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Protest Art

I have seen protest art in different forms. One form I have seen protest art is on social media. Public spaces enable people to use it as a platform to deliver their messages. Two women’s marches ago, a speech took place protesting today’s social and political standpoint. It was very vulgar and expressive. Nasty Women took an initiative to speak to anyone who would listen using graphic language and costume. Women marched to protest the lack of women’s rights, equality, and opportunities. Their large number showed their unified belief that our country was in need of a change. Their unified stance was an artistic expression filled with signs, colors, and arrangements of people. Spokespeople were very vocal about their disbelief and yearn for change. They spoke out against what our patterns of normalcy ignored and how we could move forward toward equality. 

Not everyone agrees with protest art and expression. However, it is with free speech and free press that we are made aware of how the collective groups feel of what is happening. As the people of a democratic country, we serve as the watchdogs of the government . Through protest art and brave people we are able to express the areas we want to change and how we could go about it. 

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I like how you started out the entry with “ A tall person may not see what a short person would see.” Interweaving, “ The artists painted how they saw the new age,” is the perfect way to make your point. Everyone sees the world differently and artists have the courage to put the differences on a canvas. It certainly was a new age of color and energy, Cubism and literature both became a vivid member of the arts. I agree, Frank Lloyd Wright has such and interesting and amazing style. His homes and architecture is still a big influence today. He used shapes and concrete to establish his style. It would be very hard to copy an artist’s work! Many people have tried in art classes and failed. It is super easy to be the person that thinks they can mimic and artist, but you are right, art is always changing, and people’s interpretations change as well!

Blog post 9

           Painting can look different and mean something different from the way you’re looking at it.  A tall person may not see what a short person would see.  This brings us to the new style of the early twentieth century which is Cubism.  The artists painted how they saw the new age.  Cubism was the artist approach to space both on the flat surface of the picture and in sculpture.  There were two other types of Cubism.  The art with a lot of shapes and bright colors was Synthetic Cubism.  Analytic Cubism fragmented objects into abstract geometric forms. (484)  Futurism movement was a lot like Expressionism.  This was a new age with lots of energy from visual arts, music, literature, theater and film.  All of these ideas were created by a machine.  This chapter there is many great artists, architecture and sculptures.

           George Braque and Picasso became good friends and worked with one another and were primarily responsible for the growth of Cubism. George’s painting “Violin and pitcher” is very unique.  The violin and the pitcher are clearly visible from every angle.  For me, I see more than just cubes in the painting. I see a robot,  a pyramid, a crown, a face with one eye, and even a barn door.  Every time I tilt my head a different way, my mind sees a different image.

           Even though Kazimir Malevich lived in Russia and didn’t want to travel outside of his country, he studied European art at the Moscow School of Painting.  Malevich had a very different way for creating art.  He combines Cubism with Futurism.  He called this combined style “Suprematism”.  His painting “Black Square” was about feelings.  This piece was empty and people had to use their imagination. Just by looking at a blank black square for a few seconds, I see a few things popping out.  I see a face that looks like it belongs on the television show “The Walking Dead”, a cloud, two babies sitting up, and what it looks like a mask.  So this painting would have mixed feelings for everyone.

           Frank Lloyd Wright work is what I found the most interesting.  He had a very unique half concrete and brick style in his homes.  There were two styles of homes.  They were prairie and Cubism style.  All the different shapes were his cubism style.  The overhangs and the two different colors between brick and concrete really made the homes stand out from others.  His house named “Falling Water” in Bear Run; Pennsylvania would be my dream home.  Nothing is better than hearing the magical noise a waterfall makes.  Also, all the nature life that one would see from that concrete overhang. This home was a great example of Prairie style.

           Dada was an international artistic and literary movement that began after World War I.  Artists wanted to “start over” just like the people that were gassed in the war. I find that interesting because almost everyone can relate to wanting a fresh restart.  Surrealism was a technique of free association as a means of exploring the imagination and entering the world of myth, fear, fantasy, and dream. (502)  Rene Magritte did a great job with painting “Time Transfixed” Surrealism with dreaming a train is coming out of a fireplace.

           The “I Could Do That” video was a very good short video.  Art work is always changing every decade.  It’s fascinating how art doesn’t seem very hard to copy at first glance. After seeing all the different shapes, brushstrokes, and the way the colors are created, it would be very hard even for a professional artist to copy someone’s work.  The video had a great section pertaining to two clocks. It stated that  no two clocks will keep the same time and the batteries will die at different times.  I never say I could do that when looking at art because I can’t even draw to save my life.

Adams, Laurie. A history of Western Art 5th Ed.  McGraw-Hill 2011

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Abstract Expressionism & Other Movements

After World War II many styles arose among artists. It was a time of emotional distraught and deep feeling. Artists used abstract images to convey the whirlwind of emotions swirling within. Artists worked to move their artists collectively toward expressing their social unconscious. Artists allowed their personality to bleed through their work. 

In grade school I learned about Jackson Pollock and we emulated his style. At the time I enjoyed being able to pick the colors I wanted to splatter, and arrange it in a way that I believed to be organized. An outsider may have looked at my piece as chaotic expression, yet I chose each color and each splatter in the way I thought I wanted it to appear. These artists at the time painted images that appeared organized in their head and encouraged the artists to collectively interpret their work. Their pieces require collaborative minds to understand the message trying to be conveyed. An individual studying their work may need input from others to help figure out what it is the “point” of the artwork may be.

 In the U.S. and Britain following the Abstract Expressionism period, Pop Art emerged. Celebrities began to slip their way into artist’s work. Contemporary art involved weaving the relevant subject matter of the everyday. Andy Warhol is arguably the biggest influence from this time. Warhol took images and used different colors on the same image. He used figures, such as Marilyn Monroe to incorporate his style of expression with different colors and shadows to contrast the subject matter. Artists began to use art as an advertisement. Their artwork criticized and glorified its subject matter and consumption habits of consumers. Pop art began to shift into advertisements and a graphic type of look. He put the every day on the canvas. Pop art brought what consumers deemed important to the foreground. 

Optical Art organized the illusions into realistic forms. Artists created images that “make sense.” The artwork also held abstract qualities because they created illusions. The word ‘optical’ refers to the way we see things. Artists worked to engage viewers to be active while viewing their work. It requires people to break down what they are seeing an organize the visuals into patterns, the different colors, and forms. 

Minimalism branches off of optical art using formality while cutting out unnecessary subject matter. They used the bare minimal to get their point across often to allow art to be its own reality. Artists expect viewers to react to only what is presented in front of them. They do not recognize their own needs in their artwork, rather they created neutral and impersonal images. Donald Judd’s Untitled 1972 features a rustic brown three dimensional box-like image. It also has a line cut halfway through the canvas, the box hits higher above, eluding to it resting on top of a table. However, every person could see it differently and interpret the image in their own way. The image is as simple and appealing as I analyze it to be. 

Conceptualism forgets the form and challenges viewers to formulate a concept from its image. Artists focus less on the image and more on the concept. How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare is the perfect example of this style of art. One foot wrapped in felt cradles a dead animal. His goal was to suggest the healing powers of art and hope for the future. 

I think all of the styles of art work hand in hand together. Some placed emphasis on the importance of the concept while Pop Art placed heavier emphasis on the subject matter. Pop Art in my opinion is the most prevalent today. This introduction of every day things validates the consumer’s desire to place products and people on pedestal. The art is an accurate portrayal of what society places as a centerpiece of conversation. Artists hold the power to place these subjects onto a canvas and bring the issues to light. 

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Week 9

Cubism made its way into circulation of popular art in the twentieth century. Artists kissed realistic images away and welcomed new styles and depictions of perception. Paul Cezzane painted images of different perspectives and unnatural images. It was vividly portrayed its subjects using shapes and colors. Picasso created an image that appeared as cut out paper using art. He used new abstract technique to create the Three Musicians painting. Cubism distorted reality while incorporating truth to its core. The artists used concepts to back their work and inserted their imagination into the depiction of it. 

World War I left everyone devastated and in response, the Dada movement emerged. Existentialism, the thought that individuals were in charge of self exploration, responsible for their own fate, and possess the ability to make their own choices, influenced art at this time. In Zurich, Switzerland, Hugo Ball, among others met at the hub for artists, Voltaire. Artists, poets, and writers collectively began to create pieces reflecting not only their own perspectives, but it reflected the times. Which was a time to resist logic and protests society’s idea of art. Artists wanted to show the meaningless of others and themselves. The artist’s pieces had become less about the material and more about challenging the current state society was in. Marcel Duchamp explored the Dada movement and brought the concept to New York. He entered Fountain, a urinal labeled R.Mutt, into an art exhibit which was rejected. Dadaists sought to protest reality by pushing back with modern thinking. The movement gave the artists a renewed energy to nurture after the war. 

Dadaism intrigues me. I especially like the written and stage performance of Waiting for Godot. I took an entire course on Cubism, Surrealism, Dadaism, and this time period. I found that all forms of art- written and painted work off of one another and reflect the perspective humanity has at the time it is created. Waiting for Godot is all rooted in Existentialism. As an audience member I am constantly waiting for the plot to thicken or climax, just as the characters wait for their Godot, their reason to exist. The artists are all at this point in their life where they have taken it upon themselves to no longer paint reality, but the distortions and vividness bleeds through as being more authentic. Rather than painting an unmarred and perfect picture, they create a new reality in which they live in. Life is not always black and white. Dadaists found a way to enable their quest for meaning within their art, just as Cubism artists portrayed their version of truth with bright colors and shapes. 

Surrealism is the great top off to a time of exploration of the imagination. Artists not only distort reality, but they bring to life the subconscious. The great Salvador Dali has his famous The Persistence of Memory. He evokes the subconscious and features a desolate and melted image time, or memory. He was especially fond of painting about the subconscious and evoking the wild imagination. 

The video went hand in hand with the book’s readings. People walk by pieces all the time and believe they could have easily done it. Rather they may not know the technique behind it or the challenge unless they themselves set to it. Yet, the results aside, the whole idea that people believe they “could have done it,” is just as valid as every procrastinators excuse to not accomplish. Every person that walks by a piece of art and thinks that they could have created the same thing, is just as ignorant as the person who rejected Duchamp’s Fountain. His piece of art was not meant to be about the material itself, rather he wanted to place an everyday object into a showcase of what we deem “art.” Dadaists and surrealists wanted to challenge the pieces we consider art by placing the everyday art pieces we use, walk by, and experience without giving it a second thought. 

This time period was less about the pieces created and more about the thought it provoked. Maybe we “all could produce that,” if we began thinking more like the artists of Voltaire. I believe we all could create art that promotes conversation and challenges society’s structures, by thinking less of what we could have done and more of what we should be doing. 

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I think it is important to keep in the mind all of the political things that are happening while looking at artist’s work. You did a great job at showing the tension surrounding the artwork. You chose an interesting set of paintings. You are absolutely right there are a lot of unfaithful people out there and social media simply enables it. You not only explained the context of the painting but you were able to relate it to our time. That shows how successful these artists were by creating a timeless piece!

ch. 19-20

During this era, the baroque style overlaps mannerism and lasting. Baroque offered whacky natural style and was considered naturalism that showed some of the new scientific advancements during the time, such as astronomers learning that the universe is indeed not the center of the universe but a planet in a massive solar system. Fear and panic struck the churches as religious fundamentalism became real. Fear and superstitions caused most of America and Europe a great deal of stress and witch hunts. Tension between the Catholics and protestants is still booming. Japan was seeing a rise in peace and stability unlike the many prior years that were spend in warfare. The Bakuhan government was in power which was very uptight on foreign policies and overall a very conservative government but liked a lot of control. In 1998, scholar Motoori Norinaga came out with a forty four volume study on modern Japanese literature, language and culture. He spent the rest of his life teaching his work and considering the new wave Japanese culture to be emotion, natural and sensitive.

In the 1700’s William Hogarth created a set of six paintings famously known as the Marriage A La Mode. The paining is supposed to poke fun at hypocritical commitments that follow marriage. This painting made me thing of the amount of infidelity in my generation along with social media’s influence on it. Old relationships are impulsively rekindled online and we are able to connect with other humans we don’t even know which opens up a whole new can of worms. The last author I wanted to touch on is John Singleton. Singleton was heavily influenced by European art as he grew up on the East Coast of America. He was well-known was his painting of Paul Revere. This photo was chilling to look at as Revere’s deep lifelike eyes looked directly back at you. At first this painting made me uncomfortable with the fact he is looking directly at you and seems so real but after a little while I was able to better grasp it.

The eighteenth century was called the age of enlightenment as sciences became more advanced a philosophy took place in politics. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, there was a plethora if different artistic trends such as the rococo style. The Pipe and Jug painting in chapter 20, made me think of how a lot of young adults post to instagram today. It’s generally a couple objects neatly organized and then the photo of taken. In the photo, they display a pipe, jug, brush, and box while ours would look something like a wallet, car key, watch and sunglasses. In the Pipe and Jug painting, there is a certain texture to each object that is quite remarkable along with the color patterns. I also like how each object is angled differently and it’s not a simply directly overhead type of shot. Jean Baptiste Chardin was the artist who created the pipe and jug and was considered a realist painter.

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Week 5: Baroque & Rococo

Separation of church and state. Although, the founding fathers’ ideal world held separate entities for these two thoughts, today, we continue to struggle with their vision. We can look to the past to see where the two have been melded into one, for example, acts of terrorism. People struggle to leave a country’s politics out of their religious beliefs and acts of radicalism. However, this is not some recent discovery, nor only found in the United States, across the globe people struggle with the same issue. Looking back in time in the western world of art, we can see the collision of church and state, specifically in the seventeenth century. 

Protestants and Catholics were at conflict. People were constantly expressing themselves through their artwork. I believe it is important for people to find solace within their artwork. It enable people to digest and interpret their views of what is happening in the world. It is what gives a person meaning in a world that forgets that meaningless chaos leads to unhappiness. In my own life I resort to writing to find my own voice. It gives me a way to break down my thought and opinion on what is happening in the world around me. In times of conflict it is important to find your form of expression, just as the Baroque and Rococo artists have left pieces of themselves for us to study. 

With the division of personal beliefs, tension from the sixteenth century carried over into following, leaving the artwork with its own voice. The Baroque period bleeds energy from the artist’s paintbrush, creating a vision unlike its predecessors before. Its paintings contained emotion and released expression. 

The Baroque art is typically characterized by its vivid color, hidden light sources, and its use of elaborate and luxurious materials. Baroque architecture and style put to order the unbalanced space portrayed by the Mannerist artists. Buildings from the Renaissance period were meant to be viewed from all sides while Baroque featured a main focal point or axis. 

I believe architecture is art. We can look to the buildings around us and study the space the artists chose to leave empty or rather, in its emptiness we are able to fill. Rococo derives from the French word, rocaille, meaning rock. Just as buildings and structures are important, so are the decorative pieces resulting from the Rococo period. 

With the death of Louis the XIV there was a shift in moods. The French court moved from Versailles to their old Parisian mansions. Their decorative pieces were more modest, soft, and graceful. Contrasting to the Baroque rich colors and textures, the shift in artistic expression painted a softer image of courtly love and elegance. 

In the eighteenth century the shift of art also came with the shift of thought, best known as the Enlightenment. The philosophical new mindset also made the frivolity and gentleness of the Rococo’s paintings less renowned. 

Separation of church and state is a noble thought. However, seen through history’s course and the shifts of artists’ expressions, it is unattainable. The Baroque and Rococo style are starkly different, however their difference is what defines each of them. Through looking at how they are different we can better understand the characteristics of each. Asking people to separate politics from religion is counterproductive. Seen throughout time, people are unable to separate their core values from how they believe laws should be carried out. Just as, artists cannot separate their own belief from their work. It is nearly impossible to create without placing personal belief in works. Similarly, it is a difficult thing to separate values from the law. 

Art has the power to convey meanings relevant to the time at which it is created. It has the power to depict the past’s identity with a more aged face. Art has the ability to move people to tears while political tensions drive people to their graves and moreover, to grief. Art is the ideal blend of church and state, even when society continues to fail at separating both. 

In addition to the book:

John, R., & Tavernier, L. (2003). Rococo. Oxford Art Online. doi:10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.t072542  

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I agree the paintings discussed in these chapters captured some intense emotion! To be able to do that in drawings or other pieces of art work would be an accomplishment. Including detail in paintings does help with the affect viewers have on the story trying to be told! Such as, the light around Jesus at the Last Supper as you discussed. Paying close attention to the symbolic meaning of what you are portraying helps those who are viewing it to interpret it in their own way. 

Chapter 17&18

Chapter 17 starts out with the introduction of Mannerism. This style of art was contrasting to the renaissance style because it studied the imitating of the human body as the focal point of interest rather than the imitating of nature. It focused on the bizarre, exaggerated, and elegant human body arranged in complex, twisted poses. These paintings with these types of poses appealed to the elite, sophisticated audiences and were often self-consciously erotic. (pages307-311)

The paintings of the Mannerism style of paintings include many different artworks, but the painting that I enjoyed the most was the artist’s Jacopo da Pontormo’s painting of “Entombment.” (page 307) This painting is done with the usage of vivid, bright blue and pink colors. Jesus is painted with dull, stone-like grey color. The faces of the of women carrying Jesus of in a look of terror and disbelief. Mary’s face is one of shock and despair. All these elements help to truly capture the event of Jesus’s death and how his loved ones would react during this time. This is the type of art that I would like to portray in my drawings. To be able to capture the true expressions and life-likeness would add so much character to the drawing, even if exaggerated. I would want my drawings to make an impact the way these paintings have done!

The rest of chapter 17 is about the counter-reformation painting period. (pages 312-317) The artist, Jacopo Tintoretto painted “Last Supper.” This painting portrays the symbolic meaning of the supper as sacred and holy by Jesus being illuminated with light around him as he is serving the bread and wine.

Chapter 18 portrays the artists from Northern Europe and their styles of paintings and printmaking. The most important artist in the Netherlands for this time was Heronymus Bosch. (pages 319-321) His paintings “The Garden of Earthly Delights” were done with such refining details that described the story intensely. I was fascinated by this painting. The amount of details that were added to create a more acute and dramatic view of the downward path of man was truly amazing! The story brought to life in these series of paintings!

Another important artist from the Netherlands was Pieter Bruegel. He was known for his painting “The Fall of Icarus.” (page 322-324) This painting was done with an amount of crisp clarity in his landscape scenery, as well as a moralizing sense of storytelling. I loved that a poet was so moved by this piece that he wrote a poem to describe it. I would love for someone to take such interest in my art!

The chapter goes on to portray the great artists from Germany. The artist Albrecht Durer was an artist that did a similar style of paintings to Leonardo da Vinci. (pages325-328) His painting “The Self-Portrait” reveals the likeness to da Vinci’s. It has the same three dimensional and upright posture as that of the “Mona Lisa” painting. He also engraved many prints that showed his vastness of skill and craftmanship. I marveled at the time and skill that went into these. I would love to one day be able to draw with such detail and liveliness!

The chapter ends with the paintings of Matthias Grunewald and Lucas Cranach. (pages 328-332) Both artists did an intense and vivid portray of Jesus and his crucifixion. Grunewald’s painting was done with fine details and bright shades of red colors. Cranach’s painting was done with a dark and dramatic color. To intensify, he added blood dripping down Jesus’s body creating an everlasting effect.

Most of the paintings in these two charters really inspired me. I love the sense of drama and effects that were created in these paintings! This is the style that I want to incorporate into my drawings. The added details and intensifying stories told within the paintings were truly inspiring!

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Week 4 : Mannerism and Humanism Art Influence

Toward the end of the High Renaissance period there was yet another wave of new thought and style that emerged. Artists began to look at technique and expression, focusing less on subject matter. They looked at composition and worked to make their pieces complex, artistically. Mannerism and the Baroque style hit Italy and spread throughout Central and Northern Europe. Luigi Lanzi, archaeologist, is said to have coined the term in the late 18th century. Inspired by the masters of the High Art, artists evoked style and exaggerations to their pieces. 

I find it rather interesting that artists in this time period were inspired by the High Renaissance, yet took the initiative to fall under a different category of work. For example, Paolo Veronese painted controversial images, such as the Wedding Feast at Cana. He took his interpretation of a historical/ religious event and portrayed it as he viewed it. Artists have the power to do that. In doing so, my work that I create I seek to also have the courage artists, such as Veronese possess. He used his specific style to sell his idea. Viewers have the power to take pieces with a grain of salt if they wish to do so.  

Mannerism art also featured unnatural colors and odd juxtapositions of objects. Madonna with the Long Neck is a prime example of mannerism art at its peak. The elongated neck is an exaggeration of the human body and nothing short of its elegance. Mannerism played off of elegance, technique, and bizarre placement of color and objects. 

Humanism art encourages man’s ability to influence their current state. Also, it emphasized the “here and now” differing from artists’ past depiction of spirituality. I believe their work did not lack spirituality, rather it focused more on the individual experience as opposed to the taught religious expectations. Instead of focusing on what could be in the future, humanism spoke to the present. 

We begin to see artists incorporate secular ideas into their religious scenes. They contained some aspects of classic mythology. It was a time to embrace classical studies as well as include it in their artwork. The mindset of artists was to create pieces that incorporated Greek Mythology into their depiction of historical scenes. 

Humanism and Mannerism were important influences to the art world. They followed the High Renaissance and High Art which new ideas. They brought exaggeration, style, technique, and perspective on the human condition. Humanist artists brought to light the current state of their culture they believed to be important. Drawing on masters of the art from the past, they created their own mark on the historical art map.

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I agree, Leonardo’s work is not only beautiful, but an essential piece of the western high renaissance art! I think he not only conveys character, but his passion shows through his work. He created dimensional drawings. Having memories such as you possess, from drawing a 3D image helps shape our attitude toward certain artists. I find it interesting that you attribute your pride to the moment you accomplished creating similar style as Leonardo! His works are much to be amazed with. It is so easy to make assumptions about paintings and I am still learning to take a step back and put things in context! You have great comments about his technical pieces and I feel I have learned a lot through your writing. 

Week 3 - Ch.15/16

In chapter 15, during the early renaissance, the linear perspective, also called the one-point perspective was invented by Filippo Brunelleschi in Italy. “This system is based on the observed fact that distant objects seem smaller than closer ones and that the far edges of uniformly shaped objects appear shorter than the near edges.” (Adams, 248). The picture that was being shown to demonstrate linear perspective was called Dead Christ by Andrea Mantegna. This caught my attention right away because Christ is laying on the bed with wounds from crucifixion in his hand and feet. He was also being mourned by two individuals while he lays dead. Like the book said, the painting gives a haunting psychological effect. I was astounded by the detail and feelings being portrayed. It was like I could almost feel the mourning individuals pain.

Leonardo da Vinci created a perspective study called Adoration of the Magi. It is a series of lines intersecting the horizontals and converging at the vanishing point. It looks like the drawing goes in depth in to the paper. The reason that I choose to talk to about the linear perspective is due to this being one of the first art styles I was taught in an elementary art class. I remember drawing a picture of a room, like Leonardo da Vinci did. When I learned how to do this, I was extremely proud of myself because I felt like I could draw an image that looks 3D. This art style was amazing to me because being that young, I still remember drawing the picture and learning this style. Along with being mind-boggled that something could look more in depth on a flat sheet of paper.

In chapter 16, during the high renaissance in Italy, Leonardo da Vinci created the Last Supper. I recognized this painting right away because my grandmother, my great aunt, and one of my cousins’ houses all have this image hanging up. This painting is also behind the alter at my church that I used to attend. I never read about this image or really looked into it. I learned that this is one of the most recognized images in Western art. “Its success comes from Leonardo’s genius in conveying character and dramatic tension and integrating these qualities with an imposing and unified architectural setting.” (Adams, 284).

Before reading about the image, I did not know who was actually being shown in the painting or what was going on. I honestly had the thought that it was just the last supper before Jesus was crucified. Now that I have read about this image, I am more informed and feel that I had completely underestimated the meaning and emotions. It was also said that the present appearance of the Last Supper is bland compared to its precleaned state, along with the colors being paler, shading being lost, and the figures having a flattened appearance (Adams, 285). I am excited to go to each of their houses, and church, to see whether or not the paintings look like the real painting in the book. I am also curious to know if they know the story behind the picture because I sure did not.

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High Renaissance, High Art

In the fifteenth century we began to see people not only question their realities, but portray their individual analysis of it through art. High art breathes through works such as the Sistine Ceiling painted from the hands of Michelangelo. It was a time of ambitious artists taking on time consuming works that made an impact on art’ s history. In the early renaissance artists began by creating works that humanized their subjects. A challenge relevant to that time was creating a work that not only looked real but also maintained a spiritual message. Thus, the challenge rose for artists in the early renaissance to not only capture past historical moments, but to also make them relatable to viewers while not sacrificing the reverence. 

Leonardo da Vinci took the courageous step of painting realistic figures while portraying spirituality. For example, in the oil painting the Baptism of Christ, two artists painted and angel. Verocchio painted the angel on the right, an example of an Early Renaissance figure, a boy. His portrayal of the boy is contrasted by Leonardo’s painting of the angel that appears to be divine. His looks to be more illuminated and life-like. She is soft and beautiful. Two artists managed to provide us with an example of different styles and different takes on the same image. Leonardo stepped into the High Renaissance art when he painted the angel as more elegant and complex. Hence, High Renaissance embraced the spirituality of the past and put a modern reality to the artist’s work. 

I have been taught that ‘High Art’ implicates the esteem and reputation artist’s work draws forth. The European art and culture is well renowned and studied by admirers and critics. However subjective the term may be, each individual has the power to deem a piece of work High Art. From my understanding I would classify the Sistine Chapel as High Art. It’s beauty and significance holds value to my life and creates a culture of spirituality that I admire. Whereas, work I see when I admire independent films, I classify as low art. 

Just as art has different classifications, different time periods influence the work that comes from it. The Early Renaissance encouraged people to humanize well known moments in history. Artists began to interpret these moments subjective to personal experiences. The allowed personal interpretations to bleed through their canvas. When I produce a film or write a script, I draw upon my experiences and express my thought in a different way than the person next to me might. As artists, as consumers, we must learn from the High Renaissance pieces, the High Art, and artists who seek to answer their own questions. In creating pieces specific to their individuality, they encourage diverse thought. Early Renaissance artists paved the way for High Renaissance artists to unite their questions with answers they found in their creations. 

Artists explored old ideas and made new ones. They also played with different thoughts and acted upon curiosity. As students, as members of the Earth we can learn to explore and ask questions, challenge social norms, and gain a better understanding of our realities through never ceasing to be analytical.

Additional source: Toward the High Renaissance, an introduction. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/high-ren-florence-rome/beginners-guide-high-ren/a/toward-the-high-renaissance-an-introduction  

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Introduction

I am a student at Loras College. I am majoring in Media Studies and minoring in Public Relations. I am finishing up my few final credits. I love art and have spent the past four years in college writing, exploring, and reading about art. 

I spend my time behind a camera capturing the world and its wonders. I produce short films, commercials, and videos for assignments as well as my own creative choice. I love photography. 

I am excited to take this course. I spend a lot of time reading about the creative process, writing, and learning about what it means to be an artist. I hope to gain additional knowledge of past art and incorporate it into my everyday life in a new way. 

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You mentioned the process of the renaissance as being slow and a process. I completely agree it seems for big changes to occur in a society it must begin with some groups becoming interested and then it slowly trickles into the popular thought. Artists did paint similar scenes and I find it interesting how each one was comparable, yet unique. The Pre-Renaissance artists began searching for individuality by portraying some exact scenes from history. I find your point on the disasters in Western Europe resulting in small changes to take place. As humans, your absolutely right, we change in small ways over time, often in result of the changes around us. 

Chapter 14 Pre-Renaissance

The Renaissance beginning in fourteenth century Italy was a period marked by an increased interest in ancient Greek and Roman history and culture, as well as by a renewed dedication to beauty and the arts. The exact causes of the Renaissance can be debated, but Laurie Schneider Adams’ A History of Western Art provides evidence suggesting that the three root causes were a revived interest in Italian heritage, a strong and pervasive religious culture, and a series of disasters in Western Europe spanning from 1329 to 1348. While reading Ms. Adams’ recounting of events, I found that the pattern was similar to my own artistic journey, which helped me connect to the text.

In the centuries leading up to the Renaissance, Italy’s interest in its Roman heritage was beginning to be revitalized. Artists such as Nicola Pisano incorporated Roman styles and themes into their art (Adams, 222). Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy was also produced during this era, with its many references to Roman historical figures. With the slow popularization of ancient Greek and Roman texts after the influx of Greek and Roman scholars and texts from the newly conquered Constantinople, a new, Classical perspective began to emerge, different from the already established religious perspective of the time.

During this period, Italy had a very religious culture, which was reflected in their artwork. Almost all of the art from this period is religious in nature and often commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church, which was a powerful part of the society. Consequently, different artists would paint the same or similar scenes, allowing easy comparison of the evolving style of art. For example, Cimabue’s Madonna Enthroned is very similar in composition and subject matter to Giotto’s Madonna Enthroned, which makes comparisons of their differing styles simple. The viewer can see how Giotto’s figures are grounded more in three dimensional space than Cimabue’s, and that the artists used different methods to demonstrate the draping of cloth.

A string of disasters in Western Europe contributed to the beginning of the Renaissance as well. Just as fire rages through a forest leaving behind ashes and fertile soil, Europe’s calamities caused destruction and also prepared society for new growth. There was famine, flood, plague, an eclipse and bank failures which devastated the populations of Florence and Siena (Adams, 236). The resulting changes to artistic patronage, style, and population makeup helped pave the way to the Renaissance.

The pattern of events in the Pre-Renaissance era is, in its plainest form, similar to my own journey as an artist. Europe was small, and information traveled slowly. As a result, the artistic style of the period changed in small increments, almost cautiously. For many years, I, too, was very isolated, and my artistic skill also grew in tiny increments. My improvements were small, with few experiments and no major growth. I, too, was religious, and repeated the same themes in my life and in my art again and again. Then, just like 14th century Italy, I weathered many disasters. I also lost many people, though few to death. Whereas Italy went through a Gothic phase between its onslaught of misfortune and its Renaissance, I suffered a period of intense depression. And ultimately, as Italy did, I survived, and am now in a period of great experimentation and artistic growth. It is perhaps arrogant or misguided to compare the rhythm of Italian history to my own personal experiences, but that is the parallel that I returned to again and again while studying the events of the Pre-Renaissance era.

Work cited : Schneider Adams, L. (2011). A History of Western Art. New York, New York. McGraw-Hill.

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Rebirth, Individuality, and Movers of the 14th Century

Renaissance, a French world, translates into rebirth. There was a renewed interest in Greek and Roman culture. The interest brought forth classical text and studies of ruins to inspire artists. The Renaissance began in the Fourteenth century in Italy. Artists produced magnificent work both emphasizing the past and marking their time period as the future. The rebirth does not only acknowledge past ideas, it presents old thought in a new way. Artists focused on their technique and individuality to depict important pieces of the past.

Renaissance artists portrayed classical thought and historical events in a fresh and new way. For example, Duccio’s depiction of The Betrayal of Christ presents his analysis of a specific religious moment. He uses religious symbolism to represent the peak moment in sealing Christ’s fate. His use of color and symbolism separated himself as an artist from those who use different styles. In the Renaissance period artists take literature and text and form personalities over their visuals. People started to become more individual and worked toward developing artistic style.  Beneath Jesus’ cloak is a red garment symbolizing the Passion, the color of blood. Duccio uses color to symbolize the events he chose to depict. Artists from this time period gained the confidence to publicize their interpretations through their own artistic expression. Duccio chose to show an important moment in Roman history in his own way.

Similarly, another 14th century Pre-Renaissance painter depicts the same scene. Giotto focuses less on color and more on the technical positioning of his figures. He also worked toward showing the more realistic and human nature of his figures. His Jesus stares at Judas and the mob possesses the chaos he believes important to paint. He lays the groundwork which would later inspire other Italian Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo. He used realistic scenes, three dimensional people, and defied the stiff Byzantine art people were used to seeing. His work promoted a humanistic feel which added value to his pieces. Both artists, Duccio and Giotto were interested by the same biblical scene, however each used different strategies to tell the same story. 

Artists may have focused on classic literary works and Latin text. Yet, the rebirth, meant each product of an artist might look different. Now that artists began to focus on more humanistic levels, their work showed more variation. There are multiple ways to looks at events, books, and cultures. Fourteenth Century artists worked toward showing different angles through art and individuality. It is important for societies to have people who are willing to push boundaries and encourage individuality. Through studying religious paintings or literature from today’s time we can learn a lot about who we are individually. How we interpret makes us unique and through courage, we can all be involved in an age of rebirth, constantly pushing forth new ideas.