California Landscape Art

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how artistic description of the environment sheds light onto the evolution of the historical and social development of the area, from a natural scene to a human one. It specifically looks at the way that landscape art of California from the late 1800s tried to capture the true essence of the Californian environment and how the landscape art in the 20th century became more oriented toward people and their everyday existence.

From the Paper:

"His work, "Large Interior Los Angeles" is relevant in this sense. Unlike most of its predecessors who considered the Californian landscape to be exclusively an outdoor experience, Hockney addresses the same issue by pointing out a different side of California. Indeed, it cannot be fully defined as a landscape, nonetheless it represents an environment in which people live their everyday lives and which plays a similar role to the one the steep mountains of the Yosemite Valley played for the Indians. The innovative element in his painting however is the ease with which he managed to transpose an intimate living space onto to a theme available for the general public. Without too many details, the artist manages to convey the sense of coziness and warmth. From the point of view of a regular viewer, the impression is that of a personal yet open space, similar to the idea captured from previous works analyzed. Also, despite the fact that there are no apparent details to suggest an integration in a certain geographical space, the image leaves the feeling of a traditionally well off American family in the sunny Californian landscape."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cheney, Martha Candler. Modern Art in America. New York: Whittlesey House, 1939.
• DavidHockney. "About David Hochney". 2003. http://www.davidhockney.com/bio.shtml (accessed 22 November 2007)
• Granville Redmond: The Artist. N.d. http://www.granvilleredmond.com/ (accessed 22 November 2007)
• Hackett- Freedman. "David Park: artist overview". 2007. http://hackettfreedman.com/templates/artist.jsp?id=PAR (accessed 22 November 2007)
• Jenkins, P. A history of the United States. New York: Palgrave, 1997.

More papers on California Landscape Art:

• Book Review # 140169 : "Death by Landscape" - A Short Story Review"
• Analytical Essay # 134430 : "Visual Interpretations of Landscape Mapping"
• Essay # 46196 : "Stuart Davis's "Landscape with Garage Lights"

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