Art History - Assignment Example

Visual Arts and Film Studies Romanticism The speakers define romanticism as a “broader group of arts and culture” with an “incredible sense of drama and emotion.” They said that it is “about putting human emotion to the fore.” The first painting discussed is John Constable's “White Horse,” which was done in 1819. It is considered as Romantic art because it evokes the “personal memory” of the artist. Constable grew up in a place similar to the on in the painting, and he is trying to communicate the nostalgia and attachment that he has with his boyhood. The second painting discussed is Caspar David Friedrich's “Sea of Ice,” which was done sometime between 1823-1825. The painting is also considered a Romantic art because this piece evokes the feeling, not of “man in control of nature,” but of “nature's power, majesty, and awesomeness over man.” Since man still “see[s] God in nature,” it “evokes the religious and spiritual feeling in man without the standard Christian iconography.” The third painting discussed is Theodore Gericualt's “Raft of the Medusa,” which was done sometime between 1818-1819. This painting is also another form of Romantic art because it evokes a feeling of “vain hope” due to “man's own brutality to man.” In looking at the three paintings, one can see that all three have the similar theme of nature, despite nature being used in different manner in these pieces of art. The most different take, however, is that of Constable, because in his painting, nature evokes a feeling of serenity, peace, and comfort, while the other two paintings evoke feelings of fear and hopelessness. Becoming Modern There are 5 characteristics of modern. First is capitalism, which created the modern through creating a new economic system of labor and fixed wages, wherein these wages are used to buy more and cheaper consumer items. The second is urban culture, wherein agriculture was replaced by industrialization. The third is technological advances, which created dramatic changes in the lifestyles of people. The fourth is secularism, wherein the traditional religious authority is not as strong as before. The fifth is the optimism of the people, wherein all changes are deemed positive. These changes definitely affected the art audience, therefore affecting the artists themselves. The artists, having a change in their audience, embraced the innovations of the era, and tried to participate in the changing times by merging the new ideas in their art works. The modern artists thus began to acquire new audience from among the modern people who made their money out of these modern changes such as industrialization, etc. Slowly, modern art is in, and the traditional art is obsolete. It is possible that artists, more and more, began embracing the modern ideas because it is through that that they will have audience for their art pieces. The connection between the avant-garde and the modern is actually quite interesting. Firstly, during the first half of the modern era, there were still some artists who cannot be considered truly modern because their styles still resemble the traditional and conservative ones. Still, modern artists are called “avant-garde,” which is a term originally used in the military to describe the front liners or point men, similar to any individual who takes the most risk. A Burial at Ornans Gustave Courbet's “A Burial at Ornans” is a realist art, and it is antithetical to romantic art. First, the painting shows the realistic life, painted with no sugar-coating --- life as it is. Second, it does not aim to evoke ideal feelings or emotions, rather, it just shows things from an objective point of view. Third, it can be seen that the full disclosure of even the smallest details are depicted in the painting, and there is no information denied to or hidden from the audience. Fourth, there is the depiction of the everyday, regular individuals that one encounters on a daily basis. Fifth, the setting of the scene is commonplace --- no exotic or distant lands whatsoever. All these are sharply opposite to the characteristics of a romantic art work. Courbet chose this topic because this is actually a funeral of his great uncle. What he wants to shows here is how he turns away from the faith in the traditional supernatural, and moves towards the faith in what is real and authentic. He depicted the funeral without the frills of redemption. Instead, he depicted the funeral just as how it happens in the real world --- with people distracted, death inevitable, and dead people soon forgotten, etc. The audience in Paris was astounded because Courbet's painting broke every art rule that people were used to during that era. For them, Courbet's painting does not look like how art is supposed to look like, and it does not present the right kind of subject either to be considered a work of art. Course Reflection At first I was naively expecting that the course will teach me the “skills” in creating art. It was not even midway through the course that I realized that art cannot be taught in school, because life will teach you that. It is not merely about colors and drawings, and decorations, and other sophisticated stuff. It is about expression, communication, beliefs, culture, life, and even death. This concept of self-expression is something that I have learned deeply through studying about the evolution of art techniques, like Romanticism, Modernism, and even Realism. Before, every art piece seemed like any other art piece, painted or sculpted or created by someone with an “artistically creative” and wild imagination. Now I realized that it is actually about expression of the inner self minus the words. Upon studying the works of the artists from these periods, I realized that their art is not something they just suddenly thought of or picked up on the streets. Their art comes from a deeper belief or viewpoint, and that it is able to evoke something in the audience because the subject actually evoked something in the artists in the first place. However, I do know that self-expression is a long journey, and may take a long time to master. But because I have already recognized it to be there, I know that at least I have already started. I can consider myself as a newborn when it comes to self-expression. Part of my learning journey has been starting with unintelligible cries and mumbles --- really like that of a newborn. As my learning in the course progressed, I was able to pick up bits and pieces of ideas to help me express and communicate better. For self-expression in art, this for me is very true. Another thing that I have learned in the course, that I would definitely incorporate in my soon-to-be chosen career, is enjoyment. Enjoying my personal passions is one great thing that I have experienced in this course so far. I would like to bring that kind of positive feeling throughout my career, because nothing can ever be better than enjoying while learning what needs to be learned to master the craft. Impressionism: Art and Modernity The significance of the term impression is linked to the style of the artists that “critic Louis Leroy accused..of being a sketch or “impression,” likening the art works to unfinished paintings. It is said that impressionists created paintings made of: ...short, broken brushstrokes that barely convey forms, pure unblended colors, and an emphasis on the effects of light. Rather than neutral white, grays, and blacks, Impressionists often rendered shadows and highlights in color. The artists' loose brushwork gives an effect of spontaneity and effortlessness that masks their often carefully constructed compositions... Due to this style, the art audience who are used to toned-down colors were shocked and critical of these group's radical style in painting. The vivid colors, the suburbs and rural places as art subjects, the every day lives of local villagers depicted in paintings, and even depiction of the invasive industrialization were all too inappropriate and radical according to the traditional artists of the previous generation. When the city of Paris went through a renovation, impressionists such as Pissarro and Gustave Caillebotte utilized their “modern” style in rebuilding the city, helping style the city's boulevards, buildings, and gardens. After the Franco-Russian War, the population explosion in Paris gave the impressionists more subjects for their art works. Cafes, dancers, theatrical entertainment, and even concerts became part of the art scene. The modernity of the city somewhat assisted these artists to have a solid place in the art scene. Exhibitions were held, and art pieces were sold. Manet and the Impressionists Manet's rupture with traditional representation stems from his belief that if painting was a system of standard signs or codes, then a new set of codes or signs can also be created or invented. It cannot really be said if Manet's intention is to break away from the traditional style of painting or representation. However, it is clear that his main purpose is to create something unaffected and uncorrupted by habits, or standards, or anything learned beforehand. This new style was followed by several other painters, and shocked the art audience during that era. The impressionists are composed of diverse individuals. Some were from the lower middle class like Monet and Renoir. Some were wealthy like Degas, Morisot, Cassatt, and Caillebotte. One, Pissarro, is an anarchist from the working class. Another, Sisley, was an Angl-French, while some were generally apolitical. This mixture is not really unusual, but it is somewhat different due to the inclusion of women. Because of this varied mix, there was a large variety of subject in their art works as well. Some who did not have money cannot go to brothels or cabarets, while some were too respectable for scandalous subjects. Some produced merely landscapes and were restricted in their subject. Their marketing strategies all depicted independence, each having their own styles and decisions regarding their subject and their market. Manet's style was applied but his journey was not followed by other impressionists. Because of the independent nature that marked this group, the impressionists soon created works that are both extension of Manet's style and rejection of his subject matter --- often showing just a characteristic or two of Manet's art. Monet’s Gare Saint Lazare Monet's painting “Gare St. Lazare,” which was done in 1877 is almost abstract. There are no perspective lines, and the focus is mostly on the play of light and colors. The objects in the painting seem to just dissolve in the steam of the locomotive. Upon looking at the painting closely, there is actually no solidity in the objects, which is somewhat going against the traditional modelling. In comparison, Monet's style of removing the lines from the objects in the painting is in contrast to Caillebotte's style in painting the “Pont de l’Europe.” It is interesting to know that Caillebotte's subject is a bridge that is just above the train tracks, which is Monet's subject in “Gare St. Lazare.” Caillebotte's painting is linear, every object clarified, the images clear and clean. Compared to the abstractness of Monet's painting, Caillebotte's is intense and dramatic in terms of linear perspective. Another difference is while Monet's played with the illusion of light and colors, Caillebotte played with the illusion of space. Another comparison is Manet's “The Railway,” which subject is the same train tracks as the one mentioned above. Monet's “Gare St. Lazare,” when compared to Manet's “The Railway,” has a similar unfinished appearance. The station and the railway and the are not defined clearly. Manet appeared to be more interested in painting the people around the train tracks instead of the railway itself. Reflection # 1 I have always been intrigued how impressionist art can change the way an image is seen by the eyes. I have always looked forward to knowing the characteristics of impressionist art and the course definitely helped me understand it more. The more I looked into the paintings of impressionist artists, the more I understood the impact of colored matting. In this course, I learned to value more the importance of color. Two identical subjects can differ so much depending on the use of color. However, aside from this, what I believe is the most important thing I learned about impressionist artists is their independence. Although they follow a certain style or technique, each one has their own style, market, and even subject. The possibilities are so diverse. This diversity and independence are two qualities which I deem useful in the advancement of my career in whatever art field I choose. Being in the modern world, traditional or classical style is almost not expected anymore. Anything that presents the slightest sign of change or innovation, so long as it offers a straightforward and honest meaning, will certainly have its fair share of audience. When I mixed this with the other thing I learned, which is self-expression, I find myself in a very challenging yet exciting position. It makes me feel like there is a vast world out there to be discovered, and a whole new system and codes to be invented. The bravery of these impressionist artists to pursue something that is way out of what is generally accepted, and to pursue something that has been repeatedly rejected, is something that can be applied, not only in a career in art, but in life as well. Chinese Film Thesis Statement If China does not have very strict censorship law, Chinese films would have evolved more into its full potential. While censorship may help a lot in eliminating unnecessary and “for commercial purposes” additions to the story, it may also be choking the potential creativity of many good films. Reflection # 2 Chinese films have always been known to owe part of its success (if successful) to directors and actors from Hongkong and Taiwan. These two places have a vast experience in the art of film-making compared to mainland China. However, more and more Chinese talents have erupted over the past decades. During these years, we have seen a tremendous growth, improvement, and changes in the Chinese films, largely due to the influence of Hollywood. The sad thing about Chinese films is that no matter how they might aim for the “feel” of Hollywood movies, they will be slowed down or blocked altogether by the censorship law and traditions of China. The issues I see for this paper is that a lot of information will be based on theoretical information only, because it has never happened that censorship in China is light. This means that there had never been an instance wherein a Chinese film had experienced “freedom of speech” so much just like Hollywood. This issue could prove to be a strong hindrance in this paper if a workaround is not figured out. What I plan to do about it is research. If the evolution of Chinese films can be established and a pattern figured out, it will be a bit easier to present the limitations that Chinese films go through because of the censorship. However, this is not the only roadblock for this paper topic. Come to think of it, aside from censorship, there is also the issue of tradition. Chinese films are known for their highly cultural feel. There is a big possibility that what is happening is self-censorship among filmmakers. The way to avoid this is to carefully plan the method of establishing the pattern --- from data collection to interpretation. Read More