Last Post - Option #2

There were a lot of different artistic time periods that I found very intriguing throughout the quarter. However, I found myself extremely drawn to both Impressionism and Fauvism. I feel that both of these artistic movements were not only lively but they both emphasized the use of color and light. I feel that Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir is a perfect example of why I love impressionist artwork and The Woman With the Hat by Henri Matisse is a perfect example of why I love Fauvist artwork.

            What catches my eye when first glancing at Moulin de la Galette is Renoir’s use of loose brushstrokes. I like that the loose brushstrokes create this feeling of spontaneity as if what we are looking at was a split second in time captured within the painting. Renoir’s use of color and light also really draw me in to this painting. I love that Renoir chose to have the light dappled on the figures in the painting as if they are underneath a tree and the light is shining through creating different intensities and shapes of light on the people below. Another thing that really intrigues me about this painting is that everywhere I look there is something going on. The whole canvas is filled up with figures that are interacting with one another, which makes the painting extremely lively and entertaining. 

            The Woman With the Hat is so aesthetically pleasing to me. Matisse’s interest in bright and complementary colors really draws me. Fauvist artwork is different that anything we have ever really seen prior to this time period because all the colors being used are all so exaggerated and intense. None of the colors on the woman would be seen in reality yet when looking at the painting they seem to go together and make sense. I also like that the Fauvist artists simplified their shapes and really focused in on expressing a mood or feeling. The Woman With the Hat is quite striking and vibrant and I think that’s what really attracts me to this painting and all Fauvist paintings for that matter.

            Something that draws me to both of these artistic periods and these paintings specifically are that they both go against what is expected by the academy. We are seeing very unnatural colors and extremely simplified forms from the fauvist artists. The fauvists are also not as interested in the subject matter as they are in what mood they are conveying and the colors that they are using. The Impressionists were also going against the standards of the academy. The subject matter that we see in Moulin de la Galette is that of modern Parisian life. Rather than seeing a biblical, mythological, or historical painting we are seeing a snapshot of modern life. This subject matter would have been rejected by the academy. The loose brushstrokes would have also been dismissed by the academy. The academy was more interested in precision within a painting rather than spontaneity we see in a large portion of Impressionist artwork. 

Late 20th Century Art

 

            Roy Lichtenstein’s painting Girl at Window was originally to be displayed at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. This mural was in fact 24 feet by 16 feet and hung on the exterior of a building that was also constructed for the World’s Fair. The World’s Fair was a celebration of American culture, so it made sense to have many pop artists display their work because pop art was inspired by and celebrated culture. Although, many people at the time viewed pop art and comic strips as not worthy in comparison to what they believed to be high art. However, Lichtenstein thought otherwise and believed that high art and popular art were no different.

            In 1961 Lichtenstein moved away from abstract expressionism and began to paint in the style that we now know as pop art. Looking at pop art we can see that it is often commercial images and a reflection of our culture’s fascination of media. Lichtenstein’s work was inspired by culture and reflected very little of his own feelings. His artwork often incorporated primary colors that were contoured with black lines. Some of his artwork also has balloons of speech or thought bubbles that help the viewers understand what is going on in the scene, which is very similar to what we would see in a comic book or comic strip. Lichtenstein’s signature style was use of Benday dots. Benday dots are small colored dots that can be closely or widely spaced as well as overlapped if desired. These dots are always equally sized and help create shading. Lichtenstein was known for enlarging and exaggerating these dots.

            Looking at Girl at Window we can see Lichtenstein chose to paint the main subject of the painting, the woman, in primary colors. The woman’s dress is yellow, her hair, lips, and fingernails all red, and part of the background blue. The window frame however is green and the skin of the woman is a light tan color. All parts of the painting are however outlined and shaded with fairly thick black lines. The black lines help create shading as well as define shape. Looking closely we can see that Lichtenstein painted the woman’s skin using Benday dots that appear to be fairly large in size. The background behind her also incorporates Benday dots as well. We can see that the subject of this painting is a woman full of emotion leaning out an open window and looks as if she is yelling down to someone below. This painting appears to be very similar to something we would see in a comic strip due to its bright colors, thick black outlines, and use of Benday dots.

            Lichtenstein’s iconic images and style have now become well known and easily recognizable as pop art. His ability to incorprate both mechanical reproduction and drawing by hand has helped define him as an extremely successful pop artist. Though his artwork was once frowned upon and considered not worthy by some his art today is highly regarded and widely recognized. 

References

 

http://whitney.org/Collection/RoyLichtenstein/2002254/Audio

http://www.theartstory.org/artist-lichtenstein-roy.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/arts/design/11roy.html

The Effect of War on Art

            Dada and surrealism both changed the way art was not only created but the way it was perceived as well. Both Dada and surrealism challenged authority, the academy, and the nature of art. Dada artists were critiquing politics, war, and the bourgeois society. Surrealism was also critiquing the bourgeois society with Marxist and Freudian influences. Dada changed the concept of art because a lot of the art was created with the use of chance. The artwork being created with the use of chance it is not completely reflective of the individual artist. This had never been seen before, thus changing the concept of art. Surrealism changed the concept of art because we are seeing a big interest in social, sexual, and cultural values. The subconscious and dreams were also a big influence to Surrealism.

            Looking at the Surrealist artwork The Phenomenon of Ecstasy by Salvador Dali we can immediately see that the content is like nothing we have ever seen before. Rather than painting a canvas Dali chose to put together pre-existing photos into a photomontage. Surrealist artists began to look toward photography as a more “objective” form of art. We can see that this photomontage is sexually driven and has a dream like sense to it. We can see that Dali was influenced by Sigmund Freud when creating this artwork due to its interest in sex, the subconscious, and being in a dream-like state. The Phenomenon of Ecstasy seems to be based around sexual obsession and the subconscious. The pictures Dali chose to use are mostly cropped and close up photos of female faces though there are some smaller images of other fairly random things such as ears and a chair. This content is definitely not conventional or something that would have been approved of by the academy. Dali chose to separate these photos using thick black lines rather than making the photos overlap like they would in a collage. Surrealist and Dada artists both changed the concept of art due to their ideas of collage, photomontage, and “ready made” sculpture. No longer are the artists using solely there paint and canvas but are now using pre-existing materials such as pictures. The forms that we see in Surrealist and Dada artwork are at times hard to identify because many are forms coming from the artist’s subconscious. We also are starting to see some more geometric forms as well.

            In regards to Duchamp’s “readymades” I feel as if it could possibly be considered artwork however that is somewhat of a stretch. I don’t think the artist who buys the object should get credit for the object. The reason I feel that way is because the artist who bought the object did not create the object or come up with the idea of the object they just bought it and called it their sculpture. That makes me think that anyone could buy anything and consider it to be their own sculpture and take credit for it. 

Gauguin and Primitivism - Option #1

            Gauguin’s painting The Yellow Christ can be considered avant-garde for several reasons. On can see that Griselda Pollock’s formula of reference, deference, and difference can be applied to this painting. Through The Yellow Christ Gauguin shows an awareness of what’s going on in the art world, gives reverence and respect to Impressionism, and shows his advancement in aesthetics by making The Yellow Christ a very modern and avant-garde piece.

            When looking at The Yellow Christ one can see that Gauguin is showing reference to what’s going on in the art world in terms of artistic traditions and conventions through the subject matter. First of all we are seeing that this is a landscape painting. Landscapes and outdoor scenes were common among the impressionists, however Gauguin represents his landscape in a much more avant-garde way. The hills, trees, houses, and road in the background are all extremely abstracted. Gauguin has reduced the landscape to shapes. In the foreground we can see that Christ on the cross is the focal point. Christ being depicted is a reference as well even further back than impressionism. Christ was often depicted in the artwork of the academy, in a much different way however. In this painting Gauguin has again simplified the body of Christ and doesn’t show much detail.

            In The Yellow Christ we can also see Gauguin’s use of deference. He gives reverence to impressionism especially in terms of technique. Gauguin shows interest in light, color, and loose brushstrokes. All of which were important to the Impressionists as well. Gauguin however uses extremely bright colors that don’t imitate the natural colors one would see in real world. For example, as stated in the title of this piece Christ is yellow, shadowed with blues and greens. The landscape is also much more vibrant with great emphasis on the yellow, red, and gold tones. These colors seem to be slightly exaggerated than what one would really being seeing in a landscape like this. Gauguin’s interest in light can be seen in the shadows shown on Christ’s body, and in the contrast of light on the woman in the foreground of the bottom left corner. Gauguin also uses loose brushstrokes, however they do not appear to be as loosely painted as some impressionist paintings.

            The Yellow Christ shows difference because it is modern and avant-garde, which helps the viewers see that Gauguin is making advancements on the current issues regarding aesthetics. Gauguin’s use of color is very different and avant-garde because not only are the colors extremely vibrant and blocked together, but he also has all the figures outlined in black. He is using these colors to evoke emotion and create a mood for the viewers, which is also avant-garde and different from the intentions of Impressionist artists. Gauguin has a deeper perception of feeling and emotions in comparison to the impressionists. We can also see that this painting is showing difference because though it is showing a landscape we are seeing women dressed modernly, which is different from a usual landscape painting. 

Modernity and Masculinity in 19th Century France - Option #2

            Gustave Caillebotte is often associated with the Impressionists. When looking at Caillebotte’s work one can see influences from the Impressionists, yet at the same time not all his stylistic characteristics fall into the impressionist category. Looking at Caillebotte’s A Rainy Day and Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s impressionist painting Moulin de la Galette one can see that they share several commonalities while at the same time slightly differ.

            Both paintings show an interest in light. Looking at Caillebotte’s A Rainy Day we can see that he took interest in how the light was hitting certain objects. For example we can see that Caillebotte played with the effects of light and color on the ground. With the combination of light and color he made the ground appear to be wet and shiny with water. We can also see light hitting the umbrellas of the people strolling around the streets. Caillebotte used lighter shades to show where the sun was hitting strongly and darker shades to show lack of light. Similarly, in Renoir’s Moulin de la Galette we see an interest in the use of light and color. We can see light shining through the trees above the scene causing the light to be more dappled on the people and on the ground. Renoir also used lighter colors in order to show where the sun was the most extreme and darker colors to show shadows. Both paintings are not only depicting outdoor scenes but they are depicting modern Paris as well. Caillebotte is showing a modern Paris street with people dressed in modern clothes. Renoir is also showing a modern Paris scene with people dancing and interacting at a modern dance hall in modern clothes.

            These paintings differ as well. Renoir used much looser brushstrokes in order to create Moulin de la Galette. Renoir’s painting has a very spontaneous and abbreviated feel to it due to the loose brushstrokes. It looks like he was capturing this fleeting moment in time as fast as he could so he could depict this exact moment. Caillebotte’s A Rainy Day however has a much more refined look. He achieved a refined look because it doesn’t have a sketch like quality. He also didn’t use as loose of brushstrokes as Renoir, which also gave the painting a refined appearance. Each of these paintings also give off different moods. Many impressionist paintings, due to their sketch like quality, give off a lively and energetic feel. However, A Rainy Day has a much more calm and isolated feel. It feels calm because Caillebotte didn’t use loose brushstrokes and also left a large amount of empty space in this scene. This empty space creates and isolated and lonely feel. It also appears to be lonely because none of the people walking in the street are interacting with one another but rather keeping to themselves. While Renoir’s artwork is extremely lively and has a large amount of movement. Not only is this because of his loose brushstrokes but also because he filled the canvas with people interacting with one another. 

The Political Side of Impressionism - Option #1

            Both The Rue Montorgueil by Calude Monet and The Rue Monsnier with Flags by Edouard Manet are depictions of the French festival of June 30th, 1878. Though both are paintings of the same day and same celebration and share many similarities, we can see that each artist chose to depict the scene in their own distinct ways.

            The Rue Montorgeil and The Rue Monsnier with Flags differ greatly. When looking at The Rue Montorgeil by Calude Monet we get a sense of both energy and movement. There is a mass amount of flags that are hanging off the sides of the buildings and look as if they are waving furiously in the wind. The flags are very sketch like making them not clearly defined which also gives them a sense of movement. We can see flags start close to us in the foreground with them continuing all the way as far as the eye can see down the road. Looking at The Rue Monsnier with Flags there are not as many flags and they are spread sporadically down the road. We aren’t seeing any flags really close to us in the foreground; they look as if they start about midway down the road. The flags are much more spread out allowing the viewer the identify individual flags, while in The Rue Montorgeil we are getting the sense that all the flags and the colors of the flags just blur together. In The Rue Montorgeil we are getting an aerial view of the extremely crowded narrow street. Not one person is clearly defined making it look as if these huge crowds of people are all in movement and celebrating. Having so many people on the road gives the painting a very busy energetic feel. It is as if the crowd is in a frenzy of excitement and happiness.  In contrast, we are seeing The Rue Monsnier with Flags in a more straight on point of view and it only has several people strolling the streets and none seem to be in a frenzy or in great celebration. The focus of this painting seems to be the crippled veteran at the left of the canvas. Having the focus be on one man rather than a large crowd of people gives the painting a calm feel. There is no real hustle, just a few people here and there and the old man making his way down the street. This scene looks as if it could be before or after the big rush of people celebrating. The colors Monet used are much darker and vibrant than the colors Manet chose to use. Manet had a much lighter palette with some individuals outlined in a darker color as well as some shadowing. While both are depictions of roads, The Rue Montorgueil seems to have a lot of emphasis on the vertical lines of the tall buildings, while The Rue Monsnier with Flags seems to put more emphasis on the lines of the road rather than the buildings surrounding it.

Both The Rue Montorgueil and The Rue Mosnier with Flags are avant- garde paintings. However, they are both avant-garde in their own ways. Monet’s painting is avant-garde because it is artistically radical. He is using loose brushstrokes, observing light and color, it is an outdoor scene, and looks very sketch like as if done very quickly and spontaneously. Manet’s painting however is both artistically and politically radical. We can see that he too used similar artistic techniques as Monet. At the same time though, Manet’s painting is politically charged. The old man on the left side of the canvas appears to be someone who fought in the war. This veteran who has lost a leg in war is a way for Manet to remind the viewers that he has not forgotten the war.

The Rue Montorgueil and The Rue Monsnier with Flags are also similar in several ways. Each are depicting the same French festival. Both paintings put importance on the flag showing the countries pride and emphasizing the celebration that is taking place. Both also share similar Impressionist artistic techniques such as loose brushstrokes, outdoor scenes, spontaneity, observation of light and color, as well as depicting a modern setting. 

Impressionism - Post #3

            Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir was created during the height of the impressionist movement. The scene depicted in this painting is that of modern Parisian life. We are seeing the outdoor courtyard of an old-fashioned dance hall full of jovial people. This painting was created on a fairly large scale of 4 feet 3.5 inches by 5 feet nine inches. Moulin de la Galette depicts a scene that is both spontaneous and lively.

            Renoirs impressionist style gave Moulin de la Galette a spontaneous feel. Renoir created Moulin de la Galette with loose brushstrokes. These loose brushstrokes give us the viewers a sense of speed, abbreviation, sketch, and most importantly spontaneity. His thick application of paint or impasto also gives the painting a very spontaneous feel. It looks as if Renoir very quickly captured this moment in time making the scene seem very natural and real. The dancers also give the painting a spontaneous feel. They are captured in mid movement as if caught in a fleeting moment in time.

Moulin de la Galette also seems to be very natural and spur of the moment because we are seeing modern life depicted. The clothing, light fixtures, and entertainment are all modern. Showing modern life gives the viewers the idea that it was taking a snap shot of what life was like at that very moment. The clothes being worn are traditional to the time period. The type of clothing depicted is appropriate to the time period showing that the painting was trying to accurately show modern life. We can also see that there are lighting fixtures painted all throughout the background of the painting. These light fixtures were new at the time, again showing us modern life.

            The impressionist style to me always seems to be very lively. Moulin de la Galette in particular shows a very active scene that is full of both life and energy. The loose brushstrokes gives the painting a lot of energy and movement that creates a very dynamic scene. The composition of this painting is very interesting and adds to the liveliness. Renoir chose to completely fill the canvas from top to bottom with people interacting with one another. Some people are out on the dance floor dancing, some are engaged in conversation, and others are sitting enjoying refreshments. Renoir chose to cut off figures in the scene giving the viewers the idea that the scene continued outside of the painting similar to that of a photograph. No matter where one looks at this painting there is energy and movement.

            Another key feature of this painting that creates liveliness and energy is the way the Renoir chose to capture the light. The light looks to be very dappled, as if it is coming through the trees. On the dance floor we can see where there are distinct shadows and where the sun is actually hitting the floor. The sunlight also can be seen hitting the clothing of the figures. We can see sunlight on the back of the man seated at the front right table facing away from us. We can see that there are highlighted spots on the man’s back and head where the sun is shining through the trees. The use of light adds interest and energy throughout the painting. The sunlight shining down on the figures makes the scene seem even more happy and joyful because it is a nice day allowing for this outdoors event.

            Renoir’s use of color helps create a very active and lively scene. He uses soft patches of color on brighter colored figures to show the dappled light shining through the trees above head. Renoir created the patches of light with soft pinks, purples, and white. While for the figures clothing he uses more bold and noticeable shades of color such as green, blue, and brown.

            Renoir’s use of loose brushstrokes, thick application of paint, scientific observation of light and color, modern depiction of Parisian life, and split second depiction of a moment all create both spontaneity and liveliness within this painting. This impressionist painting captures the true spirit of modern day Paris and gives the viewers the ability to see an exact moment in time.