Week 10 My art work this quarter

Untitled

Most of my work has some sort of landscape and space set in reality. This quarter I have been focusing on using texture and organic shapes to create drawings that will express how we see the world and interact with it. For example in this piece the landscape in the background becomes broken into segments. Because of the form in the fore ground with its abstract central form the potential issues are hidden.

Although I have a primary interest in existing sceneries is driven by a desire to record the world as realistically as possible I find myself attracted to modern art. It is works like Aaron Douglas’s ‘Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery Through Reconstruction’ (pg. 1064 Stokstad) that attract me the most. The use of color, texture, shape and form in his work reminds me of this layering affect in breaking up the overall form in segments that are one overall.

Aaron Douglas’s ‘Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery Through Reconstruction’

Each space in this work is leading into another making his work a cohesive peace. It is overall a portion of reality mixed with a fantasy of the ease that would be created by the artist to “commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863”(pg. 1064 Stokstad).  This painting is both a commentary on a huge social change in the United States but it is also work of fantasy.

While his work was speaking to the thought pattern and jubilation that would have accompanied a political and social struggle, my work is just being to try to speak to how we need to observe and respect the natural world.  Color is a huge step for me in art and something that I am working on. I really appreciate how the warm colors of Douglas’ work bring the piece together while representing the feeling being expressed by the figures. We the viewer sees them dancing and playing music. From left to right they are marching from slavery to freedom, although the figures are layered in color making the figures seem to be fading into the past.

You can see the world in its entirety at work as a whole in Douglas’s painting. In my drawing you can see that parts of the world is exposed while others are forever hidden.  This is because although we can see the world as a whole in our daily lives we rarely if ever deal with it all at once.  The world is too big to do that. That does not mean that we should not try.

It is a modern thought that we should treat nature with the respect it deserves and learn to look at it in a new light. Nature and man both deserve freedom. For man freedom has come and is celebrated while for nature that time has yet to come.

Jackson Pollock mini research paper

Schapiro an art historian in the 1957 according to the article written by Barbara Jaffee called Jackson Pollock’s Industrial Expressionism, “asserted further that American Avant-Garde painting, i.e., Abstract impressionism, addressed this charge more vigorously than had any Avant-Garde art movement before it., by formulating techniques that wed intention more closely to expression. Among these, according to Schapiro, were spontaneity and an innovative use of line, exemplified by the allover, linear “signature” of Jackson Pollock’s poured canvases of the late 1940’s.” It is just these lines that are in the painting above by Pollack in ink that we have seen in acrylic paint in some of his more famous works.

Pollock was a man whom believed that art could be about nothing more than lines and segmented lines and the feeling of a work could be expressed with no need to add any other elements of traditional art. He was in fact creating a completely abstract work with little or no symbolism settled into reality. The view can almost but not quite see several characters in the lines and spots of ink on the paper. In the lower foreground it would appear that some animal has died a bloody death while two alien like beings battle over the corpse.

However, looking at this work also forces you to look at the idea that an artist can become one with their work. Pollock believed that he had this symbiotic existence with his work. In the article ‘Mythical Overtones in the work of Jackson Pollock he is quoted as saying, “It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well.” His works are layered one over another making changes as he goes along no thought given to the changes as if they matter not they will be covered and become part of the paintings internal organs you might say.

This ability to get so involved in the work was a way to let the mind go and process the work based entirely on the movements of the body and the lines on the canvas. Pollock was known to walk over the surface of his canvas while he was painting. Using the length of his arm rather than just his hand and wrist to create some of his major canvases and they were major. Our book by Stokstad reveals that another of Pollock’s’ paintings ‘Autumn Rhythm (number 30)’ was 8’ 9” x 17’ 3”. This is a huge work of art all made up of black and white lines on a canvas colored back ground.

Like this ink work on Japanese paper we are seeing a similar color or lack thereof scheme. Done just one year apart we can see that the artist is not held just to the large canvas alone. He is working in the realm of the small as well. There are splatters and drips in both to accompany the simple lines in every direction.  They both seem to have a narrative and yet there is no written word or clear symbols in these works. There is the emotional and physical expression on canvas that conveys the feelings of the artist at the moment in time when the art is being created.

Unlike other artists Pollock is not using recognizable images in his work. The work is timeless and can be numbered as no two are alike. The images discussed in this paper are examples that are without color, 2 or 3 dimensionality, realistic symbolism or it would seem a central focus. They are complete works that study movement. And it is movement that made these paintings possible.

In conclusion, I found the work of Pollock very interesting. The colored drip or poured paintings by this artist are a dazzle of stunning color. That being said I found that the lines and their overlapping presence gives a wonderful one dimensional perspective on what is art. These painting are ones that I could stare at for hours and do not believe that I could find the starting point for the very first or the ending point of the very last line. As striking as they are timeless these pieces will always be appreciated in the art world. Goes to show what lines in painting can do.

Works cited

Image

Untitled by Jackson Pollock. http://img.artknowledgenews.com/files2009b/Jackson_Pollock_Untitled.jpg

Articles

Jackson Pollock’s Industrial Expressionism. Barbara Jaffee.  JSTOR. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4134506?&Search=yes&searchText=jackson&searchText=pollock&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3Ffilter%3Djid%253A10.2307%252Fj100093%26Query%3Djackson%2Bpollock%26Search.x%3D0%26Search.y%3D0%26wc%3Don&prevSearch=&item=2&ttl=328&returnArticleService=showFullText

Mythical Overtones in the Work of Jackson Pollock.Edward Levine and Jackson Pollock.Art Journal
Vol. 26, No. 4 (Summer, 1967), pp. 366-368+374(article consists of 4 pages).Published by: College Art Association.

Art History / Stokstad Marilyn and Michael W. Cothren; contributors, Fredrick M. Asher . . .[eg al.].—4^th ed.  Prentice Hall 2011. Pages 

Week 8 Duchamp

In the lecture it was discussed how the “readymades” by Duchamp were considered not art by critics throughout his lifetime and that he had to defend the works by explaining their conceptual significance. I found it very interesting the argument made that by taking the items and removing them from their natural environment or use he was creating art that required you to look at it in a different light. Does it really change just because you put it on the display table in a gallery or does it change because you cause it to no longer be useful?

Take for instance the “Fountain” (pg. 1038 Stokstad). It is the removal from the natural environment for this particular item that makes it so ridiculous and the uproar that it caused that makes it down right funny. Yes, this item could be put into the proper environment and it would no longer be a piece of art. It can be broken and easily replaced. In a sense it can died and be reborn. After all, the artist would be able to pick up another sign it and hand it over for a reasonable price it is essentially mass produced. And it is this mass production with little or no significant changes that brings its status as art into question.

He makes the argument that it is not about who made the item itself it is about how the artist deals with the item. It is the thought put into the piece, the time taken to choose a particular one, and how the artist treats the piece respectfully. It is this argument that seems to hold the most sway.  By giving the artist the right to exhibit the item that new thought placement and conceptualizing the idea of using it for something it was not intended he gave the viewer a new way to look at the world.

This piece has a sick form of humor and is surreal in such a way as to make us take a closer look at a part of life we would rather not deal with. We find it socially unacceptable to discuss our bodily functions. This piece was rejected just based on this reasoning alone and it opened up the discussion what is art, who decides what is art, and who is allowed to call themselves an artist. By exploring these questions something that we are doing even today we are becoming more and more educated about how much further art can go and in what directions can it be taken.  

In taking the risk of using readymade objects and forcing the art community to take a closer look at the world around them and why they make art. Duchamp opened our eyes to the concept of art being more than just about the work but about the idea that brought it into being. As funny as that may sound we are still looking and wondering if this is really art or if Duchamp was pulling one over on us. In my personal opinion I think that it is the artist that decides if a work is art. Also when it comes to readymade or found objects I think that the artist should be careful to consider the concept for the item as well as the idea they have in mind. It could come to pass that you will be fortunate and have your thoughts link up with the ideas of what makes us human and how do we live our lives or you could end up with people arguing over your work if it is conceptually art or not.

Week 6 Gauguin

For the purposes of this blog about Gauguin’s painting, “The Yellow Christ” we can begin by discussing reference, then deference, and finally difference. It could be argued that Gauguin spent a great deal of time exploring the status of the artist and making a comparison to the importance of the common man having the image of God in the form of his son.

Gauguin’s painting, “The Yellow Christ” is a balance of warm and cool colors and from the man leaving in the background the viewer gets the feeling that the artist is implying that Christ will never be taken down. We have three women in the fore ground surrounding the figure with heads bowed in prayer. There is no blood, no gore. The viewer is able to see the symbolic wounds without the guilt of seeing the suffering as in many other works of Christ’s crucifixion. In this field of warm yellows and reds our figures are dressed in whites and blues providing a cooling effect. Reflected in the background in the greens and purples of the hills this is only a temporary feeling however. As there is a great deal more warmth than these hits of cool colors can balance.

By painting himself as the main figure of this work Gauguin is referring to one of the most important moment in Christian beliefs and using himself according to our text as the model. Gauguin is known for his use of his own image in his work and this is a very modern concept. By placing himself as Christ in human form he is implying that he is a, “superior being underpinned the notion of the artist as a courageous ‘independent’ struggling against a philistine public.” This was once a condition of the avant-garde artist.

We have the deference to the impressionist artists in the quick strokes, bright colors, and lack of anatomical correctness that was seen in realist works. The landscape in the background is only minimally in formed and the colors seem to bleed one into another. Aurier discussed the concept of ‘Decorative’ which talks about the distortion of the background in a work. It can be argued that this system of values has a greater quality to add distance in this work. Taking the otherwise flattened form of Christ on the cross and giving him weight.

The main difference is that Gauguin is trying to express a depth of feeling for the romantic side of religion. Where we can leave the blood and gore behind and focus on the gift given to us in this act. We have the opportunity to walk away and the artist expresses this in the distance of the field where we see the man climbing over the wall as if to say I do not care or cannot be bothered.

We are reminded in reference to our connection with the almighty, the deference in using impressionist styles, and the difference of the decorative space created in the background that modern artists are interested in proving why we should pay attention to their work. 

Caillebotte and modernity

There are 3 main characteristics working together to influence Caillebotte’s work toward the modernity style. They are isolation, gender roles, and perspective distortion. These characteristics can be seen clearly in many of his paintings. For the purpose of this discussion we will focus on his Floorscrapers 1875.

Here we see three men working seemingly together to accomplish the task at hand. Yet there is one man that is on his own in the middle to background of the painting. He is working alone paying attention to only the floor and the scraper. His two companions are it would appear working while conversing with each other. On the right side of the painting we can see the bottle and glass displayed that would have made this job more tolerable. It is also isolated in the scene as the men are working away from it and the viewer. This direction of travel also gives the viewer the impression of being isolated as they are not a part of the limited interactions of the men.

 These men are depicted in a woman’s domain they are working indoors while being painted by a male artist at a time when only female artists painted domestic scenes in the home and men were commonly painted out of doors, at work or play. The men are nude from the waist up and although the artist did not paint the men in an idealized anatomical style he painted them true to life. This gender role reversal and the realism in this painting of a realistic scene bespeak modernity.

The long lines on the floor from the men working with the scrapers along with the closely cropped scene cause the perspective to be expanded and distorted. According to the reading and our lecture the artists of this time were interested in Japanese prints and this distortion of perspective can be partially attributed to this. Another reason could be the near photographic style of the painting. The scene gives additional room for the men to occupy. However, this painting would not be the same without the space that is created by the distorted perspective as it would have the feeling of being cramped and crowded.

The “Floorscrapers” is a beautiful painting that gives a feeling of being smooth and complete while depicting the task for what it really is hard labor. It uses isolation to describe how we are all together but each of us live our own lives separately and alone. We interact to accomplish daily tasks and earn our keep but in reality when the day is over we may not be friends. By exploring gender roles in an indoor setting showing the men on their knees doing the hard labor we get to see the other side of daily life for the poor. Combined with an distorted perspective we can get close up without losing the space of an empty room. Since the brush strokes are smooth and the daily reality is being exposed this painting is a clear study in what it means to be modern.

Monet and Manet Festival paintings

The first thing that I notice is the colors are very similar when the paintings are looked at side by side it is as if both men were dipping their brushes into the same palette of paint. Then my eye is drawn to the movement that is so hurried pulling the viewer into the background. Monet’s paint is movement and feeling personified. The open sky is pushing the back ground down into the painting and your eye follows the crowd. This and the moving flags cause the effect of the painter being high above the street painting quickly to catch the movement below.

Manet’s painting on the other hand gives us a view that could only occur before the storm of movement on Monet’s. There are clean streets and the only human close to the painter is a disabled man on crutches. There are buggies in movement and one parked by the road. We see people walking down the street and the image is painted at ground level in comparable calm. Each of these paintings is treated differently by the artist. Each seems to have a very different idea of the meaning of this festival. Manet is quiet and speaks to the beginning or end of the day when the rest of the world is safely ensconced into their homes for the most part safe and sound. Monet shows the rush of humanity that is involved in the festivities.

The flags in both paintings seem to splash color but in Monet’s painting the color is pushed and pulled by the wind. It is as if Mother Nature herself had come to have a good time as well. Manet uses the flags more judicially to show depth and push the viewer back down to the nearly empty street and its few occupants. It is the cold blues in Manet’s painting that give an impress of the calm that comes when the world is at rest.

We can see the light and dark shadows in the paintings that show the movement of time in the day. In Monet’s painting the largest shadows are on the right side of the work and Manet’s work they are coming from the left. This passage of time is tracked by the light of the sun as these are paintings of the out of doors. It is the depth of the shadows closest to the buildings that give Monet the perception of a deep depth between the artist and the street.

I really like the painting by Monet because the movement invites the viewer to join in the fun. One gets the feeling that they are there as swept along with the participants. There is the warmth of the sun, the rush of the crowds, and windows that appear to be overflowing with flags. The patriotism being shown in this scene is a little overwhelming. Manet created a work that invites the viewer to stop and contemplate the stillness of the street before him. There is movement but it is not the central figure in this work it is a partner to the nearly deserted location. People are not rushing about neither are they in a great hurry and patriotism can be saved for another day or those that are wealthy enough to afford it.

These two paintings are very interesting when looked at side by side. They have a lot to say about the importance to movement to create a work that speaks to how we should feel and perhaps do feel about the world around us. When we are moving we are working together to make life work. 

Week 3 Impressionism Claude Monet

Claude Monet’s Impression: Sunrise

To quote our book by Stokstad and Cothern on page 984, “While their exhibition received some positive reviews, one critic, Louis Leroy, writing in the satirical journal Charivari, seized upon the title of Monet’s painting Impression: Sunrise (SEE FIG. 30-26 page 985), and dubbed the entire exhibition “impressionist.” Leroy sought to ridicule the fast, open brushstrokes and unfinished look of some of the paintings, but Monet and his colleagues liked the name and kept it as it aptly described their aim to render the fleeting moment in paint.” This is a great credit for a work of art to claim. And it is these very brushstrokes and unfinished look that makes this painting so truly an impressionist work of color and light.

The viewer does not even notice at the very first look that this painting appears to be a color blocking for the real modeled work. It is not the lack of refinement that makes the viewer either stop and stare, or walk quickly away. This is not because the work is clearly incomplete to the realist eye it is the colors that do this little trick. The way the colors interact with the light how the density of the shadows give a flat appearance to the overall work. This unfinished state is perfect for the intense effect on the viewer that causes the bones to become chilled with the new day.

The colors of this painting run a chill up your spine. You can feel the intense cold created by the blues and greens. The world is just beginning to come to life again and it is bitterly cold. The travelers on the boats in near blackness are no more than shape and shadow do nothing to alleviate the impression of freezing temperatures. The blue and green in the sky and waters create a mist which deepens into a fog. You’re lost and alone in the cold.

Your eyes are attracted to the one promise of warmth in the painting that is the coming of the sun. It is this red, yellow, orange orb and its streak across the water that begins to ting the sky with the faintest of peach coloring. Telling the viewer the day will be warm and here on the water just might not be such a bad place to be. But what truly make the colors work is not how cold or warm the viewer is made to feel it is the light that is captured at that moment in time. There is no true white or black in this painting so you are forced to accept the shading that hints at the structure of the world in the distance. These values that are captured in the gaining light bring the colors to life.

It is the quick loose stokes of the brush that allowed for Monet to capture the different tones and hues of light as it began to spread out from the dawning of the sun. On the right where the sun is most bright in the sky we seen the beginnings of the dark shadows hold their ground against the coming light. These structures start to tell their shape and use because of the ability to paint in the outdoors. These lights were truly from the sun in the sky not some memory or snapshot. Although the edges run off of the canvas leaving the viewer at a strange angle to the composition.

The composition is a perspective of great expanse yet it is visually flatter than it should or could have been at any other time of day. Shapes are vague lines or splotches of color there is no realism in this work the artist is interested in the light alone. In the foreground there is an impression for the eye of the waves in the water. Even they only speak to the lights, darks and shades of gray in between that this brilliant color scheme speaks so clearly. With the coming of the light into the world comes color and the dark of night begins to wash away. The world begins to become recognizable again.

This lack of completion and loose brush strokes that apply one color against the next in no certain pattern are the telling marks of impressionism. The study of light and color in this work are helped by an ability to work en plein air thanks to a new invention the oil paint tube. Monet captured the moment in time when the world was just being to be born again in color and light. No more than a mere impression of the day at its beginning.