My Favorite Movements From ART 237

All of the movements we studied in this course were captivating to me (with the exception of DuChamp’s urinal-why was that such a huge influence on art that we are still learning about it today? If anyone can be an artist, then I feel like the appreciation for talented and hardworking artists is lost.) Besides that, I really enjoyed reading and learning about impressionism. I am intrigued that artists were challenged by new technologies like the camera to create something more unique. Monet’s paintings are impressive; I appreciate that he would actually go outside, prop up a canvas and begin to paint as quickly as he could. I am fascinated by his study of light with the haystacks as well. He painted them during every season of the year at various times of the day. The vibrancy of his colors and the fluid quick brushstrokes remind me of my own work. One of my favorite pieces by Monet is Springtime (top). The branches of the trees take up most of the canvas, which is made up of several small brushstrokes. These little brushstrokes give the painting so much energy. I am also impressed with how he handles the sunshine and light.

                Another movement that I really enjoyed learning more about was surrealism. This movement is so interesting because artists were really starting to break away from traditions like portraiture and narratives while instead, creating a dream-like world. Surrealistic artwork gave the viewer the opportunity to venture out of reality. I like incorporating surrealistic elements in my paintings because it is my escape from the burdens of the real world. I like having the ability to manipulate the believability of the image and the ideas behind it. I am so fascinated with strange or abnormal forms and artists like Salvador Dali who can make those forms seem real. One Dali painting that is particularly interesting to me is The Geopolitical Child Watching the Birth of the New Man (bottom). I love the twisted organic shapes that Dali uses in his work and especially in this one. The hanging cloth at the top of the painting has little dangling pieces that draw my attention. I absolutely love the strangeness of Dali’s work and even though it is realistic to an extent, it still doesn’t make sense. For example, in this painting we see a human form breaking free from an egg shaped form, but rather than cracking like an eggshell, it stretches like elastic. Also, the egg form has the definitions of a world map, which doesn’t exactly make sense. 

Rothko

The Abstract Expressionist movement has broadened our sense of meaning for art today, but I have a difficult time appreciating some of the pieces artists from this time period are famous for. Mark Rothko, for example, is one of the pioneers of abstract expressionism from his success with color-fill paintings. Seeing his work in textbooks doesn’t do the paintings justice. When I first learned about him I wondered why on earth we were wasting time studying rectangular canvases with sloppy, colored squares. I have never seen a Rothko in person before, but judging by the massive scale and sensational colors of most of his paintings, I can only imagine the emotion that I would encounter. I decided to research Rothko because I don’t give him much credit for his paintings, as art historians and critics like Clement Greenberg do. Originally, I wanted to focus on one of his earlier works because of their abstract and primitive quality, but as I was browsing through some of his works there was one that immediately caught my attention.  

                No. 7 Orange and Chocolate has one of my favorite qualities in a painting: complimentary colors. This piece is one of Rothko’s later works from 1957 and is 70”x 44”. When I look at this painting, I feel as if I’m in a state of trance; I am hypnotized by the strangely vibrant yellow rectangle. However, I also can’t help but absorb the tension between the three segments because of not only their contrast, but because their soft and uneven edges are just barely touching one another. I am extremely fascinated with this piece. Its color is haunting because it envelops everything I see and I am lost in the perplexity of it.

                In the article “Painting the Page” written by Simon Morley from the University of Southampton, he explains that Rothko’s objective was not for his viewers to analyze his work formally by shape, texture and subject matter, but to have an emotional experience with the “fundamentally tragic” imagery. He explains that Rothko explores the extreme and harsh reality of the modern man. I found this very interesting because Rothko’s color filled paintings definitely give off a dramatic and almost haunting vibe. Morley mentions an article written by Robert Rosenburg called the “Abstract Sublime”, where he argues that modernist art bloomed from the sublimation and essences of awe and terror, branching from Romanticism. This ties back in to Morley’s point that Rothko’s work is based on the modern man. Rosenblum wrote, “These infinite glowing [levels of mysterious light] carry us beyond reason to the Sublime; we can only submit to them in an act of faith and let ourselves be absorbed into their radiant depths”. The way he moved the paint on the canvas, leaving edges un even and faded gives the painting a presence; as if there is something concealed within it, but we don’t know exactly what it is and it won’t be the same for anyone. The viewer is not forced to have a specific experience with subjective imagery, which is exactly what Rothko was going for. Each luminous block of color represents something, but it is up to the viewer to figure out its secret.

Bibliography:

Simon Morley, “Painting the Page,” Journal of Visual Arts Practice Volume 8, Numbers 1 and 2 (2009): 152, accessed May 23, 2012, http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.lib.cwu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=4298384b-40f3-42d8-bbea-452c7b077ba2%40sessionmgr115&vid=1&hid=111

Robert Rosenblum, “The Abstract Sublime,” Art News Magazine. No access online. Found article on May 23, 2012 through alternate source, http://www.empireofglass.com/abstract_sublime.pdf

Dadaism and Surrealism

            The destruction of the First World War resulted in an extreme amount of casualties and suffering which in turn, initiated a new trend for artists to reject the rationality of thought as a tool to critique society. This trend is known as Dadaism. Dadaist artists embraced the rejection of expression to eliminate the idea of the subjective art form. They figured if thinking rationally is what brought on World War I, then, thinking irrationally must prevent anything of the like. This is completely against the traditional conventions of art and challenges the artist as subject.

            One artist in particular who had a huge impact on Dadaism was Marcel Duchamp and his piece Fountain of 1917. With a piece such as Fountain, Duchamp questioned artistic convention and critiqued the idea of art itself. This sculpture is an example of what he called a “ready-made”, which is a mass produced, manufactured or a found-man-made object. Basically, he purchased a standard, functional urinal, positioned it with its back facing flat on a horizontal surface, and signed it as “R. Mutt”. Dadaism wanted to bring humor to the somber world by making fun of art. Apparently, his signature refers to the plumbing company called “Mott” and also is a symbol of the comic character, Mutt; this doesn’t really make sense and seems chaotic, just like Dadaism. Duchamp came up with works such as this to create a new thought for already existing objects. He wanted his viewers to wonder if his work should be characterized as art or not, and what exactly should constitute art. Before I learned about art history or any kind of artistic trends, I never considered something like Duchamp’s Fountain art, and I still don’t. However, I do appreciate the point he is trying to make. Art isn’t always about making a statement and I believe that art serves as a different purpose for everybody. I love that he forces a different perspective on mundane objects, and he impresses me with some of his ideas. Certainly, every person has the potential to be an artist, but it’s a combination of technical skill and the creativity to execute a work of art.

            Moreover, Dadaism grew more extreme and became a new art movement called Surrealism. This new style was based on the elements of Dadaism in its critique of society, but its primary focus was on the Marxist and Freudian influences, more specifically, an exploration of sexuality. One artist who is the epitome of surrealism in terms of Freudian values was Salvador Dali. His painting Birth of Liquid Desires of 1931 is the perfect example of the irrationality of dreams and the subconscious. For example, Dali uses imagery that could never be seen in reality, such as the large yellow biomorphic shape in the background. There is a theme of rejection and turmoil based on the two figures in the center of the piece, giving a sense of sexual desire and guilty arousal while the dark cloud looms above them. During the time that Dali painted Birth of Liquid Desires, his father expressed disapproval towards Dali’s wife, which explains the rejection underlying this piece. This is a surrealist work because of the repressed sexual desire and because there are so many different emotions conveyed, the painting doesn’t make any sense.       

Primitivism in the eyes of Henri Matisse

                At the end of the nineteenth century as modernity began to overwhelm western European culture, artists began to use elements of lesser developed societies to embrace the simplicity that modern life started to lack. Artists such as Gauguin, who were spiritually endowed and in tune with their emotions were able to embody the simple part of life in a rustic environment. Only somebody that is different than the norm can truly identify the primitive or advanced characteristics of another culture. One work in particular that embodies the idea of primitive life is Blue Nude: Souvenir at Biskra by Henri Matisse.

                Firstly, Matisse was a French artist so he is native to western culture. However, this painting contrasts the typical western renderings of the reclining female nude. Most western European paintings of nude women depicted them on soft fluffy pillows wrapped in sheets and peering directly at the viewer, flaunting their sexuality. My interpretations of eye contact between the viewer and the nude woman in these kinds of paintings are a stimulation of arousal, or personal affairs with the woman giving the suggestion of prostitution. In Blue Nude: Souvenir at Biskra, the woman is not making eye contact with the viewer. She is looking down, away from the viewer. It is as if she doesn’t even realize that any one is watching her. This demonstrates that this painting was not intended to please male viewers in a sexual way, like some western nude paintings. Furthermore, Matisse’s painting can be considered avant-guarde because it reflects the characteristics based on Griselda Pollock’s three key elements: reference, deference and difference. The reference of this painting is the fact that Matisse chose a conventional composition of the reclining female nude. As for deference, Matisse expresses a similar quality to impressionism with his use of warm and cool colors to suggest highlights and shadows. He also kept his brushstrokes fairly loose which gave the piece a painterly effect, like the impressionists. Lastly, Matisse’s work is different because he placed this reclining nude figure out in a natural, outdoor setting. This contrasts traditional western paintings of the reclining nude and proves that Matisse was an avant-guarde artist for taking a different aesthetic approach to modern art.

                Moreover, this piece ties into the idea of primitivism because of artistic style and the subject matter. Blue Nude: Souvenir at Biskra is not naturalistic, rather it is more abstract. Matisse used thick outlines to define the edges of the woman’s figure, which emphasizes the idea of simplicity. Another detail that I noticed is that her right leg seems to be out of perspective with the rest of her body. It reminds me of ancient Egyptian paintings with depictions of people in twisted perspective, with both legs facing the same direction. Matisse’s painting is similar with ancient Egyptian art in that sense, which also gives it a primitive quality. As I mentioned before, the woman depicted here is completely naked and laying out in the middle of the wilderness with no clothes thrown off to the side, or blanket underneath her; just the simplicity of her own body. There is no reference to modernity in this painting, which emphasizes the primitive identity of this woman and the painting as a whole. One specific detail that caught my attention is the body type this woman has. Although she has an ideal figure, she is fairly muscular for a female. Perhaps her muscular build is supposed to demonstrate that she survives in the world by doing everything herself. For example, in modern culture houses are built for people by machinery and food is conveniently manufactured and mass produced. This woman, however, does all of that herself. One other element of primitivism is evident by Matisse’s choice of composition because women are seen as closer to nature. Throughout art history, women have been a symbol of fertility and sexuality and with Blue Nude: Souvenir at Biskra, Matisse created the perfect example of the simplicity of nature and a simple way of life.