Cubism and Matisse & Picasso

     Two videos from “Films on Demand,” The Impact of Cubism and Matisse and Picasso, gave me a better understanding of these topics, which is why I chose to watch them.

     The first video analyzes the following works of art from this movement: The Breakfast Table by Juan Gris, Sad Young Man on a Train by Marcel Duchamp, Champ de Mars by Robert Delaunay, Electric Prisms by Sonia Delaunay, An Englishman in Moscow by Kazimir Malevich, and Farewells by Umberto Boccioni.  Juan Gris worked for a time with Picasso, and he incorporated some collage elements into his paintings.  Cubist works often use dull colors (grays, browns, blacks).  Cubism was employed around the time of the World Wars, so the theme of turmoil can sometimes be picked up in these works.  Movement, especially movement over time or in specific spaces, is very important in the relatively few works created by Marcel Duchamp.  Robert Delauney’s work mentioned above allows viewers to experience the Eiffel Tower from a variety of viewpoints simultaneously.  It is described in the video as “dizzying.”  Space is used uniquely in cubist works in that foreground and background can blend into one another.  Sonia Delaunay uses more bright, bold colors in Electric Prisms.  She was considered avant garde.  This particular work seems to be more abstract than cubist since its subject, circular forms of a variety of colors, does not seem to represent anything in life as Cubism does.  Cubism reduces objects to their most basic forms.  The video explains that An Englishman in Moscow uses Cubist style without its content being Cubist.  The reasoning behind the subject matter is very difficult to understand.  Farewells is a good example of the Cubist practice of dissembling and reassembling an image.

     The video Matisse and Picasso describes the lives of both men and their work.  It also explains the relationship that they had.  They were not too far apart in age and created their art around the time of World War II.  They lived in Europe and were both prominent artists.  They shared some interests and subject matter for their works, such as nude women.  In other regards, they were opposites.  Matisse considered himself to be somewhat religious, while Picasso was an atheist.  Matisse kept his works free of the disturbing or troubling, while Picasso included some of these elements.  Matisse used many sitters, whereas Picasso usually did not.  Picasso was a Cubist, while Matisse was a fauvist.  The video states that Picasso created the first collage in 1912 when he used a scrap of cloth as part of an image of a chair.  Sometimes one created a work in response to a work done by the other.   The works of both tend to reduce subject matter to simpler forms.  They spent time visiting one another, especially towards the end of Matisse’s life. 

     Our text, Living with Art, 10^th Ed. by Mark Getlein, introduces Cubism and fauvism.  These videos give a more complete picture of these styles.

Burchfield Penney Art Center Visit

I recently visited several exhibits at the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo, NY.  One of these was called Charles E. Burchfield: Oh My Heavens.  It's theme is the work of Burchfield, which focused on outer space.  The space was illuminated by track lights which gave off a soft light.  The walls were primarily used to display the art, and all but one of them was white.  The other wall was a semi-dark purplish gray color.  This space contained a bench in front one one particularly large painting and a couple glass display cases.  The viewer can freely move around this space, which is delineated by some walls and opens into other areas of the art center.  The dark gray wall is what initially captures viewers attention.  It has a painting on it as well as a chalk drawing which is a reproduction of one of Burchfield's drawings (which is hung on the opposite wall).  The artworks are hung on the wall at eye-level, in different colored and styled frames.  This exhibit had not only paintings, drawings, and some chalk and charcoal reproductions of his works, but some of his essays, one quote from him, and a magazine from the time of some of his works.  The art all revolved around the theme that so interested Burchfield- outer space.  The works are described in labels that are located next to them.  This exhibit was relatively small, so the works were fairly close together.   The painting shown below is Untitled (Haloed Moon) by Burchfield, from 1916.  It is watercolor and graphite on paper, and approximately 7" x 11."  The label next to it also has some relevant scientific explanations.  This work has a bright white circle at the bottom right corner.  Around it are circles of soft colors (browns, grays, yellows) as well as some black, which represent the night sky, as it is perceived, surrounding the moon.  This is what the moon may look like in the night sky.  The different rings of color create perceived lines which draw the eye outward from the moon and back towards it.  The black is the color of the darkest value, and it contrasts greatly with the other colors, emphasizing the brightness of the light radiating from the moon.  The subject matter appears two-dimensional.  The entire canvas portrays an area of the sky close to the moon.  Positioning the moon at a corner rather than in the center gives the sense of vastness and continuation of the lighted sky.  The stark black balances the moon on the other side of the painting.  The colors of the rings sometimes fade into one another as if they were moving.  The moon's size indicates that this is a view of it from earth.  This work reminds me of Van Gogh's Starry Night because of the rings of color around a heavenly body; it was painted twenty-seven years after Van Gogh's.  I believe that the artist's intent was in part to express his awe at the beauty of this scene and the wonder of moonlight, which illumines such a vast sky.

The artwork below is entitled My Mother, My Sister and me Talking on the Sofa (1963) by Bridgette Robinson, who was about twenty-two when she drew it.  It is pastel on paper and seems less than 2' x 1.5'.  It depicts three women sitting near each other in a room with pink walls and two small windows, which has some flowers and plants decorating it.  It is not realistic in the sense that it does not use true-to-life proportions, perspectives, or shapes.  The artist uses many bright, bold colors.  The three women are in the foreground and some of their gestures are clearly portrayed.  They are the largest of the subjects, so they are emphasized  Wavy lines give a sense of movement.  Certain portions of the drawing seem three dimensional, while others look two-dimensional.  Space is not clearly defined, and the background seems to push forward due to the wavy lines and bright colors.  The three women are somewhat centered and evenly spaced across the work, giving a sense of balance.    Some colors are repeated and this unifies the work.  This work reminds me of Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon in how shapes are used to non-realistically portray women.  The eyes of these women are similar to Picasso's (in the work mentioned), which also hearken back to the eyes of ancient Egyptian art.  The colors of this work remind me of expressionist works such as Matisse's The Joy of Life.  The artists probably uses color to communicate the happiness she feels and the fun she has during conversations like these with her mom and sister on the couch.

     

This drawing is part of an exhibit called Disclosure - Women of the Burchfield Penney Collection.  The theme of this exhibit is women in the world of art.  Mostly works of women artists are featured.  Here again track lights are used, resulting in a soft light.  This space is surrounded by walls, but it also opens into other areas of the art center.  There are a few striking features of this space.  One is a movable wall positioned right at the entrance of the exhibit area, on which is hung a large painting featuring a woman.  Above this painting is the name of the exhibit in large lettering.  This painting welcomes viewers and gives them a sense of what they are about to see.  Another striking design feature is that forming an implied circle in the center of the space are a series of displays.  Most of them are glass display cases with spotlights shining down on them.  One display is on the back of the movable wall mentioned before; it is a quilt made by a female artist.  Under the quilt is a sculpture of sorts by another female artist.  These works that form a circle give the center of this space more interest and functionality.  Otherwise, the rest of the works are hung on the walls.  The walls of this room are a dark medium gray color, and the works hung on the walls have, again, frames of various colors, shapes, and designs that complement the works.  These frames are simple enough to not distract viewers from the artworks themselves.  The display cases are black and white, and all look uniform.  The works in this exhibit include sculptures, paintings, and fiber art.  This space is somewhat large, but it does not require that much movement to view everything.  The works in the center are spaced apart enough to create plenty of space to easily walk around them.  These works have descriptions next to them as well as handwritten responses on papers from visitors to the exhibit. 

A third exhibit I visited was called Illusion/Delusion after the sculpture (shown below) by that name by Ben Perrone from 2009.  This space is larger with higher ceilings which accommodate this work, which is twenty-four feet high.  This exhibit also includes paintings, photographs, display cases with memorabilia and other items, and a video playing on a flat-screen television on the wall.  The walls are a light gray color.  There is a bench facing the large sculpture.  Nothing hinders viewers from walking up to and, in a way, inside of the sculpture or from touching it, since it was originally meant to be touched and moved.  There is quite a lot of space around the sculpture with nothing else in it, which emphasizes the sculpture.  The video that continuously loops and plays as well as a sign on the wall explain more about the sculpture.  It is made of 4300 small, black paper bags which are hung by clear fishing line (I believe).  A spotlight under it shines upward and helps viewers better see the space between each hanging column of bags, although the center of the sculpture is still quite dark.  This sculpture forms an inverted pyramid which is given its shape by implied lines of bags, both rows and columns.  Standing under it and gazing upward provides a different view. The black of the bags contrasts with the white walls behind the sculpture.  This sculpture takes up a lot of space.  It has texture in that the paper bags are crinkled.  It is movable.  It is unified- the bags are strategically hung and there are not many materials used.  The video explains that the bags originally would have each held a piece of paper with the name of one soldier who has died in the Iraq war.  The artist originally intended the bags to be hung in lines that would cover an entryway to a dark room so that visitors to the exhibit would have to push the lines of bags out of their pathway to enter the room.  The bags symbolize lives of real soldiers.  They take up a lot of space, reminding viewers that many have given their lives.

The next two pictures are of another exhibit and reveal the design of its space.

Map of Burchfield Penney

Visiting this art gallery with the primary purpose of analyzing the curators' use of space, architecture, organizational techniques, and display elements was a unique experience.  If I had not specifically been considering these elements of design, I probably would not have noticed or appreciated them nearly as much.  The work of the curator certainly is very important.  He or she exercises a lot of influence over the experience that visitors will have and the perceptions they will come away with. 

Reviews of Two Art-related Videos

     The title of the video, The Great Wave (from "Films on Demand"), captured my attention.  It focused on Hokusai's print by this name.  It is one print in a series by this artist called 36 Views of Mt. Fuji, done in the early 1800's.  Mt. Fuji is an important image in Japanese art, as it is the highest mountain in Japan and is awe-inspiring.  The perspective of the mountain in this particular print is exceptional.  It almost looks like another wave in the distance.  The boaters in the drawing are possibly about to perish in the great wave, so this is a dramatic, fearful setting.  The image is somewhat symbolic, which is evidenced in part by the claw-like ends of the curled waved which seem to be about to snag the boaters.  The video provides more details about the importance of Japanese prints as art in this time period.
     Our text, Living with Art, 10th Ed. by Mark Getlein features a few examples of Hokusai's work and discusses his life.  It does not examine The Great Wave, so the video provides a fuller analysis of the work of this great artist.
     African Art: Legacy of Oppression is another video from "Films on Demand."  I wanted to understand the meaning behind this title.  The video comments on the irony of a large collection of art from the central Africa being housed at the Belgium's Tervuren Museum, since Belgians colonized this region in the late 1800's and brutalized some of the people.  The art is as varied as the many cultures it represents.  It includes some masks.  These were used for a variety of purposes such as supposedly interacting with the dead, attempting to scare Westerners, and to teach important values such as respect for disabled and sick individuals.
     Much art from Africa exemplifies the fact that non-representational art can be used to communicate important ideas, emotions, and values.  Our text comments that "the arts of Africa challenge us to expand our ideas about what art is, what forms it can take, what impulses it springs from, and what purposes it serves," (Getlein, 418).  The text also mentions another instance where Westerners took African art back with them after attacking one area (Getlein 419).  It explains about some types of masks used in masquerades.  The video provides a close look at some artwork from Africa that the text does not feature.  
   

An Experiment With Drawing

     The hand on the right I drew using my left (non-dominant hand).  The hand on the left I drew with my dominant, right hand.  I was glad to draw my hand because I find it very difficult to draw something that I do not have in front of me.  The subject matter was a little boring, though.  I could have given more detail by shading, but the main point of this experiment was to experience the differences in drawing with a dominant and a non-dominant hand.
     I used pencil rather than charcoal, because charcoal smears easily.
     It was nearly impossible to control the fine movements of my non-dominant hand.  Drawing with this hand produced unwanted waviness in the lines.  I found it was especially difficult to control the movements if I attempted to draw a line from the bottom of the page to the top (it was a little easier to control my hand if I drew from the top down).  I also found that it was more difficult to see the paper as I was drawing.
     The drawing done with my dominant hand has smoother lines and more accurate details and proportions.  It was nearly impossible to create the fine details using my non-dominant hand, because I couldn't get it to move the way I desired.  Yet, the final picture done with my non-dominant hand is not all that different that the other.  This makes me think that with practice I could become almost and skilled with using my left hand as I am with using my right.
     I would consider using my non-dominant hand in the future in order to strengthen the muscles and develop further my hand-eye coordination.  

Diego Velazquez and Leonardo da Vinci

     First, I chose to watch the film Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance (from “Films on Demand”) because I wanted to understand the significance of the phrase “the mind of the Renaissance.”  Second, I chose the film Velazquez (“Films on Demand”) because I wanted to learn about an artist from another country and culture than Leonardo da Vinci.

     I have summarized some key concepts I learned from both:  Leonardo da Vinci lived in the second half of the 15^th century and early 16^th century (whereas Velazquez lived in the beginning of the 17^th century).  Da Vinci was skilled as a mathematician, architect, engineer, musician, and scientist, in addition to being a gifted artist.  The title “Mind of the Renaissance” refers to da Vinci’s brilliance in a variety of subjects.  He lived in Italy during the Renaissance.  He did not think the fine arts should be considered separately, apart from the “mechanical” arts.  He was especially skilled as using light in his paintings.   He believed the job of the artists was to represent man and the motions of his soul.  He studied the human body through dissection of corpses.  He identified 11 elements used to create a work of art (which included light, color, and form), many of which are still considered the basic elements and principles of art.  Many of the figures in his works have the same subtle smile.  Da Vinci many times created works, which he was commissioned to make, but never gave them away.  Two works for which he is very well known are The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. 

     Velazquez was born and lived most of his life in Spain.  He was a painter in the court of King Phillip IV for many years and was a friend of the king.  He painted him several times.  His painting style has been called Baroque, and yet it is quite unique.  As the video points out, his works are not showy or artificial.  His figures are realistic but they all seem to have calm expressions.  He does not portray landscapes (as backgrounds) exactly as they appeared, but he gives the basic sense of the landscape.  He does not use many bright colors.  The lack of detail or color seems to emphasize the souls of the figures rather than their appearance.  He is well known for his paintings of the court jesters who worked for the king.  He also did many equestrian portraits. 

     The text (Living with Art, 10^th Ed. By Mark Getlein) calls da Vinci and Michelangelo the “outstanding figures” of the High Renaissance (371).  It explains that the term “Renaissance man” came to be used because of men like these who were so talented in a variety of skills.  It also mentions that da Vinci studied human proportions and that his math skills are seen in his use of perspective.  Getlein explains that many of his works were unfinished (371).  He explains that da Vinci’s portrayals are often not realistic but have religious meanings (372). 

     The text calls Las Meninas Diego Velazquez’s “masterpiece” (396).  Getlein explains that he “uses light to create drama and emphasis” (396).  He comments on the “theatricality” of this work, which is an example of Baroque art (397).

     These videos taught me more extensively about the lives and work of these two artists than the text.

Review of 2 Art Videos

         The video More Human Than Human (from the “Films on Demand” website), selected by our professor, makes the point that quite possibly the finest sculptures of humans ever created were those made by the Greeks in the 5^th or 4^th centuries B.C.  The Riace Bronzes are used as examples.  These male, athletic figures were unrealistic in the sense that certain muscles were overly pronounced and some muscles were tensed while others were relaxed, which cannot occur naturally.  These sculptures glorified toned bodies.  This was linked to cultural and religious beliefs commonly held at that time. Throughout history as cultures change, art, and specifically the portrayal of the human body, changes.  Different features of the body are focused upon or exaggerated at different times.  The way that ancient Egyptian art portrayed the body remained basically unchanged for about 3,000 years.  This portrayal reflected the cultural values of order and consistency.

     Both the text, Living with Art, 10^th Ed. by Mark Getlein, and the video mention the Female Figure from Willendorf, with its exaggerated features.  Getlein concludes (referring to the many female statuettes found in various parts of the world and dated to, what is referred to as, the Paleolithic period), “The most we can say is that they testify to a widely shared belief system that evolved over time,” (323).  The text also teaches about the art of ancient Egypt and the Riace bronzes.

     This video is helpful in giving an overview of how the human body has been portrayed in art by various cultures through history and analyzing possible reasons for the drastic differences in these portrayals.  This subject is not as explicitly addressed in the text, so the video is an excellent complement to it.

     I hoped that by watching the video Late Gothic Art and Architecture: England, 1400-1547 (from the “Films on Demand” website) I would expand my understanding not only of the art of this time but also the history.  I was not disappointed.  During this time period England was involved in a couple of wars.  Yet, members of society were still very concerned to create and own art.  It was considered the duty of kings to own and display great works of art.  Many kings built grand churches for their personal worship.  Catholicism was the dominant religion in England.  Much of the art was associated with this religion.  Local churches were also very ornately decorated and contained much art used for worship such as sculptures, stained glass, and illuminated texts.  Localities would sometimes compete to have the grander church.  Parishioners considered it meritorious to give towards these building projects.  With the Protestant Reformation, though, came iconoclasm, and much of the gothic art of this time was destroyed.

     The text describes the Gothic period of art, which was from about 1200 A.D. until the 15^th century (Getlein, 357).  It mentions that many churches were built at the time.  It explains, whereas the video does not, the beginnings of Gothic architecture as well as the progression of Gothic sculpture (Getlein, 359-361).  Yet, the video provides more details about the history of this time.

   

Two Videos on Architecture

     The video Architecture: The Science of Design (from the website Films on Demand) discusses the structure and purposes of skyscrapers, technologies used to regulate the temperature, humidity, electricity, and security of buildings, and the formation and uses of concrete.  The weight of skyscrapers (both from its building materials and all that they hold) is borne by the foundation.  Because they are many stories high, they move more in the wind than shorter structures.  They also cause very strong currents of wind to blow even at ground-level, which can make walking around these structures troublesome.  Skyscrapers allow for more people to dwell in concentrated areas.  Their construction became possible due to the discovery of steel’s potential as a building material.  Concrete is also very important in their construction, especially for their foundations.  Many environmental factors must be considered before a skyscraper in constructed, including the amount of pollution in the air in the area.

     Concrete is a very important building material, which allows for varied structural forms.  It was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans.  It can endure extremes of temperature.  Portland cement is widely used today, and it was invented in 1824, although other cements were used previously.  Often concrete must be reinforced with bars of metal (layered around metal bars) in order for it to be strong enough for certain uses.

     The video Imperial Rome, Ostia, and Portus: Ancient Architecture and Technology (also from Films on Demand) examined several structures from these locations, including the Pantheon,  insulae (which are similar to modern city blocks, surrounded on four sides by roads), and public baths such as the extremely large one at Carracalla.  The technologies used in building these often were borrowed from the Greeks and used in inventive ways.  The empire of Rome (which was the largest empire in the Western world at that time) had to have structures that would accommodate all its people.  The insulae were composed of buildings, which often had five stories.  The wealthier residents lived I the lower apartments where there was running water.  Local materials, such as the stone tufa, were often used in construction.  Sometimes buildings materials, such as the marble slabs for the columns of the Pantheon which came from Egypt, were imported from great distances to send the message that Rome’s power was far-reaching.  The Romans used arches, domes, vaults, coffering, thick walls for protection, relief sculpture, post and lintel construction, entablature, pediments, and large windows with glass (sometimes double-glazed for better insulation), to name a few techniques, in their construction.  Many structures were made of brick-faced concrete.  For structures like domes, they varied the aggregates used for the concrete so that the top of the dome was made of lighter-weight materials.  The interior of the great dome of the Pantheon represents a great accomplishment in architecture.  Historians are not quite sure how they accomplished the coffering.

     These videos, as well as the text Living with Art, 10^th Ed. By Mark Getlein, address the importance of using the right materials for the right structures.  Some materials are better suited to certain structures and environments.  The text alludes to the use of structures for communicating messages, such as messages of power or prestige.  The video about Rome provides several examples of how architecture was used in this way even in ancient times.

     These videos both provide a more detailed understanding (than does the text) of some of the processes involved in creating architectural structures and the composition of some large structures. 

     I chose to watch the first video to gain a better understanding of the techniques involved in building.  I chose the second one to deepen my understanding of the architectural technologies employed by the ancient Romans.

References

Getlein, Mark. (2013). Living with Art. 10^th Ed. New York: McGraw Hill.

Review of an Art Video

From the video Through the Eyes of the Sculptor I learned, for one thing, about the restoration of monuments by sculptors.  When a piece is restored it is removed and replaced with a new block of stone.  The sculptor looks at the old piece and copies or recreates it.  Sculptors must consider many things before beginning a work.  They should think about where the sculpture will be displayed (including the climatic conditions), what materials will be used to make it and, therefore, how fragile it will be, what impression do they want it to make or what feelings do they want it to evoke, etc.  The process of creating a marble sculpture includes many involved steps.  Often a clay miniature is made first.  From this a negative can be made (sometimes from silicon).  The sculpture may be cast in plaster before it is finally sculpted from  marble.  The sculpting of the marble is done by many expert artists, not just the artist who is ultimately creating the work.  I did not know that a team of people were involved in  creating a sculpture.

The artist who was the main subject of the video used modeling, casting, carving and assembling (which are all described in Living with Art, 10th Ed. by Mark Getlein [chapter 11]).  The text also introduces readers to various media used in sculpture, such as clay.  The video added to my knowledge by allowing me to watch some of the process of creating a sculpture.

Responding to Classmates

My thoughts related to Emily Beresford's Blog: The sculpture Pulsing Resolve by Jan Hewitt Towsley makes me wonder how the rainbow effect was achieved. I think Whisper Words of Wisdom by Barbara Fox is beautiful. I also enjoy works that are decorated with calligraphy. In reference to the painting High Falls by Phyllis Bryce Ely- it is interesting that I recently visited Niagara Falls, and the water going over the falls did actually appear that color green. I am not sure why.  Adam and Eve on West 57th Street by Thomas Insalaco is interesting to me in that it leaves viewers thinking about what Adam and Eve might think about what they are seeing and what the on-lookers would think about Adam and Eve.

Supurcell Productions' Blog posting entitled "AED 200 Elements and Principles" includes several photos to represent the elements and principles of art. One suggestion I have is that the proportion photo might be improved if there were a person or other object next to the fountain to help the viewer better understand its size. There is a person in the background, but if they were emphasized more I think that would be more visually interesting and better portray the concept of proportion.  The light (representing the element color) in the photo representing line (especially the red light) helps to reveal the continuation of the tunnel. 

Grace's Blog's photos, linked on her posting, "The Elements and Principles of Art and Design," accurately represent the elements and principles of design.  Her photo which represents color also includes an implied line, and her photo showing emphasis uses color to create the emphasis.  The elements and principles are combined in artwork.

Although I did not include it among my selections, I also was very impressed by the painting by Tauba Auerbach which looks like a crumpled piece of paper but is actually acrylic on canvas.  I actually looked at it from the side just to make sure the painted surface was smooth, because it looks so much like a 3D piece.  It really tricks the eyes.

The painting La Source de la Loue by Gustave Courbet is interesting to me.  It leaves me with the thought that although art can be used to realistically represent a scene, it is limited in the sense that only some part of a scene can be represented or sometimes even be seen by the artist. There is so much more to the scene that is hidden either from the artist, the viewer of the artwork, or both.

I also connect with the painting Dinamismodium un Cane al Guinzaglio (Dynamisiom of a Dog on a Leash) by Giacomo Bella since I have a dog and I enjoy walking her.  I know the feeling of running alongside a dog.  This piece reminds me of those feeling of being in  motion.

It was helpful to read about the experiences of my classmates as they completed these projects.  I realized that some struggled a bit with the same things that I had difficulty with.  I learned some new things about photography as well as interesting events and other art galleries in this area.  This gave me the opportunity to experience some other works of art as they did.

The comment about my photo for texture was very helpful- the leaf can be difficult to distinguish at first.  I could have tried to increase the light in this photo.