All the chapter readings so far have addressed what defines a work of art, the formal elements it an artwork’s specific design, the principles of the artwork’s composition, what and how the artwork was made (its media), and finally how we can derive meaning from a work of art.

All the chapter readings so far have addressed what defines a work of art, the formal elements it an artwork’s specific design, the principles of the artwork’s composition, what and how the artwork was made (its media), and finally how we can derive meaning from a work of art. All of the chapters are interrelated to each other. For example, a work of art’s subject matter can relate to how it’s made ( as seen in 4.2 Tlaloc Vessel. 1440-1469.) Sometimes the way we experience or encounter a work of art adds to its meaning as is the case with 4.9 Olifar Eliasson’s very public The New York City Waterfalls, 2008. Other times the iconography of a work of art can let us know what it means as seen in the case of the 3.31 Arabic Graffiti, from Egypt, that in reads “Revolution is in our veins,” 2012.

But sometimes the meaning of an artwork is unclear without the proper context; as would be the case with 2.4 Paul Klee, Bounds of the Intellect, 1927. The visual iconography doesn’t necessarily tell us very much. The title is kind of hint in the right direction, but what the work “means” is still pretty unclear. This is where research comes into play. After typing the artist’s name, artwork title, and its date into Google I was able to discover that this painting was created while Paul Klee was instructor at the Bauhaus–A German Art School. Paul Klee was the son of a musicologist and he drew parallels between sound and art. The obsessively repetitive lines in in the lower part of Klees’s composition act as a visual representation of sound.

OK, It’s Time to Experience Some Art and Derive its Meaning.
WHERE TO LOOK:
If you know of a public work of art that you have seen, on your normal daily commute, that you would like to discuss, feel free to choose this option. Art is everywhere; murals, sculptures, statues, urban art, it is all fine.
No Art nearby? No worries; many local museums have lists of their permanent collections of art. Here are a few locals:
San Diego Museum of Art