Blog Post #7

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Walker Evans, 1936, Photograph

Photographs have the unique ability to freeze time and capture it, creating a snapshot of the landscape and time period. The photograph, though it may be solitary, tells a unique story that is set in its own time. Because of this ability to store visual clues and allow the viewer to draw inferences of the work, photographs are said to be "instant collages" of visual information. Perhaps the best creator of these "collages" is Walker Evans, a photographer best known for his photographs during the Great Depression. This theme is a common thread that will run through all of the work of Evans' early career. Each photograph depicts the suffering that people have to go through because of the severe economic atmosphere. In this photograph, that Evans sets the town of Bethlehem, a noted mining and industry town, behind a graveyard is telling: the Depression has "killed" the workforce, and the smoke stacks, once active with work, now lay still. Thus, understanding the time period goes a long way with this work.

Untitled #466, Cindy Sherman, 2008, Photograph

Portrait photography is a type of photography in which the emotion, personality, mood or other intimate details of the subject are displayed. A great example of this type of photography is Cindy Sherman's Untitled #466. In the work, the woman is shows to be wealthy, as shown by the massive home in the backdrop, and elegant, shown by the pair of high heels. That Sherman portrays only a woman suggests that all that the woman has, she has earned. Thus, the issue of women's role in society comes to a head not only in this work but throughout Sherman's entire portfolio. That this was taken in 2008 suggests that, though suffrage may be granted, the fight for gender equality still rages on.

Untitled, Jerry Uelsmann, 1996, Photograph

Manipulated photography is the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion of something that is not naturally present. One of the masters of this technique is Jerry Uelsmann and his skill is on display in this work. Through these tired and overworked hands is a picture of a boat, as if to suggest that these worked hands have done it for a hobby. This is a logical conclusion because of how the photograph is set up. This story-telling technique, in which the past is suggested in unconventional ways, is the defining aspect of Uelsmann photography.

Pieta, Michelangelo, c. 1499, Marble Statue

 Carving is a process in which the material being carved is chipped away and gouged at, hammered at until it takes the form of the intended subject matter. Perhaps one of the best to ever carve is Michelangelo and one of his most famous works is Pieta. Sculpted from marble, the work depicts the Virgin Mary with the lifeless body of Jesus. This work highlights some of the Renaissance ideals of natural beauty with religious undertones. Michelangelo, throughout his career, found carving history to be very important. Whether he carved David or the Pieta, Michelangelo made many important and famous statues.

Sheepfolds, Andy Goldsworthy, 1996-2003, Installation

Earth art is a form of art in which the landscape and the work of art are somehow linked. The art is created by using some elements of nature, in this case rocks, and mixing it with man-made objects like concrete. In this work, Goldsworthy gives an excellent example of Earth art. Goldsworthy is a big proponent of becoming one and at peace with nature. This work itself is very interesting. That a wall arises around a growing tree seems to send a message that these trees must be protected, lest humans come and chop them down. This would make sense given the time period as it was, truthfully, the first time in which deforestation became a national issue.

Untitled, Louise Nevelson, 1985, Various

Assemblage is a process in which various diverse singular objects are put together and combined into a solitary work. At the forefront of any conversation of assemblage art is Louise Nevelson, an immigrant who was known for putting together everyday objects and making them an art form. In fact, Nevelson used these objects and a three-color palette (black, white and gold) which gave her work a very mysterious tone even though the objects were everyday items. This mood and tone was what Nevelson searched for and it runs through nearly all of her works. It is also interesting that it was painted in 1985 as the Cold War, a time of great mystery as tensions ran high. Thus, the tone matches the history.

Blog Post #6

The Revelation of St. John: The Battle of the Angels, Albrect Durer, 1497, Wood Engraving

Wood engravings make incisions in a block of wood and, using the wood as a medium, provide greater light and dark contrasts while making the work much more emotionally charged. These contrasts are made by chipping away at the work and then applying a sticky ink to press onto paper. This work is a great example of the light and dark contrasts. The work, a battle of angels, depicts a scene of mass chaos and madness and, in many ways, the viewer can feel these emotions because of the many contrasts. Thus, the contrasts aid in getting across the overall emotions of the work. Throughout his career, Durer was inspired by Italian artists and used this inspiration to blend his innate style, the Gothic style of the Holy Roman Empire, with the ideals of perspective and form from Italy. This blend, as it does here, will continue throughout his career. In fact, he was so proud of this blend that he often signed his name. This work is very symbolic as well. In Durer's life, the Catholic Church had grown corrupt, with bishops and cardinals often more interested in themselves than their worshipers. However, one man, Girolamo Savonarola, an Italian Dominican Friar, spoke out against this corruption and urged Church leaders to repent for their sins. Shortly thereafter, he was excommunicated. Perhaps it is in this backdrop that the work starts to make sense. True angels do not take up arms, but instead love each other. Thus, the "angels" are nothing more than phonies who are slaughtering the true believers in Christ. Perhaps, then, this is a subtle commentary on the Catholic Church and their treatment of the "angel" Savonarola. 

Virgin and Child with a Cat, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1654, Etching

Etching is the use of acid to cut into a metal plate to form an intaglio. This work by Rembrandt is one of the foremost examples of etching. This work shows lines, such as the one behind the virgin, that are themselves very free and very expressionist. However, in the same way, the work is extremely well organized and very calculated. Rembrandt, pushing the limits, contrasts the light from the sun behind with the darkness of the room.  Rembrandt, throughout his career, was extremely grounded in reality. Whether it be shown through his self-portraits or his scenes of everyday life, Rembrandt painted with the utmost sincerity and honesty. Even as he suffered financial hardship and tragedy, Rembrandt kept this honesty, which is on display here as well. Rembrandt paints a scene of maternal affection and love. Yet, context is also very important here as well, as there is deep religious symbolism. For one, the sun behind the virgin creates almost a halo around her head, showing saintly status. Also, many believe that the man outside is Joseph, which symbolizes how close he is to the family yet how distant he is as well. 

Activos Congelados (Frozen Assets), Diego Rivera, 1931, Fresco

Fresco painting is when one paints onto plaster. Sometimes this is done by painting on top of dry plaster while other times it is done by mixing the paint directly into wet plaster, making the paint and plaster bound chemically. One of the main features of fresco paintings is that the paintings are, by-and-large, done on a large scale. While this snapshot may be misleading, this picture is huge, towering over many others. Also, this work is bound chemically into the wall, making movement of the fresco rather difficult as, in order to move it, the entire wall must move as well. This fresco technique, while not visible, is on display. Rivera, as a whole, was a very outspoken friend of the Communists. He believed that Communism was the economic system of the future because it was one-for-all, which spits in the face of the Capitalistic American system which often preaches all-for-one. In this work, this message is also on display. While hundreds of people are forced to sleep on the floor in what seems to be a garage and are as poor as one can be, there are others who have more money than they could possibly spend and keep it behind locked gates. That Rivera uses a banker is also poignant. At this time, the United States was in a depression, caused by bankers who had over-speculated. Thus, it is poignant: The people who caused this mess continue to succeed while the innocent suffer. This is surely a damning view of capitalism. 

Blue Poles, Jackson Pollock, 1952, Oil on Canvas

Oil painting is a process in which an artist puts drying oils, or oils that harden after a period of contact with the air, onto a canvas. One of the greatest artists to utilize these techniques was Jackson Pollock. Pollock, an abstract artist, used a distinct drip technique using the oil paint to make his works. This work uses oil paint on a canvas, thus displaying the main quality of oil painting. Pollock, throughout his tragedy-shortened career, studied the way that paint hit the canvas. Instead of being interested in creating a three-dimensional work, he instead focused on placing the paint in such a way that the paint is able to take that dimension itself. This would become a major focus in his career. Finally, this work is abstract so it is very hard to contextualize. However, at this point in time, the Cold War was heating up and the world was becoming a much different place. So perhaps with that backdrop it is easier to try and understand this work.

February Thaw, Charles Burchfield, 1920, Watercolor

Watercolor is the process in which the pigments of the paint are suspended in water and gum arabic. This painting form usually makes the colors seem much brighter because they are relatively purer color forms when compared to other painting methods. This luminosity is on display in this work by Burchfield as the hues of the colors seem to be much more pure. Also, the reflection off the water is only possible using these pure hues. Burchfield loved landscape painting and he used these scenes as if to show the transcendent nature of, well, nature. This technique infiltrates almost all of Burchfield's work. To contextualize this work means to understand that this period is the beginning of what would come to be known as the "roaring twenties," a time of unheralded consumerism and prosperity.

White Flag, Jasper Johns, 1955, Encaustic Oil

Encaustic paintings involves using heated beeswax to which there are colored pigments added to make the final work. This work, by Jasper Johns, is a great example of encaustic painting as a flag of the United States is reproduced but with no color added, instead it is merely white. Jasper Johns uses many symbols to comment on society. These social commentaries would shape his entire artistic portfolio. With this work especially, context is most definitely needed. 1955 was really right at the beginning of the fight for civil rights for African Americans. Perhaps, then, it is extremely poignant that Johns has left the flag white, as, in society, no colors other than white were accepted. It is a heavy indictment of society, especially using something so meaningful like the flag.

Blog Post #5

Las Meninas (Maids of Honor), Diego Velazquez, 1656-1657,  Oil on Canvas, 125 in x 109 in

Asymmetrical balance is a concept in which the work is not exact but it is counterbalanced with different contrasts in the work through color (dull and bright), light (different shades) and different areas of activity in the work. In this work, Velazquez has asymmetrically balanced the work to perfection. Starting with the vertical balance line, the light and dark contrasts, as well as the colors, center around the white dress of the maid in the middle and balances out the work. The horizontal balance line is what makes this work asymmetric: The top of the work is seemingly empty while the bottom is full of life. However, by painting himself in the frescoes behind the maids, Velazquez has funneled the eye into the background and balances even though the background is seemingly empty.

Cow's Skull: Red, White and Blue, Georgia O'Keefe, 1931, Oil on Canvas, 40 in x 36 in

Emphasis is a very interesting concept in art. It often requires the use of multiple focal points. However, there are exceptions to that rule, such as in this case. O'Keefe uses emphasis by putting the cow's skull directly in the middle and having each side mirror the other. This mirroring emphasizes the power of the skull, especially against the red, white and blue background. It is a very stark and powerful image. 

Campbell's Soup Cans, Andy Warhol, 1962, Polymer on canvases,  Each canvas 20 in x 16 in

This work is a prime example of repetition. Repetition, by its very definition, is an element or an idea that occurs over and over again. In this work by Andy Warhol, the same image, a Campbell's Soup Can, is repeated multiple times. Time and again, the same image is put on a different canvas. However, though the works are technically all the same, all of these canvases must be together as, if one was to take a canvas away, the work would be lacking the emotion it currently has. Thus, this repetition has fostered a rhythm and an emotion that only comes by the repeated images. 

The Entombment of Christ, Caravaggio,  c.1602, Oil on Canvas, 120 in x 80 in

Contrasts are a very important aspect of artwork. In this work by Caravaggio, light and dark contrasts are on full display. The light seems to illuminate the now-dead Christ and the mourners behind him slowly recede into the darkness. Soon, there is no faces visible in the crowd: instead, there is merely a face-less hand and the rest of the body has been blacked out. Perhaps this can be symbolic, but there is no denying the contrasts present in the work. 

Luncheon of the Boating Party, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1881, Oil on Canvas,  51 in x 68 in

 When the eye first falls upon this canvas, it cannot help to get sucked in to the movement that occurs. There are implied lines between almost all the characters and the eye tracks them, trying to understand and observe what those in the scene are observing. Yet, at the end of all of this movement, there is one figure, the man next to the man in the top hat, who pushes the eye back out of the canvas by staring back at the viewer. Thus, it is interesting that the same movement that sucks the eye in also pushes it back out. 

Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci, 1487, Pen and ink, 13.5 in x 10 in

Many artists are very interested in getting the scales of their work correct down to even the most minute of details. In this work by da Vinci, one can see da Vinci's attempt to get the scale of the human body into the correct proportion. This work is meant to be almost a case study into the scale of the human body and it is perhaps the first of its kind. While it is an experimental work, it does a good job to explain proportions and scale. 

Blog Post #4

Benois Madonna, Leonardo da Vinci, 1478, Oil on Canvas,  19.5 in x 13 in

Chiaroscuro, derived from the Italian word for "light-dark," is the use of light and dark to create the effect of three-dimensional surfaces. In the eyes of many, this technique was started be Leonardo da Vinci, who then inspired younger artists to follow suit. In this work, this technique, based on tone more than color, is clearly on display. Mary's dress varies in shades: From a black, to a pale blue, to even white. Thus, the scene almost seems like it has left its frame and become three-dimensional. Yet, this is only possible because of the aforementioned color contrasts, a brilliant new technique that would inspire generations of artists to come.

David with the Head of Goliath, Caravaggio, c.1610,  Oil on canvas, 49 in × 40 in    

Tenebrism, derived from the Italian word "tenebroso" (literal translation: murky), is a heightened form of chiaroscuro in which there are violent contrasts between light and dark, so much so that the dark contrasts tend to become the dominating force in the work. In this work, which depicts the biblical scene of David as he is victorious over Goliath, tenebrism is on full display. The work is completely black. Yet, out of this seemingly never-ending blackness comes light on the young victorious David and the head of his defeated adversary. This stark contrast is a prime example of tenebrism.

The Night Cafe, Vincent van Gogh, 1888, Oil on Canvas, 28.5 in x 36.3 in

 Complimentary colors are pairs of colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Colors such as red and green and violet and yellow are complimentary colors and, in this work, the use of these colors are on full display.The walls of the room are red but this is complimented by its opposite on the color wheel as the top of the table and the ceiling are both green. The same applies for the yellow lights which are complimented by the purple table on the left. Complimentary colors, though an elusive concept, are very elegant when they are used as effectively as they are here.

Composition with One Gray Stripe, Bart van der Leck, 1958, Oil on Canvas,  43.3 in x  41.3 in

Primary colors are colors that cannot be formed from mixtures of other colors. The main primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. In this work, all three primary colors are fully on display. With that said, primary colors are not the only colors pictured. In fact, black is pictured, which is a color that cannot truly be formed from other colors but is not a primary color, a very interesting development.

Quilt: Log Cabin Pattern, Pineapple variation, Pennsylvania Dutch,  c. 1875,  Wool and Cotton,  88 in x 88 in

Pattern is, by its very definition, a repetition of any thing. Whether it is a repetition of colors, lines, or shapes, all of them constitute as a pattern. This quilt, sewn by the Pennsylvania Dutch, is a great example of pattern. This quilt repeats the same pattern many times, using the same shapes, orientation, and colors each time it is used. Thus, this quilt has a clear pattern.

Wheat Field with Cypresses, Vincent van Gogh, 1889, Thick Oil on Canvas, 29 in x 37 in 

Impasto is, in its very nature, thickly textured paint that is almost three-dimensional in its appearance. This technique often leaves brush strokes which aid in the thick texture of the paint. In this work, the impasto for van Gogh serves a unique and distinct purpose: to give movement to the scene. If van Gogh were to make this merely oil on canvas, the work would have stagnated. However, the impasto gives the work breath and makes it seem as if the clouds are moving before the viewers very eyes. This could only be accomplished through impasto and it is executed masterfully.