Office Art Memo - Assignment Example

? Office Art Memo of the of the Office Art Memo Mr. Rich N. Trendy Mr. I.M. Right 25 February Subject: Choice of Art Works for the New Corporate Offices Dear Mr. Trendy. I am writing this memo to you in regard to the task you gave me last month, concerning the choice of various pieces of art for the new corporate offices. I would like to thank you for entrusting me with this opportunity since it means you trust and respect me judgment. I must admit that taking classes in humanities has really opened up my eyes and mind to appreciating the art world at large. Art is a complex subject covering many facets of expression like drawings and paintings, woodwork, sculpture and in fact things made from almost any kind of material. The use of film, media, light and sound have also contributed to many artworks known today. In the words of pop artist Wayne Thiebaud, ‘every artist creates his own world’ and it is up to the onlooker to see his work and appreciate it from this perspective. Coming back to the selection of the six pieces of art, three from the 19th century Impressionist Era and three from the Post Impressionist Era, I am sure you will appreciate what I have selected because I think them not only to be a reflection of good taste but also to be historically significant and to be able to add meaning and style to the decor of the corporate offices. I am sure that even a normal person would not fail to be affected by their presence. The Impressionist Art Movement of the 19th century originated in France, and was an attempt by a group of artists to rebel against what they regarded as boring, run of the mill, regimented art forms. Impressionists mainly painted realistic true to life scenes that they saw out of doors in a true natural setting- whereas previously these scenes had been painted in the comfort of the studio. The Impressionist era is also noted for its emphasis on bold natural colors and the interplay of lights and shadows form an important premise of these paintings (Huyghe, 1973). Another characteristic is its unfinished smudged brushstrokes compared to following lines and contours in traditional painting. Included among the foremost of these painters are Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot and Andrew Sisely. The first painting I have chosen from the 19th century Impressionist Era is a replica of Camille Pissarro’s ‘The Garden of Pontoise’ (1875). It is oil on canvas. This painting I feel is very true to life, as all of Pissarro’s work was, and shows a young woman being entertained by a small child as she sits in the shade of her umbrella on a bench in a garden. Nothing could be a more simple expression of the glory of nature as a mother enjoying the antics of her child. The bond between mother and child, the pride and the glory of motherhood and nurturing is embodied in this work, but so elegantly set in the backdrop of this colorful garden that no one could help looking at it. The bright hues and colors of the early evening are evident here. The glory of the colorful garden in bloom takes one away from the business of life and helps one appreciate the value of leisure. No wonder Pissarro is regarded as among the founding fathers of Impressionism (Cogniat, 1975). The second piece of Impressionist painting I have selected is a replica of the Portrait of Charles and Georges Durand-Ruel, which the artist Pierre Auguste Renoir painted in 1882. In the portrait painting, both father and son are seated on a garden bench with greenery in the backdrop. The features of both are unmistakably alike, and the father is dressed more elegantly in an open three piece suit, with his left arm around his son. The son Georges is attired in a purple closed suit, and is also shown sporting a cigarette in his left hand. The father does not seem appalled at this circumstance and it shows his open-mindedness and confidence in his son. I am hoping here that the selection of this painting will signify that we not only value and respect traditions but are also open minded and allow the younger generation to express their feelings and plans. It also helps to show that the firm has carried on for some time and has a good succession plan so lenders and investors can bank on it being around for some time to come. The third Impressionist painting replica I have chosen is a personal favorite by Claude Monet and is called Woman with a Parasol (1875). It is a painting of his wife and child made by the artist. What impresses me about this painting is the lovely interplay of lights and shadows that has been so well addressed on a windy, blowy day. The effects of nature are so well represented here. Yet for all the wind and the rain, the woman seems largely unmoved. This is a good impression we should wish to convey to our visitors and all those who deal with us- that we are steadfast and reliable, unmoved by trying circumstances. I think everyone would be attracted to this picture because of its capture of light and radiance that is the hallmark of most Impressionist paintings. Now I will more on to the three works I have chosen for the Post Impressionist era. The term Post Impressionism was nothing more than a term developed by the art critic Roger Fry to delineate the era of French painting following the Impressionist Era from that before it (Rewald, 1978). The Post Impressionists were tired of painting still life and landscapes- they used geometric shapes and radical colors to signify their breakaway from Impressionist ideals. Chief among these artists are Pierre Bonnard, Henri Toulouse Lautrec, Henri Rousseau, Van Gogh, Georges Seurat and Paul Signac. One Post Impressionist replica I have selected is the Portrait of Felix Feneon, painted by Paul Signac in 1890. It shows the subject of the painting with a hat off and holding a flower in one hand. The presence of stars in the painting reminds me of the U.S flag and the hat of Abraham Lincoln-so I would prefer this kept in the main entrance as a symbol of our nationalism. Another replica painting that has interested me from this era is Vincent Van Gogh’s The Blooming Plum tree. I picked it out for its vibrant colors that are a hallmark of Van Gogh’s and am sure it would make for interesting conversations about its topic matter. It shows how Van Gogh was influenced by Japanese art in this period. Lastly I would like to include a replica of Van Gogh’s The Postman (1888). This shows a postman fully dressed in uniform, sitting in an armchair but in a state of readiness as if to get up and serve his duty at the very next minute. In my opinion, this would be a poignant reminder to all that we are always in a state of readiness to serve our customers. I hope that you will like my selections. I will be ready to discuss them with you this week before the purchase deals can be finalized. With best regards, I.M. Right. References Cogniat, R. (1975). Pissarro. New York: Crown Books. Huyghe, R.(1973). Impressionism. Secaucus, N.J.: Chartwell Books. Rewald, J. (1978).Post-Impressionism: From Van Gogh to Gauguin (Revised Edition). Secker & Warburg, U.K. Appendix Woman with a Parasol, Claude Monet, 1875 The Garden of Pontoise, Camille Pissarro, 1877 Portrait of Felix Feneon, Paul Signac, 1890 Read More