Module 6 // Blog: Video Review

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
Glass/Ceramics video:
In this video I learned that glass is made from sand. I knew this, but I never put the two together for art reasoning or window reasoning. It is a viscous liquid that stiffens when cool. Glass is 60%-65% silica sand in which is composed of silicon dioxide or silica. When blowing glass, they use an object called a marver or wet newspaper to shape molten glass.
In this video, I also learned about how stain glass is made. They showed church like windows that were made out of stain glass and I learned about the process of the making of it. My aunt makes stain glass so I was pretty familiar with the process. The most common process used in making stain glass is lead and glass.
I also learned about ceramics. This topic of the video was the most interesting to me because I do not know much about ceramics and it was quite interesting. I learned that you must you raw materials including clay in order to make ceramics. Clay must be heated from 1100-1400 degrees Celsius in order to harden. The temperature at which clay is hardened to make ceramics is how durable and what kind of ceramics is made. Clay that is heated at 1100 degree Celsius is made for brick floor tiles. Slip is fine ground clay mixed with water that is then cooled in a cast or a mold. Glaze is a coating that makes the final product waterproof and a bit more durable. Ceramics is made not only for art, but for daily use like for medical reasons (hip replacements, teeth, etc.), cars, utilities (sinks, knobs, etc.), and much more. I also learned about architecture and PVB film. PVB film is a layer that goes over windows to make it so it does not shatter if it breaks. If a window with PVB film layered on top of it is hit hard enough to break, it will not shatter everywhere but will stay in place and shatter. This is good for clean up and safety purposes. It is kind of like tempered glass, which is another thing I learned about in this video. Tempered glass is heated at 640 degrees Celsius to make sure it does not break as easily. Typically, this glass is much more expensive but it is because it is made more precisely. Another interesting fact I learned while watching this video was that glass turns green after a while because of the ions breaking down, but glass makers made a solution to this so now glass is supposed to stay clear for life.

Through the Eyes of the Sculptor:
This video allowed me to view the world of sculpting through the eyes of the sculptor. This video focused on the life of sculptor Emmanuel Fillion, who has been sculpting since he was 15 years old. He was a carver before a sculptor. He has done his sculpting in a room that is 12 degrees Celsius. In this video, I learned that sculptors typically use limestone, which is a sedimentary rock that is formed at the bottom of the ocean, to sculpt the majorities of their art. Emmanuel first worked at restoring monuments. I learned at sculptors use plaster or silicone impressions to make the majority of their art. I always thought that sculptors sculpt alone, but they learn in sculpting crews and they teach students. These practices show very precise and detailing of the art.


2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text? 
These videos relate to the readings in the text by showing the types of materials used while creating glass, ceramics, and sculpting. It includes the definitions needed to know the gist of the material. Also, the reading includes artist's work and pictures of examples to show the reader what is what. That is important because the videos relate to the readings of the text giving me the full understanding of the topic.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics: Sculpture, Installation, and Craft?
I like the films a lot because they go in depth of the information needed to understand the topics fully. Using examples and the lives of different artists to show how to make the art is what really helps me fully understand the development of the art. The videos are a little outdated though but I think that is interesting because the information in the videos are still kind of the same in the modern world. Overall, the videos really helped me learn about sculpture, installation, and craft.