In this book, Horowitz talks about a range of artists who moved to America in the middle of the twentieth century, how they adapted to their new environment and also their influence on the performing arts. These artists migrated as a result of war, mainly the Second World War and other political reasons. The author writes about artists involved in music, stage plays and motion picture.
Many critics find the book well-written since it incorporates debates and words are delivered in a rhetorical or impassionate way but at the same time maintaining a poetic tenor.
Knowledge of the type of music in that era is will help in the understanding of the book especially the German way of expressing inner motion. The author has done extensive research and held interviews before writing this book as shown by the footnotes, although you can not fail to notice that the author can relate to the events he describes; it has a personal touch.
Before these artists came, a form of entertainment which combined musical and comedy acts called vaudeville was very common. It was so common such that it eventually influenced the radio, motion picture production and the television. It happened that the theatre production in Europe was more sophisticated than in America. After a while the European style was introduced by some of the immigrants discussed in this book.
Most of these foreign artists especially from Russia like George Balanchine came from poor conditions to America to achieve ‘The American Dream’. Not every one of them was able to achieve the dream for various reasons. For example, after living in America for 14 years, Thomas Mann returned back to Europe during the cold war after he felt that he would never feel at home in America.
When these foreign artists came to America, they had to write and perform in English rather than their language. Despite of this, some did manage to make an impact on the art industry. George Balanchine was born in Russia back in 1904 and he is responsible for revolutionising ballet dancing in America.
He was well acquainted with the Russian traditional form of dancing style. He fused the Russian style an American dancing style to come up with the now known ballet dancing. Before moving to America he was a ballet master in a company which he had been invited to join by another Russian exile; Diaghilev. In Paris he worked closely with Stravinsky, and they were able to create a whole new form of art by combining the traditional ballet with a touch of Greek methodology.
When he moved to America, he opened a ballet school in New York City where he was able to produce around four hundred pieces of work. What made him such a revolutionary choreographer was that he was able to come up with exceptional styles which had such an amazing speed and assail.
Kurt Weill was a German born composer who believed in writing music that not only entertained, but had a social function. He fell out of favour with the Nazi’s and was often disapproved and his shows were regularly cancelled. He was forced to move to Paris then London and finally to America.
His style did not receive much appreciation as it did in Europe. He had to study the American music style before composing pieces for the American audience. He went on to compose several pieces like ‘Down in the Valley’ and ‘Buddy on the Nightshift’ all of which had social importance.
His mark on the American music was felt after he died. Louis Armstrong adopted Weill’s “Mack the Knife” as the basis of his jazz flavour. His music has been re-done by some of the present artists like The Doors and Lou Reed. Other artists like Teresa Stratas have made an entire music album based on Weill’s work. One of the greatest pianist; Amanda, has Weill’s name on her piano as a mark of respect to him. In 1991, 2008 and in 2009 various musical functions have been held, all to pay tribute to Kurt Weill.
Rouben Mamoulian was born in Georgia and he became a movie and drama director in America. He directed “Applause” which was a popular film back in 1929. Its popularity was attributed to the fact that Mamoulian used a camera in motion and added music to some scenes. Mamoulian style involved making his scenes more prosaic than just plain realism. This is evident in the “Becky Sharp” and in the entire piece of “Blood and Sand”. The use of Technicolor in these films demonstrated this poetic style of Mamoulian.
Mamoulian did not have much influence in the film industry as much as F.W Murnau. Murnau was a very prominent German film director; he had major influence in the German film industry after the end of World War 1. In his film “The Last Laugh” he introduced a camera view which showed what the character was seeing.
He used this to try to convey visually the character’s feelings and his state of mind. When he moved to Hollywood, he produced the movie “Sunrise” under Fox Theatres. Up to date, this film is regarded as one of all time best by many of the elite. Although it did not bring much financial profit, it went on to win a couple of Oscars. He went on to produce two movies which did not fair well with the American audience; he was so disappointed in his failure that he quit Fox.
He later produced another movie which was suppressed in America since it had scenes of women revealing their breasts. Murnau was very committed in his work such that he went to great lengths to make his films as real as possible. At one time he sought the services of a true vampire to play as himself in the film “Shadow of the Vampire.”
Perhaps Greta Garbo is the best and most mysterious movie star to ever work in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the silent and talking period. She was born in Sweden and at twenty years, she went to Hollywood where she became such a sensational actress in the silent movies.
MGM was a bit reluctant to feature her in talking films because of her Swedish accent, but after much persuasion she debuted in her first talking film “Anna Christie” in 1930. The movie was a success and got an Oscar nomination for that movie. She also made a German version of the film. After a couple of other movies she ended her career early because she did not like the Hollywood attention.
Erich Korngold was born in now what is called the Czech Republic, and he became a music composer, particularly romantic music. At younger age, his work received a fair amount of success in Europe. During his time in America, his work was not appreciated by the Americans; it only attracted a lot of negative criticism.
It’s only after his death that his work was re-evaluated by artists like Max Steiner and found that he was a musical genius after all. Now days, he is considered as one of the pioneers of musical film. Over the years his pieces of music have been redone as a way of paying tribute to him.
What is common with almost all the European immigrant artists is that they had to do their arts in a language that was not their first. All of them were excellent performers in their home countries, but when they came to America they had to change their style to be more acceptable by the American audience. Other than the war, freedom that was enjoyed much in America made them migrate. What they did not realize is that this freedom did not necessarily elevate their ambitions and goals.
The painting captures similar themes when analyzed at surface level as well as in relation to the artist’s life. Van Gogh was schizophrenic, yet he managed to make beautiful art. Starring Night is a painting that epitomizes restlessness or turbulence; this was a reflection of the artist’s state of mind.
Description of the painting
An initial observation of the painting reveals an expansive sky; it accounts for most of the space in the painting. Van Gogh probably called the piece ‘Starring Night’ because bright stars are a prominent feature. White and yellow light surround them while a glaring moon also stands alongside them.
In between the moon and the stars are swirls which are a combination of dark and light colors; some are black, others green, yellow, dark and light blue, and to some extent white. However, the predominant color is blue, which is the color of the sky. Underneath the sky, one can see a village where some houses, hills as well as other physical features are located.
The hills are so tall that they appear to merge with the sky. The painting also has a tree that also stretches to the sky; it is the tallest feature in the village. Gogh’s brushstrokes in the hills as well as the trees face upwards, as though to suggest that the sky is what matters. The pine tree is black, dark green and brown. Since this feature is at the foreground of the painting, it affects one’s overall perception of it. A few houses can be seen clustering next to each other.
No human beings are in the Starring Night; this may probably be because most of them were asleep. The most outstanding building is a church, whose spire also points to the sky (Museum Of Modern Art 1). Overall, the interaction of the colors, lines and paintings in the picture gives an impression of restlessness.
Analysis
Background of the painting
It is likely that the theme of turbulence and restlessness reflected Van Gogh’s state of mind. The artist was mentally ill and even did this work of art in an asylum. He struggled with so many aspects of his life. For instance, a special lady rejected him and told him that she would never marry him. He was thrown out of art galleries in Paris.
The artist had an abysmal financial situation since he depended on his brother, Theo, for sustenance. His many career changes were fruitless, and he was not making any money as an artist. People misunderstood Gogh; members of his township Arles wanted to ban him from the village after he developed an ear infection.
He did not even have friends because he always embarrassed or argued with them. Clearly, Van Gogh was an isolated man who could not find comfort in many things. His experiences in the past led him to a turbulent state of mind. This situation was so serious that it manifested in schizophrenia. One can thus assert that the painting was a reflection of what the artist was going through in his mind.
Alternatively, the theme of restlessness may also have been indicative of the dissatisfaction with his situation at the asylum and the longing for normalcy. Perhaps Gogh wanted to go out into the Starring Night and enjoy all the wonderful visuals first hand. However, all he could do was admire the view from his window or use supervised visits around the garden in the asylum (Brooks 29).
The effect of lines and color
Lines in any work of art show motion. Therefore, when one looks at the way lines in the sky swirl around the moon and the stars, one thinks of movement. Since most of the lines in the painting are not heading in one direction, then one can deduce a mood of restlessness. The choice of color in the painting is also an indication of the painter’s mood. Warm colors, like yellow, are only present in minimal quantities.
The most predominant color is blue, which is a cool color. This color is primarily responsible for the darkness and mystery of the piece. Nonetheless, the blue color has a dark hue, in that it is not the typical sky blue. This one mirrors the color of the sky at night as it is blue-black. If the artist had left the sky uninterrupted by dark lines, then it would have given off a serene or even dreamy feel. The mixture of the dark and cool colors in the form of lines and shades is what contributes to a feeling of turbulence (MacDonald 15).
As mentioned earlier, the colors in the picture are bold and captivating. The moon and starts each have bright hues that are hard to ignore. In one of his letters to his sister, he asserted that the stars had a peculiar brilliance, which “warranted for more than white dots on a blue-black surface” (Van Gogh Museum 76). One may deduce that this artist saw things in a different way through the use of color. Most artists in his era were realists, and his countrymen were quite conservative in their use of color.
Most realists relied on pale color and soft, thin lines to create texture. However, Gogh created a new approach to texture by using bold brush strokes. The artists did not paint to please others but he stuck to what he felt was right. Vincent’s preference for bold color was something new and refreshing. Even the way he drew stars was quite unique. The palate in ‘Starring Night’ was substantially different from the palate combinations of other French artists like Millet.
In fact, Gogh started out with contemporary influences but quickly changed after he discovered Japanese art. Japanese art had a profound influence on the painter. The artist was defiant and brave in his work since he was willing to pursue trajectories that others shunned. These color choices and the artists’ past life prove that he was indeed a restless individual. He was not satisfied with the status quo and sought ways to explore new avenues.
Choice of features
Van Gogh was a spiritual man; in fact, he was so committed to his vocation that it turned into an obsession. This was part of the reason why the artist was sent out of the mission school. Additionally, Gogh’s father was a spiritual minister. When the artist tried to follow in his footsteps, he failed dismally. In the painting, the spire of the church building is the tallest man-made feature. However, its height comes nowhere near that of the cypress tree.
The tip of this tree makes contact with sky. One can interpret these two features in light of Gogh’s life. He may have sought solace in the church, but did not find it there. His experiences at the mission may have shown him that one cannot find spiritual fulfillment in other men. In the painting, the church is a man-made creation. Even though its builders tried to make it as tall as possible, they could not reach the sky.
One may construe the sky to symbolize the heavens. Therefore, Gogh was saying that man’s efforts were not sufficient to establish contact with the heavens. On the other hand, if one sought God in nature, one was likely to find him. The cypress tree was tall enough to reach the skies. One may deduce that the author could not find support in a spiritual establishment. He may have been criticizing the existing religious order.
Once again, the theme of restlessness comes into play because he is not happy with where he is spiritually, so he must look for answers elsewhere. In line with these sentiments is the fact that the hills appear to face the opposite direction of the church spire. They mirrored a real physical feature in Gogh’s country; they were called Les Alpilles Mountains. Their opposition to the prevailing order may be regarded as proof of the artists’ opinion about the church.
The manner in which the images in the diagram have been represented is indicative of the theme of restlessness as well. The stars seem to be bursting out of the sky. Furthermore, the cypress tree looks like it is touching the sky. Even the moon looks like it is covered by a yellow ball. Clearly, these are not conventional representations of the night sky. An artist who was faithful to nature would have revised his choice of color, lines and technique to reflect the actual appearance of the sky; however, Gogh was not such an artist (Boime 55).
He was rebellious, and when he had a point to make, he did not hesitate to make it. His use of proportions and the way he drew was a reflection of the artist’s style. Gogh was not satisfied with a mere imitation of nature. This means he was agitated by this approach, so he chose another one that would not reflect contemporary work. Therefore, his approach to art was one that caused turbulence.
One of the artists’ centerpieces in the painting is the cypress tree. A lot can be deduced from this choice in features that reflects the state of turbulence in his mind. During Gogh’s time, Cypress trees were common in cemeteries. Additionally, the tree seems to connect the earth and the heavens.
One may assert that his selection of the tree was indicative of his ideas about death. The painter was at a place where he could not decide whether he wanted to live or die. By choosing a centerpiece that is found in cemeteries, Gogh was thinking about death. The tree touched the heavens because when one dies, one leaves earth and goes to the heavens.
The artist was thinking about death but was ambivalent about it. It is likely that the intense movement in the painting reflected this indecision concerning whether he should live or die. There was turbulence in his conscious about the matter. Later, the artist made up his mind about death and committed suicide. He chose death over a life of misery. At the time of painting ‘Starring Night’, the cypress tree reflected the confusion in his conscious about death.
Overall, the piece has so many features to analyze that it is possible to become overwhelmed with the process. Trees, hills, houses, stars, the moon, the sky and other features are present in the painting. One must determine why the artist selected so many features. It is likely that he would only convey his message if he amalgamated all these aspects together.
However, the circular motions and the spiral effect in the sky are what carry the theme. Therefore, the point of emphasis in the painting gives an indication of what one should focus on; in this case it is turbulence.
Painting technique
From the image, one can deduce that the artist used decisive bush strokes to color his piece. This practice was not common in his society. Impressionist artists relied on a method of drawing that involved joining several dots together to form the impression of color. However, Gogh got bored of this style when living in Paris. He devised his own method of painting that was quite different from the rest. These decisive brush strokes contribute towards the turbulence of the piece.
It would have been quite difficult to convey that sentiment if the author utilized the impressionist method in ‘Starring Night’. The decisiveness of the brush strokes was crucial in creating a feeling of chaos or turbulence. The circular lines needed to be in unison with another in order to have this effect. Using joined dotes, like the impressionists, would have been insufficient to create this effect (Hulsker 93).
Conclusion
Starring night as a work of art carries forward the theme of restlessness. This is evident in the artist’s use of color. He mixes cool colors with dark ones in a manner that creates this mood. Additionally, his painting technique which involves decisive brush strokes also testifies to the turbulence of the piece.
His choice of objects and emphasis reflects the turbulence in the artist’s mind. The cypress tree was an indication of his confusion about death. The unconventional stars were an indication of the turbulence in his life. He was also unconventional like the stars, and this led to his isolation. This painting’s theme is an expression of the artists’ life.
Works Cited
Boime, Albert. Van Gogh: Starry Night: Art history in detail. NY: Voyager, 1996. Print.
An unprecedented surge of new information and communication technologies has culminated into an increasingly intertwined world. Advancements made by man in the area of ICT during the last half of the twentieth century has accelerated globalization of all spheres of human life at a pace never imagined before.
Today, information about political and socioeconomic happenings in remote parts of the world is passed on to other parts on a real-time basis. This task is a discussion of the way arts and artists are being affected and influenced by realities of the contemporary world.
Imagination and Expression
Since the very humble beginning of human civilizations, man has had various artistic ways of expressing his feelings, emotions, experiences, and perceptions. These expressions underscore one’s society, environments, nature, and significant historical events like battles or immigration episodes, as well as normal and bizarre imaginations.
These ways range from performing arts such as dances, drama, music, visual arts, and plastic arts like painting and drawing among others. For instance, during the Stone Age, man did Rock Art whereby, he painted the pictures of the animals he hunted and his tools among other thrilling experiences of his ordinary life and lives of his ancestors in the state of nature, on the walls of his cave dwellings (Pickover, 1992, p.16).
Therefore, art has been a vital component of all human civilizations and has evolved alongside other aspects of human cultures to the extent that, today the most talented artists like actors, actresses, painters and musicians are the most celebrated individuals who hold esteemed social status envied by many.
How arts and artists are affected and influenced by realities of today
Advancement in technology is certainly a weighty drive of progress and history in any society. For example, unprecedented progress in ICT has altered the way people do business, how they interact with their relatives and friends, and even the way they govern themselves. Arts and artists have inevitably been affected and influenced by advancement in technologies, changes in global communication, and an accelerated tempo of globalization in various ways.
Today, progress in technology and computer-supported arts permit artists to find out new forms of artistic representations that put more emphasis on the visual and creative features of a given artistic piece. For instance, computer-modeling platforms enable sculptors to observe their work in virtual reality prior to its production (Ehrlich, 1976, p.111).
Therefore, artists can create pieces of artwork that are more closely associated to their initial motives; thereby, they push forward accuracy of execution in arts (Ehrlich, 1976, p.114).
This has in turn led to increasingly truly realized varieties of an artist imagination. Moreover, advancement in technology has facilitated integration of various kinds of arts as artists endeavor to produce more creative and imaginative artworks and remain competitive in domestic and new global markets.
Developments in photographic technologies have had profound impacts on modern arts and artists have embraced photography as an artistic instrument. For instance, modern artists have already successfully applied present developments and inventions in photography to painting (Ehrlich, 1976, p139).
Globalization and the ease with which artists can access information about people, places, living things, happenings, environments, and communities in distant lands have undoubtedly influenced their imaginative power.
Today, different classes of artists including musicians, painters, actors, and sculptors and others are faced with the reality of the need to create artworks that can appeal to different people living in various diverse global societies (Crawford, 2003, p.4). In other words, they are faced by an inevitable pressure of the need to impart a global perspective on their works of art in order to remain relevant in an increasingly globalized world.
Conclusion
Modern arts and artists have unavoidably been affected and influenced in various ways by advancement in technology, globalization, and other current everyday factors. Arts and artists in today’s world have come under pressure of the need to appeal to people and communities with diverse social and political orientations.
Even though artistic borrowing is not a new phenomenon per se, it has clearly been accelerated by the progress in ICT and ease of movement. In addition, artists have experienced an increase of their fans and consumers of their artworks.
Directors have a very major and important role to play when it comes to processing of a project or art. Previously, directors had more responsibilities to perform comparatively. In the modern age directors have more technologies to work with. Despite advancement in the technology, the role of director still remains crucial and imperative. This paper aims to propose the ways through which directors would be able to yield desired productivity from the artists.
Directors can impact the overall productivity of artists by actually going through a profound thought process. It is very imperative for the directors to understand the need of performing effective thought process. A director is actually a person who already pictures each and every act of a character in the mind.
A successful directing is thus only possible in case the director is capable of having a deep and thorough thought process. Being aware of each and every action to be taken on sets would automatically result in increased productivity of actors. In other words it could be said that only an informed director would be able to yield productivity out of artists because he will exactly know the objectives of the file, theatre or drama (Goodridge, 2002).
Another most important thing that a director is supposed to do for impacting the overall productivity of the artist is to inquire. A director is one who is highly knowledgeable about art and who sees society from a different perspective unlike other individuals. This could be regarded as a distinctive quality of the director (Goodridge, 2002).
A director should inquire and carefully research if the actors are able to deliver the desired action or not. A director is more like a base of a movie who is able to take decisions for the film from selecting the type of wardrobe of the first scene to the emotional mellow drama of the final cut.
A director would be able to impact the productivity and creativity of an artist when he exactly understands the role. Director’s thinking goes beyond the thinking of any other official in arts. An art director is supposed to look at a scenario from all direction (Goodridge, 2002).
The word directing itself defines the way how the overall productivity of artists could be achieved. A director can impact the production of creativity of artists by actually looking into the matters which could be problematic in the long run. A director needs to take care of all the fallacies and risks which are associated with the project. A change that could affect the creativity of artists must be completely omitted.
Directors are able to understand the fallacies by observing situations. It is first and foremost responsibility of a director in the current age and success years (Goodridge, 2002). Artists and other team professionals might be busy with the processing of their tasks and therefore be not able to understand the small errors that could result in the complications ahead. In such a situation, a director can play an avid role by actually observing, planning and then halting errors.
Through the above analysis it could be said that through effective thought-process, observation and thorough planning, a director is able to yield higher productivity of the directors. Directors in the modern age have more technologies but the fact remains the same that a director is the basis and indirectly responsible for all the processes of a project.
Reference
Goodridge, M. (2002). Directing. Oxford: Focal Press.
Post- colonial art is a genre of artistic expression that portrays the discourse an artist has over colonization. Post-colonial art often involves works that deal with issues of de-colonization or the political and cultural emancipation of people previously subjected to colonial rule.
Post-colonial Britain art is an imaginative evaluation of British society, and the art works incorporate racist or colonial innuendos (Anwar, 1979). Post-colonial art on the contemporary scene also makes an effort to analyze the current post-colonial debate that has taken root over time (Anwar, 1979).
Muslim artists have in particular expanded their artistic coverage of the attitude and mentality they bear towards the British imperial rule since their religion mostly puts them in a highly charged position (Murray, 2008). Several artists of Islamic affiliation have gone ahead to exhibit a number of controversial artworks in the British cultural scene.
The art presented by these Muslims bears the attitude portrayed by the British society towards them and the Islamic religion as a whole and the artists’ own views on Islam (Shaw, 1994). Some of the expressions include racism, sexism, segregation, peace, harmony and love. These artists are especially recognized for their work in critiquing the both the British and the Islamic societies’ aggression toward each other based on simple differences perpetuated by different cultural backgrounds (Jacobson, 2001).
Famous post-colonial British Muslim artists
A great number of young and talented artists have over the recent years been discovered among the British Muslim community. These artists include;-
Mohammed Ali who uses graffiti to express the cultural uniqueness of Islamic art. He derives inspiration from the Qur’an and his work depicts universal principles such as Peace, Knowledge and Patience which criticize religious prejudice and act as a bridge that links all religions (Webster, 2007). Mazzy Malik is also a graffiti artist but highly influenced by hip hop music. She uses Islamic calligraphy on her images to comically depict western civilization and the chauvinism against Muslims.
Taslim Rashid founded the Tranquilart: a personal arts project in 2003 at a time when she was teaching people suffering from mental illness (Webster, 2007).
She uses the image of a butterfly as an allegory for the change the British society needs to embrace. Modasar Rasul is a professional photographer who was first discovered through a photo essay he carried out to document the suffering of Chechen refugees. Currently he exhibits pictures of old doors to symbolize opening up of new opportunities in life’s continuous journey (Webster, 2007).
Some of the other contemporary British Muslim artists are Jamil Ahmed who specializes in classic Islamic calligraphy fused with European contemporary style, Rafia Hussain Kamel who specializes in calligraphy, modern Islamic art and architecture, Samsul Islam a graphic artist, Hasina Zaman who produces Islamic themed mosaics, Bilal Badat who is well groomed in painting, calligraphy and interior design and Samir Malik, a canvas painter (Webster, 2007).
Sarah Maple
She is a contemporary painter who specializes in self portraits and still life paintings and also indulges in sculpture and photographic expressions. Over the recent years, she has turned out to be the most controversial British Muslim painter, with her work deeply criticizing the British and Muslim communities.
Sarah was born to a Christian father and a Muslim mother, but she was raised in accordance to the Islamic traditions. She was first recognized in 2007 when she won the “4 New Sensations” competition which was organized by Channel 4 to find the most creative talent in Britain. Since then, she has gone on to release a series of controversial paintings that have attracted negative attention for their candidness in regards to race religion and sex (Sherwin, 2007).
Some of her most controversial paintings include “The New Black” which is an oil based canvas painting of a Muslim woman covered in a black gown. The portrait insinuates that the Islamic code of female dressing as being discriminated against and it is therefore given the name ‘new black’.
Another painting is an acrylic board painting titled “passport”. This one seems to suggest that a woman can go anywhere she desires as long as she can offer herself through intercourse. The ‘Cherry Bakewell anyone’ and the ‘Bananarama’ oil on board paintings have a woman covered in traditional Islamic attire and performing sexually suggestive actions (Walker, 2008).
Considering the Islamic world take their faith and dress code to be sacred, it is therefore not surprising that these paintings evoked violent reactions from the Islamic community (Walker, 2008). ‘…join them’ is an open impression of the British women which suggests that if the Muslim women cannot stand the discrimination of their dressing they may as well walk in the nude. Other controversial paintings include, ‘God is a feminist’, ‘Paintbrush Wank’, ‘I love Orgasms’, ‘Haram’, ‘Burka Chic’ and ‘Blue, Badges, Burka’.
In addition, Maples has a number of paintings that basically contain hand written messages, some of which are funny whereas others are considered to be offensive (Walker, 2008). They include, ‘Does anyone still wank over Hitler?’, ‘You could have done this’ and ‘Who decided….?’ Most of these paintings are considered offensive among the conventional Islamic populace for they bear sexual or improper portrayal of Muslim women.
A major contributor to the inspiration behind these paintings is the fact that Maple is not a staunch Muslim. This has consequently worked to maple’s advantage since she has no barriers either psychological or emotional that hold her back from expressing Muslim women in accordance to her freedom of expression (Walker, 2008). The end result is a comical representation of Muslim women and a semi-mediocre depiction of the Islamic religion as a whole.
In comparison, other Muslim women in the art industry take their identity to be sacred and holy (Sherwin, 2007). The art work of women such as Taslim Rashid, Hasina Zaman, Rafia Hussain Kamel among others, all bear a reserved approach toward Islamic art. Identity to these women is something priceless and should not be corrupted as Maple does, rather it should be treasured and preserved. This can be supported by the works of art they produce, all portraying Islamic design in an intellectual and glorified demeanor.
Multiculturalism
The fact that the U.K has a foray of individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds in a way subjects the Muslim women to a precipice of ideology and cultural dilemma (Murray, 2008). Muslims in the U.K are a minority group and therefore are subject to a religious democratic environment.
Sarah Maple in her portrait ‘…join them’, gives a clue of the religious adversity Muslims, especially what Muslim women go through. Her painting propels a feeling of surrender to the majority and she therefore tells the other Muslim women to relinquish their religious attachments to attire and simply dress like the rest of the women in Britain. The painting is however not subjective to attire alone, rather the principles and ideology of the Islamic faith are also taken account.
Other Muslim women are however of a different opinion and taking into consideration the content of their art, it is evident that they deem it necessary to preserve their culture more than ever (Ermes, 2001).
From the cards and graffiti to the architectural designs produced by Taslim Rashid, Hasina Zaman and Rafia Hussain Kamel among others, female British Muslim artists have taken it upon themselves to magnify the beauty of Islam (Sherwin, 2007). They intensify the Islamic core values through their propensity for peace, love and oneness, qualities that are clearly prevalent in their work (Ermes, 2001).
Maple’s work has received a lot of criticism from the public and the Islamic community for it is considered extremely insulting especially to Muslim women. She however cites that cultural differences and the preserved nature of the Muslim faith as her greatest inspiration and sees nothing wrong with her art. Contemporary art lovers on the other hand appreciate the beauty and the explicitness of her work and continually encourage her to cultivate her freedom for expression.
Western critics have partly embraced the art by Middle Eastern women, but they are yet to fully understand the core significance of the paintings. Some of the critics have the inclination that the works have suggestive extremist allusions while other critics view the works as a portrayal of hope and encouragement to the rest of the women in the Middle East (Jacobson, 2001).
With such differing opinions, it is difficult to quantify the overall acceptance of such works. However, with the dynamic shift of public interest and global events carried out by members of the Islamic community; art by Middle Eastern women is still currently being considered a moving target, yet to gain the acceptance into the mainstream pedestal.
References
Anwar, M. (1979). The myth of return. 2nd edition. London: Heinemann.
Ermes, A. (2001). Contemporary Islamic Arts: A positive contribution to London, RMCJ. Web.
Jacobson, J. (2001). Islam in transition: religion and identity among British Pakistani youth. 1st edition. London: Routledge.
Murray, J. (2008). Brick Lane, BMJ. 56.5(56). Web.
Shaw, A. (1994). The Pakistani community in oxford. 1st edition. London: Hurst and company.
Sherwin, B. (2007). Art Space Talk: Sarah Maple. British artist journal. Web.
The picture I would like to analyze is called The Battle. It belongs to an abstract art. The most interesting point, however, which may surprise many people, is that The Battle was created not by a well-known artist as most of people think, but by a psychotherapist from New York. Tracy Morgan is the author of the work of art.
Body
The Battle and its technical characteristics
The colors and their significance
While discussing the importance of the picture, some technical details must be analyzed. First of all, it is necessary to point out that The Battle is considered to be a two-dimensional picture. The basic colors of the production are pink and black.
Taking into account the fact that colors have specific meanings, one can probably conclude that the author is aware of symbolism. As far as pink has an individual significance, one can state that the author chose it to evoke strong mental images. On the other hand, one is to keep in mind the relationship between certain colors, as color schemes determine the author’s general purpose.
The composition of the painting
The composition of the picture seems to be of a particular importance, as numerous elements of the painting, including texture, forms, lines, etc. show the depth or perspective of the author’s work. It must be noted that lines in the picture lead into the painting, what is extremely important to keep viewers’ attention on the production, but not off the painting. Pink and black are combined in such a way, to show they appear more distinct.
It is difficult to say for sure whether there are large light areas are combined with small dark ones, or large dark areas balanced with small light ones. Visually, it seems that the area of black is smaller; so, the chroma seems to be stronger. In other words, one can probably state that the author relied on one of the basic principles of the joint effects of chroma, as “for colors of different value, subjects preferred a narrow band of either the light or the dark color, avoiding equally sized areas of different values” (“Visual Preferences,” n. d., para. 16).
Furthermore, while pink can be regarded as a dominant color, the picture seems to cause positive feelings. Black, in its turn, determines the symbolical meaning of Morgan’s work. Thus, in my opinion, the picture reflects the fight between good and evil; the theme is considered to be not new, but topical at all times.
Tracy Morgan’s main aim
The focal points of the piece of art reflect black inscribed circles. This aspect should be carefully analyzed, as through the inscribed elements the author depicted the vortex of events. Taking into account the fact that color consistency of Tracy Morgan’s painting is heterogeneous, but invisible, one can conclude that the author’s main aim was to create aesthetically pleasing work.
Conclusion
“ As far as the painting involves numerous tints, one can suppose that Morgan wanted to show the fight inside. In other words, it seems to be evident that verbal and visual processes of information perception are accepted by people in different ways. Thus, one can speak about the battle, and one can see the battle; the processes are not the same; so, the author gave viewers an opportunity to understand what perceptual knowledge is. Generally, I think that the author depicted a complex philosophical issue.
During a walk along the streets of most urban centers, one may encounter various artworks displayed on walls. The government does not sanction a sizeable percentage of these artworks. Street art refers to the illegal visual artwork. Street artists usually undertake their work despite the risk of arrest.
Various street artists have gained worldwide popularity due to their street artworks. Some of the street artists include Alexandre Farto , Christian Guémy, Banksy, Shepard Fairey, and Brian Donnelly.
Banksy is a controversial street artist whose works are in walls in London, Brighton, and Bristol. Banksy has even exhibited his artworks on the walls of West Bank. Banksy’s real identity is still unknown. However, various sources claim to know his real identity.
Banksy has many fans due to his exquisite works of art. Banksy has several celebrity fans who include Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Christina Aguirela (Joseph para 3). Banksy has satirical artworks that use dark humor to express their message.
Banksy began his career as a graffiti artist during the early 1990s. Initially, he was a member of the DryBreadZ Crew (BDZ). During the turn of the millennium, Bansky ventured into stenciling due to the less time that it takes to stencil.
The shift to stenciling enabled Banksy to gain popularity in Bristol and London. Most of Banksy’s artworks have anti-establishment messages. He uses police officers, children, soldiers, and the elderly as subjects that enable him to express himself.
In 2004, Banksy made a sizeable number of fake £10 notes that had the portrait of Princess Diana instead of Queen Elizabeth. In an effort to discredit the Bank of England, Banksy satirically replaced the words ‘Bank of England’ with ‘Banksy of England.’ During the Notting Hill Carnival, a certain individual dished out the fake money to the crowd.
The notes fetched £200 on e-Bay. Banksy uses street art to express his political views. Some of the views may be controversial. Banksy also helps in the development of other artists. He hosts various exhibitions that provide other artists with a platform to exhibit their work.
In 2008, he hosted the Cans Festival in London. The festival provided a platform for various graffiti artists to display their skills. This has enabled Banksy to become one of the most famous and influential street artists.
Alexandre Farto is one of the most famous Portuguese street artists. He uses the pseudonym Vhils. Vhils has been a street artist since the tender age of 13 years.
He started his career by painting on trains. Vhils is a graduate of arts from the University of Arts London. Vhils credits his current popularity to the platform that Banksy provides other artists to enable them portray their skills. There are artworks of Vhils in Moscow, London, Lisbon, and New York.
Alexandre Farto adopted the name Vhils, since he liked spraying the letters (Jones para 3). Vhils started doing street art at the tender age of 13 years. When he was 17 years old, he started having a different picture of walls. Walls told the history of his country.
This motivated Vhils to start carving into walls to reflect the changing times. Vhils has various street artworks of everyday heroes (Jones para 6). These artworks are in various countries across the globe. Vhils tries to use street art to chronicle the changing times. Therefore, his artworks help in social development.
The Cans Festival provided Vhils with a platform that enabled him to attain his current popularity. During the festival, his work appeared alongside that of Banksy. Since then, Vhils has done several shows on his own.
Vhils has held various shows in Lisbon, Paris, and New York. These shows have enabled Vhils to display his skills. In addition, the shows have enabled him to express his ideas. The shows also fetch Vhils a considerable amount of money.
Another famous street artist is Christian Guémy. Guémy uses the pseudonym C215. C215 is a 38-year-old French street artist who hails from Paris. The countryside background of C215 made him lack any connection to graffiti or stenciling work until he was 15 years old.
However, upon doing some graffiti at the young age he became bored with graffiti. He only returned to do graffiti work in his adulthood. The wish to create a souvenir by painting her daughter’s face on the streets was the main factor that motivated C215 to venture into street art.
However, his street artworks gained huge popularity prompting him to become a professional artist. Therefore, C215 did not set out to become a professional artist. He became a street artist by chance.
C215 grew outside the street art culture that influences most of the modern street artwork. C215 is opposed to the repetition, overconsumption, hype, and cynicism, which characterize most modern street artwork. C215 uses his artwork to give hope and dignity to the society. In so doing, he uses his artwork to shape a new civilization.
Most of the artwork of C215 consists of portraits of people. He uses beggars, homeless, and refugees as some of his subjects. These subjects enable C215 to use art to express himself.
These subjects help in refocusing the society on forgotten people. C215 uses artworks in various cities around the world. Some of the cities include Barcelona, Rome, and London. C215 is also involved in other commercial artwork activities.
Shepard Fairey is one of the most popular American street artists. Fairey, 43, hails from Charleston, North Carolina. Fairey’s involvement in art started in 1984 when he was 14 years old.
The quest to hone his skills motivated Fahey to join the Rhode Island School of Design from where he obtained a degree in Fine Arts in 1988. One of the earliest works of Fairey is ‘Andre the Giant Has a Posse.’ Fairey created this piece of art while he was still studying at the Rhode Island School of Design.
Soon after graduation, Fairey ventured into professional artwork by creating a small printing company. The company specialized in silkscreens and artworks on various clothing.
This enabled Fairey to develop his art skills. Later on, Fairey helped in the formation of various companies that were involved in professional artwork activities. One of Fairey’s most famous pieces of artwork is the Barrack Obama ‘Hope’ poster.
Fairey also has various street artworks. However, these artworks have landed him in problems several times. The risks involved in street artwork require artists to do street artwork discreetly. Street artists may face litigation from various parties due to vandalism of their property.
This is because street artists work on other people’s property. However, this does not prevent street artists from portraying their artworks in various public places. On February 2009, police arrested Fairey due to his graffiti.
Fairey uses street artwork as an avenue that enables him to express his ideas. In addition, Fairey has murals in several countries. Some of the murals are in London and Copenhagen (Bofkin para 1).
Brian Donnelly is another popular American street artist. The artist uses the pseudonym KAWS. KAWS hails from Jersey City, New Jersey. KAWS began doing his artwork by doing graffiti in Jersey City. In the 1990s, he relocated to New York City.
In New York City, KAWS began his career by subverting the imagery on various billboards and advertisements within the city. In so doing, he created attractive pieces of art. These advertisements remained in their reworked form for several months. This increased the popularity of the artist.
KAWS has been involved in various commercial artwork activities. During the late 1990s, he designed vinyl toys, which were popular in various countries. The success of the toys prompted him to form partnerships with various companies for the manufacture of clothing.
KAWS also designed the bottle of Dos Equis, a Mexican beer. Some of the artworks of KAWS include several acrylic paintings and sculptures. KAWS has remodeled various popular iconic figures. These figures include Mickey Mouse and the Smurfs.
The artworks of KAWS have enabled him to use his artwork in mass-produced merchandise. KAWS has produced various artworks that have been commercially successful as mass-produced merchandise.
However, KAWS continues to engage in various fine art activities that do not involve mass production. KAWS shows how artists can take advantage of existing commercial opportunities while remaining true to their profession.
When one views and analyzes some of the specific art work of noted modern artist, A. A. Bronson, it is easy to see that his art is indeed a microcosm of an integral, unique, and discrete part of the Canadian artistic identity. The particular piece chosen here for consideration is his installation entitled, Through the Looking Glass.
This selection consists of twelve pieces, each one being a representation of the dozen chapters of the 1871 Lewis Carroll’s sequel to Alice in Wonderland. Initially, this work of art was a web project, primarily rendered for the October 2000 Vienna Secession exhibition. In 2009, the artist accompanied his work with a book, a new volume, called AA through the Looking Glass.
This itself, is a collection of twelve silver-coated frames with various Carroll quotes, published by Michele Didier. (Bronson 2009). Thus, his work Through the Looking Glass is the one of the best works that reflect the author’s vision of reality and the one that reflects the author’s sense of Canadian identity.
Most noteworthy is the first one, a very striking photograph of Bronson’s previous partner Felix, soon after his demise. In Faking Death: Canadian Art Photography and the Canadian Imagination by Penny Cousineau-Levine, this art critic spoke of the selection as well, on page 63.
She stated that “Animating the Canadian photograph, of every conceivable situation or thing, is the constant parsing as what is seen into two dimensions, here and there- and very often, life and death” (Cousineau-Levine 2003, 63).
Surely, it is no simple feat to categorize A. A Bronson’s artistic accomplishments of more than 30 years, nor is it so simple to readily and easily delineate his significant Canadian artistic contributions. Diana Nemiroff describes this on the website for the Canada Council of the Arts, in her piece, AA Bronson: Reflections on the Person.
She observes that his art has evolved in many directions, and that his identity as a Canadian artist has actually shifted, over time. This, she says, is mostly because he was expressly challenging various modes of thinking and performing, as he lived his life and published his art. (Canada Council for the Arts – The Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media, n. d.).
This tendency of Bronson to consistently decry and challenge preconceived notions on artist identity took place during much of his 25 year tenure as one of the three individuals, within the General Idea group.
For Bronson’s work, both as a solo performer, and as a General Idea participant (1969–1994), have led the way in both a cultural and topical manner. Although Bronson is Canadian, and an artist, his reputation and performance transcend his country’s boundaries. This also, has appeared entirely intentional.
Bronson has certainly proven himself true to the idea that modern Canadian and world art is realistic, gritty, and innovative. He is solitary and personal, but also collective and universal. Also, consider that his recent work has been influenced also, through his former associations and relationships with the two other members of the General Idea.
He has experimented with the experiences of AIDS and the gay lifestyle in some of his pieces. Now, as earlier, he’s been involved in prolific and varied media, like performance, publishing, sculpture, and painting. Also, past and present, he’s been concerned with popular culture.
The works by the author revolutionized together with his personal and artistic growth. Works created in collaboration with other artists reflected his Canadian identity, however, his individual works, such as Through the Looking Glass, reflect not only the authors’ national identity and personal vision of reality, but his development as a single personality with the major focus on his inner world.
This tendency of Bronson to consistently decry and challenge preconceived notions on artist identity took place during much of his 25 year tenure as one of the three individuals, within the General Idea group.
For Bronson’s work, both as a solo performer, and as a General Idea participant (1969–1994), have led the way in both a cultural and topical manner. Although Bronson is Canadian, and an artist, his reputation and performance transcend his country’s boundaries. This also, has appeared entirely intentional.
Exploring his art as a representation of his personality, we can conclude that his works provide a great contribution to the evolution of the Canadian art. He deals with problems that “touch his heart” as a personality and Canadian. What is so significant about his works? First of all, as any contemporary artist, Bronson explores historical and social dimensions that influenced the development of the Canadian nation.
However, he did it from the perspective of his own personality. He explores subjects that are crucial for the world in which he lived and are universal for humanity. He interpreted his Canadian identity as part of the global society. Indeed, Canadian art was shaped by different traditions from around the world.
Thus, in can be considered that his Canadian identity is a mixture of different visions and cultures. At the same time, he tries to define himself as an individual.
Through the Looking Glass is a great demonstration how the artists attempts to express understanding of the Canadian identity. The work consists of twelve pieces of glass.
Each piece symbolizes different dimension of human soul which is described by citations taken from the book by Lewis Carroll, for example, one of the citations is “unless – unless we’re all part of the same dream. Only I do hope it’s MY dream…” (Caroll 2010, 73), which means that the artist associates himself and his Canadian identity with the rest of the world.
Thus, he hopes that he is a part of the world as he shares the problems of modern society and he cares about future. However, at the same time, the author tries to provide the idea that he is an individual and, as any individual, he is not going to lose his identity, he hopes that his life is in his hands. Another significant citation is, “You see, a minute goes by so fearfully quick” (Caroll 2010, 68). The issue of time is in focus in this passage.
What is time and how it changes personality is another theme considered by the author. In this piece, he provides that time is relative substance, every individual has his/her personal perception of time. Thus, this piece of art is very philosophical.
The author not only addresses cultural traditions of his country, he focuses the audience’s attention on the fact that his Canadian identity, as well as identity of all Canadians was formed under the influence of different factors, such us, culture, society, interaction with other nations. The “collectiveness” of his Canadian identity is represented through the techniques used to create the work.
Different pieces represent different aspects of the authors’ life and psychology. The pieces are different from each other, however, when put together, they form a single reflection of a single personality. Thus, living in a diverse society, the artist absorbs everything that happens around him and these events influence his personality, which is as a broken class stick together in a single piece.
Presently, A.A. Bronson continues to work on his own and to show internationally. He’s been the recipient of many awards, along with his deceased partners, and later, as a sole artist. Peter Gallo touches on this in his article, “The enduring ephemera of General Idea,” in Art in America, Mar. 2005, on pages 80-83. (Gallo 2005, 80-83)
However, in viewing Through The Looking Glass, the art student must not only understand the precursor General Idea movement, but also what came before. Next, although his identity was mostly one of loss when his two close associates of the General Idea passed away in 1994, he finally broke away from this tendency, to some degree.
This fact is evident in viewing his Through The Looking Glass, as an artist composing his Secession, and through his display of the photographs of his dead friend. Here and elsewhere, he thus displayed a degree of moving on, and of separateness.
Therefore, as varied as is the Canadian landscape and its peoples, so is the artistic identity of A. A. Bronson. He, too, exhibits elements of disparity and diversity.
Unconventional, gay, not afraid to touch any subject, to include decay and death, he expands his horizons well beyond the poetic and the sublime. Surely, for many who view his epic work, Through the Looking Glass, they will find the collection as concrete evidence of his artistic identity.
Works Cited
Bronson, A. A. 1994. Felix, 1994. A. A. BRONSON. Web.
Bronson, A. A. 2009. AA Bronson: life and works. Brussels: mfc – michéle didier.
Bronson, A. A. 2009. Felix, 1994. Secession. Web.
Caroll, Lewis. 2010. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. New York: Cosimo, Inc.
Gallo, Peter. 2005. The enduring ephemera of General Idea. Art in America: 80-83.
Levine-Cousineau, Penny. Faking death: Canadian art photography and the Canadian imagination. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2003.
The Canada Council for the Arts – The Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts 2002. Web.
The pre-Raphaelite was an association of English artists who included poets and painters. It was launched in 1848 by William Holman hunt, Dante Gabriel rosette together with john Everett Millais. Later the founders initiated William Michaels, James Collinson, Thomas Woolner and Fredric Stephens into the group so as to establish a seven member union.
The organization intent was to create art by denouncing what they perceived to be mechanistic concepts formerly exploited by the mannerist artists who came after Raphael and Michelangelo. This group of artists assumed that classical dynamics and stylish compositions evident in Raphael artwork were in essence ruining the scholarly teaching concerning art.
And this resulted in the emergence of Pre-Raphaelite artists. Fundamentally, Pre-Raphaelite painters were in resistance to or disregarded the manipulatins of R.A. pioneer Sir Joshua Reynolds. The Pre-Raphaelites artists opted to go back to the aspects of art that involved copious details, complex compositions of Italian and Flemish art, in addition to the use of intense colors.
From time and again the Pre-Raphaelites are ever considered as the first avant-garde association in art. However, they have been deprived of that status for they went on embracing both the aspects of history painting as well as that nimesis, or aping that nature, as the core to the objective of art.
Nevertheless, the Pre-Raphaelites did establish themselves as a transformation-movement, they established a unique name for their distinct art, and eventually published their own journal, The Germ, to endorse their views and ideas.
The movement’s early dogmas were illustrated in four concepts:
to have indisputable ideas to articulate
to learn Nature conscientiously, so as to be acquainted with how to convey them
to commiserate with what is undeviating and solemn and sincere in earlier art, to barring of what is conformist and self-burlesquing and attained by rote
most obligatory of all, to create comprehensively superior portraits and statues
These standards are plainly non-dogmatic; the Pre-Raphaelites anticipated emphasizing on the dynamics of personal responsibility (Hunt 81). This was in regard to individual artist concerning the manner one defined or determined personal concepts and ideals. The pre-Raphaelite artists were considerably swayed by Romanticism, this can be allied to the fact that they perceived liberty and responsibilities were inseparable.
However, medieval perceptions as well as cultures captivated them. They considered medieval culture to hold spiritual as well as creative inceptions that were missing in later periods. Exploring the impact of medieval on pre-Raphaelite, the artists emphasized more on dynamics that singularly clashed with specific aspects of realism. These aspects touch on the ideals of independent scrutiny of nature.
Therefore, examining the profound dynamics of the Pre-Raphaelites in regard to medieval approaches the artists in this movement had different believes in art. This can be supported by the fact that the Pre-Raphaelites perceived that art was in essence spiritual in nature. Hence, their concern revolved within the perimeters of idealism, materialism and realism.
Overview
The Victorian period was in essence a period of social changes which compelled all artists whether sculptors, painters, poets or writers to take a definite position in the immediate concern of the society. Nevertheless, the direct forms found within the Romanticism persisted dominating the English artist, the attention of most artists focused on the growth and establishment of this art.
However, from such a position, the medieval concepts which reigned during the gothic, early Christian art, insular art, Romanesque, and Byzantine period among others, were replicated by pre-Raphaelite artists differently. Therefore, looking at the manner the art historian’s paint these artists it becomes paramount to attempt to examine them critically.
The sole objective would to understand the phenomenon of producing their works in diverse media different from the popular fresco paintings. Considerably some of the artists associated with the pre-Raphaelite movement such as Hunt and Millais established a process of painting which was dissimilar from realists and gothic concepts.
Their procedures advocated for the luminosity rather unwarranted misuse of bitumen by previous English painters such as David Wilkie. The Pre-Raphaelites artists exhibited their maiden work in the wake of 1849. Some of the exhibited work entailed Millais painting Isabella (1848-1849) as well as Hunts piece Rienzi (1848-1849) (Barringer 113).
The artist allied to this movement painted or rather presented works that were unique but controversial. Unlike in earlier period when religious and social aspects formed a central theme in paintings, Pre-Raphaelites examined diverse aspects of the society in their works. Though, the artist’s medievalism was considerably attacked by those artists who viewed themselves as conservatives.
The Pre-Raphaelites continued creating art work devoted to details. Despite the challenges which the Pre-Raphaelites encountered they did shed unrivalled light in regard to the dynamics of English art. Considering that conception that the medieval English society valued religious ideals, the Pre-Raphaelites went against these restrictions to greater engagements.
It is from their devotion to nature, color and artistic compositions that made them to be a force within the annals of art history. In essence, the pre-Raphaelite artists reacted against what art historians perceive to be unimaginative as well as artificial antique paintings created by the royal academy. The artists were compactly inspired and influenced by 15th century Italian art.
Though this movement did not last long, her followers had instrumental impact on British art. This can be testified by the artist’s profound interior designs as well as decorative arts which they created. The Pre-Raphaelites created and produced extremely convincing as well as significant paintings.
Their work which entailed religious including medieval features emulated the extreme and utmost religious feelings as well as the naïve 15th century paintings of Florentine and Sienese. Hence, the style adopted by such pre-Raphaelite painters as Hunt and Millais developed art work featuring sharp as well as dazzling lighting, with a clear ambiance, and an almost photographic replica of fine details.
Equally, the artists allied to this period or movement introduced articulate and private symbolism into their religious subjects along the medieval themes. All in all, John Ruskin, who was a popular writer and a pundit championed for the cause of the pre-Raphaelite artists. In essence, he played a critical role in reinforcing the movement’s scope of moral responsibilities as well as social commitment. Unlike the earlier artworks, the pre-Raphaelite art stood out as distinct and fresh due to its innovativeness.
Pre-Raphaelites artists
The movement is credited with some of the most outstanding artists. Some of the pre-Raphaelite artists left an indelible mark in the historic archives. Therefore, it can be asserted that pre-Raphaelite era was in essence phenomenal. Some of the big names include;
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Rossetti was a popular figure and an established English poet, painter, translator and illustrator. With his close allies they founded the pre-Raphaelite brotherhood in the wake of 1848. As a painter, his works were symbolically characterized by their unique sensuality as well as their strong medieval revivalism.
More so, his paintings influenced to a great deal the European symbolist in addition to the fact that he was a key precursor of the famed aesthetic movement. Regarding his poetry, John Keats is said to have influenced him profoundly. This is evident in his earlier writings. Generally, his foremost paintings which were in oil expose the realist dynamics of the primary pre-Raphaelite movement.
Girlhood of Mary Virgin as well as Ecce Ancilla Domini reflects his style and taste in regard to painting. In essence, he had a unique technique that exploited painting in oils while using water-based color brushes, as lightly as in water-based color, also on canvas which he treated with white to attain a smooth surface.
This guaranteed that every tint remained transparent. Naturally, he painted from an aesthetic purpose. In his paintings he injected the scope of incorporating symbolic as well as mythological aspects than touch on the realistic images. According to the available literature on art Rossetti is said to have developed his own painting technique.
The technique involved using water colors which formulated to make thick pigments using gum. The purpose of this process was to generate a rich effect that was resembled the medieval illuminations. Equally, he established a new drawing method in pen plus ink. One of his published works was “The Maids of Elfen-Mere” (1855), among others.
In spite of his dreams concerning Arthurian anecdote in addition to medieval blueprint greatly influenced such painters as William Morris as well as Edward Burne-Jones. As is with other pre-Raphaelite painters, he encountered diverse critical hostilities for his primary paintings. Though, he worked extremely slowly this helped him in picking the most delicate details (Andres 200).
Ruskin a celebrated art pundit recognized his dilemma and seamlessly encouraged him to attempt finishing at least a single painting at a time. However, Rossetti took most of his time and concentration creating and producing both drawings and poems. With the time the use of water colors developed to be his favorite medium.
In his search for a definite approach to art he moved further and further away from the dynamics of pre-Raphaelite modernism. And this resulted in him discarding his contemporary themes altogether. Subsequently he concentrated on antique stories and legends. As a painter his major themes revolved around women, who, he assumed, held the secrecy of continuation within themselves.
He viewed women as magical entities, living in mysticism and sensuality and this made him to examine the themes regarding feminine virtue, splendor, and passion leading him to limit himself to women subjects. After a period of attempting doing illustrations with woodcuts to substantial success, he reverted back to exploring the dynamism of Arthurian themes and subjects.
He eked a negligible living by merchandising small, watercolor jewels to a definite group of collectors. He also did paint me a number of watercolors which he sold to William Morris. However, the characteristics and uniqueness of Arthurian/medieval romance continued to capture his imagination. And this resulted in him being commissioned to embellish the Oxford Union Building in the wake of 1857.
Holman Hunt
In personality Holman Hunt was entirely dissimilar from his partners. Naturally, he is mostly depicted as an arrogant and unfriendly. He was a son to a warehouse director or manager in Cheapside, London. Hunt spent a great deal in his formative years reading the bible. At the age of 12 he was earning as a clerk.
He dreamed of being an artist, though he did not have the natural gift. However, he was full of imagination as well as visions which were complimented by very rare attributes at a time when the society was moving towards the post-industrial revolution. He managed to convince his parents to allow him to attend Royal Academy where he anticipated pursuing his dream of being a painter.
At the college he was confused by the traditional British art, in it he found nothing imaginative to admire. But after reading John Ruskin’s volume on Modern Painters he was highly impressed by the author’s argument. The argument captured young Hunt imagination that had a profound spiritual background. The idea of reviving the dynamism of symbolic realism into the contemporary art, in the pursuit of his dream he met Millais, a fellow scholar at Royal Academy of Arts.
Gradually, they developed a desire to participate in 1848 Royal Academy exhibition. The foremost painting of Hunt was adopted from the theme of a poem The Eve of St Agnes which was composed by a little known poet Keats. All in all, Hunt is among the founding associates of the pre-Raphaelite movement. This was a group of artists who were extremely opposed to the odd, academic approach of painting advocated by Royal Art Academy.
Just as is with such painters as Rossetti as well as John Everett Millais, his work revolved within the axis of mythology, biblical narratives, and medieval legends. His paintings are commonly unforgettable, romantic, luminous and equally flowing with unique symbolism and realism. As is illustrated by his biographer Schell Bacon he began to be an artist while working in a calico printer in Manchester.
As the years progressed he rejected the concepts of crass materialism which had become the epitome of Victorian society. However, he was later forced to reconnect with his lost dynamics of spirituality of Gothic, Early-Renaissance and Medieval imagery. Eventually, he was attracted by the symbolic realism as well as mysticism exposed in Sassattas works.
In his painting career he sought to achieve or attain both the moral and spiritual aspects of previous periods. In the dawn of 1850 he finished his classic paint work A Converted British Family Sheltering a Christian Missionary from the Persecution of the Druids- commonly referred as The Missionary. This painting was presented in the same show as Millais piece Christ in the House of His Parents.
However, one of the most notable works he painted was The Hireling Shepherd which became one of the most recognized pre-Raphaelite paintings. Also he painted a companion image that symbolized and narrated his transformation to religion. And this happened to be his turning point in his private life touching on his artistic as well as his spiritual life.
His paintings illustrate him to be an individual who was etched in spirituality. The assumption is well supported by the classic painting titled The Light of the World. However, to attain his imagination of realism he is said to have opted to do his paintings at night under the lamp light. Hence, his works carries diverse and unique symbolism.
More so, he established his personal artistic language to convey his message through the technique he referred as “symbolic realism”. According to established studies his later paintings were done as a measure to establish and bring together the religious art in the wake of post industrial audience.
However, for 1852 exhibition Hunt painted the worldly version of his earlier religious paintings, The Awakening Conscience.
Pre-Raphaelites paintings
The pre-Raphaelite painters as well as those painters who were allied to them produced a considerable amount of classic pieces. Both in secular and religious context these paintings had a considerable impact on the British society. It should be noted that this movement played a critical role in shaping and opening a novel window for the artists to explore other dynamics of paintings which went against the academic assumptions advocated by the Royal Academy of Arts.
As is with the diverse poets and archictures of the period, Pre-Raphaelites artists explored the previous medieval periods in their paintings. Some of the major pre-Raphaelite paintings touched in extreme religious subjects as is with the paintings of Holman Hunt. However, pre-Raphaelite paintings did not have a definite principle. Most of them dwelt on Italian art while some were done with the tone of gothic and earl-Christian perceptions. Some of these pre-Raphaelite paintings were:
John Everett Millais
Among the most notable pre-Raphaelite paintings, Millais painting Isabella stands as one of the foremost oil painting. The painting is developed with an elaborate foreshadowing using fine stroke and reflective bright colors. The theme of this painting was borrowed from Keats poem, The Pot of Basil; he was a little known poet who lived in early 1818.
The painting exposes how the painter incorporated complex strokes with unique profiles together with flat perspectives. This technique allowed the painter to capture the details. Therefore, the significance of the painting touches on the unique consideration of women in the society. The painting touches on a happening from the poem that depicts the relationship involving Isabella, and a certain fellow named as Lorenzo (Daly 107).
Isabella is depicted clad in grey and is being given a blood orange by her doomed lover Lorenzo. The orange is symbolic, it illustrates that someone neck has been beheaded. The paintings composition as well as meaning is etched among the painters deliberate and shagged perspective.
Examining the aspects of pre-Raphaelite concepts, the painter purposely purges chiaroscuro in addition to inflating the concentration of juxtaposed hues and tones as is testified in the plain and flat dark tunic which is elaborately set against the sharply formulated white clothing. The base on of the chair Isabella is sited is contains the letters (Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood).
William Holman Hunt
This painting is perhaps one of the few celebrated paintings depicting Christ. The period it was painted England was facing religious revival. According to diverse historical scholars Hunt was inspired by a biblical verse Revelation 3:20. Hence, an image of Christ holding a lantern seamlessly haunted him. To illustrate his vision he employed the use of materials having profound significance and meaning.
Hence, he decorated an orchard standing for a sleeping soul. More so, the orchard stood for available sustenance needed by the soul. Also, full-grown apples for harvest are equally depicted in the downside of the painting. While a bat in the darkness symbolizes ignorance. For the purpose of expressing Christ’s face, the painter opted for a woman.
This is commonly allied to the fact that woman treasures gravity, energy and attractiveness of expression (Maas 141). Symbolically, for Christ figure he employed the male figure. This painting provides a critical insight into the manner the early English society perceived religion.
As a member of pre-Raphaelite movement, paying attention to details provided him with an opportunity to paint a sensational image. It ought to be noted that the pre-Raphaelite painters were inspired by religion and nature. With the combination of such periods as Gothic, Medieval and Early-Christian painting concepts, this painting acquires a definite place in both religious and secular painting community.
The painting though unique and depicting spiritual significance faced a stiff challenge from the religious circles. However, John Ruskin a respected art critic explained the significance of the painting and the value it held in regard to the sacred history.
The first impressions of the painting were published in the wake of 1858.this permitted the greater public to have a close look at it. This happened across Europe and America subsequently due to the success of this painting, hunt developed a smaller version by 1865. However, the primary painting was donated to Keble College.
Examining this piece of art from the pre-Raphaelite perspective it offers an incredible insight into the way this movement impact on the English art. Despite the medieval aspects which were exported to the painting, the painter proved that imagination played a central role in as far as painting was concerned
Works cited
Andres, Sophia.The Pre-Raphaelite Art of the Victorian.NY: Ohio State University, 2004.
Barringer, Tim. Reading the Pre-Raphaelites. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001.
Daly, Gay. Pre-Raphaelites in Love. New York: Ticknor, 2002.
Artemisia Gentileschi is one of the greatest female artists of the 16th-17th centuries, whose works now are finally gaining the recognition they deserved. During her active years, Gentileschi had to face a great deal of adversity and social resistance, which was not unusual for driven and ambitious women of her era. Back in the 17th century, women could not enrol in academia, and those wishing to study art had to do so with a tutor.
Hiring a tutor went awry: the man took advantage of the young artist and raped her. Gentileschi went to court, and after humiliating physical examinations, she won the case. Later, the artist “took revenge in oil”: she expressed her enragement and disappointment with social injustice in works such as “Susanna and the Elders (Jones).”
Fortunately, even without a tutor, Artemisia had a great influence in her own house and circle of acquaintances. Her father and Caravaggio had an impact on her painting style: Gentileschi masterfully used tenebrism techniques. Through the play of light and shadow, she showed emotion, tension, and suspense. Even though she often used mythology and Biblical stories to inspire her pieces, they were characterized by striking realism. It should be noted that by doing that, she was breaking social norms as women painters’ repertoire had to be limited to landscapes and still life.
