Kristin Romberg - Art History

Professor Romberg specializes in contemporary and modern art and has been teaching art history for 3 years at the University of Illinois.

In art history, you can bring all different kinds of disciplines together in order to examine objects and works of art. You can use knowledge from literature, science, linguistics, etc. to connect your observations to the meanings behind art. 

Research is a large part of being an art historian. Professor Romberg spent time at the The Getty Center in Los Angeles studying and doing research for this reason. It contains a museum with high quality works of art, but that is only 1/3 of what goes on at the center. There are also two separate institutes, the conservation institute and the research institute. 

During this time the research revolved around object, value, and canon.

canon - general law or principle that is used to judge something

The presentation of art can help put it into context, so that you can experience it in a more understandable way. Different types of art can also be judged in various ways. If the piece is able to tell a story, we find it more relatable and open to discussion. These stories can help to explain the way the artist viewed the world. Art history works towards crafting a narrative for the art. 

"Never have human beings in any other system felt closer to a common death, and thus never have they seen that on their work depends not only well being for all, but also for each" - Malevich, 1921

What art can we identify with, and what makes the art most effective? 

Introduction

On the first day of class, we were introduced to the various faculty of FAA.
They each gave their insight into how we could make our time at the University of Illinois most successful. Most hit on points about making friends and exploring campus. College is a time to get out there and discover new things. UIUC has many resources for art students, and it's important to take advantage of what you can!

Shock of the New - Episode 4

-This episode focused on architecture

-Chicago was home to most of American Modernism

-Because of the fire in Chicago, architects were able to basically start over

-Architects became obsessed with a utopian-like style

-Mondrian used grids and crosses to create his signature style

-His studio is a significant symbol of American Modernism

-The Modern movement may be over, but the buildings from it still remain
-Utopia cannot be obtained in cities because they are simply too complicated for that

Shock of the New Episode 1

 -This episode focused on how technology impacted art
-The Eiffel tower was shocking and new because the view from it was something many people had never seen before
-Picasso and Brach were both parts of the Modernist movement of art
-Collage linked cubism to the modern world (Picasso and Brach used newspapers, war packets, and other various things to create their art)
-Gris was a large part of the Cubism movement