Abstract The work examined in this paper is Pablo Picasso's "Guernica", a massive work with a political purpose. The paper shows the simplicity of the painting in the way it reduces images to curved and angular expressions of outlines. It also shows its complexity in the way it brings together a number of elements in a cohesive whole to indicate the horror and terror of war, specifically of one incident in the Spanish Civil War, as a representative moment for all unjust war. The paper examines the fact that critics are divided on the work - they tend not to agree on "Guernica's" impact on either Picasso's success in general, or on the progress of art history.
From the Paper "Chronologically, Guernica was out of step with both the development of Picasso's ever-changing style and the height of the reign of cubism, of which he was a founder. Picasso's career and his cubist techniques, however, show why he chose this particular art form as the best means of communication and expression in this instance. Surrealism was an artistic movement with a strong political component, such as would be seen in Guernica, but with a different aesthetic. Surrealism was the most highly organized and tightly controlled artistic movement in this century, and its moral and executive leader was Andr? Breton, given the unofficial title of the Pope of Surrealism."
Abstract This paper explores Egyptian artwork, using 2 pieces from ancient Egypt which can be seen at the LCMA - Wadjet and Sekhmet. The writer studies the art as it relates to the expression of ideas, rituals and religion in ancient Egypt. The paper uses these two pieces because while the goddesses are similar, each with a lion's head, they are associated with different parts of Egypt - Sekhmet derives from Memphis, while Wadjet is from Buto.
From the Paper "This sort of rigid and bisymmetrical form is seen in both Wadjet and Sekhmet in the Los Angeles collection. The goddesses are similar as each has a lion's head, as noted, but the goddesses are associated with different parts of Egypt. Sekhmet derives from Memphis, while Wadjet is from Buto. Wadjet is considered the protector of the north, or Lower Egypt, and she also has associations with Hathor and is said to have helped Isis protect the infant Horus in the mythology of ancient Egypt."
The paper discusses whether artists in general and Cindy Sherman, in particular, have moved away from accepting women as sexual objects towards giving them an autonomous identity.
Abstract The paper analyzes a photograph by Cindy Sherman, based on Raphael's
famous portrait "Fornarina". It argues that while the original painting depicted women as "possessed" by men and therefore "owned" by the painter, the modern-era version de-objectifies the feminine form and gives women a sense of self-identity. The paper clarifies this point by pointing out that the model of the picture is also the photographer.
From the Paper "In the view of Kate Linker (1983), there has been of late, a shift in the way we conceive of texts. We have moved, to a degree, away from the expressionist model, ?based on an expressive self and an emphatic reader, who reduplicates preconstituted meanings (1983, p. 391).? This shift further moves the reader or, in the case of the visual arts, the viewer, away from a fixed ideology which renders meaning as timeless and immutable rather than as shifting or in process. Linker (1983) suggests that in most representational visual art, there are abundant forms in which the very apparatus or content of work constitutes subjects as male, positioning women as unauthorized and illegitimate and as represented rather than representing."
Abstract This paper looks at the life of Richard Morris Hunt (1827-1895) who was born in Brattleboro, Vermont and is considered one of the most respected architects of his time. It discusses how he was awarded many professional honors and was one of the most highly acclaimed Americans of the nineteenth-century. It briefly examines Hunt's education and career and evaluates his work in terms of his contributions to architecture, to New York City and his influence on city architecture. It also looks at some key works he designed and created including his most monumental work, the base of the Statue of Liberty. Pictures of some his works are included.
From the Paper "The industrial age, however, had produced new methods and materials that opened up novel possibilities. Engineers and industrialists, for example, had perceived the potentialities of cast iron, long before architects began to speculate on its creative applications to their craft. The structural use of iron actually dates form the latter part of the eighteen-century, although at first it was found in bridges, cotton mills, and other functional buildings, where it was usually combined with brick, stone, or timber, or else used as a substitute for one or more of them. With the use of cast iron and steel the nineteenth- century was eventually to see the spanning of broader widths, the enclosure of more cubic space, and projections toward greater heights than had previously been possible. It was in this context that Hunt began his career as an architect, for it was in Europe that he learned to appreciate and respect the history of art in architecture ? and it was this European architectural history that he wanted to reproduce in America."
Abstract This paper uses the example of Jenny Holzer's work "Truisms" ( NYC Guggenheim Museum) to illustrate her conceptual art. (Illustration included.) The author points out that Holzer's "Truisms" came about because of her despair of the present-day world where there is little dialogue about people's widely varying beliefs. The paper states that Holzer's art distinguishes two strong characteristics of the late 1970 and 1980 artists: The manipulation of gallery and museum spaces as communal locations of the dissemination of political and social commentary and the spread of activist art collections in New York.
From the Paper "New artistic movements arose during the 1960s and ?70s to challenge and displace modernism in painting, sculpture and other media. By the late 1970s, artists were using conversations, discussions and theoretical texts as the basis for their creative products. One of these styles was conceptualism. Deliberately formed as an approach that no aesthetic formalism could ever embrace, it placed art beyond all limitations and definitions to break the stringent constraints of the previous art history and criticism. Attention was turned toward producing and the manipulation of materials. The result or the final object became secondary and often temporary. The rise of conceptualism corresponded to artistic trends taking place in various parts of the world, as social and political upheaval prompted artists to re-examine traditional forms of representation and question art's social utility. Much of the art in exhibitions was made to provoke the viewer by disturbing previously accepted ideas about social, political and cultural systems."
Abstract This paper explains that Toulouse-Lautrec, despite his physical handicaps and later by alcoholism, managed to create his own instantly recognizable style and his unique way to invoke a world that was full of jollity and humor. The paper points out that Toulouse-Lautrec stands out in graphic art; even today, his lithographs and posters are still being copied. The author believes that, since Rembrandt, Lautrec was maybe the most unforgettable artistic character, a status acknowledged years earlier by novelists and the film industry.
From the Paper "Moreover, he was amazingly open to the unorthodox kinds of commission that his graphic success won him. He illustrated songs for music publishers, art exhibitions, theatre programs, confetti, menus for friends, designing posters for books, journals, plays, caf? and theatre stars, ordinary products as domestic furnishings, printing ink and bicycle chains. All these posters were effectively a form of anti academic propaganda. Thus, by taking this work to the street, he was involved in a delicate but classic form of revolution that turned out to be more real than the exhibitions and salons of the avant-garde ever were."
This paper discusses Edgar Degas, an impressionist artist whose artwork revealed a concern for the psychology of movement, expression, harmony of line and continuity of curves that distinguished him from all the other impressionist painters.
Abstract This paper explains that, although Deges was connected with the impressionists, he never was fascinated like others were by the influence of natural light and thus did most of his work inside his studio only. The paper continues that his paintings depicted ballet, horse racing, the theater and circuses, which gave the idea that his work stemmed from the humanistic experience. The author points out that Degas? favorite subjects were scenes from the world of entertainment, the daily life of women, ballet dancers, horse races and young ballerinas.
From the Paper "Degas was captivated and influenced by a study of Japanese prints of which style appeared to be in his later work. He drew on the Japanese idea of asymmetrical design as an object to set the subject to the side of a painting. For example, one of his paintings made in 1865, depicted a Woman with Chrysanthemums (exhibited at Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City) where the female subject is pushed into one side by a bouquet of flowers."
Abstract "Primavera" by Botticelli - intriguing because of its portrayal of a mythological scene, beautiful because of its master's dedication - is without a doubt a masterpiece. The importance of the painting in its time period and Botticelli's scrutinizing attention to detail make the "Primavera" a truly remarkable work. This paper takes a close look at at the painting. It discusses the 500 different types of plants identified in the painting and their association to mythological figures. The paper also looks at the reason why "Primavera" is considered a painting which is not typical of its time.
From the Paper "Due to its representation of mythological figures and scenes, it might be initially difficult to discern the time period of the Primavera. Executed in a time of paintings of saints and countless reproductions of Madonna and Child scenes, the Primavera definitely stands out, and appears out of keeping with contemporary visions. The clues to its time period are subtle. Venus is clothed in heavy, colorful robes, and the hair of the Graces are beaded with pearls, both styles of dress unique to the Early Renaissance. Also typical of the Early Renaissance is the attempt to achieve "anatomically correct, but idealized figures"perfected generic types? (Stokstad 643). The full return to Classical proportions had not yet occurred, but the artists of Botticelli's time were looking toward an ideal in human anatomy, and this can be seen upon close examination of the female figures in the painting. From the Graces to Chloris, all six females in the work have generally the same body type, if not exactly the same, and their faces also hold relatively the same features."
Abstract This paper examines how prehistoric cave art is considered to be man's original form of art, although its date of origin is still unknown. It looks at how, with examples, the art displays the effects of the cultures and surroundings that created them. It discusses how the cave art found in Europe and Africa depicts the prehistoric conception of animals, humans, symbols and weapons and how there are many differences and commonalities between the art found in both areas.
From the Paper "The cave paintings in Linton are considered to be only 11,000 years old, as opposed to Apollo 11. The cave shelter located in Linton on the Eastern Cape of Africa contains a painting of that illustrates the experiences of healers or shaman, calling on supernatural powers. Human figures are clearly defined. The shaman has hooves, as if taking on the shape of an animal in order to connect to the spiritual world. White dots are used to represent spiritual power. Strange features are also assigned to other animals and humans present during the trance in the painting, using white dashes. Animals in the painting appear to have mismatched body parts, such as a snake with an antelope head."
Abstract Children are natural artists, often using arts as a means to express themselves through color, form, sound and movement. Arts based learning is a vehicle in which students can learn subjects such as language, history and mathematics through poetry and song, narratives and drawings, dance and drama. The paper shows that arts-based learning supports a stronger model for engaging individual learning styles and preferences and tapping into children's ?multiple intelligences.? Arts based learning also has the ability to increase student self-esteem by encouraging many different forms of self-expression of knowledge. The paper reviews literature on the subject.
From the Paper "Elliot Eisner supports the concept of arts based learning and suggests that by teaching reading and writing through the use of alternative mediums in the arts, such as stories, paintings and song, learners become more actively engaged from an experiential standpoint (Eisner, 1994). "To neglect the contribution of the arts in education, either through inadequate time, resources, or poorly trained teachers is to deny children access to one of the most stunning aspects of their culture and one of the most potent means for developing their minds" (Eisner, 1987, Music Educators Journal). Eisner believes that arts based education provides an outlet for students to express their knowledge and creativity by engaging all of the senses, thus allowing student's to tap into their intrinsic learning styles."
Abstract This paper discusses the special characteristics of the Baroque era and makes a comparison of Bernini's sculpture of St. Teresa with Bach's Sonata 2.
Abstract This paper examines and analyzes the career of the French painter Eugene Delacroix. The paper proceeds to demonstrate how he represents a modernist viewpoint, and cites various reasons to support and defend that position.
Abstract This is a study of Andy Warhol's portraits and the issues that they raise about celebrity and identity. In his portraits of celebrities, their vacant stares and stock poses communicate to the viewer the intractability of representing the 'real self'. In his self-portraits, the distortion of color and form, combined with the generic head-on-black-background format makes the subject of the portrait relatively unimportant, subsumed by art.
This paper discusses the French Surrealist poet Andre Breton and analyzes how his Surrealist art philosophy influenced the art world in the twentieth century.
2,150 words (approx. 8.6 pages), 7 sources, 2002, $ 80.95
Abstract This paper discusses the French Surrealist poet Andre Breton and analyzes how his Surrealist art philosophy influenced the art world in the twentieth century.
Tags: ART HISTORY / DADAISM, SURREALISM, breton surrealist art
