to make sure that the three groups that I select will lead me onto a path of discovery.

The first group that I have begun to study has relatively happened by chance.  My wife and I purchased a DVD set titled The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame LIVE.  One of our common interests is the history of rock music and many of its variations.  We bought this as something that we could watch together in the rare moments of ‘down time’ we get together in this insanely busy life of ours.  It didn’t take very long after we began to watch some parts of  this set that I realized that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a great example of a community of artists that has had a significant impact in creating change in this world.  So it is in this way that my first group was chosen.  I aim to watch the entire set, all 30-plus hours of inspiring footage, and reflect upon the application of this to my study.  I aim to reflect upon the aspect of community, and the perception of change that has been created.

Selecting the next groups may not happen quite so matter-of-chance.  I am thinking about the community of artists living and working in New York in the 1940′s and 50′s.   This would include groups of influential poets, musicians, and visual artists among others.  The third group may be a community of visual artists – perhaps the school of expressionist painters that called themselves Der Blaeu Reiter, or something along those lines.

I need to keep my focus on the purpose of this study, and that is to [hopefully] find common elements between the communities that I study.  Were there central gathering places?  Are there similarities in these places?  Were there particular leaders?  Is there anything similar about these leaders?  What, if anything, can be learned from this?  What was the overall impact of the movement on the greater society?

Some important points of focus came out of my meeting with Norm.  I need to allow the project to take me in places that I haven’t intended.  Perhaps that may be where some of the greatest learning takes place.  Where is this taking me, and what is my focus?  When I look at these groups of artist, I need to ask, “What was their focus?  How did they create it?  What did they do with it?  What creates the change, and how does it happen.”

More to come very soon.

Reflections on the 11th Hour

The 11th Hour is a very powerful and thought-provoking film that explores some of the most important and pressing issues that face our planet and it’s people.  The title of the film comes from the concept that human existence on our planet is in the 11th hour, the last hour in which change is still possible.  From David Suzuki to former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, along with over 50 other leading scientists, the film compiles interview footage of some of the most respected and knowledgeable scientists and leaders of our time.  It clearly outlines the reasons for which change is necessary, and explores how we have arrived at our current state – the 11th Hour.  

Please take the time to read what my students – our young adults - have to say in response to watching this film.  Read their responses below.  Also, check out the 11th Hour Action website.  If you haven’t already done so, view the film; here is a trailor.

Trees . . . We’ve Got Trees!

In much of my reading and viewing of information about the Necessary Revolution, I’ve been affected by the power of trees.  In Suzuki Speaks, David Suzuki talks quite inspiringly about the importance of trees on our planet, as do many important scientists in the film The 11^th Hour.  At some point, through discussions with co-workers (namely Dylan Johns) I came up with the idea of getting trees for the students at our school. 

I have two tree planting projects in mind, one smaller, and one quite large (from my perspective).  I would like to plant trees indoor (inside our classroom) as soon as possible with my homeroom and with a couple of other teacher’s homeroom classrooms in the school as well.  The idea here is to have students take care of the tree seedlings for the rest of the school year, and at the end of the year, they will take them home to plant in their yard. 

The larger project that I have in mind is to provide one tree seedling to each of our students in the school – we have about 500 students and about 50 staff members at Martin Collegiate.  I would think that this would work best in the spring time – likely March or April.  Each student will take home a seedling to plant in their yard, or to plant in a place that they can be attached to.

Originally, I had attempted to get trees from our provincial crown power corporation.  That was a process that just didn’t feel quite right.  This corporation uses the waste heat produced by one of its power plants aid in growing over 500,000 seedlings each year which are given away for various reasons and projects.   After finding the proper contact person, I was directed to some extensive paper-work.  Unfortunately, the application is somewhat of a lottery, through which I will have to wait until April to find out whether or not I will receive any of the requested tree seedlings.  I completed the application, but as I have stated, that just did not feel quite right. 

Shortly after, I found the Love Trees web-site of Andrea Koehle Jones.  Andrea is Executive Director of Love Trees as well as the ChariTree Foundation.  What a godsend!  She responded promptly, agreed that she thought my projects were great, and said that she was happy to provide trees for both of my projects as well as shipping (so there will be no cost to me or our school).  After receiving such an exceptional response from Andrea, I did a little searching, and found out that she is also the author of the children’s environmental picture book The Wish Trees.  I bought the book as a gift for my girls (along with Suzuki’s Tree: A Life Story for me).

“If children are going to make a lifelong commitment to protect the environment for themselves and future generations, they first need time to explore the wonders of nature,” said Andrea Koehle Jones, Executive Director of Love Trees. She says one of the best ways to learn about the environment is to plant, care for and watch a seedling grow into a magnificent tree.

 I couldn’t agree with her more.  I know first hand how this has helped me.  Planting a tree from a seedling has made that tree special to me, and I still have the tree that I planted as a child.  This is exactly what I hope to see take place with this project. 

 Andrea has notified me that Love Trees is a member of the United Nations Billion Tree Campaign.  The trees that we are planting will help the UN reach this very substantial goal.  I feel pretty good about that.

United Nations Environmental Program

Gaia at Night . . . Mother is Sick

Earthrise is the name given to this photograph of the Earth taken by astronaut William Anders in 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission.  In Life‘s 100 Photographs that Changed the World, it was called “the most influential environmental photograph ever taken.”  Photos of the Earth from space are so striking because they show how beautiful the planet is when viewed from a distance.  Such photos of Earth allow us to view our planet as one singular system, which we are a part of.  They remind us that we only have one Earth to work with, and that we depend on it for our survival.  Against the inky blackness of space, our home appears small and fragile, a living miracle of air, water, soil, and vegetation. 

Such a worldview is particularly important in light of our growing human disconnect from nature.  As our smaller worlds have become more industrial and our lives have become more dependant on technology, we’ve begun to lose our essential connection to the natural world of which were are a part.  Most of the human beings on this planet live in cities and a great number of us spend most of our time wrapped in technology and manufactured goods.  Although it is of course true that humans are animals, we do not often like to be reminded of it.  Indeed most of us know that we are mammals, however, we think it an insult to be called an animal, be it a pig, a dog, monkey, what have-you.  Calling someone an animal is deemed as a derogatory statement.

Of course there are some extremely significant factors that set us apart form the rest of the animal kingdom.  We are afterall, or so we hope to think, the most developed communicators on the planet.  And of course we cannot overlook our mastery of tool making and technology.  However, although these factors do make us stand out from the other organisms that we share our home with, they do not separate us from nature.  We must not forget that we are nature.  This is why it is so important to spend time outdoors, in nature, and with wildlife.  This time allows us to reconnect with who we actually are.

The first photos of the Earth from space are very powerful because they remind us that our planet is alive – she is Gaia, Mother Earth, she is life – and because of her, we have life.  More recently a variety of photos [composites or collages moreso than actual photographs] have become very popular on line.  These are the views of the Earth at night.  These assembled photos also provide us with very powerful perspectives of our home.  They allow us to visualize mankind’s extreme impact on the Earth.  From these composite images, we can clearly see densly populated areas of the Earth lit brightly.  We can clearly see the industrialized parts of the planet.  That is to say that we can see were the natural Earth has been converted into cities.  We can see where the natural Earth has been converted to man-made structures of concrete, wood, and steel.  That is to say that we can clearly see where non-renewable fossil fuels are being converted and used as electricity.  We can see where we live, and the impact we have made to our planet. 

When I first looked at images of the Earth at night, I remember being struck by their power.  They are immediatley grasping in their ability to communicate visually.  If we go by the old rule that every picture is worth a thousand words, then these collage of images certainly have something interesting to say.  As I have spent more time looking at these images, I am struck by the notion that the Earth looks sick.  The lights are symptoms of the spreading illness.  Man-kinds current ways of thinking are destroying our planet. 

Now, this all seems very depressing, in a doom and gloom sort of manner.  There is however a positive spin that can be taken from these visuals.  That of course would be to understand the size and scope of impact that we have had in transforming our planet in such a small amount of time.  This is important only because there is still hope.  There is still time to reverse our effects.  Man-kind is not necessarily the cause of Earth’s sickness, but rather man-kinds current ways of thinking.  We need to change the ways in which we think, consume, and pollute.  If we get the ball rolling towards new ways of thinking, we can have massive impact in very little time.  Our objective is to work towards a sustainable, healthy relationship with our home, Gaia, Mother Earth.

I’ve created a page called Earth at Night that allows you to see many of these images in their larger formats, and allows you to click the images and follow links to other sights with great information related to these images.  Fascinating stuff.  Check out the giant roll-over image at the top of the page.  Just roll your mouse over or off of the image to switch the light.  Cool huh?