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The attention to detail in  Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum painting is truly incredible. It is cool that you have been there. I was wondering what would motivate someone to dedicate so much time into that painting. I speculated that he must have had some kind of personal connection to the museum or at minimum a deep appreciation for its value. Haven been inside it, can you speculate in a more educated way what may have motivated Estes to create this beautiful work of art?

Week 11 Chapter 31

As the modern day approaches art was continuing to change in many ways. In the 1960’s, with the development of photography, Super Realism began to gain popularity among artists. Artist Chuck Close is a well known artists of this style. He used grids to transform pictures into paintings.I think that his style of art is very creative. He blends photography and painting together by using aspects from both. This style is very cool as it combines the things that make each interesting. It has the realism of photography while also using the color and creativity of painting. Another Super-Realist artist was Richard Estes. Estes was a prominent oil painter whose works almost seem identical to actual photographs. His painting, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, is a great example of this. His attention to detail is amazing. The sidewalk wear and damage almost makes this seem like it can’t be a painting. He also does a great job in showing shadow. I also like this painting a lot because I’ve been to the Guggenheim Museum before, so it is interesting to me on a personal level.

While Super-Realism painters were getting a lot of credit for their work, sculptors were also still a prominent part of the art style. Sculptor Duane Hanson made many sculptures that are often taken for real people. Hanson’s sculptures are very impressive. His sculpture Cowboy of 1995 shows just how good he really was. His sculptures almost feel like live photography if that makes sense. It feels like you’re actually able to explore and truly observe something in its natural being. Overall, Super-Realism made sense at this point in time. Photography provided a very real picture to compete with, while also providing some help to artists who use models. Super-Realism gave art a real look while also maintaining  the creativity that was there in the past.

Around this time, other forms of art were also being produced. Gilbert and George were performers who made themselves into “living sculptures”. They did this by doing the average fake statue tricks that are commonly seen in big cities, except they were the first to do it, along with many other original ideas that were implemented. I think it’s really cool that they began to become their art. Performance art is always interesting as it is very diverse in its possibilities. It can implement different artistic values like music, painting, dance, etc.. Due to this variety, the messages were also varied as there were many possibilities. While Gilbert and George didn’t have to many serious themes to their act, artists like Laurie Anderson did. Many of the messages included political and social themes. Architecture of the time was also changing. Postmodern architecture was gaining popularity at the time. Postmodern architecture combined styles of the past with new styles to create a unique vision. Charles Moore was a postmodern architecture who created Piazza d’Italia. This build is very unique as it is lit up by many different neon colors that highlight different architectural styles. Overall, this time period provided many new themes while also taking heed of those of the past. As it did with history, art did with technology. When technology advanced, art was right with it changing along side.

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Chapter 31

Chapter 31

 Chapter 31 introduces us to a return to realism. Artist were finding innovating ways to capture the image of life with a creative spin. New realism is vastly different from the realism we covered earlier in the book. It appears that the self-motivation continues to prosper with time. Power motivation is rarely seen throughout the chapter. This captures the true nature of creativity and emotion from the artist. Without a secondary motivator, we can really see the artist in the art.

I found it completely shocking how Richard Estes constructed his photograph recreation of the “The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum” so lifelike. He used oil on canvas and yet it looks suddenly similar to a photograph. I continue to wonder what motivated him to paint this piece. I assume he admired the museum not only for its architectural qualities but most likely for its contents and value to the community as well. It seems like he took a lot of time to make the piece so perfect.

Some of the things I found most interesting were the sculptures. Duane Hanson was able to create a life-like cowboy figure out of polyester resin. I would not have known this sculpture from a real life human. It looks like it was almost a competition to see how realistic your art could be. These artists spend countless hours perfecting every single detail. I would never have the patients to do something like that. I always think back to the video about I could do that, and the truth is I could never compete with this level of realism. Years and years of practice would not allow me to create a piece like this. I appreciate this type of art because of the particular attention to detail that is involved in its creation.

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Hey thanks for sharing. It is awesome that you have done an action painting in the past. I also related that part of the book to the film. Our opinions did not align exactly, but that is why I wanted to reblog you. You said that no two paintings could be the same, which I totally agree with. I was wondering how much skill do you think it took to create your painting? Could you post your painting? I truly admire people that go out of their way to create these works of art. I think I lack the creative motivation and skill required.

Chapters 29 and 30

Chapter 29 is all about Mid-Century American Abstraction. Before even reading this chapter, I was excited because I really enjoy abstract art. Paris was the center of the art world around 1940, but then fell to the Nazis and later New York became the center of the art world. Which, when you think about art even today, 78 years later, New York still revolves around art! On page 521, Action Painting is shown, and I have actually myself done a painting just like that, I did not know it was called action painting. It’s pretty much when you take paint of a brush and flick it onto your canvas, or whatever you are painting on. Jackson Pollock called this the Drip Technique, using his whole body to help him paint. Though we watched the video about “I could do this” last week, this week also goes along with that video. Abstract paintings look like they can be easily done, but in reality no painting will ever look exactly the same. On page 525, you see the painting from Williem De Kooning, called Woman and Bicycle. All I could see at first was the face, but if you think about  it you can see the bicycle. There are also Sculptures that show abstract art.

Chapter 30 goes into Pop Art, Op Art, Minimalism and Conceptualism. Pop art was included and grew larger with everyday life and mass media. The artwork on page 534, by Richard Hamilton, called “Just what is it makes today homes so different, so appealing?” Before reading anything about it, I thought it looked like something that was made by a lot of us when we were younger, at least me anyways. It looks like how you would cut something out of a magazine and tap it onto something else, to make your own collage. This art piece actually inspired the term “Pop”, which I never knew. Artwork in the late 1950 took a lot of your tradition art inspiration and put it together with everyday objects. On page 536, there is a print called Retroactive I by Robert Rauschenberg. This print reflects pop art and has so much to do with what was happening at that time. It shows JFK, an astronaut and other current events. Andy Warhol created american icons, including Coca-Cola bottles, Heinz boxes, comic books, stamps, dollar bills and much more. So when you look at everything that has a label, you can actually see artwork in some way. Designing products is still around today, you see it a lot on soda bottles. Recently Dr. Pepper has been putting artwork on each different bottle. Art from history influences art today as seen on page 538, in the painting Great American Nude by Tom Wesselmann. It is a connection to Sleeping Venus but Giorgione; the one from history is more realistic, and you can see the ladies face, but the one from more recently, is abstract showing only the woman’s lips on her face. There is a lot more in this chapter that I could write about, such as Op Art. But throughout these chapters you mainly just focus on abstract art in today’s culture, and how it can connect to history.

Adams, Laurie. A History of Western Art. 5th ed., McGraw-Hill, 2011

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Chapters 29 & 30

In Mid-Century America we continue to see abstract art blossom. It is interesting to see art schools popping up. Art used to be taught by an experienced artist to an apprentice. Art apprenticeship was reserved for men and few women who were relatives. With the popularity of art schools in America, more people were able to learn art. I think this allowed for additional creativity and personally motivated art work. Politics, power, and religion were continuing to loosen their grasps on the art community. When freedom sets fire to art, beautiful creations with a deeper meaning are the results.

My next thought relates back to the film “I Can Do That.” I enjoy wondering what the artist was trying to express through abstract painting. I am still finding it difficult to understand the definition of skill as demonstrated through these art works. That does not mean I do not enjoy them. Action painting is a unique style, but the case cannot be made that every stroke, action, and flick of the wrist is accurately intentional. Much of this art is left to the fate of medium. I find the justification difficult to comprehend. I appreciate the art because it expresses so much emotion, the motivation comes from the heart of the artist, and it is powerful.

Color field art is more complicated for me to understand. It seems cleaner and more organized than the previous. It uses distinguishes in color to create eye appealing works. The art seems to express less emotion than other abstract art. Because of this, I have less of an appreciation for it.

In the 1950’s “Pop Art” combated the abstract culture. This art is exactly what I think of when I think of that period of time. Even though pop art originated in England I think of images from the typical 50’s era American diner. This art was motivated by the changing culture of the time. People were happy and excited to grow. This attitude reflected in the representations of their world. Pop art captured history as it happened. It reflected what was happening on the political front. Art portrayed popular media outlets. Film media was becoming popular during this time.

I continue to enjoy the evolution of art. It is joyful to know that art grew out of the grasp of powerful motivation. It is unfortunate to, then, realize that eventually the powerful would realize the importance of art as a persuasion tool. I may be eluding that the definition of art becomes relaxed to include media of all types. Even having that be the case, I still enjoy the evolution of art and am appreciative for the continuing expression of creativity. My lack in creativity creates a larger respect for the individuals that have this talent.

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I guess I didn’t make the connection. I don’t see how the video made that many points to everyday life. I could, however, agree that most people could not exactly copy art. This opinion is relative. There are some pieces that could likely be copy by many. Again, the relativity and large factor count leave little to be debated. We simply can’t answer these questions because we lack the date and a way to collect it, among other things. Is credit always due to the artist though, or in part to previous works and status accrued from them? An example of this could be, how contemporary music artist have good songs, but then also have bad songs that get played on the radio. These songs ride off the popularity of the good songs and the accrued fame of the artist. Could this be the case in other forms of art as well?

Blog Ch 27 & 28

I fully enjoyed the video, “I Could Do That”. The video made so many connections to everyday life and experience that sometimes the book fails to do. I completely agree with the fact that people who say they could copy the piece of art, are most likely wrong. I have an even stronger believe that the original idea and thought behind the art piece is more important than the final project itself. So, if these people believe they can copy another artist, good for them, but they still were not the thoughtful person who came up with the famous idea in the beginning. Credit is still due to the artist.

           Another part of the video that really spoke to me was the part about the two clocks. There was so much more of a story when they actually talked about the background information of the artists who presented this idea. Both his relationship and politics were imbedded into the art even though one wouldn’t know that by just looking at the two clocks. It’s strange to me how there can be so much underlying meaning to such simple things like two clocks on a wall. It helps me remember that there is always more information that I don’t know, and I need to keep that in mind before I make conclusions.

           There was so many new artists that took on a new approach to art in the twentieth century. They began to repurpose materials that most would not. Industrialization had a greater impact on art than most people know. The art of photography could have completely diminished the skill of painting because some people didn’t understand why someone would paint something if they could just take a picture of it. This style of art was known as Cubism. To me, this takes a lot more imagination than previous styles of art that were much more realistic.

           The art of collages is one of my absolute favorites. I love how artistic can take different shapes and materials and turn them into amazing art pieces. I feel this takes a lot of skill. As I can tell, many of the pieces from chapter twenty-seven could fit into the category of collages somewhat. Most of the pieces used different materials, shapes, or colors blended together to create art.

           Chapter twenty-eight included the art following World War I. The period of Dada began, and this was a time where artists wished to start over. I think this is the best attitude the artists could have had as a while group. This period of time really displays the sort of “out there” art that I find interesting. I find it interesting because by just looking at the piece, I see no meaning but behind all of the chaos, there is always a story. I like this because I can create my own meaning of the piece before I understand the artist’s point of view. My favorite piece from these chapters is, Alberto Giacometti’s Large Standing Woman III. I like this sculpture because beyond the very thin, unrealistic woman, is a story. The sculpture is based off royal figures of ancient Egypt which immensely influenced Giacometti as an artist. I think when someone can connect art to a personal experience, it means a lot more to everyone in the end.

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Chapters 27 & 28

The video “I Could Do That’ gave me a new and interesting perspective on art. My perception of simple art is a foundation for my lack of appreciation for it. This video spoke about me, to me. I didn’t have a high appreciation for a lot of art because I never admired the effort that went into it. I don’t think the video changed my mind entirely. I can’t really connect on all her points. I don’t yet understand why it takes a professional to create some of the example. She supports one of her points by saying, “They’re fricking awesome scribbles,” which doesn’t persuade me to think it takes a professional or that any of her points were valid. She allures that every mark is intentional, premeditated, and perfectly executed. While that may very well be the case, she fails to provide enough evidence that it is. I can appreciate it more by utilizing some of her suggested thought processes about the environmental affects projected into the art. Other than that, I don’t think I can look at some of the simpler work with as great of an appreciation as the work that displays an obvious abundance of skill. This conclusion could be brought about by my lack of creativity and technical mindset. I do have a high appreciation for simple and modern architecture and style found throughout my natural environment. I would not visit a museum to see these pieces on display. Art for me is more about the history than the piece itself.

 In my chapter review this week, I concentrate on my developing opinion about art. The changes we see during this period are truly drastic. They make me think more about the purpose of them, especially after viewing the video. The art seems to not have any political, power, or noticeably other motivation besides self-expression. That is what I truly appreciate about art. So far, my opinion varies. Some of the art really makes me think while other pieces have me wondering how they made it into an art museum. Picasso was a curious fellow. His painting of ladies of the night and the history behind it is interesting. The driving power behind this piece seems to be his own interest. The book features another piece of his, “Study with Seven Figures,” that makes me question how it came to be published. It looks to me like a moderately skilled high school doodler could have drawn it. That opinion may be because I have shallow taste. I find greater joy in the abstract looking pieces. Picasso’s piece, “Guernica” really makes me think. I enjoy art that does that. The painting depicts war and hardship. I would not have guessed the meaning without reading the book. It is interesting that he used his skill to protest war in Spain. Futurism is interesting because, like most of Picasso’s work, it makes me think and want to understand the meaning. With the inventions of new media forms, art seemed to lose the political, powerful, and religious based motivation. People were expressing truly themselves. I enjoyed Aaron Douglas’ piece that represented the evolution of civil rights for African Americans. This piece was motivated by the events occurring at the time. I imagine that this piece could continue to evolve. I was puzzled by the art as I continued through chapter 28. I could not understand how a piece like “The Dance” could be considered art. Art continues to confuse me.

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Week 8 Research Blog

For this post I decided to research South American art from the early 20th century. Latin American was vastly different from the states at the time. They were far more culturally developed and lead completely different lives. Art from this period depicts their lives in a realistic form. It shows the struggles of everyday life. This included an agriculturally based society. The temperatures were hot and humid which made survival increasingly difficult. To remedy the hardships, they played music. Portraits from the time depict people with instruments. The art displays a history of life in South America during the early 1900’s.

Famine, war, and fatigued played a gruesome role in their lives. These factors seem to prevalent in the art. There are depictions of war, and death. People lay dead on the ground in several paintings. They appeared to have been conquered. The early 20th century was plagued by wars of Independence throughout South America. Countries were fighting for their freedom from Spain, and Central American countries.

The history of 20th century South America does not seem to have many commonalities with the post-impressionism era. Life was full of challenges for these people. The art work did not express the same kind of emotions. The art depicted the struggles they faced. These were not politically or religiously motivated. They were motivated out of desperation for their situation.

 “South America, 1900 A.D.–present.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New     York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–  http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=11&region=sa (October 2004

Blogger, Guest. “The Biggest Wars in South American History.” WAR HISTORY ONLINE, 5 June 2017, www.warhistoryonline.com/history/4-biggest-wars-south-american-history.html.

Dr. Maya Jiménez, "Latin American art: an introduction," in Smarthistory, April 3, 2016, accessed July 10, 2018, https://smarthistory.org/latin-american-intro/.

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In my post I discussed interpretations of art. It is unique and interested how art from this period could so easily be interpreted in different ways. Much of the art that came before it had distinct meanings. This period had vague and loose definition. That to me makes it more interesting. It shows much more creativity and emotion when the artist is motivated by none other than their own mind.

Week Eight

This week we are looking at the Post-Impressionism and the early twentieth century periods. Post-Impressionists were drawn to bright colors and distinctive brushstrokes. The only difference between Impressionists and Post-Impressionists is that Post-Impressionists forms do not dissolve, their edges are relatively clear.

I found it interesting that two different trends popped up during the Post-Impressionism period. There were paintings that exemplified formal and structural values and there were paintings that explored emotional content. Paul Cezanne was one who followed the structural values. In his painting, Still Life With Apples, there is a definite value there. To me, I have always heard the saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ This shows that apples are obviously good and you want to eat them so you do not have to go to the doctor, but the way Cezanne created it was totally different. Cezanne made the apples be seen as the forbidden fruit, like they are in the Garden of Eden. I found it interesting to read about the different interpretations we have because that is what art is all about. Vincent van Gogh was one of the artists who explored emotional content. I am sure that we have all heard of Vincent van Gogh because he is one of the most famous artists ever. I have personally loved the painting, A Starry Night, forever. It has always intrigued me to look at all the aspects of it and try to develop my own understanding. I had so much fun reading about this painting because I like it so much. I did not know that van Gogh was in a mental asylum while he painted it. My favorite part about this painting is that it is painted in lines. This makes it flows so well together and it seems so magical.

There were different groups that were created during this time that wanted to go against the norm. This was the symbolists and the expressionists. The symbolists explored their imaginations more and were drawn to mythological creatures. The expressionists used bright colors to create mood and emotion. My favorite painting out of both of these groups was Several Circles by Vassily Kandinsky. I liked this painting because to me it represented the solar system and I really enjoy learning about that. You could interpret this painting in many different ways, which is really cool about it.

The symbolists and expressionists reminded me a little bit of our society today. In our world, we all know that there is a ton of pollution. It has just become part of our daily lives. There are people who do not care if our environment is getting trashed and then there are people who want to try to stop the pollution. I feel like the symbolists and expressionists represent those who want to stop pollution. They have gone against the norm and they want to do something to make our world a better place. I find it amazing how we can compare so much in such different time periods. We will always need these people who go against the norm so we can continue making our world a better and diverse place.

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Week 8

Change is once again present towards the end of the 19th century. Environmental factors weighed heavily on the purpose of art. The meaning of art has changed several times throughout the chapters so far. I am not sure yet if art is for entertainment, persuasion, information, or a mix of all these factors. It could be that art is all about perception, and that the meaning is different for everybody or from piece to piece. It may be that I am simply drawing conclusions on assumptions about the artist intent. Maybe the product of art isn’t even the intent of the artist at all, but rather the motivating factors behind it.

As we begin chapter 25 we see what appears to be a variation of realism. Real people doing real things are depicted in the oil paintings. The oil paintings display people in their natural settings, enjoying life. Portraits become popular. I always wondered when it become pretentious to have a self portrait hanging in your home. I presume the amount of “self-portraits” we take on our cell phones these days must account for being more pretentious than an oil painted self-portrait. The post impressionism period continued to develop the use of art for advertising. This process eventually transformed the technique into less of an art form and more of a nuisance. The growing popularity of self portraits relays a message in itself. Self portraits are motivated by one self. There is usually no exterior influences to paint a self-portrait. The influence on art must have been slowing down or letting up. People began to focus on themselves and the environment rather than what somebody else wanted them to paint.

As we continue through chapter 25 we see the religious influence has faded further. Art has not faded away from religion completely and may never will. With time its prevalence and relevance continues to descend. With the rise of symbolism, artist began painting visions of mythical scenarios. I find this very interesting. Myths are similar to religion but are openly admitted as fictious. There are interesting stories behind these paintings. One painting can have different interpretations of the same story. The paintings can mean different things to different cultures. The stories behind these paintings are often very entertaining and mysterious.

Symbolism continued with Picasso into the early 20th century. The realistic styled faded into a representation of events. It seems to me that political and religious influences in art were slowly going away. Creativity becomes apparent in the early 20th century. This is the kind of art that I enjoy looking at. It makes me wonder what the artist was thinking and what motivated these works. At the beginning of the course it was clear to tell art was influence by power, but now it seems that power has moved on from art. With the prevalence of monetary systems and the industrial revolution, the powerful now longer needed art to control the populous. This is when you know the community has lost.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century a change in motivation is clear. Art was becoming more creative. Environmental factors were less dependent on art. The thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the artist poured onto their canvas. I find this period of art to be more meaningful than otherwise motivated pieces. I have come to the conclusion that the beginning of the end of freedom for mankind is depicted through motivational factors in art due to the industrial revolution and the events that followed it.

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It may have been less exciting for art, but I think it was the most exciting era. There was so much that happened in the first half of the 19th century. The world changed completely. We are just now deciding if this was for the better or the worst. Maybe the amount of activity happening in the world suppressed or better yet, diluted, the amount of art produced. Maybe the book just did not portray as much art. I think it was most likely a spectacular time for art as well. We have seen community activity to influence art directly. I doubt that in the 19th century it had an adverse effect. I could easily be wrong though. The rest of the world changed dramatically so this relationship could have as well.

Blog 7

In the nineteenth century, revolutionary inventions peaked. The steam engine was created and new materials such as steel and iron made mass production of products possible in factories. Karl Marx came out with the most influential script known as The Communist Manifesto. He asked for the working middle class to seize power from the higher ups. Around this same time, theorist Charles Darwin released The Origin of Species, which covers natural selection and survival of the fittest. I am currently taking a Developmental Psychology class and we are covering Charles Darwin. I find him so interesting although I do not always agree with his theories. I do, however, like his approach on survival of the fittest in every species and those unfit to adapt will die off, passing on only stronger genes for the next generation.

As Realism became the center of attention in the nineteenth century, a painter by the name of Gustave Courbet was well known for his beliefs on realism. He believes only an artist can represent their own experiences in their work and that art can’t simply be taught to someone. It needs to be a journey that comes from within the artist, because of this, he wasn’t a fan of historical and romanticism work but a fan of current events in politics. When I took an art class in high school, every week or two we had to come up with a piece of art but it was always inspired by whatever we wanted it to be. I always had a hard time coming up with inspiration for what to draw on my paper. I would find it easier if I was given a topic in history to draw about, but most people are the exact opposite. I really enjoyed the art class in high school, we had a teacher with a sense of humor and lots of patients which is something you don’t stumble upon with many teachers in high school.

Impressionism joined realism for the center of attention by the twentieth century. Artists who preferred impressionism weren’t into the same subjects as the realism group. They preferred a more laid back style featuring subjects they found fun as well as landscape and cityscape. They loved to cover light and shadows from weather in their work. Impressionist, Edouard Manet created Bar at the Folies-Bergere piece in 1881. I really like how this photo! It shows a woman behind a bar looking right at us. In the background, there is a mirror that shows us exactly what she is looking at. We can see a gentleman with a beard up close then a crowd of people. I found the light colors and blurred edges interesting as well. Items such as the oranges, really stand out with their deep orange color while most of the pictures contains different greys and black. We can see different light fixtures and natural light seeping in from the mirror. This art goes along with the classic impressionism style of laid-back leisure time.

I definitely enjoyed learning about the inventions in these chapters. Impressionism inspired artwork was more enjoyable for me to browse but I feel like this may have been a bit of a boring era for art as a whole!

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Week 7

The 19th century is, in my opinion, the most interesting period yet. I feel this way mostly because I am indecisive of the results. The industrial revolution changed the economy and the way people live. Before the industrial revolution people were self-reliant. People had to make it on their own or die trying. They had to work hard to provide for their families but had untold freedoms. The industrial revolution made life easier but came with a price. The price was a never-ending dependency. Ever since the industrial revolution people have been reliant on corporations and government. This dependency haunts us today more than ever. Part of me wants to live in a pre-industrial revolution world, but all of me knows we don’t have what it takes to make it there anymore. We will never know whether the industrial revolution was overall beneficial or not. My theory is that it was necessary but was easily taken advantage of. It could have been more beneficial if it was fair.

Art during the 19th century depicted situations occurring during the time. Artist painted portraits of people living during the period. This was called realism. Honore Daumier captured the emotion of the class system installed by the industrial revolution. It was the beginning of the ultimate separation of the rich and the poor. These distinctions were clear in paintings of royalty and of peasants. Daumier captured the oppression development in what looks like a political newspaper add. I believe this gave birth to opinionated art about politics in the media.

The industrial revolution was not without its benefits. It made life easier for humans in general. Many inventions came with industrialization. These included electricity, communication improvements, and the camera. The camera allowed for a new form of art known as photography. This would eventually lead to video entertainment. The population of knew metals steel and iron gave birth to new forms of architectural art. With strong and more versatile metals, architecture could be built bigger, better, and more interesting. Famous bridges were now able to be constructed. The Eiffel Tower was made possible by the industrial revolution. Skyscrapers were sent high into the sky.

Art in the 19th century depicted the changing world. The world had not changed this rapidly in the past. New ways of life were spreading like wildfire as people transformed from a self-reliant populous to a herd of sheep ready and willing to feed the wolf. The industrial revolution gave an opportunity for a better life for the small cost of freedom. This was demonstrated through realism and impressionism.

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Week 6

Neoclassism was averse to the style of Rococo. Neoclassism was trying to show stabilization and strength. Politics were a strong player during this period. The art style of this period had less involvement from the church and was meant more to shape the public perception of the political and social environment.

The painting “Oath of the Horatii” improved moral tendencies in France while appearing to enforce a revolutionary demeanor. I find it interesting how much art has been used to shape public perception and motivations. It relates well to how the media plays such a huge role today in the same ways. The media shapes what we know and how we feel about the world around us. Art works and literature were the biggest forms of main stream media during the 19th century and of course anytime before it. Revolutionary paintings were being produced to sway public opinion in that manner as well. I would never guess that something elegant would have such a sub context. Today we are less elegant with our persuasion. Politicians were able to paint themselves however they wanted. They deception to the public was rather easy. Now with social media and other information streams, we can profile a person whoever we want.

Contrary to the seriousness of Neoclassism, Romanticism glorified fiction. I enjoy the step away from real life that romanticism portrays. It is much like the way religion is enjoyed. Things are let go and you can believe in something that may or may not be real. This takes the mind away from real world problems. It lowers the stress level. Maybe the 19th century was a stressful time, and Romanticism was trying to look at the glass half full. The paintings of this style tell so many stories. Some of these stories seem dreadful but so full of emotion. When I look at some of these paintings, I imagine the agony and desperation apparent on their faces. It makes me appreciative of my life. The paintings of war really captured the history. It shows a time of revolution in France. The people were taking back their country.

Revolution is something that comes back into style occasionally. While it may not be a trend, it is a part of history that rears its face when needed. Revolution happened often in Europe. It may have been trendy during the period there. There comes a time in most countries where the leadership is not satisfying the citizens. I do not think this develops simply from people disliking the leadership or how things are currently going, but from a long-standing decrease in living standards. Over time it is easy for the powerful to slowing boil the water on the public. Most people don’t even realize that they are being taken advantage of. It is not until it becomes too far and too bad that people become aware and motivated to solve the problem. A revolution occurred in Great Britain that gave birth to this country. I foresee a second revolution in this country. I do not blame the reasons for this to any particular administration, but throughout the last century powerful people have been able to squeeze Americans. I think that bubble is about ready to pop.

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I liked how you compared the corruption to modern day politics. I do not think what is happening at our borders is the appropriate way of handling it either, but I know that it is a difficult situation. I also know that these laws have been in place far too long. I am happy that there is a drive to revoke them now. We need to integrate illegal immigrants into our society. They need to become legal citizens. I don’t know, however, that corruption will ever cease. As we draw the connection to history we see that we haven’t learned a thing.

Week 6

Chapters twenty-one and twenty-two are all about the early nineteenth century. In particular, Neoclassicism and Romanticism. Neoclassicism may be referred to as “True Style.” It is as well as a reaction to Roco (Adams). It arose from the questioning of the ideas and value. When it arose Europe was fresh off the Enlightenment ideas and this really affected this new style of art (Adams). Roco was more emotional and imaginary, while Neoclassicism is more rational and serious. The Enlightenment ideas inspired many countries to stand up to the unfair treatment they’ve been getting through these biased monarchy’s and it really show’s in their art. This isn’t just a new style of art it has factors into a new way of life. One of the most famous Neoclassicism painters Jacques Louis David is associated with classical antiquity. In one of his best paintings, “Oath of the Horatii” painted in 1785 shows a Roman event in which honor and self sacrifice prevail (Adams). In the picture Horatius raises his sons swords on which they swear allegiance to Rome. The soldiers in the painting show signs of patriotism by looking at their gestures you can see the determination, which will really speak to France and will be a factor in their revolution (Adams). I love art when one gets inspired to make a difference. Any form of art when one is motivated I really love to observe in hope I’ll be inspired to do something as well.

Chapter twenty-two is about Romanticism. Romanticism spread at the same time as Neoclassicism. It has been inspired by medieval tales of chivalry and literature through Gothic novels (Adams). It as well may have a romantic quality to it. One French Philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau writings inspired the French Revolution and spread the Romantic movement (Adams). Again I believe that inspiring others to make a positive differences in this world is everything we can ask for. This guy let the French believe in themselves enough to make a revolution through his writings. Rousseau believed that humanity was born to live peacefully with nature however, was corrupted by civilization (Adams). I actually have mixed feelings about this. I believe we need a ruling system, but need enough freedom. The best example I would say is present United States we all have a voice, yet we still are corrupted by outside factors. For example, what Trump is doing with immigration. I believe we need to do something at our borders, but I don’t think his way is right. My point is for me civilizations is a need for humanity, yet it will never be perfect, which leads to corruption. Romanticism however, lead people to believe that people had the power not the monarch. Romanticism wasn’t just art it was political as well (Adams). This movements as well created an interseat with the state of mind that would lead to theories on psychoanalysis and modern day psychology (Adams).

I believe on of the 70’s Alternate/Indie is on its way on topping music charts everywhere today. In fact, Talking Heads, who is one of the most popular boy bands in the 70’s, really is having an impact on today’s society. Talking Heads were very intrigued by rhythms and believe it or not, but also was inspired by the spirit of black music and it really shows in their sound (Talking Heads). They were very popular in the 70’s to my understanding the music is very easy to dance to. With its soft fast beats it’s almost impossible not to dance to it. It also has soft whispery voice in the parts of the song. Now I believe it is making a comeback in today’s time because of one of their songs titled, “Psycho Killer.” Since the 70’s there have been many covers of this song and about 5 that showed up on albums just in the late 2000s early 2010s (Talking Heads). It is a very quite soft fast beat that until recently I had never heard of it, however my parents knew every word. In May 2017 one of the most known person in the world, Selena Gomez, made a song titled “Bad Liar.” It sampled the song “Psycho Killer”, which means it was the same beat, but she just sang her own version instead of the original lyrics, but really emphasized her whispery/singing lyrics. “Bad Liar” went on to having the title of Best Song of 2017 by Billboard. In fact, in just 2017 alone the actual song “Psycho Killer” got 15 million views thanks to Selena bringing more awareness to the song. I thought at the time that this would be the only song in today’s time that would be 70’s Alternative/Indie. However, many other huge stars including Shawn Mendes also have this sound in 2018. His song “Nervous” is very similar to Selena Gomez “Bad Liar’ and Talking Heads “Psycho Killer”. Again we here the soft fast danceable beat with his whispery lyrics. It’s just a matter of time before more songs like these are released.

Cites

Adams, L. S. (2011). Mannerism and the Later Sixteenth Century in Italy and Sixteenth – Century Painting and Printmaking in Northern Europe. In A History of Western Art (5th ed., pp. 306-332). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

“Talking Heads Biography.” Rolling Stones, Rolling Stones, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/talking-heads/biography

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Sometimes I wish I had continued to learn an instrument at a young age. I have since tried again and given it up. I don’t think I ever had the musical talent gene. I suppose that is what makes us all different. It is interesting how versed you are in the history of the arts in this period. I would have never guessed that those famous composers originated from the seventeenth century. You seem very well cultured, and that is admirable. Don’t ever give that up. Don’t ever become lame and boring like me.

Week 5: Baroque & Rococo

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Week 5

Power, religion, and politics continue to be the motivation of art as we enter the seventeenth century. This should not be surprising based on what we have seen so far. Religious works get bigger and more captivating. Art becomes an elaborate show of wealth in homes of the powerful. Again, art was used as a tool to not only maintain, but also display power. Scientific developments influenced the loss of faith people experienced for the church. They started to explore and think for themselves. Different cultures emerged, and countries populated as people broke off from the Catholic church. All things were influenced during this tense period, and it showed in art.

The Catholic church was attempting to remain in power. They used their wealth and dominance to appoint artist and architects that could help them complete this goal. The completion of St Peter’s and the piazza was a statement. The elegance and distinctness of St. Peter’s is astonishing. I cannot help but wonder why such elaborate works were deemed necessary. I am wondering why the church was spending so much money on creating all these magnificent artworks and building transformations. I want to think that they would use their influence for a greater good than using it to attract attention to themselves. They should be using this power to encourage scientific advancements or to better the world for their communes. Instead, it was more important to display their power.

Countries besides Italy were doing the same thing. France created a beautiful display of wealth and power within the palace at Versailles. Baroque style was used again to restore buildings in England. The focus was churches that had burned down. The up and coming Protestant church had financed these restorations. It is interesting how both sides seemed to have the goal of building bigger and better. The Protestant church seemed to be much more humble than the Catholic church. Never the less, the Catholic church did not have enough power to stop their revolution.

The Rococo style gave way a realistic form of art. The age of enlightenment resonates with me. The progression of science is fascinating to me. People began to believe in science and critically think. This is one of the most important things we can do as a society. This style showed in paintings of real life situations with real life people. I find this type of art most appealing because I believe it documents history in a way that no manuscript can. They captured the expressions on people’s faces as they lived their lives. You can almost feel the emotion through the art.

The seventeenth century was yet another battle over power in Europe. Throughout the continent art was being used as a tool to express power and wealth. The Catholic church was attempting to retard the separation and development of the Protestant community. The Protestants were able to escape that by moving westward and expressing art in ways they saw fit. The wealthy used art to display power. Later in the seventeenth century art was used to reflect a humanistic view of society. It seems that a constant battle over religion, politics, and power will always use art as their sword.

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I find it very interesting how politics and religion affect things. I find art to be on opposite spectrums of politics and religion. Why did they dictate the art so much? I conclude that art was a tool used by religion and its opposition to gain power and respect of the community. Art was influential and therefore could persuade the public. Without art involved in these entities, there may have been a lack of interest in religion. Could art be having the same effects today? I think it does. I think we have to loosen our definition of art to make that assumption. The media plays a huge rule in the way we perceive the world. Politics use the media to form opinions. Religion has lost much of their power to influence people through art.

The Political Artist: Mannerism in the 16th Century

Following the Renaissance, Italian culture, having by its own estimation already reached its artistic peak, entered a period of uncertainty. Religion, a central part of European life and art, became highly controversial in this time through the Reformation and anti-Reformation movements. In this essay, I will explore the relationship between politics and art. As an aspiring artist with a strong attraction to politics, the intersection of the two is of particular interest to me.

Mannerism developed in contrast to the Classical style of the Renaissance. Instead of studying and referencing nature for their works, Mannerist painters referred back to previous works of art. As a result, Mannerist pieces are almost, but not quite, grounded in reality. The figures are often stylized to have slightly incorrect proportions. An example of this is Parmigianino’s Madonna and Child with Angels, which edges into the uncanny valley with Mary’s long neck and body and the baby Jesus’ slightly stretched limbs, long torso, and unusual pose. The effect, whether intentional or unconscious, conveys a sense of unease. This is a pattern in sixteenth century European art. It is not far-fetched to assume that the huge political and religious shifts of the time had a profound effect on the mentality of artists which was reflected in their work.

The radical shifts in religion must have been a particular source of concern for artists. Religion and art had long been intertwined in Italy. With the Catholic church’s rejection of Humanism and, by association, the Classical style, and different factions breaking with the church over disagreements in method and interpretation of Biblical canon, painting an apolitical religious scene would have been impossible. Everything from the style it was painted in to the way the subject matter was portrayed would been scrutinized. In 1573, Paolo Veronese was put on trial over his painting Last Supper and his portrayal of the scene depicted. That they, too, might face questioning and possible charges must have been a real concern to sixteenth century European artists.

However, the contentious, disunified spirit of the time offered certain opportunities as well. Notably, there were several female painters at the time. Though women were still not welcome at the workshops and apprenticeships where boys learned, there was nothing to stop grown men from teaching their daughters, and some of them did. One such daughter was Caterina van Hemessen, whose Self-Portrait demonstrates another way in which art is political. The artist depicted herself painting, and signed it with her name at the top. Her existence as a female painter in a time and place where that was rare is, by its nature, political.

In fact, all art can be said to be political, as it inevitably speaks to the society that created it. Art is a reflection of the artist, and the artist will always be a product of the society that raised them. The greatest neutrality that art can aspire to is to uphold the status quo, which is by no means neutral, only perceived as such because what is considered normal is typically unquestioned. It is a folly to suggest that politics and art should somehow be separate, for though politics exists well without art, the opposite is impossible. An apolitical artist is simply an art uncritical and undeliberate about the politics of their work. Therefore, it is important for young artists to be critical of the decisions they make while creating and of their own implicit biases.

Work cited:

Schneider Adams, L. (2011). A History of Western Art. New York, New York. McGraw-Hill.

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Chapters 17 and 18

The 16th century was an interesting time for the world. As with previous post I could not help but focus on the politics that were driving the culture. Power and politics continue to be a motivation for the style and contents of art at the time. It is interesting to analyze how art shapes the history that we know today. Much of what we know about the 16th century is derived from art in one form or another. I am lead to believe that some people were aware that their legacy would be remembered by not only the manuscripts, but the art they left behind as well. As we get into chapters 17 and 18 we see a motivation division between power and religion once again.

We see a change of style with the birth of the protestant church. It is unclear if the death of Raphael motivated the new era of Mannerism or if it was established in part by parts of Europe breaking off from the Catholic Church. Either way it is interesting to see the change in style. The Renaissance featured many works based on the religion, while mannerism seemed to document real people in their time of existence. Mannerism featured many paintings and sculptures of people. They were a very opened minded civilization. You can tell this by how clad the works were. Clothing in some works of mannerism was very minimal if there at all. The Catholic church could not have been a fan of this. They continued to resist a change in style. The church wanted to keep the focus on themselves. I think this relates heavily to my earlier posts that described art being driven by religion and power. The church had the capital to fund “retaliation” against different art styles. They continued to allure to the minds of the public through religious pieces. They may also have realized this was necessary to secure their part in the future.

Humanism continued to blossom in the north. The spread of Protestantism seemed to encourage humanistic views. This makes me think that the Protestant religion was less demanding and controlling, and more down to earth. Personally, I believe that is how religion should be. They encourage magnificent documentations of real life in the form of beautiful murals and paintings. Landscapes and human populated pieces were popular. I enjoy this kind of art more because I believe it gave the artist more freedom to work in ways that they wanted. They did not have to create pieces that displayed what their employers wanted, but rather what they wanted. They had control of the making of history that was to be left behind for future generations.