(will be graded as part of final exam grade)

_{Use this webpage to complete your blog! This is required work for all Exploring Art students. Please respond to all parts of the blog. Remember to RESTATE THE QUESTION so it is clear what you are answering.}

_{To complete this assignment, you may:} 

_{1. Type your answer in Microsoft Word, print it out and submit to Mrs. Pone on or before the due date.}

_{2. Type your answer in Microsoft Word, copy and paste your response to an email to Mrs. Pone at jpone@bordentown.k12.nj.us and send on or before the due date.}

_or

_{3. You may write NEATLY in your sketchbook and submit to Mrs. Pone with your sketchbook drawings at the end of the month.}

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(Use .pdf file below for images of Any Goldsworthy's artwork)

MAY Blog
Andy Goldsworthy is an environmental artist who creates art with only the objects that surround him in nature. Goldsworthy states that he makes art because he cares so deeply about the environment; thus, his artworks have no negative impact on the natural world it inhabits (i.e. he does not use glue or foreign objects that will deteriorate or litter the landscape).

Goldsworthy’s environmental artworks do not have a distinct message; however, all of them seem to glorify the beauty in nature, creating a sense of wanting to preserve it. His artworks usually mimic organic forms in nature such as spirals, circles and eggs and are made from natural materials such as rocks, sticks, leaves and snow when it is available.

While making these sculptures, Goldsworthy usually runs into obstacles in nature, such as harsh winds, changing temperatures, and incoming tides throughout the day. These obstacles are welcome by Goldsworthy, as he feels the natural tensions and balances in nature will inevitably destroy his sculptures over time; thus providing a life cycle to his artworks.

Goldsworthy’s art also reflects the human attitude toward the environment and how little most people seem to care for it. Many people find his work not only beautiful, but a profound message in environmental preservation. Other people look at his art only for the visual experience of it and gather no meaning at all. Some people think that what he does is not really art because he is using found objects in nature and simply rearranging them.

Because most of his works are impermanent and cannot be displayed in a gallery, photography remains the easiest way for the public to view his work.

Please answer the following questions:

Some people believe that what Andy Goldsworthy does with nature is not really art because he is not making anything, but rearranging what is already there. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Do you think your experience with Goldsworthy’s artwork would be different if you saw his actual sculptures in nature? Or as photographs in a museum? Would you like his sculptures any more or less?

What messages do you think Andy Goldsworthy is trying to convey in his artwork?

Compare and contrast the artists Banksy and Andy Goldsworthy. Do you see any specific similarities and/or differences? What are some connections that you could make between each artists' artworks and/or processes?

_{Use this webpage to complete your first blog of the semester! This is required work for all Exploring Art students. Please respond to all parts of the blog. Remember to RESTATE THE QUESTION so it is clear what you are answering.}

_{To complete this assignment, you may:} 

_{1. Type your answer in Microsoft Word, print it out and submit to Mrs. Pone on or before the due date.}

_{2. Type your answer in Microsoft Word, copy and paste your response to an email to Mrs. Pone at jpone@bordentown.k12.nj.us and send on or before the due date.}

_or

_{3. You may write NEATLY in your sketchbook and submit to Mrs. Pone with your sketchbook drawings at the end of the month.}

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Jeff Koons, "Three Ball Total Equilibrium Tank (Two Dr J Silver Series, Spalding NBA Tip-Off)", 1985 Sold for $3.7 November 2011.


“How much is that?” or “How much is that worth?” are popular questions students ask, especially when teaching contemporary art. As an art teacher, it is often embarrassing to admit that the piece in question recently sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. (In the case of the above, Jeff Koons’ “Three Ball Total Equilibrium Tank” sold for 3.7 million dollars a few years ago). Inevitably, students will then exclaim something along the lines of, “What?! That is outrageous! How can three basketballs in a fish tank cost more than our house?!”

But it is important to talk about the cost of art vs. what art is worth or why people value art differently. While it will not make it easier to explain a seemingly random collection of objects that sells for half a million dollars, it certainly gets us to think from the opposite end of things.

So this month, here are some questions that may encourage you to think differently about the price, cost, and even the value of works of art.

Please answer the following questions:
1. How do you think artists come up with prices for their work?
2. What kinds of things should an artist consider when pricing a work of art?
3. As a student, if you had to price a work of art for your first group exhibit, how would you decide on that price?
4. What makes certain works of art cost so much more, or less, than others?
5. Describe the relationship, if there is one, between cost and value.
6. Is there a work of art or particular object that you would consider “priceless”? If so, what makes this object hold such enormous value?