Modern & Postmodern Art [Videos]

1.  I decided that my two videos would be: Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the 50s & 60s, and Uncertainty: Modernity and Art.  I picked the first video because I'm definitely interested in the material - my mother's favorite artist is Pollock, the father of Abstract Expressionism, while additionally Pop Art through the 50s & 60s has always fascinated me.  I love the colors and style of Pop Art.  I was going between the Modernity video and the Warhol video, but I think I'd rather study Warhol on my own so I chose the video with the mysterious title.

2.  The Abstract Expressionism/Pop video was set up much like the Expressionism video for Mod 11.  Essentially, the whole video is broken up into bits that closely examine one work of one artist, breaks it down, and analyzes it in context with the style/school of art that we are talking about.  The Uncertainty video is much more of a dynamic documentary.  This particular video is weaving a story about what Modern Art is and what it went through to get here.  It tells this story in a dynamic way, weaving stories about artwork into facts about the changing climate of the world at the time.

3.  I feel as if I'm repeating myself for the Abstract Expressionism/Pop video - this video is very good at giving a broad number of examples of the style simply described in the textbook.  The textbook gives a good theological base for the style of art being described, but it only gives one or two examples and focuses more on Jackson Pollock than anywhere else.  This video does a better job at giving examples of the style and background as to how it came about (by providing background on each artist & the painting being focused on.)  The Uncertainty video really ties the theology described in the book into world history and its impact on art.  It looks at artwork and analyzes it, but it doesn't spend the entire time looking at artwork as examples.  Instead, the Uncertainty video ties in different questions about life, society, etc with the paintings & the broader environment they came out of.

4.  The narrator for the Abstract Expressionism/Pop video appears to be the same one from the Expressionist video.  He sounds like an English professor lecturing, but not in a boring or dry way.  The filming of the video is also the same, allowing the narrator to break each image down for analysis and lead us around as we look at it.  The narrator for the Uncertainty video was much more dynamic - his tone & pitch changed depending upon the subject matter upon which he was speaking.  Additionally, the Uncertainty video is shot more like a documentary film for theater than something meant for teaching.  The camera is always moving, switching between artwork and shots from life.   I really like the art history tying into world history aspect of this video.  To be very honest, I feel like this video actually talks more meaningfully about Abstract Expressionism/Pop Art than the previous video did.  Uncertainty tied the morals of the movement to the broader culture better than either the book or the previous video.