#9. Final

During this quarter, I enjoyed all the lectures and types of art. Especially, I wanted to study about Pablo Picasso’s artworks. So, among them, I really liked to study about Cubism. If I am an artist, I might influence by Pablo Picasso. Especially, I want to challenge synthetic Cubism art style. I really like painting but I am not good at it. Other types of artwork are captured and painting that scene. But synthetic Cubism is making abstract thing with random type of objects. Personally, I think that making abstract image is the most difficult thing in art. If we look at Glass and Bottle of Suze, we could notice that Picasso used pasted paper, gouache, and charcoal. I like the composition and color of this artwork. Synthetic Cubism is the way the artists created complex compositions by combining and transforming individual elements, as in a chemical synthesis (Stokstad 1025). As Picasso said that there was no such thing as completely abstract art, because “You have to start somewhere”. When I thinking about abstract art, just starting is difficult and organizing the objects will be difficult as well. But, after I read what Picasso said, it changed my mind. If there is something I want to do, then just start to do it.

Once starting imagine, it will keep come up in my mind. For my own work, my theme will be conservation of nature or animals. If I make my artwork, I will use various objects such as 3D objects.  I would like to use nature objects such as dried flower, leaves, or food. Somehow I can use ordinary objects that we can always see in our life such as keys, money. Also, I want to draw little on the side for expressing details. I do not want just organize some object, but I want to give some ideas or messages to people through my artworks. Or somehow I could satire the situation of animal abuse.  I could make animal shape with nature objects and then making hand to take care of the animal. I think that guessing theme of Cubism is difficult part. Also, it could be interesting to artist. Viewer has to look deeply and longer to find out the theme.

I do not know all of artists, but I guess that lots of artists influenced by Cubism and worked their artworks. I think that Cubism style is the most unique thing for me. Also, it is impossible to compare with any other types of art works. Unfortunately, now I do not have own work related to Cubism.  But someday I will challenge this type of artwork.  While writing the blog, I imagine how my artworks look like with Cubism style.  I guess that artist always have creative thinking and mind for own artwork. Just like Picasso, he made his own unique world in his artworks. At the first sight, it could look weird but when we look at it little bit deeply, we will realize that it is really attractive works of art.

#8. Mini Research

Eero Saarinen is born in Europe but he was working for America in his whole life. Almost his architectures have unique design and among them North Christian Church in Columbus, Indiana in 1964 is stand out conspicuously. Dan Kiley and Alexandar Girard are also contributed to the design. This North Christian Church is the last architecture by Eero Saarinen before his untimely death.  This building is made hexagonal sloping roof and it looks like hugs the ground. Also, the important part of this building is the spire and it is 192 feet high. According to ‘rickyberkey.org’, the structure has 33,000 square feet of floor space and was constructed using 3800 yards of concrete, 320 tons of reinforced rods (rebar) and 22 tons of leaded copper. One of important function of this spire is that light enters the sanctuary at the main level through an oculus at the base of it. In the lower level of the building, there are auditorium, classrooms, kitchen, and activity area. At the lower level exterior design, a ‘moat’ surrounding the building and it provides access to day lighting to the lower floors. Also, the concrete roof is supported by a trapezoidal steel leg structure at it base. One of unique function of this building is that rainwater is collected from the roof and it directly move to the drain along this structure.

According to ‘rickyberkey.org’, in his design Saarinen wanted to make the sanctuary building the central focus of the project and avoid the sprawling complexes that many churches had become with the addition of classrooms, kitchens, auditoriums and other spaces. Often times the sanctuary itself would only be used on Sunday mornings and people would tend to come and go and carry out most of their activities in other parts of the building.  So he made symmetric structure that completely separate structure with hexagonal sloping roof. Also they mentioned that the entrance pointed into the very heart of the sanctuary space so anyone entering the church would have to glance up into the sanctuary and contemplate its significance to their spiritual life.

            Saarinen wanted to make the church as one single form with spire. Therefore he extended down to the lower corners of the roof structure so it became looks different than any other structure. That’s why this building has unique silhouette on the city skyline. Also, the roof and spire seem like to floating over the concrete base. It could works symbolically to make the feeling of reaching upward to God. Just like most of Church looks like. Also, the interior space design is well made. According to ‘northchristianchurch.com’, it would give a feeling of soaring space and a feeling of special enclosure. It would work well for the light. The primary light source would be an oculus in the spire. It could give intense light on the communion table. This light would lead you as you saw it from the narthex. It would also keep you from being distracted by the people across from you, but you would be aware of them. Then there could be a feeling of contracting light back in the seating area. And this spire form would work well structurally. The structure could be very simple and would clearly and logically express the form and character of the church."

Artists mentioned that they could and wanted to make over 200 feet spire but they had to avoid having to place an aircraft beacon at the top to the nearby Air Force base. At the very first time, it looks weird and looks like UFO or something. But, when I look deeply, I realized that I could be a church. Because of the spire, it represented to reach upward to God. I guess this architecture is well made with exterior and even interior.

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/colsnxian/colsnxian.html

http://www.northchristianchurch.com/pages/aboutthearchitect.html

http://52weeks.rickyberkey.org/2011/06/06/week-21/

http://www.jstor.org/stable/1567085

#7. Cubism

Three Women by Fernand Leger is made in 1921. I guess that this painting is influenced by Cubism. Around 1919, he worked Cubism with friends congenial to him. But his Cubism is not like existing conversant Cubist. His Cubism is fidelity to Cubism principles than originator such as Picasso and Braque. Cubism is a style of art, begun in the early twentieth century, in which objects are represented as if they could be seen from several different positions at the same time, using many lines and geometric shapes. But Leger made his object to cylinder and tube shape. When we first look at this painting, it could give little cold impression. But as we see, three figures pose is classic. According to Stokstad, In Leger’s painting, the women’s forms are constructed from large machinelike planes arranged in an asymmetrical geometric grid that both embodies a cool Classicism and suggests an arrangement of plumbing part. Also, he used bright colors to make fantastic plumbing. Abundant colors and patterns show an orderly industrial society.

Les Demoiselles D’Avignon by Pablo Picasso is made in 1907. This painting is beginning point of Cubism. Also, this painting is one of the most radical and complex paintings in the twentieth century (Stokstad 1023). In the painting, there are five women’s nudes and they all are prostitutes in Avignon. Composition is unique. Women’s body, fabric, curtain, and background is not bound by perspective. And all the things are mixed in one page. In the bottom side, fruits and table have different viewpoint than viewpoint to women. But, all the figures are not made with a cube. On the right side, two women’s faces have African references masklike faces. Also, the colors what Picasso used is really unique. He used basic skin color but also he added different colors as well. We only can recognize five women but we do not know about background or behind story of this painting.

I think that Cubism style artwork is really creative. Before the Cubism, all the artists follow the basic rule of painting. I guess that some of artist wanted to make creative or different artworks such as mannerism. In the mannerism period, artist-drawing style is same as tradition but composition and colors are really challengeable and unique. Also, at that time, mannerism artworks also gave shocked to people and had harsh criticism. But they could not depart from the standard pattern. Typical artwork drew three-dimensional object on the two-dimensional canvas, Cubism artwork drew tree-dimensional object to make as two-dimensional page on the two-dimensional canvas. I can imagine that after see this painting, how people got shocked in that period. I think that Picasso is really brilliant and creative person. He is not afraid of challenges and he made his works as great work. One of attraction of Cubism is that we can imagine anything with what we saw. Because of Picasso, we can see the challenging and creative things in our life. I guess that he always thought outside the box and make great artworks.

#6. Gauguin and Primitivism

Paul Gauguin made The Yellow Christ in 1889. After Gauguin left the Arles, he returned to Pont-Aven and made this painting. This yellow Christ statue was in the church at the Pont-Aven. This statue depicted the execution scene of Christ but the background was Bretagne as we can see the women, who surrounded by Christ, wearing the Bretagne’s tradition clothes. Therefore, this painting draw the Christ but there is no meaning for religious. However, this could be a self-portrait. According to The Challenge of the Avant-garde, this perception of the artist as a courageous ‘independent’ struggling against a philistine public. As such, it has contributed to the mythology of the ‘modern’ male artist and was seen by many late nineteenth-century artist and critics as a condition of avant-gardism.

As we can see from the book, The Yellow Christ can be considered an avant-garde. Also, through the Griselda Pollock’s formula, we could certainly prove it. The first requirement is reference; Gauguin showed an awareness of what was going on in the art world through the Christ on the cross. This scene is absolutely familiar to everyone, so it could be a convention painting. Also, he used usual subject for landscape of outdoor scenes with his own way. He made all the landscape as abstract image such as trees, houses, field, and even human.

Another requirement is deference. It defer to the latest and most radical development, especially in terms of technique. I guess that Gauguin interested in light, color, and loose brushstrokes just like Impressionists. In this painting, Gauguin used yellow and orange palette color. The Christ’s body is extremely yellow, trees turn out autumn leaves, and field is covered with yellow and orange. He used not realistic colors for the painting. When we look at the sky, it feels like clouds are moving fast. Also, there are not much of details on it. Even the three women’s face, there is not much of facial expression. So I think that Gauguin drew this painting in a short time with loose brushstrokes.

The last requirement is difference. It helps on to establish an artist as ‘modern’ or ‘Avant-garde’ by showing how the artist is making a marked advancement on the current issues regarding aesthetics or art criticism. Gauguin used bold out lines in this painting. And he used really bright and vibrant colors. So overall, the painting became simplify. In the painting, except some of the bluish light, there is no perspective expression. And there are bold outlines for divided landscape and figures. He made all the figures in the painting to abstract style. I think that this is one of the big differences from the impressionists.  In addition, I think that Gauguin made big difference by making self-portrait through the Christ figure. As I mentioned, I guess he showed himself through the Christ figure and he wanted to express that he is an artist and he is a courageous independent struggling against philistine public. This painting is too simplified and exaggerated but it makes me to wonder about what story is behind of it.

#4. The pilitical side of Impressionism.

    The Rue Montorgueil by Claude Monet and The Rue Mosnier with Flags by Edouard Manet have same theme and same view in the French festival of June 30th, 1878. Even though both of these paintings have same theme, they have just few similarities. Both of artist wanted to capture this moment at that time, so they made rough brushstrokes for quickly capturing that moment. Also, France flag was symbol in that festival, so both put the flags in the paintings. I guess that both of artists observed and drawn this painting from a window in the building. 
    The Rue Montorgueil by Claude Monet looks energetic. Lots of flags are waving as violently and a large crowned in the whole street. I feel like flag's waving have more vitality instead of crown in the painting. Monet's light and short brushstrokes made tension and vitality. Also, he used some intensive colors that makes more active and energetic. I guess that he had a good observation and skill for capturing a scene with tension and  vitality. Photo could have missed instant vitality but Monet could capture that moment with continuous fluid. When we first look at this painting, we do not notice about how he depicted. But when you look carefully, we notice that Monet used illusory conjunction technique. Even though there is not that much details, Monet draw a great painting.
    The Rue Mosnier with Flags by Edouard Manet looks relaxed than Monet's one. Because less flags are waving as weakly and few peoples are walking in the street. Manet used bright colors just like sun light so the painting looks more warm and bright. I guess that by using bright colors, France flags stand out than other figures. But somehow, in the foreground, a man who looks like a amputee veteran stand out as well. Through this man, Manet he wanted to express his experiences that many people scarified during the french revolution. In the middle of this painting, the street looks so empty and lonely, just like it represented that man's mind and feeling. Contrastively, on the right side, a elegant gentlemen is walking down the street. Through these figures, we could know that what reality is. People who scarified themselves in the fight are forgotten but rich and privileged group of people live happy life and control the social systems. Unlike Monet captured what is going on in the street as literally, Manet captured what is going on the social system in the country. Also, Manet's avant-gardism supports the aspects of both political radicalism and aesthetic radicalism. By increasing separability of radical art and politics, become part of the subject just like this painting.
      Even though both paintings have same theme and captured same day, two different artists made two perfectly different paintings. Monet just captured the celebrate moment in the street with vitality and tension. And Manet described the street with political issue in the festival of 30th June, 1878. Because both Monet and Manet have different technique and thinking, they could make two different great and beautiful art works.

#3. Impressionism

I would like to talk about A Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of LA Grande Jatte  by Georges Seurat. This painting is one of typical art works by Georges Seurat who is founder of Neo-Impressionism. The painting represents a sunny Sunday afternoon and many people spend time together in the park. Seurat followed analysis of light from Impressionism however he dissatisfied with instinctive and intuitive attitude of production is excessively tied to light and he wanted to invest strict theory and science. He introduced Pointillism, which is returns color to primary colors and composition with small strokes of color, it keeps unity and color principle of Impressionism to systematization. In this painting, the park, on the island of the Grande Jatte, is just west of Paris was easy of access by train. There are about 50 people that have variety of social class types and jobs and wearing a fashionable clothes. For men, a suit and black hat with cane stick that looks like gentlemen. For women, looks like that two piece suit with big volume in the hip side and carry a parasol style is really popular at that time. People are just taking a walk, looking other people, taking a boat, or fishing. Trees made roof and shade, also on the upper left side, there is cloud which is just like fine soft hair. The space in the painting is made out of linear perspective from Renaissance so people become smaller regularly when it goes to the back. In the middle of the painting, a little girl who is wearing a bright white dress with as the central figure, warm colors and clear hue are balanced in vertically and horizontally in composition. Also, in the painting, figures are placed in elaborate and detailed composition. All the figures are followed vitruvian Man so head proportion is 1/7 than body. Therefore, all the people, who has generalized body and face, are not expressing any feeling and there is no interchange between them.Seurat wanted to describe modern people from city as most modern people also record as great classic style. As result, secured stabilization as solidity and simplify but his figures look stiffen and unnatural. Therefore, this artwork is leisure hours in city images as Impressionism and a images which is described modern social class's neglect and affectation as realism. According to the textbook, In theory, these juxtaposed small strokes of color would merge in the viewer's eye to produce the impression of other colors. When perceived from a certain distance they would appear more luminous and intense than the same colors seen separately, while on close observation Seurat's strokes and colors would remain distinct and separate, creating an almost abstract arrangement of color and shape. In this painting, Seurat used 11 colors and he rather than mixed all the colors but put as a dot with purest hue. So when we look at this painting from a distance, it looks beautiful. Pointillism artist thought that eyes should same as camera lens and Seurat put his principles into practice. Science theory of light has problem which is express the object with monochromatic. Seurat thought that object reveals through the variety color contrast. So he made up forms as countless dots with complementary colors. This form shows that small strokes of colors would merge in the viewer's eyes. Seurat worried about color's composition and combination which is reveal the world. Also he thought that when dissolve the elements of color and then restructure, it could close to a law of nature. Therefore, I guess that this painting shows not Seurat's subjectivity but a theory about the world. Seurat believed that he could make more clear and persuasive expression through this technique. The goal of Pointillism is reproduce a experience more vividly. Seurat also used advanced materials, so it makes experimentation high. For example, he extracted yellow color from zinc so he expressed intense sunlight on the grass. I guess that it gave deep impression at that time. We are not sure that white dots makes more bright screen or special science knowledge would necessary.  However, I guess that the reason why viewer attractive to his painting is not only scientific things, but also marvelous that process the softly shake countless dots are change to attractive mess of image.   

#2. Realism and the Early Avant-Garde

Gustave Courbet was one of the avant-garde or Realist artists. Courbet established realism and buried France art’s romanticism with ‘A Burial at Ornans’ in 1849. It was exhibited at the Salon and it is a life-size scale painting about 10 by 21 feet. At that time, this painting gave shock and made dispute because of the size of the painting and theme. In the Salon, this painting placed in one of the whole walls. Also, the theme of this painting is a burial scene of unknown who lived in countryside and there was no narrative or mention for this painting. Characters in the painting are also different than other paintings. Characters have individual features and it expressed through portrait, also people wearing weird clothes which is from countryside.

In addition, there is no composition from meaning of tradition. In this painting, there is no main character but many people weep in various states of grief. Therefore, Courbet did not emphasize anything through colors. In the painting, Courbet used the contrast between light and shade. Dark green and cloudy gray color gave stern mood, also strong and intense expressive technique could feel natural elements and it gave sense of density and weighty. Also, usually we could see the line with movement of motion and depth of space. However, in this painting, it is hard to find every normal thing. All the people stare different directions and stand in line, so it looks flat just like cut and paste pictures.

This kind of Courbet’s approach was one of radical innovation. In this painting, he did not follow the process of idealization but depicted ordinary theme. For express this theme, he used huge canvas which is usually used for history paintings that have elegant and dignity.

Even though, clergy helped to this funeral, this painting is not gave a religious feeling. This is because, relative with form of canvas. Traditionally, death or burial scene used vertical composition. Vertical composition has a message that soul could go to heaven through it. However, Courbet’s burial had no interest in soul of death. He only emphasized social solidarity in the ground through the community for burial with long horizontality composition.

There are about 50 people in the painting and Courbet depicted a scene of burial. In the left side of the painting, people who wearing a black clothes with white fabric are holding a coffin. In the center, the grave-digger kneels by the hole in the ground, also to the left lots of people were following for the funeral. According to the Stokstad, Courbet’s depiction has none of the idealization of traditional history painting; instead, it shows all the awkward, blundering numbness of a real funeral, with an emphasis on its brutal, physical reality.

In the painting, there is no center or surroundings, so it makes equality screen with same value. Therefore, it makes democratic things with revolution in 1848. Courbet said that the basic of realism is reject ideal thing and this can be release individual also it achieved democratic. Therefore, basically, realism is democratic art.