rachsteff

[rachsteff]

Week 11

    My first impression of Ai Weiwei's work is that each piece he makes is so unique and very different from the one before. He appears to use a super wide range of styles and techniques. There are ceramics, sculpture, carpentry, marble, some large, some small, etc. I think it shows how amazing of an artist he is. He doesn't have only one style, medium, and focus to his work, and instead he branches out with something new everytime.     I see his work as both art and activism, especially after watching the video and hearing the backstories of some of his pieces he's created. His work has a lot of artistic characteristics, and it isn't only activism. He uses a lot of time and creativity to express the message he is trying to share with the world. As we talked about earlier in this course, art is a powerful tool for sharing a message; in some ways, you can put your own thoughts into a physical form for others to see and interpret. Ai Weiwei said he doesn't care that people call him an activist, which is not something artists want to be called in China. This tells me that he sees his work more as activism than art and is much more motivated by creating change rather than fame for his artwork.    I believe all of his work could be looked at as fine art, for they all have such beautiful qualities that could be appreciated without considering the activism behind them. Some of the more traditional fine art pieces I saw were the painted ceramics in the museum, the wooden stool structure, painted artifacts, the sculpture of the man, his murals, and many more. This comes back to the question of what defines art. It's completely different for everyone, but I honestly see all of Ai Weiwei's work as fine art.     This narrative is most definitely still necessary today and has been very relevant in the past year where I've seen a lot of expressive artwork related to the pandemic and the struggles to go along with it, protests for equality, the election, natural disasters, etc. I firmly believe that art can be so beneficial to put out a message because it lets the artist release their thoughts into a different form, shares what they feel, makes the viewers really think everytime they look at it.

[rachsteff]

Great thoughts on the video! I first saw his work as fine art, but when I looked and understood more carefully, I realized his motivation behind his work and understood the activism behind it all. 

Week 11

My first initial impression of Ai Weiwei's work was I thought that his work was interesting and his work was cool, because they were all very well made and constructed. Ai Weiwei expresses himself through his work, which is what artists should do in my opinion, and he shares his sensitivities. At one point he did not make a lot of artwork as he had a low period where he had to go back to China, because his father was ill. At first he was not making a lot of artworks, he would make some here and there, but later on he started making a lot more artwork, and he even has his own exhibit for all of his own pieces of artwork.

I think that constitutes as both art and activism, because he is using his art and his work to help others by expressing himself, and what he is feeling in that moment that he is in. He used to make art with the background of politics, but now as he kept on making artwork, he is not using the background of politics, he is making art by what he is feeling, and by expressing himself and expressing the things that he believes in.

In the ways that I see his work as fine art is when he made the broken ceramic spouts, and dipping old wooden artifacts in bright colors of paint, and the ancient temple which he rebuilt. He puts his own ideas into his artworks, for example, he would put some sneakers hanging around in the ancient temple. Other artworks that he made that I thought was fine art, was when he was in London, at the academy, he made a circle out of wooden stools that people would sit on. He also made, a piece about the Sichuan earthquake. He made a lot of different kinds of artwork, but these are just some of what he made.

I think that this kind of messaging is necessary today, because there might still be a lot or similar things that may still be happening today in countries. For example, Ai Weiwei was protesting about something that he wanted to protest for, and he got brutally hit and injured from the police, and had to go to the hospital. He then could not leave the country for four years because of what happened. Finally after the four years, he could have his passport back, and he left the country.

The source that I got this information from (the video we watched for this blog post): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8QAjQ1GS2U

[rachsteff]

I also chose to research Caravaggio and a work by him. I’ve never seen such intriguing and detailed work by an artist. There’s something about the way he uses lighting and color that I love so much. You really analyzed this work well. I love how you thought about what the marks on the horse could be. Even though they’re so small, they can hold so much meaning. It really shows that every mark matters when it comes to painting. Nice job!

I choose to research Caravaggio and his work, The Conversion of Saul which was painting in 1601 with oil on canvas. Saul is seen on the ground being blinded by the light of god with arms upraised, his legs slightly parted and knees upraised. His sword has fallen by his side not being touched, and his helmet is off to his side. These positions are very vulnerable for a soldier to be in. His sleeves are also upraised as though he is trying to be touched by God’s good grace on every inch of his body. The horse is what takes up most of the painting. It is the largest most prominent feature of the work. This could be a representation of God himself. The horses opposite legs are raised showing that he could be in motion, which in turn could represent God passing by and if this is God just passing by it shows the power of God can have by just passing by or a thought crossing the mind. Think about how much God could do if he stood still and concentrated with all his might? The stableman seems oblivious to what is going on and this could represent that God can work without being seen and in the shadows (literally and figuratively). The paint markings on the horse could be a representation of Saul’s soul. The marking on the horse that is a stripe of white intruding into the brown could be this very moment where the light of God is penetrating Saul and his soul. The marking on the horse’s back end could have a similarity to angel wings. Therefore, the horse could be a representation of god or an angel in the presence of Saul’s conversion. The horse is the one that brought Saul there in the first place and kept him upright physically for a long time, it was only a matter of time before the horse helped him become spiritually upright.

[rachsteff]

   WEEK 8

  I chose to analyze the painting by Caravaggio called "David with the Head of Goliath" made in 1610. I love the biblical story behind the artwork, which definitely influenced me to pick this piece. It's interesting to see it this way. The realness and gore really catches me off guard and made me want to analyze it even more.      I'm stunned by Caravaggio's ability to light a space in such an intriguing way. The light is coming in quite intensely from the left side. There are super dark shadows in the places away from the direct lighting, like on David's right arm, in the background, and on the distant side of his face. Shadows on his face help emphasize is features and the emotion he is showing. I see a look on his face that says something like, "I had to do it." Without such intense shadows, I don't think the painting would be as emotional and eye catching; if it was bright all throughout, it wouldn't require as much attention. The light on David's body makes him the focal point to my eyes. I then travel down his arm (along the light) to Goliath's head. Without the light, there also wouldn't be as much movement.      The texture Caravaggio added creates even more depth. David's shirt drapes over him so realistically. It adds even more movement down his body. There's also interesting texture created in the hair. You can almost see the pull on Goliath's head where David is gripping his hair. The strands are laying so precisely.      Furthermore, the straining wrinkles on Goliath's face show so much emotion. Clearly, he's decapitated, and he's in pain, stressed, hurt, etc. It adds a visual element to the story and shows what he went through. By the look of David's face, however, I almost don't feel bad for him. David looks like he had to do it and almost feels bad about it. When I zoom in, I think I see tears in his eyes. The slight frown also shows how much he went through himself.      Overall, I am so impressed by Caravaggio's work. It's one of the most detailed and intriguing paintings I've ever seen. From the fingernails to the hair strands to the strings on David's pants, there is so much detail.

[rachsteff]

I think the two scenes you chose encompass all three sections of the artwork well. The first one is serene, while the other is chaotic. Even though you don’t show the middle panel in between the two, its easy to guess what it may show. After the calmness of the left panel, there was excitement, temptation, celebration, etc. I thought the middle section was so overwhelming because there was so much going on. I also thought “all hell broke loose” when it came to the third section. It was like everything going on in the middle panel led to the one on the right, which was full of darkness and fear.

Week 7 Post

The first scene I chose is in the first panel towards the bottom. Here it seems to show Adam and Eve with God and numerous species of animals surrounding them. As I was researching this piece of artwork I came upon a source which stated that the pink in the piece represents God, which is where the idea of the third figure there being God and the structure above is also in pink. The animals are his creation. As you can see towards the middle there is fish, birds, and an elephant but you can also see a few species that are not seen in our world today, such as a unicorn drinking out of some water. I thought this was fascinating because of how different it would be to put Adam and Eve around all of these animals, especially ones who are imaginary. This panel is the calm before the storm if you will.

This first panel is to represent Paradise whereas the other side is to represent Hell. Going to the next scene I chose it is on the bottom half of the third panel. The entire panel shows various torturous executions of human creatures. More specifically, there is a bird-like creature consuming human creatures and excreting them out into a blue bubble, then into a well of human remains. Close nearby is another human creature being forced to vomit into the well of humans. I found this whole panel interesting, but this particular part drew my eye more than the rest. The thought of “All Hell breaking loose” is literally what is happening here. Birds eating humans and odd executions happening all over the place, it just really made me wonder what Bosch was really thinking when creating this piece of artwork.

[rachsteff]

Week 7

     "The Garden of Earthly Delights" was painted by Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1490 – 1510). The work consists of three panels read left to right. To the left, the section features three main figures. I read about how these show a scene of God, Adam, and Eve. Placing this work in the far left panel makes sense, as the story of Adam and Eve takes place at the beginning of the Bible. I see it as a symbol of a new beginning. Interestingly, the artwork is explicit while also depicting a religious scene. I don't think this would be hung in a church or at an altar; it was probably more for a private showing. Overall, this section is quite calm.      I don't know where to begin looking in the middle panel. From bottom to top, there are extremely intricate details, and I notice new things every time. The work lacks a realistic perspective, however. For example, the birds on the left in the water are the same size as the humans. 

Also, moving up, animals and people don't get realistically smaller, making the work feel confusing, whimsical, and a bit eerie. I think this panel symbolizes creation and life itself. It's almost a continuation of the previous scene of Adam and Eve.      On the right panel, the tone of the work completely changes. It's dark and chilling. There are weapons, fire, chaos, and the people look scared.

 In the middle, a huge statue-like structure is destroyed, and it looks like the people are trying to fix it and get everything under control. It appears all throughout the right panel that everything went wrong, possibly after the chaos in the middle section, and life is now terrible. I think the overall story from the three sections begins with creation. Everything that was once calm then becomes exciting and overwhelming, as shown in the second section. If things get too out of hand, however, it can go bad, which the third section on the right depicts.

I find it intriguing that so little is known about Bosch himself. In other research I found from a previous blog post, historians had to estimate when "The Garden of Earthly Delights" was created because Bosch didn't date his artwork. Historians examined it and noticed the pineapples he included, concluding it had to have been painted after Columbus' voyage when he found pineapple, a New World fruit!

https://mymodernmet.com/garden-of-earthly-delights-bosch/#:~:text=The%20painting%20has%20alternatively%20been,being%20half%20filled%20with%20water. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garden_of_Earthly_Delights#/media/File:The_Garden_of_Earthly_Delights_by_Bosch_High_Resolution.jpg

[rachsteff]

Great discussion about the Hong Kong protests and the art that’s involved. Art is so powerful and can be a tool to spread a message. I definitely agree with your statement about the right to expression. Especially in a situation like the one in Hong Kong, art is a form of speech. They are using graffiti, painting, photography, etc. as a way to put their emotions and feelings into physical form for others to see and interpret. Taking that away would be devastating. 

Week 4 Blog Post

Art is created and developed in so many unique ways. It’s interesting to learn about the variety art has to offer. However, everybody’s unique spin-off isn’t always accepted and causes much controversy. The Hong Kong protest is a prime example of these disputes. Vivienne Chow writes a very compelling article expressing that art is more than a display taking up vacant space on a museum wall or in a gallery. Art is all around, especially in Hong Kong. There are groups in Hong Kong that are bound on winning a battle that seems endless. They create ‘art’ through graffiti, songs, protest signs, memes, and even roadblocks. The art created represents the demands, dreams, hopes, and fears expressed by its creator. I believe this is what Abby Chen is referring to when she is quoted, “this is about being human...," Art is about creating art for a purpose. Not all viewers will understand the purpose at first glance, but art and creations of art have meaning. Chow words this perfectly when she writes, “Their creations might not be perfect, but they are genuine. They are people’s art.” Art is an authentic statement created by people for the people. No one should be able to dictate what that art represents nor should they have the power to deem it ‘unfit’ to the art society. All this violence over art should not be happening. It should be the right of the individual to express themselves and the situation in their own creative way. The world is a unique place filled with unique individuals who perceive things inversely from one another. This diversity helps us grow culturally and inspires new and innovative ideas.

[rachsteff]

Week 4

I haven’t read much about what’s going on in Hong Kong, and I’m glad this class is giving me an opportunity to learn more about these world events and how art is affecting them. I think the quote used in the article, “This is about being human,” is a reflection back to the definition of art. To me and so many others, art is a form of expression- humans need to show their emotions. The art they are creating in the midst of fear is almost of way of “humanizing” themselves in an effort to make peace, I think. Art is so important in times of stress because it gives you an outlet for your emotions. It’s a way to physically show other people how you are feeling. In this story, the protestors are using art to make a statement and share their message. Art is not only beautiful to look at, but it’s also powerful and thought-provoking. It holds the power to make a statement more broadly and put on paper, walls, signs, etc. what they need.

I think back to last summer and in recent times throughout the BLM protests. I saw photography, painting, drawing, and especially graffiti everywhere. Art is a way to spread your message. Looking at it all, the protests were always on my mind.

[rachsteff]

    Abbie, great discussion of the Northern Renaissance, its beginnings, and some important works. You really highlighted the importance of details in the Northern Renaissance, which also really stood out to me when doing my research. A lot of NR artwork seems so realistic because of these details, yet so unrealistic because of the lack of perspective these artists focused on, which I noticed a lot in the work I looked at called the Garden of Earthly Delights. I see a little bit of this lack of perspective in the bottom middle section of The Ghent Altarpiece. It is still so beautiful!

Week Three Discuss:

I researched “Flemish Art” and what I discovered was very intriguing. Flemish art was mainly created in the fifteenth, sixteenth, and early seventeenth centuries in Flanders, Belgium provinces, along with the surrounding regions of Braband, Hainaut, Picardy, and Artois. Flemish art was known for the technical skill and materialism of the work along with the mastery of oil medium. The art was to portray the changes and newcomings of the piece of land between France and Germany. There were pieces of the time during the fifteenth century that were peaceful and some of the civil wars and religious crises, then eventually the ruling of the kings of Spain.

There were Flemish schools which Philip the Bold established and attracted more artists. These artists included Claus Sluter of Harlem and Melchior Broederlam of Ypres. Once Philip the Bold moved to Brugge he hired Jan van Eyck as his painter. From here we see his famous works, the Ghent Altarpiece (1432), The Madonna of Chancellor Rolin (1432), and The Marriage of Giovanni Arnolfini and Giovanna Cenami (1434). Jan van Eyck is recognized for the amount of small details he adds in his paintings, as stated and discussed in the next paragraph. Biographer Giorgio Vasari actually credited Jan van Eyck as the invention of oil painting. I attached links to these paintings at the bottom of my essay.

I chose to look more into the Ghent Altarpiece because of the two different views van Eyck created. I really enjoyed learning more about this piece by Jan van Eyck because there are so many interesting parts to the piece. This piece of work can be opened and closed to give two different views of the work. When closed it shows the Angel Gabriel telling Mary that she is going to conceive Christ. The detail in the artwork is so intricate from the shadows of the background to the words of Gabriel and Mary and then to the glow from the outside sun. To understand and acknowledge that this artwork was created out of oil painting just makes this artwork even more amazing. In the open view what seems to be unimportant to the audience, but has so much detail added to it, just shows the influence of the Northern Renaissance.

In the source provided to me “The 15th Century in Northern Europe: Sacred and Secular Space” it discusses the Ghent Altarpiece (1432). The open altarpiece shows, on the top half, religious icons, while on the bottom shows the Flemish countryside. This piece of artwork pays extremely close attention to detail which shows the influence of the Northern Renaissance. What was interesting was that it seems almost like naturalism or realism but is not because that is actually taking place in Italy.

Ghent Altarpiece (1432): https://www.getty.edu/foundation/initiatives/past/panelpaintings/panel_paintings_ghent.html

The Madonna of Chancellor Rolin (1432): https://personalinterpretations.com/2014/09/10/a-road-map-through-the-madonna-of-chancellor-rolin-by-jan-van-eyck-c-1435/

The Marriage of Giovanni Arnolfini and Giovanna Cenami (1434): https://kids.britannica.com/students/assembly/view/229968

[rachsteff]

Week 3

    I chose to research the Northern Renaissance painting called ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ by Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1490 – 1510). The painting is 7′ 3″ x 12′ 9″ and has been in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain since 1939.

   I’d never seen this painting before now when I researched the Northern Renaissance. What stands out to me the most is how the work looks distinctly divided by the dark green bushes in the middle into three sections. The division, especially along the water catches my eye the most, but other than that, the work is pretty balanced. There isn’t a main figure that’s highlighted; it’s quite congested and busy. As a viewer, I notice a new detail each time I look at it. The color scheme also keeps the work balanced- it’s cohesive and very “soft” with no intensely contrasting bright/light/dark shades. My eyes move from the bottom to the top and from the sides to the middle because most of the figures, animals, and structures are looking or pointing to the middle. If there is one focal point, I’d say it is the blue building in the middle of the water towards the top. The artist made that area a little less busy to help it stand out, which makes me think it holds some sort of importance.

    Bosch used oils to make this work, which was relatively new and important during the Northern Renaissance. The lack of perspective and focus on detail in this painting also emphasizes its Northern Renaissance roots. I see this in the figures and animals he drew- in the foreground, there are birds bigger than humans. Moving back a little further, what would realistically be only a few feet, the humans and animals are way smaller. Bosch put his effort into creating beautiful details on the figures rather than creating a realistic sense of space and distance, which is a trait of the Northern Renaissance (as shared in the Intro to the NR reading).

   I learned in my research that a lot of Northern Renaissance art had a more somber, psychological meaning to it. To me, this painting gives off an eerie, dark, Midsommar sort of vibe. I think it’s all the nude and distorted figures; they’re doing weird poses, the animals are so big, and the congestion makes it a bit overwhelming. I don’t think this would be a work for public display.

    Something cool I found when researching this work is how they dated it. Very little is known about Hieronymus Bosch and his life. He also never dated his paintings. To estimate the creation of ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights,’ historians examined it and noticed the pineapples he included. They were able to conclude its date knowing it had to have been after Columbus' voyage when he found pineapple, a New World fruit!

https://mymodernmet.com/garden-of-earthly-delights-bosch/#:~:text=The%20painting%20has%20alternatively%20been,being%20half%20filled%20with%20water.

[rachsteff]

Week 2

I find it interesting to look at the evolution of women’s fashion throughout the past century. In the very early 1900s, women’s clothing was still defined by tight corsets and dramatic silhouettes, but shorter hemlines and leisurely styles became more popular when the comfort of women was beginning to be prioritized. I notice that the popular trends definitely correlate with the relevant social events at the time. The flapper style of the ‘20s is iconic and accessorized. In the ’40s, the two-piece swimsuit was introduced due to fabric rationing during WWII; I never knew the bikini gained popularity this way, and it shows how much world events can affect fashion! Mini-skirts, platform heels, and synthetic fabrics came forward during the ‘60s and ‘70s disco days, then minimalistic slip dresses, leggings, and neutrals became popular in the ‘80s and ‘90s grunge era. Back in the early 2000s, I can remember tracksuits, low rise, pants, and crop tops being the most popular. It’s difficult to decipher what was a trend in the ‘10s and now since I’m living in it! I feel like you have to be in a different time period to see what the trends are and how they’ve changed. I think the current trends will be defined by athleisure and comfort. We’re also in a time where everyone expresses themselves very differently, and trends change much faster because of social media; what was popular a year ago isn’t popular anymore.

The “periods” of fashion remind me of the periods of art. The Proto-Renaissance, which took place in the 13th and 14th centuries, followed a much more natural and almost realistic style compared to the middle ages that came before it. At this time, the world was in the period of change and cultural interaction which led to “rebirth” or the Renaissance. Giotto was an icon during the Proto-Renaissance, and his life-like, dynamic, and dimensional artwork was ahead of the time. In some ways, he created a blueprint for the next few hundred years and inspired great Renaissance artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Giotto’s teacher, Cimabue, really inspired his work. Interestingly, Cimabue’s style was inspired by Medieval Greek and Byzantine artwork. This sort of demonstrates how artwork can recycle itself- trends will go away after a period of time, but they seem to always come back at some point.

The most iconic artists during the (Proto-)Renaissance remind me of the biggest fashion houses in the world. Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, and many more serve as inspiration to those who admire and create fashion. They encompass and, in some ways, control fashion trends. For example, Coco Chanel introduced the “little black dress” in the ‘20s, creating a staple that is simple yet elegant to this day. Later, in the ‘90s, Juicy Couture really popularized the tracksuit. Overall, I think both fashion and art rely on having someone to look up to, and there will always be the most popular artists or designers who pave the way to the next trend.

There are clear trends that seem to repeat themselves, helping us predict the future of fashion. Researchers say that fashion trends repeat themselves every 20-30 years, and I notice this with the comeback of loose 90’s denim, bike shorts, leather jackets, etc.

It’s funny to think how something I thought was hideous 10 years ago is probably something I like now. It’s almost the same way with art, although on a larger time scale. A few hundred years can determine whether artwork is stylized, like the Middle Ages, or natural and ‘realistic, like the Proto-Renaissance/Renaissance.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/most-influential-fashion-trends-decade-120000721.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJVCthLQ4rYnhfxudyfLxyF7kbJb_B1Zu7K3fiJDhp9NgZcNnT6RE88OyJaWZwt27musTdh9DuXIuxTZu_VCgmRP5d521NOzRPIO62XM-XzowyGBUVt_ZLTr7G-doXCBsq6qKv_VN7MsU7wadixljKDrNIq4yN6RbUFRoKmLYet_

[rachsteff]

I’ve never seen this work of art before! The message is amazing along with the art itself. The colors really stand out to me.

Salat Nguni’t Sapat 

Translation: Not Enough But Enough

Artist: Paul Hilario

I really like this piece of art because it shows and represents what students in other countries go through just for an education. We take our education for granted and do not think about how different our lives would be in another country. 

Link for more information: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/salat-ngunit-sapat-paul-hilario.html

[rachsteff]

One of my favorite pieces of art is The Great Wave off Kanagawa from the Mount Fuji series by Katsushika Hokusai. I’ve always really loved the colors in the artwork, and it’s interesting how you notice different details each time you look at it. I also think it’s cool how every recreation of this artwork looks a little different since it’s a woodblock print!