Theme: Visual Arts

Adults & Seniors

by LearnX Arts

visual-arts
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  • Learning Package: How to View Art

    The way we view art has changed with the proliferation of cameras, digital screens, duplicates and photo manipulation. The invention of the camera completely changed our sense of perspective because now we can see things in places our eyes have never travelled to. It has changed the context with which we view art because we can now see a painting or work in a different setting from what the artist intended, thus giving us a different perspective of the art.

    Did you know...

    The camera’s history can be traced back to the Middle Ages with the first pinhole camera. A physicist by the name of Alhazen discovered the idea of Camera Obscura, which led him to the creation of the first pinhole camera. Camera Obscura, in short, is reproducing an image with colour and perspective preserved.1.


    Videos


    1. Ways of Seeing, Episode 1 (1972)
    A BAFTA award-winning BBC series with John Berger, which rapidly became regarded as one of the most influential art programs ever made. In the first program, Berger examines the impact of photography on our appreciation of art from the past.
    Source: John Berger / Ways of Seeing, Episode 1 (1972) (2012, October 8). tw19751. Retrieved 2022, February 15.


    2. Ways of Seeing, Episode 3 (1972)
    With the invention of oil paint around 1400, painters were able to portray people and objects with an unprecedented degree of realism, and painting became the ideal way to celebrate private possessions. In this programme, John Berger questions the value we place on that tradition.
    Source: John Berger / Ways of Seeing, Episode 3 (1972) (2019, December 21). tw19751. Retrieved 2022, February 15.


    3. Walter Benjamin: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
    An introduction to the art critic Walter Benjamin and his most influential essay, the Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Including David Douglas's the Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction.
    Source: Walter Benjamin: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (2019, March 9). Then & Now. Retrieved 2022, February 15.


    4. How to Sound like you Understand Art
    Do you question your ability to talk about art in a coherent way? Here are tips for how to sound like you understand art, even if you've never taken a class or set foot in a museum.
    Source: How to Sound like you Understand Art (2019, March 9). The Art Assignment. Retrieved 2022, March 10.


    5. Art and Empathy
    Empathy is a term we hear a lot, but what does it mean and how does it work? Looking back through art history, we find many moments when art has allowed us to share in the feelings of others, from Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial, to representations of the Buddhist deity Jizō Bosatsu, the ink drawings of Chittaprosad and Zainul Abedin, the work of Ghana Think Tank, and more.
    Source: Art and Empathy (2019, March 9).The Art Assignment. Retrieved 2022, March 10.


    6. Art Explainer 1: The Power to Look
    How does what you see in an artwork tell you how to look? Using three artworks from the Art Institute's collection, this video unpacks a central theme and uses innovative visual storytelling to highlight the choices artists made to shape form and meaning in their works.
    Source: Art Explainer 1: The Power to Look (2019, March 9).The Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved 2022, March 10


    eBooks

    1. Photography, A Very Short Introduction

    Steve Edwards (2017), Photography, A Very Short Introduction, OUP Oxford.

    Photography, A Short Introduction

    In this thought-provoking exploration of the subject, Edwards interrogates the way we look and think about photographs, and considers such issues as truth and recording, objectivity and fine art, identity and memory.

    Borrow the eBook here.

    Retrieved from NLB Overdrive (myLibraryid is required to access the eBook).

    2. How to See

    David Salle (2016), How to See, W. W. Norton & Company.

    Book cover for How to See

    How does art work? How does it move us, inform us, challenge us? Renowned painter David Salle's incisive essay collection illuminates these questions by exploring the work of influential twentieth-century artists.

    Borrow the eBook here.

    Retrieved from NLB Overdrive (myLibraryid is required to access the eBook).

    3. About Looking

    John Berger (2015), About Looking, Bloomsbury Publishing.

    Book Cover for About Looking

    In About Looking, John Berger explores our role as observers to reveal new layers of meaning in what we see.

    Borrow the eBook here.

    Retrieved from NLB Overdrive (myLibraryid is required to access the eBook).

    4. On Photography

    Susan Sontag (2014), On Photography, Penguin Books Ltd.

    Book Cover for On Photography

    Susan Sontag's ground-breaking critique of photography asks forceful questions about the moral and aesthetic issues surrounding this art form. She examines the ways in which we use these omnipresent images to manufacture a sense of reality and authority in our lives.

    Borrow the eBook here.

    Retrieved from NLB Overdrive (myLibraryid is required to access the eBook).

    5. Art Theory, A Very Short Introduction

    Cynthia Freeland (2017), Art Theory, A Very Short Introduction, OUP Oxford.

    Book Cover for Art Theory

    In this Very Short Introduction, Cynthia Freeland explains why innovation and controversy are valued in the arts, weaving together philosophy and art theory with many fascinating examples.

    Borrow the eBook here.

    Retrieved from NLB Overdrive (myLibraryid is required to access the eBook).

    6. The Art of Looking at Art

    Gene Wisniewski (2020),The Art of Looking at Art, Bloomsbury Publishing.

    Book Cover for The Art of Looking at Art

    There's an art to viewing art. Most people aren't sure what to do when standing before a work of art, besides gaze at it for what they hope is an acceptable amount of time. This book will help remedy that situation and answer many of the most frequently asked questions pertaining to the ma¬tter of art in general.

    Borrow the eBook here.

    Retrieved from NLB Overdrive (myLibraryid is required to access the eBook).

    Art Programmes in NLB

    There’s more to explore! Get real time notifications of the different Art programs and initiatives organised by us through this link: go.gov.sg/learnxartsfb to find the right one for you!

    References

    1. Jade. (2021, November 8). The History of the Camera History Things. Retrieved 2022, February 15 from History Things.

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  • Playlist: Art History
    Playlist: Art History & the Chronology of Western Art Periods

    Art History & the Chronology of Western Art Periods examine the broader aspects of visual culture, including the various visual and conceptual outcomes related to an ever-evolving definition of art. Art history encompasses the study of objects created by different cultures around the world and throughout history that convey meaning, importance or serve usefulness primarily through visual representations.


    Why You Don't Like Art History
    Was your Art History class an endless succession of names and dates and movements? Art History doesn't have to be that way. The video discusses new and compelling approaches to the study of art.

    Source: Why You Don't Like Art History (2018, May 18). The Art Assignment. Retrieved 2022, February 16.


    The Evolution of Art (and how it Shaped the Modern World)
    This video is a comprehensive overview of the evolution of art and its influence on societies and civilisations throughout history, across the globe.

    Source: The Evolution of Art (2017, July 14). La Volpe. Retrieved 2022, February 16.


    Baroque - Overview - Goodbye-Art Academy
    This series of videos gives a detailed overview of the different Western Art Periods.

    Source: Baroque – Overview (2014, March 17). Philinthecircle. Retrieved 2022, February 16.


    The Case for Impressionism
    Impressionism is one of the best known and loved movements in Art History, but why? The video presents a case for why Impressionism is interesting and worth your attention and admiration.

    Source: The Case for Impressionism (2018, October 18). The Art Assignment. Retrieved 2022, February 16.


    The Case for Realism
    What's the point of making realistic paintings when photography can do the trick? The video looks at the history of artists recreating the world as we see it and ponder why it's still happening.

    Source: The Case for Realism (2018, September 21). The Art Assignment. Retrieved 2022, February 16.


    The Case for Surrealism
    "Surrealism" has become shorthand for the bizarre, the irrational, the hallucinatory. But what is it? The video delves into the history of Surrealism, as it formed in post-World War I Europe and as it has infiltrated our wider culture up to today.

    Source: The Case for Surrealism (2017, March 17). The Art Assignment. Retrieved 2022, February 16.


    The Case for Abstraction
    For much of human history, people made art by trying to represent the world as it appeared around them. Until about 100 years ago, when a bunch of artists stopped trying to do that. How are we supposed to deal with art completely removed from recognizable objects? And why should we?

    Source: The Case for Abstraction (2016, July 29). The Art Assignment. Retrieved 2022, February 16.


    The Case for Minimalism
    You've probably seen a few cubes sitting in an art gallery and questioned why they were there. How could cubes be important? How did we get here? This video tries to explain that.

    Source: The Case for Minimalism (2015, March 26). The Art Assignment. Retrieved 2022, February 16.

     

    art-history

    Art History: Renaissance to 20th Century
    This is a year-long college-level survey course in art history. It covers art history from the European Renaissance around 1300 A.D. until the mid-20th century as well as the language used to discuss art.

    Source: Art History Renaissance to 20th Century (2020, August). Kenney Mencher, Udemy. Retrieved 2022, March 31.


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  • Learning Package: Fabulously Felted

    Create your own Fabulously Felted world by following alongside our demonstration videos and patterns! Each Package has its own theme, ranging from sea creatures to holidays to cute mascots, so there is something that will tickle everyone’s fancy, with extra book resources for further reading on the topics. Projects range from beginner to intermediate.

    Deep Sea Critters!

    Explore the depths of the ocean—but cuter. Follow the demonstration clips provided and the pattern templates and make your own cute and cuddly versions of deep sea creatures!

    Zodiac Race!

    In a whimsical twist on the traditional tale, follow the demonstration clips provided and the pattern templates to create the race-car versions of the Chinese zodiac animals!

    12 Days of Christmas!

    Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtledoves, and a (felted) partridge in a (felted) pear tree! (P.S. Felted things make very good Christmas tree decorations.)

    Ice Age!

    Go back in time, all the way to the Ice Age, to revive these long-extinct creatures in their miniature fuzzy forms.

    Freaky Fruits!

    Taking fruits going bad to a whole new level, create these creepy-cute freaky fruits for your next Halloween party.

    Heroes!

    Can’t get enough of superhero movies? Assemble your own team of tiny heroes to fight crime against all of felt-kind.

    Local Finger Food!

    Sew up your own buffet of your favourite local finger foods and pile them up on your plate! Warning: this project might make you hungry.

    Dinosaurs!

    Go back to a land before time, and sew up some tiny felt dinosaurs for your own tiny Jurassic Park.

    Quiet Book

    A quiet book is a felt or fabric book with interactive elements meant to provide sensory stimulation for young children to play with. This kitchen-themed quiet book introduces children to the concept of cutting, mixing, baking, and frying, all in a soft and fuzzy felt package.

    Quiet Book 2

    A quiet book is a felt or fabric book with interactive elements meant to provide sensory stimulation for young children to play with. This clothing-themed quiet book introduces children to the concept of folding, buttoning, zipping and tying, all in a soft and fuzzy felt package.

    Christian Andersen

    Bring the classic characters from Hans Christian Andersen’s timeless fairy-tales to life, in adorable felt doll form—they make excellent storytelling props too!

    Masterpieces!

    Can fine art be Fabulously Felted? The answer is a resounding yes! Re-create these art masterpieces in felt form, and become an artist yourself!

    Flowers

    Real flowers may wilt and die, but felt flowers last forever. Bloom your own felt garden with this intermediate-level project.

    PRESSPLAY Special Mixtape

    Proudly wear your favourite tunes on your sleeve with this felt cassette tape cardholder, in collaboration with PRESSPLAY.

    Christmas!

    We wish you a felty Christmas and a fabulous New Year with these festive felt mascots.

    Dessert

    Satisfy your sweet tooth without the calories in this craft project.

    Shakespeare!

    “To felt, or not to felt, that is the question?” Re-enact Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies with his iconic characters in felt form.

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