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.