Even in the 21st century, men continue to dominate society and the sphere of art, unfortunately, is no exception. For the situation to change, it is important to talk more about artists — the heroines of the past, their contemporaries, and their heritage. As far as it is known, there were no acknowledged artists among women, although there were many interesting and good artists whose work remained undervalued or insufficiently researched.
Discussion
A famous historian, art theorist, and founder of feminist art studies, Linda Nochlin, advocated for women artists and societal negligence towards their activity. In her prominent article “Why have there been no great women artists?”, the historian discloses the reasons for females’ inability to succeed as artists. She states: “The fault lies not in our stars, our hormones, our menstrual cycles, or our empty internal spaces, but in our institutions and our education” (Nochlin 6). It signifies that the educational system barely allowed women to attend drawing or similar courses making art inaccessible to them. For instance, they were forbidden to paint pictures of nude models; hence, they were only capable of drawing landscapes and still lives. Therefore, institutional values have imposed restrictions on females’ ability to realize their potential to the fullest.
My views coincide with the ideas regarding the imposition of limitations to drawing on women. From the early 16th century, men were the dominant figures in education and were considered geniuses. Specifically, it concerned the acquisition of technical skills and scientific knowledge, which men were adept at. As a result, males were thought to succeed in almost any field and could quickly become dominant figures in art.
Nochlin’s idea regarding artistic genius appeals to me as well. Her perception of this phenomenon leads to the notion that under social pressure, women endowed with talent were exposed to challenges such as poverty, unmarried life, and others. (Nochlin 7) Females were indeed subject to social unacceptance and struggled to fit the standards. To my mind, their success was an underlying cause for feminism’s emergence. Thus, the dominance of men was seen in every aspect, yet it did not stop women express their talents.
In this light, it is vital to state how some prominent women impacted the world of art even though they were not highly recognized. In the 17th century, they were explicitly recognized due to the strong influence of the Renaissance, which inspired them. For instance, Artemisia Gentileschi is the first woman elected as a member of the Academy of Pictorial Arts in Florence Out of 57 famous works by the artist, at least 49 depict women as equal to men (Nochlin 7). In addition, female artists would paint dramatic scenes of rape or beheading because they attempted to express their hatred towards men. It means that one of the significant constraints they faced was torment and abuse. However, by creating such art, they could draw the attention of other women who could openly speak up on these subject matters.
Conclusion
In conclusion, female artists have been barely recognizable in society since the 16th century. In the article, Linda Nochlin expressed the ideas regarding a woman’s genius and how it was condemned by social standards as only men were acknowledged figures. However, it could not stop females from realizing their potential and creating powerful images on sensitive subject matters such as torment, men’s dominance, or abuse.
Art has existed for many decades where many people have expressed their creativity in ways that capture attention from different personalities. Therefore, many advertising companies have been using specific works of art or artists to promote their sales and the outcome has been good.
In a survey sensitive to the art that involved 46 people aged between 18 and 24 years responding to a questionnaire, 85% of them admitted that advertising is an art. The results thus permit organizations to use art in their adverts that promote their sales by creating awareness (Gelb and Yong 2946).
However, 15% of the respondents were against the use of art for commercial purposes because it is against the traditions of art, which were not related to merchandise or marketing tools. 85% of the respondents who supported use of art in advertising said there was greater impact in an advert when it contained artistic values because communication is most effective when it contains humor and originality as part of the message.
This knowledge has therefore led to companies concentrating on the message and image more than the products on sale as these capture more attention.
For every advert to be effective, it must contain modern art that emphasizes on realism and aesthetic concept. Most companies are aware that the greater part of their target is young people who want to discover new products in the market.
The same group of young people is the most exposed to various types of media such as television, radio, newspapers, bills and posters, mobile technology and social media such as internet as well as pop art concepts. 40% and 60% of females and males respondents respectively agreed that most of the contents of advertisement that they remembered occurred in areas where they were shopping goods or services as well as luxury areas (Gelb and Yong 2946).
Therefore, companies must develop humorous and original adverts with greater emphasis on their brand in order to attract more interests to their target group (Gelb and Yong 2946).
Companies and organizations design adverts using various techniques rich in aesthetic values to reach their target customers. The role of the art in the adverts is to give an image to the company and its products.
When an image is used, the targeted consumer is linked emotionally to the product. Artists use this method to develop the image of the company and products using values that would capture as much emotional attention as possible. The artistic values used to develop adverts include lines, shapes, forms, textures, colors, value and space.
When lines are used, they create an impression of speed, togetherness, and the intended purpose of an object. They represent the basic unit of every work of art since they develop reality through visual basics. When horizontal lines are used in art, they create an impression of passiveness while power and state of action are suggested using vertical lines. Shape in art provides different meanings such as feminine when a curve is used or masculinity by use of angles (Gelb and Yong 2946).
Various products require use of different shapes to ensure that the best association between the product and targeted user is established using the basic ideas. Forms portray outward manifestation of what is inside an object. Form comes through integration of lines and shapes to give the basis of the rest of the elements of art.
Texture in a product suggests the quality of the surface where for instance smooth texture implies a refined state while rough texture portrays a tough state. Colors help to develop power in an image. For instance, when red is used it suggests the state of being young and powerful. Blue color suggests the state of being relaxed, which finds its use mostly in advertising furniture. Value is closely related to color where the intensity of the color can be varied to obtain different values.
When colors are intense, they imply speed especially in adverts about sporting cars. In all the artistic values, the most comprehensive is space as it is a combination of the entire elements of art and thus central of all the elements (Gelb and Yong 2946). Therefore, space does not suggest emptiness but equal distribution of things in a given area or environment. For instance, in an advert about automotive, the road and horizon can be given emphasis while the artists concentrate less on objects.
How Modern Filmmakers and Television Producers Employ Historic Art Monuments (Architecture, Painting and Sculpture) in their Work
Film is a recent medium compared with art in form of painting, dance and works of literature, which have been there for several decades. Although filmmakers have been in existence for less than a century ago, they have proofed that the art of film is being established and gaining more power than any other form of art (Morris and O’Shaughnessy 45-65).
People with high creativity have provided the society with the most valued experiences. Filmmakers use techniques to narrate stories, create emotions and generate ideas for the audiences. Most movies refer to historic art monuments.
Some movies directly refer to historic popular artists while others mention indirectly about famous historic art. For example, the work below is about Adrei Rublev in the year 1969 (Morris and O’Shaughnessy 45-65). This film is popular and depicts Adrei Rublev who was a Russian icon painter eighteen centuries ago. The film is called sight and sound magazine and is among the 15 most popular films in the history of films.
In another reference, the artwork below is of an Italian painter called Artemisia in 1997. Although the film received much condemnation for glossing over the action of Agostino in raping her, depicting it as though the two consented to have the affair, from the perspective of the painter the work is interesting (Morris and O’Shaughnessy 45-65).
The following artwork of Ben-Hur in 1959 does not contain a lot of art stuff but for any reader who has followed Roman art he or she would be interested with the fun in the chariot race action. The scene created through this recreation resembles the Circus Maximus in Rome. The film is regarded as the best in capturing this greatest chase in the history of races (Gelb and Yong 2946).
The pre-eminent art form of the current generation is cinema, as it possesses great impact in the modern world and ability to change the way of thinking as well as culture among students.
Television production use historic art to empower students to be creative and acquire all aspects of art such as engaging audiences emotionally and narrate stories using a wide range of skills watched in the cinemas. The projects viewed in films and televisions programs range from traditional artworks to the experimental works in the modern world (Gelb and Yong 2946)
Works Cited
Gelb, Betsy and Yong Zhang. “Matching Advertising Appeals to Culture.” Journal of Advertising 25.3 (1996): 2946. Print.
Morris, Holbrook and O’Shaughnessy John. “The Role of Emotion in Advertising,” Psychology and Marketing 1.2: (1984), 45-65. Print.
The mind of human is what separates the truth from illusions. However, because some of the factors are at play, our imagination only gives us a grim picture of what we expect, hence the optical illusion. This paper explores the application of optical illusions as a technical tool that assists us, the artists and designers to blend imaginations into reality. The main aim of this paper is to reveal how optical illusion fascinates and deceives as influenced by art and design spearheaded by artists and designers of the modern day.
The methodology entails asecondary research secondary research on materials from specific databases which have information of art and design. The results show that imaginations of an op art have evolved overtime with the emergence of technology. However, the natural piece of art work still has a way of creating imaginations into reality.
Introduction
It is a reality that everyone has experienced some form of optical illusion in their lifetime. Other than being interesting to solve, optical illusions do have the power to surprise since we tend to have some level of trust that what our sense illustrates to us is an actual reality in the physical sense. According to Lancaster (1973) illusions present a good window in how our brains operate, that “the mind sees and hears at the same time; the rest is blind and deaf” (p.28).
Probably this is why it surprises us to note that our eyes cannot see but only absorbs a form of information in the light of perception, which is subsequently transferred to the brain for it to be classified, compared and decided upon (Lancaster, 1973). However, it has emerged that the classification, comparison and decision made by the brain are not always true to the level in which we imagine of them. In other words, our visual perceptions can never be trusted always since the object’s components may give a complete distortion of what we perceive as complete.
In reality, our minds should be the last curtains that separate the truth from illusions, but due to some of the factors that would be highlighted below, they give us a grim picture of what we expect, hence the optical illusion. Meinig (1983) states that most of the optical illusions are products of; “incongruent design elements at opposite ends of parallel lines, influence from the patterns that are on the background on the entire design, the perception adjustment especially on high contrast areas, movements of our eyes that creates afterimages, and lack of ability to interpret the spatial structure of a specific object” from context in which the picture is laid (p.314).
This paper explores the application of optical illusions as a technical tool that helps artists and designers to blend imaginations into reality. The main aim of this paper is to reveal how optical illusion fascinates and deceives as influenced by art and design spearheaded by artists and designers of the modern day.
Methodology
The study was based on secondary research on materials from specific databases which have information of art and design. The search engine, Google was mainly used to access the relevant sites and data bases. One of the databases that proved very useful is the UVU library database, which provided access to other databases in the line of art and design. They include LexisNexis academics, NetLibrary e-books, and Directory of open access journals.
In the search, terms used were: “optical illusion”, “optical art”, “effect of optical illusion”, and “op art”. Although there were hundreds of results generated in the search, it was narrowed down to articles, e-books and journals written in English. This study focused on optical art that makes us have perception of optical illusions (Arnheim, 1972). It must be acknowledged that optical arts are creative ideas that bring out the mind between the belief of understanding and seeing (Lancaster, 1973, p.28). These findings should just be a base for launching other studies.
Literature Review
The origin of Optical art can be traced back to the constructivist practices of the Bauhaus, Germany (Browne, 2001). Spearheaded by Walter Gropius, it emphasized the relationship between artistic analysis of framework and rational perception. In this design many students were trained to give an overall view of the design or the whole composition to come up with a complete composition. In 1933, Bauhaus was forcefully shut down, thereby leading the majority of the instructors to flee to the US, and later coalesce together to form a new movement in Chicago, North Carolina (Browne, 2001).
The way we view things presents us with different perspectives, sometimes inverted in nature. It is hard to observe a renewed attention, were it not because of some two major concrete reasons. First, it gives itself to the illustration of some specific fundamental differences that are normally found between different approaches of pictorial interpretation. One of the traditional approaches, popularly known illusion presumes that the responsibility of painting the actual nature is a duplicate of our visual view of the world, depending on how one perceives the process of interpretation. This is to say that our interpretation will depend on our how one person can perceive it if he or she looks at the object from a fixed station point of view rather than where one uses a camera from the same location and point of view.
If in case the style of picture-construction does not fit standard, and all the perceived styles of the art work product do so more practically and conspicuously, the assumptions will be the artist lacks creativity to accomplish the work or that the artist simply knows and do not see or he has adopted a blind view of the picture or he has a visual defects. Some would say that he has deliberately neglected the rules of artistry. But as Hoenich (1971) notes, none of these reasons fits the bill for both vision and perception.
In another perspective, a collector art works can discover specific fine specimens in the works of psychology professional, art historians, aesthetic professional and the artist as a person. It is said that modern painting separates itself from art of portrayal such that it can help us demonstrate the short coming of the illusions as a process of interpretation. Hoenich (1971) states that we are created in a manner that helps us realize that for us to appropriately interpret the presented pictures, we have to begin by observing the surface of the visual pictures we can see. It is a reality that everyone has experienced some form of optical illusion in their lifetime.
Other than being interesting to solve, optical illusions do have the power to surprise since we tend to have some level of trust that what our sense illustrates to us is an actual reality in the physical sense. According to Hopkins (2000, p.147), illusions present a good window in how our brains operate, that “the mind sees and hears at the same time. The rest is blind and deaf”. Probably this is why it surprises us to note that our eyes cannot see but only absorbs a form of information in the light of perception, which is subsequently transferred to the brain for it to be classified, compared and decided upon (Hopkins, 2000).
However, it has emerged that the classification, comparison and decision made by the brain are not always true to the level in which we imagine of them. In other words, our visual perceptions can never be trusted always since the object’s components may give a complete distortion of what we perceive as complete.
In reality, our minds should be the last curtains that separate the truth from illusions, but due to some of the factors that would be highlighted below, they give us a grim picture of what we expect, hence the optical illusion. Weibel (2005, p.148) states that most of the optical illusions are products of; “incongruent design elements at opposite ends of parallel lines, influence from the patterns that are on the background on the entire design, the perception adjustment especially on high contrast areas, movements of our eyes that creates afterimages, and lack of ability to interpret the spatial structure of a specific object” from context in which the picture is laid.
Although the term op art had been used in several occasions in the past, the first printed work was seen in the Time magazine of October 1964 (Borgzinner, 1964). It is claimed that the work of Victor Vasarely that entailed Zebra painting of 1938 was the epitome op art presentation (………). In this work, black and white dominated the scene, with white stripes lacking contours (……). From this, the appearance of stripes was such that they “meld and burst away from the background of the composition” (…….).
New York’s Museum of Modern Art hosted an exhibition known as “The Responsive Eye” in 1965, where several works were displayed to show various aspects of artistic art. This particular exhibition was based on the perception that art creates on both optical illusion presented by movement and colour interrelations (……..). Although the public liked the exhibition so much that the attendance was enormous, critics were less convinced of the optical art ability to create any meaningful impression. Instead, they saw it as one that “fool the eye” in an attempt to create what is non-existence. However, this did not stop optical art from being used in various aspects of commercial activities like advertisement (Wake Forest University, 2002).
Findings
The use of Optical Illusion on Political Satire
Getting inspiration from the counterculture revolution coupled with street demonstrations of the 1960s, posters were used to demonstrate the contemporary art trends that eventually created flourishing design of innovation and poster output that had far reaching output of political influence in the United States and abroad. ……states that during this time, the artistic posters did not just become an advertising channel but became a commodity on its own, generating a lot of income to the creators, who sold by thousands to “decorate and enliven the walls of a new generation of Americans” (Ratliff, 1996, p.8). To meet the high demands of poster decoration and communication, many innovative designers, at individual and corporate level created a variety of very interesting posters.
The commercial and decorative aspects of the 60s boom were tampered by social and political concerns, which later dominated the placards of the era. The “posters of protest” were the characteristics of various political happenings, while the social contents were useful in the enlightenment of the society on the racial and other forms of discrimination such as poverty and environmental issues (Ratliff, 1996, p.19). Inspired by the contemporary images of optical art, posters heavily exposed strong impression of both social and political satire through a reversal of popular logos as well as slogans (Ratliff, 1996).
According to Mueller (1988), the American flag became a symbol of imperialist aggression, and Andy Warhol’s famous Campbell’s Soup can be made it in one placard with a bullet hole and red soup/blood spilling down its side. It was observed that several workshops were exclusively dedicated to these types of posters. With the use of a silk-screen process, these workshops produced thousands of placards for a variety of social and political action groups.
International poster show held in 1968 at Museum of Modern Art, “Word and Image”, where a number of political placards were featured, where “images of era” were extensively demonstrated in their aesthetic qualities of socio-political images (Mueller, 1988, p.222).). To date, artistic posters are found to be very important in the development of optical images for the advertisement of a variety of products and causes (p.223).
In other words, the visual images have been used to transform the images that are believed to be unrealistic and imaginary, hence helping us condition popular taste of lifestyle and they remain dedicated to their primary function, i.e. persuade the viewer. For example, Henry Kissinger’s bare backside that comprised of unflattering tattoos illustrated an essay that could be associated with controversy in the diplomatic wars Mueller (1988).
Artists such as Ginter Grass, Andy Warhol, Maurice Sendak and Edith Vonnegut created drawings that would better be described as brilliantly baffling Rand (1990). As the New York Times displayed them, they could be interpreted as visual background noise (p.40). However, isolation from the text caused the works to have transfixed anyone’s attention as exquisite conceptual commentary (Rand, 1990). Optical work, or images based on ideas as some people would prefer to call them got its first shot in the Time’s magazine’s opinion page in the year 1970s. According to Rand (1990, p.41), “it became a fertile and a globally influential idiom that bypassed an ordinary narrative for metaphor and eventually changed the very purpose and potential of illustration”.
Or as Ratliff (1996) puts it, these artworks illustrated artist’s creative ability to condense, giving the artists an upper hand in the handling of the art work. For example, in their attempt to illustrate a letter that objects to Disneyland Paris, Victor Koen draws mouse ears on the Mona Lisa (Mueller, 1988). In another rejoinder, Blenchmen creatively captures the grief that engulfed September 11 terror attacks when he draws a heart with the Twin Towers silhouetted inside the building (Mueller, 1988).
Allusion to Visual Process
Artists have shown that pictorial representations of space are a representation of a graphical image processing (Meinig, 1983). That is to say, the picture plane has been treated as an object in its own right and the interplay of marks on the flat surface, creates a room for an abstract art (p.315). In the same breadth, many styles have emerged to be created with vigor in the artistic stages of the 20th century. For instance, cubism is seen in the denying of single station pint so that numerous viewpoints can be merged within a single pictorial image. In other words, abstract art, especially abstract expression has dwelt on multiple interpretations that can be made of shapes as well as lines.
It is argued that artists can represent aspects of the graphical image, of the processes involved in perceiving pictures themselves. In practice, many phenomena can be expressed in the perception of pictorial images, since many phenomena can be manipulated in this regard. In practice, op art is an artistic movement that has had the greatest success, as some people would describe as notoriety. Generally, artists do not even need to read the detailed manuscripts to make a personal impression. All an artist need is general background information of what is required to make an impression on the optical movement and imagery.
According to Meinig (1983) a sketch of a dancer in the background of stage will offer an interesting impression of movement that can be more entertaining more than even the written description. Acute political image can also get illustrated in the optical art with historical figures as the main target. For example, some of the World War II pictures carried images of moving soldiers in deserts, or fighting soldiers to protect their leader from being toppled by an opponent (Meinig, 1983).
The Optical Illusion and Learning Process
Over the years, many teachers or instructors have tried to accumulate several optical illusion visuals objects, which are displayed during the learning process or before the learning starts to provoke their creativity and gauge interests. In most cases, especially in art classes, pictures of prominent artists are hung around, surrounded by their works so that students could get real motivation in their attempts to learn the process.
Because op art is a perception issue that explains how vision works, its dynamism is drawn from a discord of figure and ground interaction, which causes the used lines to be in a tight and ‘contradictory’ juxtaposition (Weibel, 2005, p.49). In principle, op art is a product of 2 basic ways, i.e. creation of effects by application of patterns and lines, with dominantly used colours being black and white. For instance, many art teachers have applied Bridget Riley’s well known painting of ‘Current’ that was done in 1994 and used as a cover of ‘The Responsive Eye’. In this painting, the application of black and white was very explicit that the artist used black and white wavy lines that he drawn close to each other on a canvas surface, subsequently creating a very ‘volatile figure-ground relationship that one’s eye begins to hurt’ (Weibel, 2005).
As Weibel (2005) challenges his students, he says “I bet I can make you think that drawn lines on paper can appear to move” when explaining the impact of op art on the visual imagery of the students (p.121). In the process of looking at the design, he rotates the design in a more circular path; leaving the students mesmerized at the level of creativity that piece of art was created. From this point, the students are challenged to try a similar work by themselves and explain how they did it and what their interpretation of the process and end products.
Op art and the Influence on Designers
The modern day designers have adopted a new wave of artistic work more beautifully like never experienced before. This phenomenon has been seen in garment designers such as Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. Presently, Jonathan Saunders, who is considered one of the modern day designers, began his long stretched life to the fashion industry (Rand, 1990). Before this, he was a furniture designer, but later stated his desire to go into op art design. His intended work needs a printing process with eight colour object and background. He remarked, “it’s a painstaking process, though very rewarding” (Rand, 1990).
Presently, the vintages of the 1960’s have become more of a select reference than just a straightforward duplication (Weibel, 2005). It is purely a colour issue rather than a silhouette that has emerged a basic focus of design. Some of the well known designers who have employed this trend of adopting 1960s works are like Alberta Ferretti and Marc Jacobs. Designers like Harvey Nichols adopted the designs of Marc Jacobs in a “bold red and turquoise overlaid circles” Weibel, 2005, p.88). It is thus easy to trace the modern design from the 1960s due to the way they increasingly become opulent (p.89).
The Sunday Times’ popular section ‘Style’ carried out a publication of project on the trend of modern op arts adopting the old trends in its front cover page (Hopkins 2000). In this design, a model poses on a “flat backdrop of fluorescent pink, lime green and burnt orange, with a sobering flash of white” (Hopkins, 2000, p.150). Similarly, this aspect has been realized in Burberry’s present ad of the photographic styling through bold ‘action shot’ imagery in toned black and white.
In the cosmetic industry, M.A.C’s viva glam IV campaign has used Elton John, clad in black and white twisted outfit on a background that could be described as neutral, accompanied by Mary J Blige and Shirly Manson (Weibel, 2005). Mary J Blige is presented in a mini dress and dropped in the top corner of the room, subsequently transforming the photograph into a well balanced optical image (Weibel, 2005).
Weibel (2005) states that this kind of influence is not generally confined to the high level market place alone, but even to the low markets. In these areas, shops distribute gift voucher cards. In this aspect, the artistic work can be traced back to the directly popular artist, Marilyn Monroe who was popular for her pop art handiworks of painting. In another scenario in Monica Ali’s book Brick Lane, it is relatively simple in intent where white is the dominant color with supplement of rainbow stripes (Wake Forest University, 2002). This similar influence of the 1960’s is also found in the interior designs and ceramics (p.12). For example, Marimekko is reviving pop art prints, plus their lines that entail cute singular images of a “boldly pop and red supplemented by black” (p.49).
Optical Art also had a big influence on the design process in the art industry. Bramall-Watson states that he “had great fun creating optical illusion content for the video screen” and that some of the creations were somewhat tricky, with the overall idea being to make a lot of depth in the typically flat screen objects (Ratliff, 1996). And that in addition to the big contrast of Optical Art materials, a real depth is created (p.12).
According to Bramall- Watson, in his desire to create a plot for their planned radio shows and some few gigs, he consulted one renowned op artist, Lee Gipson, who advised him on how to use the concept in the creation of depth in his programs and productions with the help of optical art (Ratliff, 1996). He states that after he managed to control both the lighting and video, he made his design with a huge picture to absorb the mentality of the viewers.
He equips, “In some songs, I had in mind specific pieces of videos and thus had to program the lighting system to match it” (Ratliff, 1996, p.17). He further states that he found other songs to be directly light-oriented and therefore video was instead picked to help “complement the lighting” (p.19). Lighting rig made by Bramall-Watson was composed of a mixed Van-Lite VL3000 Spots, laid on top of 2 standing truss towers, Martin Professional MAC 2000 Washes as well as Profiles, together with Atomic Colors (Ratliff, 1996). According to Bramall-Watson, “its backline is minimum and low key, and thus it is important to have light on the floor and still maintain workability from them” (Ratliff, 1996, p.21).
The Technique of movement in Optical Art
How do optical artists manage to make the movement technique in the op art?
Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely, some of the most renowned optical artists illustrated their uniquely designed paintings. Historically, artists have been known to use flat surfaces to produce strong optical effects upon a spectator when they change their position of view (Rand, 1990). This type of art differs from kinetic art where motion colour and changes with time are incorporated within the object itself. Buildings normally have flat walls, floors and ceilings. Wherever one looks within a room, the rectangle is dominant. We are so used to this type of structures that we take it for granted that this is the natural way to build (Rand, 1990).
However, nature dictates that we avoid box-like structures with their high stress regions (corners) and develops shapes that are more efficient in the utilization of the available material (Hopkins, 2000). Physicists on the other hand, found an easy way to study these special kinds of surfaces, known as minimal surfaces (Browne, 2001). Browne (2001) elaborates that “If an outline of a structure, in two or three dimensions, is made of wire and it is dipped in a soap solution, then on withdrawal from it a soap film will connect the wire outline (p.32). This soap film has the minimum surface area within the outline, and makes efficient use of the material in the membrane to support loads imposed upon it. We have here a construction principle that is useful as well as aesthetically satisfying” (Browne, 2001, p.41).
It is therefore important to note why aeronautical engineers take long in their studies of the design of aircraft structures, and has in the recent past started its application. Michael Burt, an architect at the Israel Institute of Technology at Haifa, wrote: “….. Shells and stretched membranes, especially those based on double-curved (saddle-shaped) surfaces, entail very high levels of efficiency as regards the input/output ratio, due to their capacity to circumvent flexure almost completely, so that the material is utilized for load transmission through purely tensile and compressive membrane stresses” (Browne, 2001).
It thus follows that the significance that is attached to it in the day to day work is used in the study of soap solution film (p.48). He further explains that a film stretched over a closed spatial perimeter, which represents the “ideal configuration as regards the ratio of material input to resulting surface area, with minimum numbers of points of support” (p.49.). This model Burt is a clear show why minimal surfaces are not good for making pictures on them on the scale of buildings. For instance, if a picture was on a surface of varying curvature, then a viewer would be able to see only a part of it from any viewing position (Hopkins, 2000).
To see the various parts, the person would have to move about at different angles and positions. In reality, the particular picture may be comprised of several variations of a figure that is comprised of illusional effects or represent a line of successive parts like the one seen in the films. This process of monitoring the picture while on the move would provide an experience with a difference, i.e. as opposed to looking at one part of it at one particular place. In particular buildings, an artist would make the use of the inside as well as the outside of the surfaces. That is, if the surface material were transparent, the artist would see mirror images on opposite sides of the picture (Hopkins, 2000).
There is a general belief that art is an expression of aspects time among the artists themselves and art lovers in general. However Browne (2001) states that this statement is never exhaustive enough to warrant a complete explanation. He further divulges that art should add value to those aspects of an age that have significance in the evolution of a better life. In case there is lack of the aspect of our time that may involve evil, or any form of negativity or craziness too, like money wastage on cosmetics rather solving problems the society face like poverty alleviation or minimizing the environmental degradation (Browne, 2001).
The work of op artists has gone crazy in many aspects of the society. For instance, an artist in Australia decided to paint a picture where the hill is covered with plastic sheets, which in actual sense the wind had started blowing them away. Still some specific artists in Europe also expressed their crazy mentality when they decided to sit on wet paint, and they subsequently printed their coloured posteriors on a pane paper.
The Op art and the technological advancement
Op art has a way of dealing with rapid movement and change of our technological age. For example, they have been seen to compete with the impact of the cinema and television and even computer technology. However, Mueller (1988) observes that art “should be more than a rolling ball or a blinking light and techniques should be developed that can be used by artists who are not scientists or engineers”, thus for this particular reasons, many modern artists have tried to evolve light projection techniques through the means of sunlight reflection. Meinig (1983) criticizes the idea of black and white only elements of op art, and instead champions for a multicolour products of illusional art.
When one has a sheet of paper before him or her, there is a general feeling that the clean white paper is so beautiful that it should not be touched any how. In this case, the idea of using an unusual outlines as an inspiration to start the work comes from what we normally observe in our day to day observation for the colour pattern to come out clearly in the final product. It is possible to note that humans figure out some issues curiously so that at the end of it, they create what is normally not expected of everything. Even though it may not be against the naturally painted figure, a style where colour is used more frequently does not seem enough to keep with a character of the structure, as far as op art is concerned (Meinig, 1983).
Some artists also belief that the greatest works of visual art do have strong erotic overtones that can be produced readily by the help of a less naturalistic human presence in the figure. One would therefore ask why if such are the beliefs, artists take sun rays in their work, yet the sun rays are generally ‘coloured’ in nature. This demonstrates the fact that there is no doubt about what comprises art content.
Many artists face the basic problems of picture execution; where the picture is not meant to make any stains. It creates a stained glass panel, which do not use any form of lead to hold the glasses together, and instead they are viewed from either side of the panel; but, these techniques are never applicable to all projects (Arnheim, 1972).
The computers
The year 1984 saw the emergence of pessimism as concerns the use of art in conjunction with technology. However, a year later artists were to celebrate the official development of an art computer making its forays into the business of creativity. Even though it emerged as one for fiction and the other for factual information, the two shared an intimate relationship with the technological development in overall sense and the imaging capacities of our creativity by the use of computers in specific.
The First Computer Art show
The application of op art is represented by a historical breakthrough in computer applications, where computers were involved in activity that was initially exclusively out of reach by any machine. Browne (2001)conducted a visual research at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey. The scientists got their motivation mainly from research that is related to visual aspect: “visualization of acoustics and the foundations of binocular vision” (Browne, 2001). Several computer animations were produced, mainly for educational. From this, a few experiments were also conducted to establish the computer-art compatibility. Technological advancements on computer music and poetry were the basis of guidelines in the art of art computing. This saw the first ever computer-generated texts being produced in Stuttgart in the year 1961.
Electronic music studios emerged during this time thus causing many op artists or visual artists to seek information related to computers and art studios. This is because some specific musicians used computers as a tool to help them compose the musical graphics, in an attempt to create a synergy between the various art works (Browne, 2001). A unique case is that of film maker, John Whitney, who attempted to structure his computer animations in line with harmonies of the scale of music. This created some of the best briefings related to computers and even other technologies for art (Browne, 2001).
Even though these shows had given the platform for the first results of artwork and openly questioned how computers and art relate to each other. In other words, it attracted many artists to this expanding field of computer art although it did not succeed in helping a complete computer art as natural art would do.
When one looks at the few artwork of computers arts in its early years, particular patterns come up. It is critical to note that all scientists as well as artists in this particular group are found in the same generation of the two World Wars. Hopkins (2000) states that their heritage is not restricted to specific national borders; but it is a global movement, that is represented by industrialized nations in Europe, America and some specific parts of Asia.
In initial stages, artists came up with some specific utilitarian advantage when they applied computers to speed up their visual thinking (Hopkins, 2000). Charles Csuri refers to this generation as a man-machine generation of computer geniuses, who apply computer as an on-the-spot creative power. Since these particular artists were not interested in the descriptive artistry, they could present themselves simple images that were a product of computer works (Hopkins, 2000). These kinds of products increased the capabilities of computers in generating a more interesting piece of art in the name of op art.
Conclusion
From this study, it is noted that our vision can create an optical illusions for the objects that have been depicted by artists. Apart from it being interesting to sort out, optical illusions can make us believe that what we are seeing is a reality and not an illusion as one would ask. Scientists would explain that the eye is just but a channel through which we absorb and interpret information. In reality, our minds should be the last curtains that separate the truth from illusions, but due to some of the factors, they give us optical illusions that we tend to trust.
Since our minds should give us the barrier that separates elaborates the truth from the illusions, the work of op arts dissolutions the process of our basic interpretation and subsequently give us grim picture of what we did not intend to see but all the same observed.
For instance, a collector of various art works would be in a position to discover specific fine specimens in the works of psychology professional, art historians, aesthetic professional and the artist as a person, but these artworks displayed to a layman will only attract surprise and excitement. It is said that modern painting will separate its contents from art the art of portrayal so that it is in a position to assist us in the demonstration of other weaknesses that illusions come with Other than being interesting to solve, optical illusions do have the power to surprise since we tend to have some level of trust that what our sense illustrates to us is an actual reality in the physical sense.
Reference List
Arnheim, R. (1972) Inverted Perspective in Art: Display and Expression, Leonardo, Vol. 5, No.2, pp. 125-135.
Browne, P. (2001). The Guide to United States Popular Culture. New York, Popular Culture Press.
Hoenich, p. (1971) An Op Art picture on continuous double-curved minimal surfaces, Pergamon Press, Vol.4, pp. 23-26.
Hopkins D (2000) Media: After modern art: 1945-, Issue 6512, p.147.
Lancaster, J. (1973) Introducing Op Art, London: BT Batsford Ltd, p. 28.
Meinig, D. (1983) the Geography of an Art, Transaction of the Institute of British Geographers, New Series, Vol. 8, No. 3, P.314-328.
Mueller, J. (1988). The folkway of Art: An analysis of the social theories of art, The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 44, No.2. pp. 222-223.
Rand, H (1990) Decades of Light, The Poetry/Rare Books Collection, The University at Buffalo, State University of New York, p. 40, 42.
Ratliff, F (1996) The Theory of Color and the Practice of Painting,” in Color Function Painting: Wake Forest University, p.8.
Wake Forest University, (2002), Color Function Painting: The Art of Josef Albers, Julian Stanczak and Richard Anuszkiewicz Wake Forest University.
Weibel, P. (2005) Beyomd art: a third culture, a comparative study in cultures and art. Denver, Springer Publishers.
In the efforts to attract new customers and increase revenues, fashion luxury companies explore new ways to modify the perception of brands and magnify their values. The blending of fashion with contemporary art is one of the effective solutions that may bring this quest to success. Nowadays, more and more luxury brands collaborate with artists to develop unique designs of apparel, accessories, and other elements of wardrobe. It is possible to say that such an approach to product development provides multiple advantages for luxury fashion enterprises. If you ever wanted to be an innovator in the fashion or any other industry, it might be useful for you to know what challenges and benefits the artist collaboration strategy and alike methods can bring to your business. To understand the background in which a creative approach may be advantageous, let me start with the review of problems that the luxury brands face today.
Main Body
As stated by Codignola and Rancati (2016), the notion of luxury fashion is deeply interwoven with the concept of exclusivity. Nevertheless, the current market dynamics may largely contradict this concept. As the number of consumers of luxury products grows and companies go for an active expansion of their businesses in new markets, the volumes of production increase proportionally and, as a result, a lot of people buy similar fashion items. It is also observed that despite the booming interest of consumers in luxury fashion, they became much more attentive to pricing (Codignola & Rancati, 2016). The growth of demand in the off-price luxury market is the consequence of this trend.
As the conventional approaches to product development fail to support the concept of exclusivity in the present-day environment, the collaboration of luxury brands with artists comes to the rescue of the very essence of luxury fashion. Yves Carcelle, the president of LVMH, states: “collaborating with contemporary artists brings a new kind of creative fecundity to the product. It forces creativity that is different from that typically found in fashion” (Walsh, 2016, p. 31). The given statement reflects the core meaning of artist-brand collaboration. There may be many reasons why luxury brands would want to work with contemporary artists. As Walsh (2016) observes, attempts to innovate and advertise products are the major ones. It is possible to say that by working with artists, designers transform various pieces of the wardrobe into the art objects. In this way, fashion enterprises may promote the “exquisite taste” and sustain the luxury qualities of their brands, as well as their claim to “being bold and influential opinion leaders” (Walsh, 2016, p. 32).
The main advantages of collaboration with artists include the rise in brand awareness, the development of competitive advantages through product differentiation, and the creation of new partnerships. Kim, Ko, Lee, Mattila, and Kim (2014) note that such collaborations can provoke a positive response in luxury fashion consumers, stimulate the development of the lifetime value and customer loyalty. As stated by Chailan (2017) the binding with artists largely helps emphasize the luxury uniqueness and, as I said before, this quality is the most valued by all luxury fashion purchasers.
The major players in the luxury fashion often drew their inspiration from art since the very dawn of the industry. For example, “in 1920s Paris coincided nicely with the city’s avant-garde art movement, led by the Cubists Picasso and Braque, along with the Dadaists and Surrealists Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, and Salvador Dalí” (Yotka, 2017, para. 2). Nowadays, Louis Vuitton can be considered a leader in collaborating with contemporary artists. The brand developed garments with such renowned representatives of the art scene as Takashi Murakami in 2007, Richard Prince in 2008, Yayoi Kusama, and Daniel Buren in 2012, Dinos and Jake Chapman in 2013, and so on (Cohn, 2013).
However, a recent collaboration between Prada and James Jean is one of my personal favorites. The artist designed stylish illustrations for Prada’s textiles, which endowed the whole collection with psychedelic and dreamlike qualities. It is worth noticing that brands collaborate with artists not only to design clothes but also to create retail point props and advertising. For instance, in 2007, Christian Louboutin worked with one of the most eccentric and artistic modern filmmakers, David Lynch, to create photographs for the designer’s new footwear collection (Cohn, 2013). In this way, the collaboration elevated the advertisement campaign to the heights of the cinematic art, changed the whole perception of the collection, and drew the attention of the director’s audience to the world of fashion.
Conclusion
The provided examples demonstrate the importance of innovation in the fashion business. However, these findings can be applied to many other industries as well. No matter what the specialization of your business is, if you want to attract new consumers, convey your ideas to them, and improve brand perception, it can be useful to bring a little bit of art and creativity in your marketing strategies and product development techniques. In this way, you will be able to increase the value of your brand and introduce something new and unique to the market.
Kim, K., Ko, E., Lee, M., Mattila, P., & Kim, K. H. (2014). Fashion collaboration effects on consumer response and customer equity in global luxury and SPA brand marketing. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 24(3), 350-364.
In the twenty-first century, the free art market is a sector that has long maintained its unique ability within the financial system and persistently remained relatively stable during some of the most unpredictable periods. Working in the free art market has advantages: diversity is encouraged, and the artist is not limited to just painting and sketching. Free art markets also boost the self-awareness and conviction of artists. Limited chances are a drawback of the free market in art because there is fierce competition for artist positions.
Artists were a critical element for European monarchs and churches promoting their dominance. The most prestigious assignment an artist could receive at the period was to create a picture of a monarch; therefore they had a preference for taking on jobs for reputable clientele. The kings, queens, princesses, and princes of Rubens’ period gave him commissions due to his work which was among the reasons he preferred working for them. Rubens was given the privilege to travel, which was unusual for European individuals at the time, because of his link to the monarch. He also earned a reputation as a true courtier around the world, and he was able to interact with his distinguished models while making diplomatic proposals in the comparatively private setting of his portrait sessions, illuminating why artists preferred to work for well-established institutions.
Any artist who needs to create will find that traveling is essential and substantially aids in the progression of their careers. Travel enriches an idea or concept, shocks their perspective, and motivates them to create masterpieces, as was the case for Rubens, who had the chance to travel and paint princes. Being employed by an established employer would be ideal for me because it provides a suitable working atmosphere (Woronkowicz & Noonan, 2018). Every reputable employer invests in ensuring that their staff has all the resources required, which is why I would prefer to be employed. I believe that opportunities are better than self-employment while working for reputable firms.
Reference
Woronkowicz, J., & Noonan, D. S. (2018). Who goes freelance? the determinants of self-employment for artists. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 43(4), 651–672. Web.
Societies, wherever they are, need someone to articulate the unspoken feelings of the community, and help to resolve conflict and confusion. In the Old Testament, for example, priests offered sacrifice to reconcile the community with each other and with their deity. Artists have to some extent taken on this role in the 20th century. Especially in the shocked and appalled aftermath of World War II, people had many terrifying feelings to deal with.
The members of the movement known as l’Art Brut, and others, drew a connection between art and madness, art and mysticism, and art and outsider status for whatever reason. Jean Dubuffet draws a parallel between artistic and feverish frenzy. Tapie saw artists as some sort of modern-day mystics. Artaud saw the artist as compelled to appear mad In order to preserve productivity.
Every community must find ways to get along with each other and deal with the inevitable disagreements and frictions that arise. Communities also find ways of dealing with toxic fears, hostilities, and betrayal. This can take the form of, for example, religious observances, or accusations of witchcraft, or shamanistic activity.
The artist, as an individual, set apart by his gift and craft, can also express ideas that are too difficult for the community to put into words, or that need to be preserved. Consider the caves at Lascaux, where the fears of the community about the dangers and the success of the hunt are displayed on the walls. Thus, the role of the artist as a lightning rod for inexpressible feelings is well established.
In many communities over time, those with mental illness (or physical deformity) have given form to difficult ideas. Conversely, those who gave voice to unwelcome ideas or just very different ideas have been have also been labeled as mentally ill. From the Romantic era in the 1800s onward, the link between art and a diagnosis of mental illness was made explicit[1].
World War II was horrifying in many ways, from the treatment of Jews and others by the Nazis, to the destruction of the atomic bomb. It is reasonable to infer that that, after all these horrors, people in Europe must have been filled with painful and difficult feelings.
However, how might they express them? How might they heal? There were no shamans anymore in Europe, and organized religion had done little to prevent the awful actions of the war. Art was one way that painful thoughts could perhaps be safely expressed.
Artaud makes this quite explicit. He was an actor and playwright who promoted a type of drama he called Theatre of Cruelty. He himself had issues that caused him to be treated for mental illness[2]. He was also somewhat obsessed with Vincent Van Gogh[3].
He used Van Gogh’s experience as a metaphor for the artist’s relationship to the larger society. In discussing the experience of Van Gogh, he asserts that society labels people as mad who utter “intolerable truths” [4]. These are the difficult ideas noted previously. He also suggests that society makes the artist mad. He asserts that going mad is an artist’s adaptive response to the pressures of society, by preserving his, “superior idea of human honor”[5]. Artaud lays out his idea as follows:
And what is an authentic madman?
It is a man who preferred to become mad in the socially accepted sense of the word, rather than forfeit a certain superior idea of human honor.
SO society has strangled in its asylums all those it wanted to get rid of or protect itself from, because they refuse to become its accomplices in certain great nastinesses.
For a madman is also a man whom society did not want to hear and whom it wanted to prevent from uttering certain intolerable truths. …
There are great sessions of worldwide spell-casting in which all alerted consciousnesses participated…Thus, on the occasion of a war, a revolution, or a social upheaval still in the bud, the collective unconsciousness is questioned and questions itself[6].
This statement by Artaud reflects his knowledge of Jungian psychology and his sense of drama.
Jean Dubuffet, a founder of a movement that he called l’Art Brut, seems to have agreed that the reasons that some people were labeled mad were hardly well defined. L’Art Brut has impact even today[7]. This movement focused attention on the art of residents in mental institutions, self-taught artists, and others not from the ‘academy’[8]. Today we call such art ‘outsider art’.
Dubuffet also asserts that there is not much difference between the supposedly mad and the supposedly sane, especially for artists. He draws on the tradition of linkage of art and altered states. Dubuffet makes a rather confused connection between the feverish state of artistic creation and the feverish state of mental disorder[9]. He says,
“This distinction between normal and abnormal seems to us to be quite far-fetched: Who is normal? Where is he, your normal man? Show him to us! The artistic act, with the extreme tension that it implies, the high fever that accompanies it, can it ever be considered normal?
Finally, mental illnesses are very diverse – there are almost as many of them as there are sick people, and it seems quite arbitrary to label them all in the same way. Our point of view is that art is the same in all cases, and there is not more an art of the mad than there is an art of the dyspeptic, an art for those with bad knees. [10]
He seems to be trying to say that art should be viewed as art, without reference to the mental stability of the artist. Nonetheless, he encouraged the display of the art of people whose credibility was questionable. He thereby may have strengthened the connection in people’s minds, including, perhaps, in the minds of artists themselves, between being ‘different’ and being creative.
Michel Tapie, in his essay entitled An Other Art[11], refers to the 16th century mysticism of St. John of the Cross[12]. He seems to be suggesting that the artist is the modern equivalent of a religious mystic, or can be, or should be. He speaks of vast issues that the artist should confront[13]. He describes his ambition for the artistic individual as follows:
The individual only remains himself in collective experience in so far as he takes these experiences in hand, by using them to develop his personal potential. This supposes a total confidence, as well as faith, in something incommensurable and undiscussable.”[14]
Here, Tapie is referring back to the notion of the artist as one who can articulate those things that no one else can.
All these ideas fit together with the mood of the time in post-war Europe. The artist is the victim of the ills of society. The artist is also the ‘canary in the mine’ of society’s ills. The artist faces and deals with concerns that are beyond fashion in art. These ideas set the artist apart and in some sense above the rest of the population. These ideas also make art a barometer of the state of the world, and a mystical interpreter of truth.
Dubuffet, Jean. “Crude Art Preferred to Cultural Art”, in Harrison C. and Wood, P. Art in Theory:1900-2000. (Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell, 2002). Pages 605-608.
Tapie, Michel. “An Other Art”. In Harrison C. and Wood, P. Art in Theory: 1900-2000. (Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell, 2002). Page 630.
In visiting Zhang Hongtu’s art studio in Woodside, in the New York borough of Queens, one is struck by his gentle and lively insight. It is very frustrating for a listener because his English is so heavily accented, but what is understandable of his speech is well worth noting.
In a wide-ranging discussion, he touched on humor, the cathartic value of defacing the iconic image of a dictator, China’s imperiled environment, the dangers of political art in that country, and his feelings as a new immigrant. He showed slides of a number of his works, which all, in some way, reference China.
Zhang Hongtu came to the USA from the People’s Republic of China, in 1982. He had grown up as an outsider. As Silberberg puts it, “the family’s religious and economic background increasingly became a serious political burden in the officially atheistic state.” [1] His family was committed to the government-suspected Muslim religious minority, and his father actively worked to spread the teachings of his faith.
They were also businesspeople in a regime that discouraged entrepreneurship. The fact that his family was successfully financially made them a target of frightening government oppression[2].
In China, he studied art, so when he arrived in the USA, his technical skills were well developed. It seems that he was allowed to leave China with only thirty dollars[3], which may not have been even enough for the taxi from the airport. He told us that he found a job as a construction worker within two days. He was not lonely when he came to the US, he said, in spite of being in a strange country with no money[4]. His website indicates that he also studied art for another four years in New York[5].
Every work that we looked at related somehow to China. Either it showed the round and serenely smiling face of Chairman Mao, or a scene that evoked a Chinese landscape painting, or monkeys or fish that appeared Asian, but everything referred somehow to China. This was apparently quite deliberate. His painting, he said, reflects his inner self, and his inner self is very determined to critique China’s policies.
In preparing for this visit, I was fascinated by the manner in which he used techniques that reminded me of famous Impressionists but in pictures of unfamiliar places. I was interested in what prompted him to begin blending elements from eastern and western art.
He told us that he observes that no art is truly pure. He pointed out that every artist and piece of art reflects a mixture of influences from other cultures, inspiration from other works of art, and that many include a variety of techniques. Thus, his mixing of eastern subjects is, to him, a natural progression.
I see this as a modern version of what happened in the 1700s. During that general period, European art influences, for example, the idea of accurate portraiture, entered China, as we learned in researching the personal art selections of the Emperor Quianglong[6]. Zhang Hongtu brings eastern influences into the west, in the same way.
I was also intrigued with why he was interested in the three specific artists whose styles show up so often in his recent work: Cezanne, Monet, and Van Gogh. He told us that these artists were his personal icons. I also observe that these three are instantly recognizable in style. This may allow him to borrow and mix style and subjects without worrying that someone is going to interpret him as copying. He himself describes these works as, “zaizhi, or “re-creating”” the Impressionist and Chinese classics together[7].
They have been termed ‘reconciliation’ by Qian[8]. Thus, his brush technique, his deliberate adoption of another’s style, is clearly that of Cezanne when he paints a scene from a traditional Chinese pen and ink drawing and titles it with Cezanne’s name in the title[9].
He also often includes, in his Shan Shui series of these east-west hybrid landscapes, Chinese calligraphy that instructs the Chinese-speaking viewer to step back and appreciate the painting from a discreet Impressionist distance[10]. It is hard, as a young viewer, not to perceive this as funny.
Several of us were specifically interested in whether he was being deliberately humorous, and I believe that he was clear in saying that humor was not intentional in his work. However, his criticism of the regime, policies, and practices of his birth country seems to all have been quite intentional. For example, he sent a painting to China for the Olympics, executed in immediately recognizable Cubist style and colors[11].
The image and the text embedded in it evoked the problems in Tibet. The painting, entitled Bird’s Nest, was sent back, rather than being destroyed by the Chinese authorities, but he undoubtedly made his point. He did not get the publicity for the picture that he had hoped for, however[12]
At his studio, he showed us some items that are also clearly meant to make political commentary. We viewed some of his works that featured Mao’s image. He mentioned that he experienced what I believe he called ‘catharsis’ when he did this sort of work. For example, using Mao’s image ( he referred to it as ‘cutting it up’) to decorate a Quaker Oats box gave him a special feeling. He mentioned that back in the Bush administration, he had experimented with cutting apart pictures of President Bush.
He told us that there was no corresponding response in his psyche of ‘catharsis’, the way there was when he portrayed Mao. In this series, he has portrayed the communist leader as a girl, or as Stalin, complete with distinctive mustache. This latter image was an explicit comparison between the killings in Russia and the deaths in China, according to what he told us.
When we chuckled at some of the variations he created on Mao’s image, he told us that this was no joke in China. In China, even now, he said, such art would be entirely and dangerously unacceptable[13].
He showed us a painting of silver fish amongst vertical plants. These creatures all have their mouths open, as though they are gasping for oxygen. He told us that when he painted this, he considered it a happy painting at the time[14]. However, it is hard to avoid the inference that perhaps it also reflects the airless atmosphere for art and dissent in China.
The artist showed us a series of paintings that are similar compositions featuring monkeys and distinctively Chinese mountain shapes, with city buildings shown in the background[15]. These, he told us, represent the rapid growth of human population, and the imminent destruction of the environment. He shared with us that he felt that artists had an obligation to talk about such problems[16].
As a special treat, he shared with us an animated video of one of his works in progress. This was a magical thing to watch, because it reveals where he goes with his brush, first, second, and from then on. It is not the logical process of a machine, but the deft and intuitive mastery of an expert. He ended our visit on that lovely and visually arresting note[17].
Zhang Hongtu was very gracious, and exceedingly modest, in sharing his ideas and intentions about his art. There is a certain evocation of eastern philosophy even in his presentation of himself. This reminds me of his statement, noted above, that his art reveals his inner mind.
If this is the case, his inner mind is consumed with the oppression of the Chinese government, and deeply humble about his own gifts. Seeing so much of his art together, and being immersed in it, combined with his spare and cogent comments, was almost a meditative experience, and one that I will long remember. His art is not just beautiful.
Even his pop-art influenced pieces that evoke (for me at least) Warhol, such as his Chairman Mao series, are decorative and attractive as well as thought provoking . His works on the environment are disturbing but appealing even if one does not grasp the polemical message. His Shan Shui series works are often dramatically and breathtakingly beautiful. Seeing his work in his very presence was a true privilege.
Silbergeld, Jerome. “Zhang Hongtu: The Art of Straddling Boundaries.” Studio Door China. 2011. Web.
Footnotes
Silbergeld, Jerome. “Zhang Hongtu: The Art of Straddling Boundaries.”
(Silbergeld 2011).
Zhang, Hongtu. “Presentation to Students of Chinese Art History”. 2011. Queens, NY. This was one of the times when it was difficult to understand him, but the overall idea is accurately captured.
(Hongtu, Presentation to students of Chinese art history 2011).
Hongtu, Zhang. “Zhang Hongtu Homepage”.
Metropolitan Museum of Art. “The Emperor’s Private Paradise”. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Qian, Zhijian. “Over the Boundaries”. Zhang Hongtu Homepage.
(Qian 2011).
(Qian 2011).
(Qian 2011).
D’Arcy, David. “Artist’s Pointed Critique is Barred from Beijing”, Wall Street Journal.
(D’Arcy 2008).
(Hongtu, Presentation to students of Chinese art history 2011).
Ibid.
(Hongtu, Zhang Hongtu Homepage 2011) These monkey paintings are visible there.
(Hongtu, Presentation to students of Chinese art history 2011).
(Hongtu, Presentation to students of Chinese art history 2011).
Antonio Puleo is an intelligent artist and exceedingly successful in the spheres of painting. He formulates the paintings by assembling a variety of items like fabrics, bird’s images, acrylic, gold leaf and other objects then situating them together on paper. In his work, he cleverly manipulates and organizes symbols and forms to craft his world. The compositions he uses are intricate; however, a detailed scrutiny depicts them as harmony.
He uses uncomplicated geometric figures when devising paintings. He further employs these shapes and other materials mentioned to cluster them in patterns that are appealing and conforming to each other. Puleo has painted many pieces of work and presented them either independently or alongside other artists such as Kim Abeles and others. He has exhibited in events such as ‘cherry and martin’ where his work was titled “First show” and “Santa Monicah Museum of art”, where he presented ‘Incognito’ (Frank).
From his artwork, Antonio uses different small items and combines them to create a wide view, which viewers love. He brings symbols and images that were used in ancient times to present day features such as buildings. The elements of hope and patience in human development are implicit from his paintings’ perspective as illustrated by ‘light’ in his painting.
His works depicts religion highlighted in the logic associated with religious dimensions used in past and modern times. This is especially through the exploitation of the bird symbols. Colors used in his artworks normally touch emotions. This is a subtle indication of the theme of romance (Pagel).
Puleo’s work is depicting his creativity and systematic presentation of themes. He uses simple materials from which he comes up with exemplary articulations that are appealing.
Sally Mann
The documentary addresses real issues that Sally faces while trying to bring a harmony in her profession with her family. While a mother of three, and a photographer, she faces conflicting roles that both the two states need. Meanwhile, she has to know how to relate with the wider family, which she cannot omit in her context since they meet frequently.
Her actions of taking nude photographs of her three children would not be acceptable in many cultures in the world. The postures of the children during the photography add strength to the morality theme, which is a major focus in the whole documentary. This is the reason why she has faced ardent criticism from many who have watched the documentary, especially from the religious sides and the government.
The process of growing up and sexuality is one of the key issues in her production. She is concerned with beauty and the state of womanhood of her daughters, and this may be the reason for taking the photos. She is aware of the future effects of her moves on the children.
Many would view this as child pornography and a threat to the children’s moral future. The act of publishing the photos worsens the matter. A thorough scrutiny into the documentary outlines how a family should handle certain issues. It is notable that her husband does not feature in the photographs.
Mann is quoted saying that it is love for photography and her children that makes her capture the photos. She sees this as way of expressing love since she has the personality of silence. Some may say that her act was contrary to her roles as a mother, but from the view of art, she was being practical on her views and career.
I do not criticize Mann for using her children’s photos to shore up her career. This owes to her practicality in career. However, this may present danger to the ‘moral’ growth of the children.
Works Cited
Frank, Peter. Daniel Kaufman, Antonio Adriano Puleo. Laweekly, 2007. Web.
Pagel, David. Review: Antonio Adriano Puleo at Cherry and Martin Gallery. Los Angeles Times. 2009. Web.
In the current world, art has become quite essential because it is believed to unite different cultures. Due to this factor, many artists have emerged in order to exploit and promote art. This paper will discuss some of these artist and their contributions to the world of art.
Margaret Kilgallen and Barry McGee
Margaret is best known for her murals and paintings which typified a range of influences. These influences consisted of mural painting, dying art of hand-painted signs, formal painting policy and American folk art elements. Since childhood, she admired the work of Mexican and Southwest artists and this drove her to apply their employment of warm colors in her individual paintings.
Most of her work especially in acrylic and gouache typified how much she loved symbology and typographic styles (Hodge 155). Her work exemplified how she was commitment and admired craftsmanship and day to day human live. Her work was quite interesting because she used handmade rather than mechanical materials which made it appear real.
Barry McGee work is relatively iconic because essential figures overlooked vague background of drips, color and pattern (Hodge 175). His work was extremely significant on the metropolitan art field. His work was not as interesting as Kilgallen because there was a feeling of racism when he presented the portrait of shoes.
Mel Chin
Mel Chin works is mostly aggravated by social, cultural and political status. Most of his works concentrated on the chief art styles which included; earthworks, minimalism and conceptualism (Hodge 210). His work was very effective because he rescued deserted homes and explored maltreated cultures with the intention of bringing a bright future to neglected persons and their culture. His work is interesting because it touches people’s life in general especially the problems they face in everyday life.
James Turrell
James Turrell works mostly focus on two themes space and light. His work was quite effective in conveying these two themes especially he invented the volcanic crater. The volcanic crater helps people to observe celestial phenomena and the observers are able to change their insight or opinion of light (Hodge 215).
His work is believed to be quite unique because it revolves around very important aspects of life. Light and space are in most cases taken for granted, but by observing Turrell works; one may start to realize how important they are in everyday life.
Mark Dion
Mark Dion is popular because his installations employ scientific representations. Typically, his work analyzes the manner in which public institutions and central beliefs promote people’s perception of knowledge, history and ordinary world (Hodge 233). His main goal is to infringe a small part of central culture, to confront convention and perception.
He develops works that puts doubts in people’s minds about the differences between irrational controls and objective scientific techniques. His works are also interesting because the current world is so much dependent on scientific methods and this enables people to see things as they are.
Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla
Guillermo and Jennifer work together as mutual pairs to develop their works. They collaborated in 1995 and their works usually focus of visual art. Their works comprise of performance, sculpture, sound, photography and video (Hodge 227). They employ modern and past geo-political realities, where by they undermine and rearrange them in manners that can be revelry, poetic and hilarious. They are one of the pairs that employ a unique method of visual art to develop their works and this earns them a lot of respect and admiration.
Works Cited
Hodge, David. “The Contemporary Art Book.” Entertainment and Arts-Theatre. 3 Sep. 2009. Pp 150-240
One of the most important themes in the western art is religion, and one of the most inspiring images for may be each of the greatest artists has been the Virgin Mary. Enormous amount of works of art depict the Virgin, and since with the course of time artistic styles change, these images are revealed differently. It will be very interesting to compare two images of the Virgin, depicted in different epochs by different artists: Raphael and Paul Gauguin.
First of all, I would like to focus on the work of art by Raphael Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, dated 1504. This is an altarpiece painted with oil and gold on wood. It depicts the Virgin with her holy Son on the throne in the center, God the father, angels and two apostles who surround the Virgin Mary forming perfect framing. The piece represents an example of Florentine style; it is very bright and symmetrical. This painting like the rest of Raphael’s works reveals his style of perfection and dignity.
At this point it is necessary to point out that Raphael is one of the greatest Italian artists of the High Renaissance. In spite of his short life, he was only 37 when he died, he left enormous amount of his beautiful works: paintings, architecture, frescos, altarpieces, drawings, etc.
Here are only few of his most famous works: Madonna of the Chair, The School of Athens, The Sistine Madonna. Raphael lived in the epoch of Da Vinci and Michelangelo, and three of them formed the trinity of great masters of those times. Raphael, to certain extent, was influenced by Da Vinci, but still he had his own style (D’Anvers 10).
Despite such great number of different works, this painter is best known for his Madonnas. It is necessary to stress that his “type of beauty is not such as calls forth immediate or extravagant admiration” (Hurll X). Raphael sticks to harmony in everything and that is why his works can never be tiresome.
At this point I would like to pass on the other painting depicting the Virgin Mary, painting by Paul Gauguin Ia Orana Maria. First of all, it is necessary to point out that Gauguin is famous Post-Impressionist artist, who turned from Impressionist style to Synthetics style, and finally introduced Primitivism.
His life wasn’t quite long (he lived 55 years) but very interesting and eventful. He started artistic life when he was forty and had a wife and five children, but he abandoned his family, peaceful life and even motherland; he became an artist who had to live in poverty for the rest of his life looking for real life and real people, which he found on islands.
It is necessary to add that Gauguin lived in epoch of drastic changes in art, when traditions were broken and artists were seeking for new forms and means of expressing their inner world. His most famous works are Vision after the Sermon; Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, The Yellow Christ, Ia Orana Maria, Tahitian Women on the Beach; Where Do We come from? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
Gauguin’s image of the Virgin differs from the rest of such images, like Gauguin differs from the rest of artists. In this painting Gauguin “transposes the Christian story of the Son of God to a South Seas setting” (Walther 42).
First of all, the Virgin with her Son is depicted as a Polynesian woman in an island, she doesn’t hold her Son traditionally in her arms, and he sits on her shoulder. The Virgin stands in front of two other Polynesian women. Behind the two women the angel with yellow wings is depicted. This piece is painted in Primitivism style, with quite bright colors.
Comparing these two paintings it is necessary to point out that they are totally different. The former reveals transparent idea of the Holy Mary and Her Son.
It is very symmetric and even perfect in its form and its idea: depiction of the joy of Jesus birth. But as far as Gauguin’s painting is concerned it is necessary to admit that the form of the painting is not so symmetrical and ideal, and the form is not the main concern, it is idea of the painting that matters: Christianity comes to the islands and is accepted by the natives in their own way.
These two paintings’ theme is the Virgin, who is depicted in two different ways: Raphael depicted the Virgin very realistic and Gauguin painted in Primitivism style. Raphael focused on the form more than on the idea; Gauguin revealed his idea via simple lines to stress his idea.
Thus, it is possible to conclude that religion is a powerful and inexhaustible source of inspiration of all times. The artists referred to religious characters, and above all the Virgin, during centuries and each epoch presented its own view of eternal image. Such eternal subjects are very valuable in terms of art study, since it is possible to differentiate different styles and even epochs considering the image of the Virgin depicted by different artists.
Works Cited
D’Anvers, N. Raphael. Charleston: BiblioBazaar, 2008.
Hurll, E.M. Raphael: A Collection of Fifteen Pictures and a Portrait of the Painter. Charleston: BiblioBazaar, 2008.
Walther I.F. Paul Gauguin, 1848-1903: the primitive sophisticate. Koln: Taschen, 1999.
