Tuesday, February 17, 2015

2/17 + Assignment

Drawing 1 -

Last week we began discussing the stylistic differences between historical art movements both in content and and aesthetics.The intention of the following paragraphs is to give you an extremely broad context for certain departures from realistic renderings over the last several centuries. Abstraction is nothing new and is in fact as old as mankind. It has a rich history full of inexhaustible intentions. Please note that I am only attempting to briefly explain the reasons for monumental shifts over the last 500 years that effected western society specifically. This is not intended to explain abstraction or its philosophy but simply to give reasons for stylistic changes within art, specifically painting and sculpture.

In the western world, in centuries prior to the 1400's, art was primarily made as a reflection of spiritual or social constructs made in response to political structures or authoritarian commission. Imagery at times was propagandistic, mythological or decorative in nature and generally portrayed types of abstracted human and animalistic figures.

It wasn't until the European Renaissance that the ideal of representationalism became the focus of artists. The Renaissance was a time of innovation in technology and sciences. During this period their was a turning away from religion (not in theme but in personal practice) and a greater focus on social-interest and the progress of the sciences. Across the board artists had a desire to depict real-life with a sense of awe for the biology of the human form as well as nature & architectures mathematical properties.











Paolo Vernese, The Wedding of Cana

Representationalim is the deptiction of the natural world the way it is seen. In other words, when artists make artwork, they make it with the intention of capturing it accurately.

Several hundred years later (forgive the broad neglect of chronology and progress), with the invention of the camera, artists found reasons to make artwork that focused less on specificity of depiction and more on the "essence of reality". Artist began departing from the literal representation and began abstracting (departure from whats seen and the employment of categorical devices) the natural world around them. Abstraction is art that may or may not refer to reality but strives to represent thoughts, ideas and emotions through the alteration of reality.




Another reason for this evolution was the affordability of painting supplies and the artists freedom from the "commission" work. Artists could make more personal work because they were no longer tied to the demands of other individuals. Artists began experimenting with the placement of forms, color, medium as a reflection of personal thought as well as the excitement of experimentation.



Many artists in the early 20th Century were talented at representationalism but chose or grew into abstraction as a more creative way of expressing ideas. Pablo Picasso is a well-known 20th Century artist that worked in both representationalism and abstraction. See some of his progression and diversity below. Notice how the early work was more representational but over time he abstracted the human form by depicting it with geometric shapes, pattern and eccentric color.























Many contemporaries of Picasso and other abstract artists were not satisfied by using basic abstraction to depict the essence of reality. Artists throughout the last 120 years have departed completely from realism by working in pure abstraction or non-objective styles. Non-objectivism is based on artist pure imagination and creative impulses and has no overt visual connections to reality. Many artists have and continue to use pure abstraction (non-objectivism) as a way of creating work. See some examples below.

It is important to note that each stylistic movement continues to be explored within the context of a contemporary dialog. Artists are constantly recontextualizing, re-working, deconstructing and re-theorizing previous ideas and methods.





Kandinsky, Comp 8






Willem De Koonig








Jackson Pollock working on one of his floor paintings.



Jackson Pollock, #8







ASSIGNMENT: After reading the post, find three images that reflect each of the three stylistic differences (not necessarily from the eras discussed). In the comments section, post a link to each of the three images along with the name of the artist, work and time period.

EXAMPLE:
Artist Name:
Name of Art
Time Period:
Link:

Images can be found by using a search engine or going to museum websites. Below is a list of a few museums that have sites with lots of images.
http://www.moma.org/
http://www.guggenheim.org/
http://www.tate.org.uk/
http://www.googleartproject.com/

8 comments:

  1. --Melissa Markley--
    Artist Name: Jackson Pollock
    Name of Art: Number 14 (Gray)
    Time Period: 1940's
    Link:http://www.jackygallery.com/images/No.%2014%20Gray.jpg

    Artist Name: Pablo Picasso
    Name of Art: Rose
    Time Period: 20th Century
    Link: http://planezen.com/images/wall8/abstract-art-picasso-images-6.jpg

    Artist Name: Sandro Botticelli
    Name of Art: Mars and Venus
    Time Period: 1400's
    Link:http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/upload/img/botticelli-venus-mars-NG915-fm.jpg

    ReplyDelete
  2. Peter Paul Rubens
    The Adoration of the Magi
    1640
    http://www.kmska.be/web//en/collectie/highlights/Aanbidding_koningen.html

    Paul Gauguin
    Portrait of the Artist with the Idol
    1893
    http://www.paintingmania.com/portrait-artist-idol-53_2625.html

    Piet Mondrian
    The Gray Tree
    1912
    http://www.piet-mondrian.org/the-gray-tree.jsp

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thomas Kinkade
    Dedicated to Liberty
    20th Century
    http://thomaskinkade.com/art/dedicated-to-liberty/

    Georgia O'Keefe
    Summer Days
    1930s
    http://www.georgiaokeeffe.net/summer-days.jsp

    Joan Webster Price
    Tower Fantasy
    1980s
    http://www.nelson-atkins.org/collections/objectview.cfm?Start=386&ret=33&objectid=29787&a42cf383461905c-A2F055CD-C05D-52B1-8B0E6FDED7BB9D6D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thomas Kinkade
    Dedicated to Liberty
    20th Century
    http://thomaskinkade.com/art/dedicated-to-liberty/

    Georgia O'Keefe
    Summer Days
    1930s
    http://www.georgiaokeeffe.net/summer-days.jsp

    Joan Webster Price
    Tower Fantasy
    1980s
    http://www.nelson-atkins.org/collections/objectview.cfm?Start=386&ret=33&objectid=29787&a42cf383461905c-A2F055CD-C05D-52B1-8B0E6FDED7BB9D6D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Artist Name: Willem de Kooning
    Name of Art: Woman I
    Time Period: 1950-52
    Link: http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=79810

    Artist Name: Vasily Kandinsky
    Name or Art: Panel for Edwin R Campbell No. 3
    Time Period: 1914
    Link: http://www.moma.org/collection/provenance/provenance_object.php?object_id=78320

    Artist: Raphael
    Name of Art: Madonna & Child Enthroned with Saints
    Time Period: 1504
    Link: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/16.30ab

    ReplyDelete
  6. Artist Name: Willem de Kooning
    Name of Art: Woman I
    Time Period: 1950-52
    Link: http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=79810

    Artist Name: Vasily Kandinsky
    Name of Art: Panel for Edwin R Campbell No. 3
    Time period: 1914
    Link: http://www.moma.org/collection/provenance/provenance_object.php?object_id=78320

    Artist Name: Rapael
    Name of Art: Madonna & Child Enthroned with Saints
    Time period: 1504
    Link: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/16.30ab

    ReplyDelete
  7. jeremy crozier..

    realism...
    artist: raphael
    name of piece:
    era: early 1500
    https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/renaissance-art-Europe-AP/a/raphael-school-of-athens

    abstract
    artist: brianna
    piece: dragon
    era: 2013
    http://bripiart.com/gallery.php

    non-objectivsm...
    artist: Hanni Smigaj
    name: O/Titel
    era: modern
    http://en.artoffer.com/Hanni-Smigaj/O-Titel-1/

    ReplyDelete
  8. Representational
    Artist: Pierre-Auguste Renoir
    Name: Two Sisters (On the Terrace)
    Era:1841-1919
    Link: http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/14655

    Abstract
    Artist: Vincent Van Gogh
    Name: Starry Night
    Era: 1889
    Link: http://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/vincent-van-gogh-the-starry-night-1889

    Pure Abstract
    Artist: Theresa Paden
    Name: Dream Weaver
    Era: 2012
    Link: http://theresapaden.com/works/1475743/dream-weaver

    ReplyDelete