Realism

a. In your own words define realistic art.
Realistic art is art that can be identified for what it is and what it means by the viewer without much thought. It should look like the subject it is meant to mimic in all details and form.

b. How does Plato define good art?
Art should stand for high moral values and be extremely beautiful. He believed objects in reality were the best, and an artistic depiction could not do them justice. Art must not be personal to anyone; it must belong to everyone. Plato said that the arts must be "fine and graceful." Art should also teach people to find beauty in their own bodies, as well as in others, so they can find the beauty of the soul.

c. What would Plato say about Koon’s artwork?
I believe Plato would say Koons' artwork is not art at all, but a detriment to society. Koons' "Made in Heaven" might appeal to Plato's idea of finding the beauty of the body (he might also think it is unmoral), but his other works would not pass Plato's inspection. Most of Koons' work are reproductions of a real-life object, animal, or person. They are not the "ideal" image of the item, but simply the artist's interpretation. Plato would be upset with these images because they would take away from people's ability to think and feel deeply. He would be not happy with the fact that the images do not teach any kind of moral lesson.

d. In your own words, how would Aristotle define good art?
Aristotle believes that good art should interpret truth and beauty in the representation of the natural world. Art, to him, should celebrate nature, and in that case, is better than the original object or scene because it shows the best of the object. A successful piece, should, in his mind, have a meaning behind it, or express a point of view. It should not just be to look at, but also for us to think about. However, an artist who wanted to achieve great art, in Aristotle's mind, would have to strive for perfection. Aristotle believed that proportion, order, and harmony were important to a piece, and without them, I don't believe he would call a piece "art."

e. In your personal philosophy is “obscene art a contradiction of terms? Why or why not?
I do not believe that "obscene art" is a contradiction. What is thought to be obscene is in the eye of the beholder. A piece of artwork cannot appeal to everyone who looks at it, so some might find obscene what others find beautiful. Many artists do not always show beautiful, pleasing images in their work, but rather show problems of the world using disturbing imagery. Others may show the beauty of the human body through art by using racy images. I still consider pieces that illustrate violence and sexuality art if the artists are inviting us to look at them for a reason. All in all, I think art should have a reason behind it, but that it doesn't have to be beautiful or pleasing to everyone.

f. Are vivid sexual images more obscene that vivid images of violence, poverty, display of extreme wealth or sickness?
I do not think sexual images are any more obscene than portrayals of any other "disturbing" subject. Images of starving people with bones sticking out bother viewers just as much as healthy bodies in sexual poses, if not more so. Subjects like these are meant to put the audience on edge...its all part of the point they are trying to prove. To me, sexual imagery is less disturbing than images of violence because sex can often represent beauty of the body and soul, whereas violent images show evil and darkness, blood and gore.

g. Find an artist on The Drawing Center’s Viewing Program Web site that relates to your drawing for this project. How does there art relate to your concept, subject and style?
I think many of Joseph Gerges' works relate to my drawing. He did a lot of pieces dealing with political unrest such as war, as well injustices of society-such as violence and prostitution. My concept for my drawing was to show the past to present struggle of the women's rights movement. Not only do the rights of women affect politics, but they also affect civilization. His subjects tend to affect both as well. Gerges made his drawings appear confrontational, and the subjects appear heroic with genuine emotion. That is what I am trying to do with my own drawing. I want the women to appear beautiful, yet strong, and I want their face to express this emotion. His style is similar to mine because he uses both color and black and white in his drawings, and he uses pencil for many of them. He also uses a similar perspective to mine in some of his drawings, such as Exodus, because, like my subject, the people are on a march. I admire Gerges' drawings for their emotional quality and their detail, as well as their perspective.
http://www.josephgerges.com