Assignment #2 - Domains of Creativity / Feldman Method of Art Criticism

One of my favorite artists is photographer, Ansel Adams.  I thought I would use some of his work, particularly his Western US photos for the Interior Dept in the 40’s, to illustrate the 4 domains of creativity as well as the Feldman Method of Art Criticism as required for this week’s assignment. 

The first domain of creativity is fluency which is defined as the ability to generate many ideas.  Though one idea can sometimes be enough to produce a work of art, true creativity often requires an artist to identify and develop many different ideas before settling on one or combining several to establish the final direction of the project. 

The second domain is flexibility which is the process of moving from one perspective or idea to another during the creative process.  I think Adams’ photographs taken at the Boulder Dam along the Colorado River demonstrate this concept of flexibility.  Adams took these photographs on the same day and as part of the same creative project.  He is able to show us an awe-inspiring landscape view of the dam in its entirety and the mountains surrounding it in one photo and then showcase an entirely different perspective by photographing the electrical wiring that powers the dam.  I find these to be two completely different ideas and perspectives though both rendered beautifully.  I think this demonstrates Adams’ flexibility as a photographer and artist.



A third domain of creativity is originality which is an artist’s ability to generate unusual ideas in their work.  An artist would probably meet with limited success if simply producing art born of one basic idea.  However, by continually pushing the envelope through the use of new and unusual ideas, artists broaden themselves and widen the scope of their art.  Take the two photographs above, for example.  Adams’ could certainly have worked simply with the landscape of the first photo and produced a fair number of stellar photographs.  However, through the use of originality in his creative process, Adams was able to see the potential for a beautiful artwork in the metal lines of the electrical wiring and ultimately create an equally stunning photograph.

The fourth and final domain of creativity is elaboration which is the concept of adding to ideas to improve or extend them.  Creativity doesn’t mean simply coming up with one great idea and executing it.  Artists will think creatively of ways to extend that initial idea – what can be added (or perhaps taken away) to improve the piece or to take it to another level.   Returning to my references to Adams, I think this is something that can again be seen in his work, particularly through his use of lighting.  Adams continually came up with creative ways to “paint” with light to yield the photographic image he was looking for not just that image that was most obvious to the eye.  Take the photograph below for example…it was taken in Death Valley, California in the late 1940’s.  At first glance, through the naked eye, one may see just the desert and the sand however, through his creative thinking I imagine Adams was able to see the difference that would be made in this landscape with the addition of just the right lighting.  He was able to capture the lighting at precisely the right moment and transform the sandy landscape into a lovely contrast of light and dark. 

The Feldman Method of Art Criticism can be used to analyze the works included above by Ansel Adams as well as any other works of art.  It is a four-step process of describing, analyzing, interpreting and evaluating art. 

It starts, most obviously, with the description.  This involves the basics of the piece such as who created the work, what medium was used, the size or dimensions of the piece and what are the characteristics of the piece.  It could also be helpful to know when the work was created and perhaps some limited background information about the artist. 

The next step is the analysis at which point a viewer will use the many elements of art and principals of design to further describe the work.  Elements of art that can be used in this step include line, shape, form, space, color and/or texture.  Any combination of these elements can be present in an art piece and analyzing those elements can help provide a better feel for the work being reviewed.  Additionally, the principals of design such as rhythm/movement, balance, proportion, variety, emphasis, harmony and unity can be used to further describe the work as part of this process.

Once the work has been described and analyzed, the view can being to interpret the piece.  This step is all about figuring out what the piece “means”.  How does it make the view feel?  What does the piece “say” either directly or through the use of metaphor?  Are there a variety of meanings that can be extrapolated from the piece? 

It is only after the work as really been interpreted that one can judge or evaluate an artwork.  To evaluate before describing, analyzing and interpreting is of little value and simply reduces the work to face value, in my opinion.  Once those steps have been completed a viewer is really ready to decide how he feels about the work, whether it appeals to him and the reasons why it does or does not. 

Biographical Statement

I feel that art can take on many forms - some similar in nature, others vastly different.  Each form is individually perceived and impacts each viewer/observer/participant differently.  However, the root of art to me is meaning.  It's about conveying a message to the audience that can then be interpreted and translated in a personal and individual way.  To me, it's all about what the art says to you...for example, how does the music make you feel, what do you think about when watching a dance, what do you see in the colors (or lack thereof) of a painting or drawing?  The answers to each of these questions are uniquely personal which is, in my opinion, what makes art so appealing.  There is no right or wrong answer - simply what you take from the experience and where it leads you as a result. 

I do not consider myself an artist.  Correctly or incorrectly, I find artists to be those individuals who engage in art as a display - a way to express themselves to an audience.  This is not to say that artists don't reap tremendous personal benefit from the art in which they engage as I am sure they do.  However, I think there is a huge difference between an individual who engages in and shares their art with an audience (an artist) and an individual who looks at art or creates art solely for personal enjoyment or gain (appreciation).  I fall firmly into the latter category.  I have a huge appreciation for art and I enjoy a variety of art mediums such as dance, music, theater and photography.  However, my participation in these (and other) art mediums is very limited and occurs solely for my own personal enjoyment.  I found early on that I have a creative nature that allows me to envision and create art in my head but bringing those artistic ideas to fruition proves difficult.  I found that what I saw in my head never really translated to real life quite the way that I expected it to and I had trouble adapting when that happened.  Frustration and irritation would set in which led to many abandoned efforts.  I discovered instead that I found a great amount of joy in observing and enjoying the art of others instead. 

I do make time in my life to attend traditional "art events" as much as I can.  I particularly enjoy music, dance, theater and film so I make time for events such as these.  I have a 7 year old daughter who loves the ballet and the theater so we also attend events together which I enjoy.  We had our traditional annual trip to the Nutcracker this holiday season and I found that I never tire of watching her eyes light up when the Dew Drop Fairy arrives on stage.  I also have a 16 year old son and much of my appreciation for music comes from him.  He is constantly introducing me to new artists which has resulted in a rather eclectic mix of music on my iPod.  Which playlist you will find me listening to is tied directly to my mood and what I'm up to...I am an avid runner and you may find me tuned to Kanye West or T-Pain on one run and to Darius Rucker or Sugarland on another.  Though my time for attending art events is limited as a mother/teacher/student, I have found as I get older that I have begun to notice art around me more instead of it being relegated to simply the events and settings in which it is traditionally found.  For example, I am a teacher of young children and I see art in the work that they do, in the way that they play, the way that they move their bodies and even sing to themselves.  I find that I get a large dose of joy in my life from noticing the beauty and the art of everyday life.   Perhaps this doesn't adhere to the scholar or critic's definition of art but I feel like the definition of art is individual and personal and thus can't be pinned down by one neat and tidy definition.  To me, that may be the beauty of art...because it is largely undefined and left to the viewer's interpretation it is open-ended and ever-changing.