From the Paper "The artist is seen as an individual, separated in some sense from the mass of humanity and working in isolation to create his or her unique works. At the same time, though, the artist is seen as part of a larger historical movement or group, reflecting the values and aesthetic qualities of that group. Even though the artist often is part of a larger movement more by happenstance than design--meaning that the artist is only reflecting ideas current at the time of his or her work rather than consciously following precepts and working with others--there is always this tension between the individuality of the artist and the appearance of belonging to an organized movement. There have been movements to which a group of artists have consciously subscribed, but even then each artist seeks a means of individual expression that derives from some inner force."
From the Paper "Christo is a representative of the post-modern era in art, bringing together several of the elements of that era, including the use of public space as art, using and commenting on technology, finding new relations between the personal and the public, and so on. Christo has crated massive works which have also captured a good deal of publicity, making him one of the better known artists of the time, though some of the publicity has been negative, as when a woman was killed by one of the umbrellas Christo had placed in a field in California.
Modernism and postmodernism are forces that have been in competition but that are also part of a flow in the same direction, a flow of artistic movement yearning toward change within a technological age. Modernism was part of an effort to create a new environment to replace the old around the turn of ..."
Abstract This paper explains that Judy Chicago applies vulvar representations to her works with the same frequency that penile representations were applied to male statuary from time immemorial; however, Chicago creates female genitalia not to portray realism, as the male genitalia on Greek, Roman, Renaissance or any other heroic statuary, but rather to make a feminist statement. The author describes "The Dinner Party" installation as a triangular banquet table, with each side 48 feet long, sitting on a ceramic floor inscribed with the names of 999 notable women of history, both ancient and modern and at each of the 39 places is a plate, with some version of female genitalia on it and a porcelain chalice. The paper relates that "The Dinner Party" belongs to the genre of conceptual art; Chicago, along with Duchamp and Christo is deemed to be a valuable modern minimalist.
Table of Contents
The Meaning of "The Dinner Party"
"The Dinner Party": Global Derivation
"The Dinner Party": Place in Modern Art
Chicago History
Growing into Her Own
The Art Works (Illustrations)
From the Paper "The vulvar ornamentation of "The Dinner Party" places Judy Chicago firmly in a long line of sculptors who represented this essential aspect of female-ness across cultures. Sheila-na-gigs "closely resembled the yonic statues of Kali which still appear at the doorways of Hindu temples, where visitors lick a finger and touch the yoni 'for luck.' Some of the older figures have deep holes worn in their yonis from much touching." This also imitates the death goddess Kalika "evidently remembered in Ireland as the Caillech or 'Old Woman,' who was also the Creatress and gave birth to all the races of men." Whether or not Chicago was conversant with the totality of this world-order of female genitalia and its meaning and importance, she conveyed it just as firmly as had the abundant sheila-na-gigs of Ireland."
Abstract There are almost as many ways to argue that the price of a work of art does not necessarily reflect its aesthetic value, as there are artists and buyers, market forces and market constraints. Having said that, however, the paper shows that there are also significant and variable forces determining the prices of art; a short listing of just some of these and their probable effects in this paper make it clear that there can almost never, in fact, be a perfect marriage between a work of art and its price.
Paper Outline:
Introduction
The Arab Factor
The Propaganda Factor
Post-, post-, post -modernism and the Price Point
Two Paths to Price/Aesthetic Disparity
Conclusion
Works Cited
From the Paper "Whether the government was attempting to prevent the item from leaving the country, the entire event-from the Sheikh's purchase and subsequent hoarding, to the government's art/antiquities market manipulation via legalistic means, at best, certainly would indicate that the price of this object, at least, can have little to do with its aesthetic value, but speaks more to national pride and pride of ownership. (One has not even considered either the ethics of the government in seeking to use its power in the art/antiquities market in this way, or of the Sheikh for using his own trump card-the ability to warehouse such pricey objects with no discernible harm to him.)"
Tags: Birds, of, America, Du, Bois, Christo, Warhol
Abstract This paper examines how Philip Roth's story, "The Conversion of the Jews," offers a deliberately oversimplified version of the shift from Judaic to Christo-centric societal norms. It looks at how, rather than simply narrate the plight of Christ from a perspective of temporal congruence, Roth uses the variance in the ages of the protagonists to highlight the universality of the quest to discover one's own personal faith.
From the Paper "The fact that he, rather than Binder, claims their full attention, and the fact that they are in star-shaped clusters, reminisce of the Star of David, is symbolic of the shift from Judaic to Christo-centric influence. The "jagged starlike clusters" (388) of his friends, who will someday be Jewish men, are calling for his suicide, an act that would be, for them, salvific in its ultimate rejection of Rabbi Binder, and thus all he stood for. The boys are no longer in league with Binder, no longer his stooges, but rather have become the disciples of Ozzie in his new station. By default, Ozzie has become the Christ of Queens, not by choice so much as out of necessity, a result of his quest. "
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses and compares William Shakespeare's use of disguise in his comedies with Ben Jonson's use of disguise in "Volpone". The writer first notes that, in Elizabethan comedy, characters in plays use disguises and alter identities to overturn Elizabethan society norms; particularly norms concerning power relations between parent and child, male and female, and morality and immorality. However, this turn from societal order to disorder is only temporary. The disguises cannot sustain a character for more than four acts, and their true identity must be revealed to reinstate order in society. The writer then looks at how Shakespeare's comedies follow this formula exactly, while Jonson's 'Volpone' changes the formula. The writer explains that, instead of introducing order in his play as a collection of societal norms in need of reversing, 'Volpone' overturns societal norms at the outset. The writer concludes that both playwrights challenge Elizabethan societal constraints and norms using disguise. Yet as Shakespeare's reversal of the societal norm is temporary, Jonson's reconfiguration of the classic Christo-Elizabethan theme of morality versus immorality is permanent.
From the Paper "A societal norm overturned in Shakespearian comedy is the constraint of a patriarchal system placed upon women in Elizabethan England. In this sense, a patriarchal dominated system represents order and the disintegration of this system, when women are no longer constrained by their sex, represents disorder. Shakespeare uses disguise to overturn patriarchal domination to the female characters' favor. The societal constraints placed upon women are released as the environment of the play turns from order to disorder. With the dissolution of societal standards, the women of Shakespeare's comedies gain a power once denied to them, and in effect create their own system of domination within the play. This domination takes the form of romantic pursuit of another character. The once male dominated act of wooing is now attainable to women. However, the female characters do not replace males in this act of wooing, but rather their power exists alongside the male characters' power. This creates a tension that may only be resolved with an utter breakdown of the original dominating gender, the male gender, or with the return to order by the reinstating of the patriarchy. Shakespeare always ends his comedies with a return to order, and so disguises are lifted and, subsequently, so too is the power it provided to the female characters."
