Marcel Duchamp is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Duchamp was influenced by various art currents, particularly Dadaism. He was utterly convinced that artworks should bring intellectual pleasure to a viewer rather than the visual one. His interests included optics, mechanics, chess, music, and kinetic art.
Ideas on Art
Duchamp expressed the following key ideas related to art. He developed a concept of “readymade” art, which identified a mass-produced object of everyday use, selected by an artist, taken out of context, filled with new meaning, and promoted to the status of an artwork. Thus, he changed the understanding of the object of art itself.
Duchamp considered that art should be separated from aesthetics, and he followed that principle in his own art. He rejected “retinal pleasure,” i.e., visual appreciation of an artwork, and claimed that the pleasure from the appreciation of an artwork has to be intellectual, conceptual, rather than visual; as he put it, “I wanted to put painting once again in the service of the mind” (Duchamp par. 6).
As the artist himself recollected, in his A Nude Descending period, his intention was to decompose the art forms, but in the following Dada period, he decided to go further (Duchamp par. 1). Duchamp also wanted to move away from “the physicality of the painting,” i.e., from the clarity of physical forms in an artwork (Duchamp par. 6). Duchamp claimed that the main purpose of art was intellectual satisfaction; he shared that he was tired from the expression “stupid as a painter,” and that attitude had to be changed (Duchamp par. 13).
Interests
Duchamp, despite his rejection of physical forms in art, was deeply interested in studying optics and mechanics, particularly mechanical motions. Contrary to his objection to retinal art, he was also interested in kinetic arts, i.e., the art pieces, in which some or all elements are movable, and various visual phenomena. Duchamp produced several kinetic artworks such as Rotary Glass Plates, Precision Optics. He was interested in musical theory, playing chess, and carving chess pieces.
Influences
Duchamp was heavily influenced by Dadaism. He never called himself a Dadaist and did not participate in the Dada group, but he recognized his appreciation of Dadaism for its “protest against the physical side of painting” and the implementation of the idea that art should serve a mind rather than eyes (Duchamp par. 7-8).
He also recognized the influence of Cubism, particularly on his Nude. Duchamp rejected the existence of any connection between his art and Futurism. For him, Futurism was linked too strongly to the physical aspect of art while he wanted to move away from it (Duchamp par. 6). Duchamp was also influenced by Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.
As for Duchamp’s influence, he is considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. He was one of the artists who are connected with the primary period of development of plastic art. His sculpture Fountain is considered one of the most influential art pieces of the 20th century. Duchamp has a serious influence on the development of the art of the period after World War I, even though he criticized the art trends of that period.
Conclusion
One of the most renowned artists of the last century, Marcel Duchamp, considered that the main purpose of art is an intellectual pleasure. Duchamp was heavily influenced by Dadaism. He was interested in mechanics, optics, chess, music, and kinetic art.
Elizabeth Catlett Mora was born in Washington, D.C. USA in 1919 (Arkansas Arts centre 2000). She was born as the youngest daughter in a middle class family of three children to parents who were both teachers. For her elementary education she attended the Lucretia Mott School, and later joined the Dunbar high school. For her higher education she was privileged to study at Howard University where she studied a degree in Design, print making and drawing. Although she went to the university to study printing she has stated in her earlier interviews that she changed to painting because of the influence of James A Porter. After graduating from Howard in 1935 she worked as a high school teacher for a short period of time in North Carolina. She was discouraged and therefore left the teaching profession because of the meager salaries that were being paid to the black teachers.
She was first married to Charles White where she got her name Elizabeth Catlett White. She was married to White immediately after moving from Carolina to Harlem New York where she was now working. She was soon divorced and later married Francisco Mora a man of Mexican origin. Her marital status led her to move and live in Mexico which is her permanent home. She has been blessed to have three children some of whom are pretty famous. For instance, her son Juan Mora is a renowned movie director.
After completing her basic education she began her education at the University of Howard where she successfully achieved a B. S. She joined the teaching profession for a brief period and after three years she went back to study this time at the University of Iowa where she was accredited as being the first student to receive a Masters in sculpture. She was given the privilege of studying with Grant Wood a famed regionalist painter who influenced Elizabeth. Elizabeth Catlett had a strong craving for education which forced her to study Ceramics at the Art institute of Chicago. She further joined the Arts students’ league to study print making. In the US she started her career by becoming the promotion director for the George Washington Carver School in Harlem, New York. Some of the teachers in this school included Ernest Crichlow, Norman Lewis, and Charles White who later became her husband. Her work at the Washington Carver School impacted greatly on her life. This school was created by black leaders in Harlem for people who had cultural opportunities. While there she taught dress making and sculpture to the adult students.
Just after receiving her Masters degree from the University of Iowa she received a fellowship to travel to Mexico City. Here she also studied painting, sculpture and lithography. She was further presented with an opportunity to work with the People’s Graphic Arts workshop, a group of print makers dedicated to using their art to promote social change. After settling in Mexico she went ahead to study Sculpture ( Arkansas Arts Collection 2008). Her stay in Mexico saw her go back to teaching only this time at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in the 1950s. (Arts and Culture 2008).
It is not possible to talk about Catlett’s career without mentioning her mentors and role models. She grew up in an environment where there were no ample role models of African American origin to choose from, more so female role models. Despite this she held on to her desire in the 1930s to become an artist. Later on she met an artist who gave her some motivation and strong advice. This person just turned out to be a white male whose name was Grant Wood. He happened to be a prominent painter and member of the art faculty department at the University of Iowa where Catlett was doing her undergraduate degree. His advice to her was that she should take as her subject that which she knows best. In her long successful career Catlett has made outstanding pieces of art work because of this advice. She has been most successful when it comes to bringing images of black women into collective norm of modern Western art. She has captured the triumphs and pains of the black women vividly in her artistic work
Apart from her career as an artist sculptress, Elizabeth Catlett was a feminist and a strong activist. In 1961 for instance she declared her position as a leader and an activist for African American artists during the turbulent years of modern civil rights movement in America. She was so vocal that she challenged her colleagues at the National Conference to create art for liberation. (The artist.org 2008) In Mexico she came up with strong artistic expressions against racial and social injustices in her native land. This made her to be banned from entering the US.
Elizabeth Catlett is now 90 years, in the past 60 years she has dedicated herself to creating artistic work (sculptures and print) glorifying the Black woman and exploring African American experience. To her, people should create art because they want to and not because of money or fame and prestige. Her artistic work has been dominated by several subjects, including the strengths of the Black woman, the relationship between mothers and children and persistence of injustice. Elizabeth Catlett has been recognized and given awards for her major contributions as an artist. Catlett was presented with a life time achievement award by the International Sculpture centre. As an artist of African American heritage she was given Legends and Legacy award at the inaugural Art institute of Chicago. She has been known for her daunting yet stylish sculptures that display case the female form, sometimes with a child. In relation to this sculpture she says that she likes the challenge presented by the technical problem, the relationship between the two figures. To her this is an emotional thing since she is a mother. (Ebony, March, 2006 by Lynn Norment). Materials that compose her sculpture ranges from Cedar, mahogany, eucalyptus, marble, limestone, onyx, bronze to Mexican stone. From these materials we get a resulting figure that is without fail dramatic and graceful. Other carvings that she has created include Dancing figure which she did in 1961, The Singing Head, The Black Woman Speaks and Target (1970).In print she has been successful just as she is in carving. Some of her well known prints are Sharecropper (1970), and MalcomX speaks for us (1969), Survivor (1983) which was a linocut of a strong Black woman that she printed in Mexico. Her efforts have been channeled greatly towards creating public art. For instance in New York stands her tribute to writer Ralph Ellison, which is a big rectangle with hole in the middle. She is of the opinion that public art should have meaning to Black people and which African Americans can identify with. She affirms that the purpose of o her work is to present black people in their beauty and dignity for both Blacks and other people of a different race to understand and to take pleasure in her exhibitions( Elizabeth Catlett: Prints and Sculptures 2002_2003). In addition she has created plentiful of other outdoor sculptures of which some are displayed in Mexico, Mississippi, New Orleans, LA and Washington D.C.
Most of Elizabeth Catlett’s works when in America were done during the chaotic times of the civil rights movement. These were indeed turbulent times. There were many cases of political assassinations and it was during this time that Martin Luther King was killed. The struggle for equal rights created a platform for visual artists to shift their conception and start creating art for social and political expression. Elizabeth Catlett was not left behind for she created art that presented the suffering of the Black people. This was a major challenge to her as she was banned from entering the US because of her artistic work with strong political expressions. Even though she did not live in the US, in her adult life she continued her work with the expression in Mexico.
References
African American. Arts and Culture: Art Focus.
Arkansas Arts Centre. The Collection. Drawing Collection. Elizabeth Catlett. 2000.
Primarily, I learned about Jean Michel Basquiat that he was a bright and extravagant personality, a lucky man from the streets, and a genius of his time. Precocious and incredibly talented, Jean Michel began his career with graffiti on the walls and began creating great art. The young guy became a famous neo-expressionist, creating several emotionally expressive works. The artist breathed life into his characters, saturated them with soul and time. His works are a collection of unusual symbols, logos, and pictograms. Many paintings resemble children’s, inept scribbles and handwriting – this is the author’s style. Among other things, Michel is known as a musician and pop icon, the leader of his own band “Gray”, a cultural figure, a producer. Nowadays, his works are worth millions of dollars at world auctions, and many art critics have noted the potential of the neo-expressionist artist.
Additionally, Zainul Abedin was the national artist of Bangladesh, innovator, and most talented and passionate person. Abedin is rightly considered the pioneer, father, and founder of Bangladeshi art in the modern sense. In his youth, Zainul often captured the picturesque area near the Brahmaputra River as a source of inspiration, harmony, and peace. A series of watercolors dedicated to this place won him an award at the All-India Exhibition. Gradually, the style and manner of “writing” changed and eventually became a concept related to the harsh reality. It is worth noting that Abedin’s “hungry sketches” are the most significant. The artist’s imagination gives the paintings a magical realism that reflects the actual situations in the world and the spirit of the time the master lived. The cruelest and bloodthirsty paintings gave the artist world fame and national recognition.
Moreover, I managed to link the writer and the artist together as follow ways. Firstly, despite the apparent difference in professions, Hughes and Abedin fulfilled the same goals and objectives. Their vocation is to serve the people and humanity as a moral lighthouse, the light of which scatters the way through the darkness. Secondly, the means and method of implementing the creative idea and artistic ideas of these two creators are marked in a simple and concise form that is accessible to everyone for understanding. Their concepts are addressed to the fate of the people and the motherland within the framework of the common cultural and political moments. Thirdly, they lived together in the post-war period and experienced terrible life catastrophes, albeit at slightly different time intervals. Hughes and Abedin, having, at first glance, different features and traits, together they can represent a single whole. Consequently, I can compare their brutal fate, common goals, style, manner of execution of works, as well as creative intent and ideas.
I engaged in the process of research for a visual artist consistently, step by step, to delve more deeply into the essence of the topic. I studied the sources of information, looking for answers to essential questions about the life and work of the great artist. Besides, in the final research process, I summed up all my research and made a particular conclusion. This practical work helped me form an experience of handling information, specific skills, and competencies that I will certainly show in future studies.
While writing the research paper in this class, I was faced with the challenge of starting to write a work. Sometimes there is nothing more frustrating than a blank sheet of paper. In addition, I had a fear of defeat, and I lacked certain confidence in my abilities. Nevertheless, I continue to strive for the high quality of my texts and a positive evaluation result.
Robert Wilson is one of those artists who have achieved success in various areas, for example, choreography, stage directing, design, and so forth. While speaking about the career of this person, one should focus on some of his key values. In this case, it is necessary to speak about creative courage, perseverance, and willingness to work in various fields. These are the main issues that should be discussed in this paper. It is possible to say that by examining these qualities, one can better appreciate the achievements of Robert Wilson.
It should be mentioned that Robert Wilson has never been afraid of experimenting with new artistic techniques or styles. For instance, he is willing to find new interpretations of many plays which have already been staged many times. The viewers attending such performances are accustomed to certain performing methods. Therefore, a director, who wants to take a new approach to the adaptation of a literary work, may not be understood by the public.
This is one of the challenges Robert Wilson is ready to face. For example, one should pay attention to his rendition of Henrik Ibsen’s play When We Dead Awaken. When Robert Wilson staged this play, he insisted that the actors should first focus on their non-verbal behavior, especially movements. More importantly, this element had to be rehearsed in the first place. In his opinion, this approach could make the performance more authentic. In my opinion, this example demonstrates that Robert Wilson possesses creative courage which helps him attain many of his goals.
Furthermore, Robert Wilson has such a quality as perseverance or willingness to stick to one’s beliefs. It should be borne in mind that many of his earlier works did not earn him critical recognition or commercial success. For instance, one can mention such a play The Life and Time of Sigmund Freud which went unnoticed by the critics. Despite this lack of progress, he continued to use many of the avant-garde techniques, and they eventually brought him to the forefront of the artistic world.
In this case, one should speak about such a play as Deafman Glance which attracted attention of many well-known artists and critics. Apart from that, Robert Wilson believes that an artist should have diverse interests in order to fulfill his talents. This is why he participates in various artistic projects. For example, he takes interest in the design of props and lighting. These are some of the main issues that should be taken into account.
In my opinion, Robert Wilson has been successful in practicing his belief. First of all, his artistic works continue to be innovative. For instance, people, who attend the performances staged by Wilson, can see that he still tries to find new ways of interpreting famous plays. Moreover, this artist still remains popular among critics and the general public. To some degree, these examples show that Robert Wilson has been able to implement many of his artistic principles.
It is possible to say that the qualities which I have decided to discuss reflect some of my values. For instance, I certainly attach importance to creative courage and persistence. Furthermore, I do believe that an artist can try his/her hand in various fields. Moreover, this essay has helped me better appreciate the achievements of Robert Wilson. For a long time, I have taken for granted the work of this artist. Nevertheless, close examination of his qualities had demonstrated to me that he really stands out among many stage directors, designers, or choreographers.
What is contemporary art? It is the art of the epoch we live. It is the art of nowadays. On a more somber note, while it may be difficult to categorize developing movements, contemporary art – generally – is much more communally awake than any previous era has been. The key part of art of the previous 30 years has been related to one issue or another: feminism, multiculturalism, globalization, bio-engineering and AIDS awareness all come eagerly to mind as subject issue.
Fascinatingly enough, some of the most unusual galleries were situated in Germany, the center of Europe’s modern art scene. “When the industrial epoch started, people earned a lot of money and they wished to invest in – and be diverted by – art,” Kunst im Peters explains. (Blackson, 2007).
All the artists who will be discussed in the paper are trying to show their own vision of the most substantial global matters. They are trying to make the humanity not to forget the drawbacks of the contemporary world, with its wars, crimes and violence.
The paper is claimed to review some of the most known contemporary artists, and define the particularities, that may be regarded as mnemonic traces of their arts. Thus, the notions on individuality will be observed.
Anselm Kiefer
Kiefer grades among the best-known and most victorious, but also most discussed German artists after World War II. In his works, Kiefer disputes with the past and refers to taboo and contentious matters from recent history. Themes from Nazi regime are chiefly pictured in his work; for example, the painting “Margarethe” was motivated by Paul Celan’s well-known verse “Todesfuge” (“Death Fugue“). Polemical argumentations in the media over the estimation of his artistic work have taken place for many decades. (Gallucci, 2006).
Throughout the previous three decades, Anselm Kiefer has become globally known for imposing, operatic works relating the historical, legendary and literary subjects that enliven post-war German culture. He is trying to depict all the challenges that German people were facing during the restoring of Germany after the WWII, and the miseries of late 1940th Germany. The extraordinary graphic power of Kiefer’s work obtains from the application of the same dramatic views and imposing arrangements that featured Nazi parade-ground construction.
The symbolisms in Kiefer’s art, as well as the intricacy of his iconography and subject issue, are now assisted by volumes of opaque writing to decode his art. However his work has unusual “attendance” that instantly hypnotizes its audience and attracts the viewer to engage in the strong experiencing of Kiefer’s art.
Magdalena Abakanowicz
Abakanowicz is regarded nowadays as the best known Polish artist in the world. Her large colossal works are established in open spaces, among others: in Italy – G. Gori collection – “Katharsis” – 33 bronze figures; in Jerusalem, Israel Museum – “Negev” – 7 huge stone discs; in Seoul Olympic Park – “Space of Dragon” – 10 matamorphic animal heads; at National Gallery of Art, Washington – “Puellae” – 20 children figures; in Nasher collection, Texas – “Bronze Crowd” – 36 standing figures; in Europas Parkas, Lithuania, a group of large oval forms out of concrete – “The Spece of Unknown Growth”. (Gallucci, 2002).
Abakanowicz reveasl the themes of solitude and the fear of crowds in her work reflect the severe limitations of space and materials that she experienced in her youth, under the Nazis during World War II and later under the Communists.
Her motives are close to the motives by Kiefer, as she also describes the post-war period in her creation, as Polish people also experienced the miserable restoration, communist regime after the termination of WWII.
Rather than connecting “War Games” to the calamity of war or to environmental tragedy, it is possible to observe that the description of anguish entails imposing ache on the materials provided. In order to make her sculptures, Abakanowicz unwraps the howl, cuts off the appendages, and interleaves metal devices into tree trunks, making them look like subjects of double torment, first by an unknown antagonistic power, then by the performer herself. Yet such “brutality” permits her to query the binary antagonisms of victim and tormenter, love and hate, life and death, while averting her from naively repeating the oratory that so often encloses themes of war, totalitarianism, or ecology.
The human face is one more matter of Abakanowicz researches and observations resulting in more than 150 metaphorical auto representations in bronze followed by faces and heads of fantasy creatures; then the cycle of beasts called “Mutants” chases. At the same time she makes the “War Games” – using massive tree stalks in horizontal location armed with steel elements. “Hand-like Trees” bronze shapes up to 500 cm high mounted permanently in various sculpture parks in the US and Europe are another Abakanowicz monument. She makes charcoal pictures and ink images. (Patin, 1997).
Hermann Nitsch
Nitsch’s art is preeminently understood within the phenomenon of presentation art following the Second World War. That Europe was culturally as well as architecturally obliterated by the war is not under consideration. It is significant, nevertheless, to deem how this obliteration patents itself in the work of performers from Germany and Austria more commonly and in exacting in the work of the Vienna school. It is just not probable to take into account art such as that of the Viennese Actionists enhancement and finding an audience in states such as the USA after the war, or in many other states even today. Their work creates clear all the violence and crimes that so many people tend to stifle. Possibly it can be noted that Nitsch dumped the pattern of beauty from the very start: he has always been prepared to forfeit aesthetic components so as to permit catharsis and sanitization in a participant fully shrouded within the presentation and physically in contact with animal elements, blood, smells and music. The dramatic emotions that Nitsch’s work calls forth in us can be realized in connection to ‘the primal scream’, a traumatic instance for the times of development which later provides as a provider of creativity and facilitates creative fantasy. (Artforum International, 2003).
All through his creation, Nitsch has returned to discover again and again one of the key subjects of his work: faith or, more purposely, an archaic, Dionysian pantheism. This art is a type of punk in the religious beliefs, as Nitsch totally protests the conventional views on the art and beauty, also relating the matters of pantheism.
Marina Abramovic
Marina Abramovic is a recital artist who examines and pushes the restrictions of physical and mental capability. In her performances she has slashed herself, flagellated herself, frozen her body on blocks of ice, taken mind- and muscle-controlling drugs that have made her to fall insensible, and almost died from asphyxiation while lying within a drape of oxygen-devour flares.
Abramovic’s aim is not sensationalism, nevertheless. Her presentations are a sequence of tests aimed at classifying and stating the boundaries and restrictions: of her control over her own organism; of spectators’ relations with a performer; of art and, by addition, of the codes that rule community. Her deep and ambitious plan is to find out a technique, by the means of art, to make people more complimentary and open.
Her art represents the themes of cleansing and liberty by the means of ritual and pain are evident. Those familiar with Abramovic’s art are applied to regarding her engulfed in blazes, or nude, or gory, or covered in puncture injuries. Abramovic is a master of expectation and ‘shock ‘n awe’. She selected to remind of the cruelties and violence of the contemporary world, and doing so Abramovic tries not to allow the oblivion of the war crimes, victims and violence.
Lots of Abramovic’s presentations over the previous 30 years have been wicked and unnerving. Some of them got conclusion only when one of the watchers interceded. Once she stated: “I’m interested in art that disturbs and that pushes that moment of danger; then, the public watching has to be here and now. Let the danger focus you; this is the whole idea – to put you in the focus of now.” (Blackson, 2007).
Arnulf Rainer
One of the things that this critic least wishes to do, ever again and even for quite a great sum in money, is to read one more novel or sit through another movie about the modern art world. There is one exemption, however. Many worse matters come to mind than the life and career of Arnulf Rainer, the Austrian painter.
Rainer aimed to draw the attention to the matters of suppressed impulses in disobedience of bourgeois insincerity.
In 1951, when Paris led the rest of Europe in latter-day Surrealism and Andre Breton was the swaying dictator of taste in that domain, Mr. Rainer went to see him and demonstrated him his sketches. Breton was tired, and showed it. Rainer turned his back on late Surrealism and started painting blindfolded. A year or two after that, he resolved the matter of how to get started on a new painting by painting over an obtainable one in monochrome. Over the years that have chased, Mr. Rainer has worked with a whole range of allegedly progressive tools. (Gallucci, 2006).
Christian Boltanski
Boltanski’s work regularly relates the matters of Holocaust, nevertheless not openly. In Altar to Lycee Chases (1986-88), for instance, unclear photographs of the 1931 modifying class of a Jewish high school in Vienna are lit by low-priced gooseneck lamps that unclear as much as light up the image and also request associations with cross-examination. The work serves as a cenotaph for the millions assassinated without naming anyone. In 1991 Boltanski enlarged that project with a collection of photogravures named Gymnsium Chases, issued by Crown Point Press. Other works, such as The Reserve of Dead Swiss, 1990, made of pictures of Swiss citizens gathered from newspaper necrologies, memorialize people who have died in normal ways.
He initiated writing letters and compiling compendia, and offering them to famous figures in the arts sight. His uncooked materials were photocopies blended among unique documents and photographs from his family photo albums. Using these new materials was tantamount to investing his personal universe in his work. His individual history grew into one of the key themes of his photos. Boltanski generally works with constant subjects of childhood and death, and of recollection that forms our sense of actuality. His works retort to the application of power of light and shadow to highlight memory’s place in the twilight among past and present.
Christian Boltanski has had solo displays at major organizations all over the world entailing the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany. In 2005, the Mathildenhohe in Darmstadt, Germany increased a Boltanski demonstration exhibition named “Time.” Boltanski’s work is in many community compilations in Europe and the United States comprising the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington DC, the Tate Collection, London, and the Pompidou Center, Paris.
Gerhard Richter
Gerhard Richter classified early on with the Art Informel association in Germany. His later on works can be split into roughly two key spheres: photography and painting.
The discoloration of Gerhard Richter’s work is informative, and suffering. It comes, surely, from black and white photography. In any of these types, accurately as they assert to be records of actuality, photographs are essentially furthest from actuality.
He seems to be non-painting his earlier Socialist Realist paintings, and, more sharply, the very landscapes he is using. Pushing the paint around is like manipulating the pictorial emulsion to change the picture, to see into the prospect, to alleviate it of dullness. He is anxious with the socialist fate of that part of the world, which selected socialistic way of development. It seems like he realizes that this way would lead to the dead end, and he is attempting to show it by the mean of his photos and paintings.
This blurring is a general and very apparent component in the work of Gerhard Richter. In his photographic works Richter applies pragmatic but hazed pictures of shapes and scenes. In his paintings he increases paint in lines and smears onto the outside of the support and then spreads the paint somewhat evenly to influence a blur of the different paints. (Monger, 2006).
Miquel Barceló
Well known painter Miquel Barceló is one of the most admired Spanish artists in the current global art sphere. His work reproduces, from the very first instance, a distinguished interest in natural metaphors, as much earthly as nautical, rendered in a dark and often serious palette. Barceló’s work has had a great impact on his younger colleagues. (Monger, 2006).
His works focus on biblical themes, and also with the interiors of cinemas or museums. Barceló shows himself painting, alluding to the position of the demiurge exemplified by the artist, or draws on daily inspiration (still life, portrayals, landscapes). It seems like he reveals the matters of contemporary life, and compares it with biblical themes, in order to show the demerits of the contemporary world, in comparison with the biblical epoch.
Conclusion
The world of Contemporary art may be regarded as the mirror of either the past, or the present times. All the artists are making an attempt to show, that the world is not perfect, and it is required to be changed until it is late. The main themes are generally crimes, wars, violence, cruelty, hypocrisy… The only emphasis that should be made is that contemporary art is mainly focused not on the beauties of the world, but on its miseries, and imperfections.
References
Blackson, Robert. “Once More. with Feeling: Reenactment in Contemporary Art and Culture.” Art Journal 66.1 (2007): 28 “Contemporary Art in U.S. Museums.” Artforum International 2003: 288.
Gallucci, Margaret A. “The Witch as Muse: Art, Gender, and Power in Early Modern Europe.” Renaissance Quarterly 59.1 (2006): 237.
Kaplan, Janet A. “The Quiet of the Land: Everyday Life, Contemporary Art, and the Shakers A Conversation with Janet A. Kaplan.” Art Journal 57.2 (1998): 4.
Monger, George. “Folk Archive: Contemporary Popular Art from the UK.” Folklore 117.2 (2006): 225.
Painter, Colin, ed. Contemporary Art and the Home. New York: Berg, 2002.
Patin, Thomas, and Jennifer McLerran. Artwords: A Glossary of Contemporary Art Theory. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1997.
Contemporary art has received much critique from ordinary people who sometimes see it on social media. The main argument in this dissatisfaction is that modern art is too polarized or makes little sense while bearing no artistic beauty. However, it can be said that art has always been a device for reflecting on politics and expressing someone’s cultural values or rioting against the establishment. From this point of view, art still has its significance in the modern world; artists use new forms to express their ideas that do not comply with conventional demands for it. As such, Ai Weiwei is an exciting artist who could benefit our institution if he happens to visit it.
Main body
Personally, I find Ai Weiwei’s personality and artistic expression impactful and valuable. Since the artist comes from China, he has an authentic view of that country from the inside and can bring his knowledge into exquisite form. Weiwei has always considered the nowadays regiment in the country oppressive and the actions of its officials inhumane. The meaning of human rights and the destiny of the Chinese people are of primary significance for the artist, so many of his works reflect the issues that Weiwei recognizes and wants to eliminate. I think that acting against the regiment that oppresses your native country in a peaceful way of artistic expression is courageous and deserves respect.
One of the most famous artworks of Ai Weiwei concerns the matters of individuality and the masses. Namely, “Sunflower Seeds” consists of numerous ceramic seeds brought together for the installation. Each element was created individually by craftsmen from China, where porcelain production has always been a traditional craft (Tate, n.d.). The work represents the Chinese people who are very similar to each other and yet are unique individuals that, in their masses, have great power. Moreover, Weiwei criticizes the modern approach of the Chinese market that abandoned the traditional individual crafts of decent goods to embrace the mass production of items for Western consumers. Thus, the work is not only the result of a laborious creation process but an expression of a valuable social idea of a person who cares about his people.
The artworks of Ai Weiwei, especially “Sunflower Seeds,” are somewhat related to the Gutai artists’ group that can be viewed as a predecessor to modern Asian conceptual art. Since the group concentrated on performance and non-conventual expression of ideas, it corresponds to Weiwei’s desire to represent his thoughts through the use of material objects as symbols. Thus, the ancestry of Gutai might have served as a material inspiration for modern Asian artists, including Weiwei.
Meeting with such an exciting personality and contemporary artist might be beneficial for the students of our institution. Since the artist is concerned about the same matters as many young people nowadays, it might be useful to listen to his experienced view on being an activist in a country with a suppressive regiment. Moreover, interacting with a person of a different mentality can bring more cultural knowledge to the people raised in a democratic society.
Conclusion
To conclude, Weiwei is an impressive artist with an unconventional style of expression, which has distinguished views on the issues of his country. Probably, he can explain the reasons for being patriotic and still critical to one’s own country. Moreover, the unusual representation of his criticism is a valuable insight into peaceful protesting, which is so significant for a society where personal freedom is considered the most precious right of all humans.
Reference List
Tate. (n.d.). ‘Sunflower seeds’, Ai Weiwei, 2010. Web.
In this paper, I would like to discuss and evaluate the works of such Canadian artists as Emily Carr and Jack Bush, who represent different schools of painting, impressionism, and abstractionism. I have chosen them because their principles are very dissimilar to one another, and each of them produces a peculiar effect on the viewer. As regards Emily Carr, it should be pointed out that she drew her inspiration from French impressionism. In part, she relied on the principles developed by Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet and many others. Her artistic manner can be characterized by the fluidity of the palette, which means that one color seems to flow into another. Secondly, it can be observed that she often takes a very unusual angle on the subject that she portrays. Among her most famous works, one can single out such as Totem Forest, Scorned as Timber, the Beloved of the Sky, Above the Trees and so forth (The Center for Canadian Studies, p. 1).
The feature, which interests and attracts me most, is her attempts to combine her own impressions with realistic descriptions of nature. In her picture, Scorned as Timber, Emily Carr tries to depict the impact of human beings on the environment, she deliberately focuses on the image of the lonely tree, the only one, which has not been cut down; the tree embodies the vulnerability of nature (The Center for Canadian Studies, p. 1). Her works are very symbolic, and this is also very appealing because symbolism gives much room for interpretation. Furthermore, many of her landscapes are renowned for the masterful use of colors. Emily Carr strives to recreate the dynamics of reality. For example, the smoothness of the lines is meant to render the movements of the clouds or the breath of wind. This effect is very difficult to achieve, it takes prodigious skills to do it. Thus, Emily Carrs works are so distinguished because the author tries to interweave impressionism and realism into a single entity, this is by far the most interesting aspect.
Speaking about Jack (John) Bush, I have to acknowledge that I am not a devotee of abstractionism. Certainly, this is just my subjective opinion, yet, I will try to substantiate it. First, the images are so vague, that it is not quite clear, which idea the artist wants to render. Under some circumstances, it appears that abstractionist pictures are virtually meaningless. Jack Bush is most famous for such paintings as Sea Deep, Yellow Thrust, Green Loop etc (Fenton, p. 1). One cannot deny, he brilliantly plays with colors, but in my opinion, his works are too schematic. Additionally, in the vast majority of cases, the palette is very extremely monotonous. Of course, some people can disagree with me by saying that in this way Jack Bush invents new artistic forms. Like many abstractionists, Jack Bush employs geometric figures for instance rectangles, however, since the time of Kazimir Malevich and his Black Square, this technique has become obsolete. Perhaps, I am making a generalization but occasionally the adherents of abstractionism develop new grotesque and unusual approaches to painting only to justify their lack of skills and proficiency. This is why such style does not appeal very much to me. My opponents may argue that this is a way of self-expression but in this case, the expressive means are very limited and narrow.
Bibliography
The Center for Canadian Studies. “Emily Carr’s Vision of the Pacific Northwest” (2001).
Terry Fenton, Canadian Encyclopedia. “Bush, John Hamilton”, 2002.
Performance is not just the production of musical sounds, but the interaction of the musician and the audience through all channels, including visual ones. It is not for nothing that at the concert the musician is on a dais in front of everyone. At the concert, not only the musician’s ability to produce musical sounds is tested, but also the musicians’ ability to carry out complex action between them and the audience.
The way musicians dress for a concert speaks volumes about their attitude towards the audience. Listeners express respect for the musician by keeping their attention and silence while the music is playing, and after that, they applaud or thank them with words. Musicians express respect for the listener by diligently and faithfully performing music and create a sense of the exclusivity of the event at the concert with their appearance and stage style.
The musician’s wardrobe also influences the perception of performance, and it is important for performers not only of popular music, but also of classical music. Although, according to Epstein, instrumental music is an art form that is completely dedicated to what hear, the appearance of the musician is extremely significant. Thus, those who play in a symphony orchestra always observe a strict dress code. Appearance for performance is an important detail that requires special attention and approach. An artist’s concert attire should not only be elegant and appropriate for the performance situation, but it should also be comfortable that nothing distracts from the performance. However, among classical music performers, there are also lovers of informal appearance, for example, violinist Vanessa Mae and cellist Nigel Kennedy. Different listeners perceive the original appearance of a musician differently: some see it as nothing more than a commercial trick, others see it as a desire for innovation.
Work Cited
Epstein, David J. Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. New York: Riverhead Books, 2019.
Mastering art, a person expresses, explores the world, its past, present, and future, and learns to comprehend the emotional and intellectual world. The need for art never leaves a person; even in the most difficult historical moments, they experience it. The most crucial feature of fine art is its ability to convey all the diversity and complexity of life, all its dynamism through the image of one event or moment. Disregarding high culture and its values can lead to a decline in morality and, as a result, rampant crime and drug addiction. This paper explores and analyses the aspects of graffiti – a form of painting and the work of one of the most famous and talented graffiti artists. A special place in this study is occupied by considering one of the artist’s works, the emotions that it evokes, and its value as an art object.
One of the most entertaining types of fine art is graffiti, which now belongs to street art and serves as a means of self-expression. This paper focuses on the work of artist Ron English and the analysis of one of his pictures as a work of art. The author of this work will give the features of English’s works, the views that he illustrates in his drawings; describe their feelings about the artist’s work, its main features; finally, this paper will provide a brief history of the development of graffiti in New York.
Ron English and His Works
This paper will highlight one of the works of Ron English, who is a modern American artist who uses popular images of advertising in his work. His signature style uses a mixture of “high” and “low” cultural traditions, for example, comic images of superheroes and, at the same time, drawing skills worked out over the years (English, n.d.). English is also considered one of the actual figures in the development of street art, far from the inscriptions of the traditional wild style and “smart” statements. The artist created illegal murals and murals, mixing stunning visuals with satirical political and consumer ideas.
English experiments with images of mass culture, whether it’s Mickey Mouse or Marilyn Monroe, thus continuing the main ideas of its founders and, above all, Andy Warhol. The artist often speaks with extremely harsh sarcasm towards the human culture of consumption (English, n.d.). English has joined the Billboard Liberation Front several times, silencing culture by changing advertising media content to create an anti-corporate message. Thus, through his work, the artist fights against the culture of consumption, the aggressive military policy of the United States, and the lies spread by the media (English, n.d.). The author himself says that in this way, he visualizes modern culture, where everything is mixed up, and people no longer have concepts of beauty.
Analysis of a Painting as a Work of Art
In this picture, it is possible to see a child of six or eight years old, depicted in close-up and looking directly into the audience’s eyes. Their face is covered with clown makeup, clothes are also clown outfits, and on their head, there is a military helmet with symbols of peace (Appendix A). The colors of the painting are very bright, combining shades of yellow, pink, and green (Appendix A). This garishness of the overall picture contrasts strongly with the child’s heavy and intent gaze and the expression of their face. The painting is a portrait so that the audience can focus entirely on the front, look at the child and try to understand their thoughts and feelings.
This work is based on specific cultural determinants, among which one can distinguish the culture of consumption, human indifference, and the aggressive military policy pursued by the United States. Thus, the author says that people completely forget what is essential in pursuing material benefits. In addition, children often suffer in senseless and brutal adult wars. That fact does not bother governments since they do not think about the lives in danger. Clown makeup symbolizes an abstract brand that has become more important for modern humanity than the fate of a child (Appendix A). This aspect is also a symbol of the indifference of people who prefer to live in a cozy world of consumption and ignore the horrors of war and cruelty occurring in other distant countries.
This work of art belongs to the ancient tradition of hip-hop, one of the crucial parts of urban culture. The pictures of this artist can be found on collectible T-shirts, toys, fake cereal boxes, various posters, graffiti balloons, and on Internet sites (English, n.d.). The current picture is demonstrated on street walls, among paintings by other artists, and on English’s publicly accessible website. The availability of works of art is essential because art forms taste, develops imagination, makes a person more complex and profound. Art allows experiencing and thinking; it gives rise to internal conflicts and questions that people have been looking for answers to for a long time (English, n.d.). The opportunity to get acquainted with works that raise acute social issues and problems develops critical thinking.
This work is a real art since, being a form of aesthetic cognition of the surrounding world and the artist’s self-expression, it has certain features. It affects the audience’s perception of reality: their emotions, imagination, and thoughts. Looking at this picture, most people will probably experience a feeling of discomfort and anxiety. The child’s gaze, as if accusing, causes inexplicable stress and a desire to hide somewhere from their eyes (Appendix A). This work forces the audience’s imagination to ask questions: who is this child? Where did they come from? Why do they look like this, and do they need help?
In addition, in this work of art, there is a clear creative image of a defenseless and innocent child: a phenomenon of reality creatively recreated in a work of art. A distinct artistic picture is one of the main tools in the aesthetic cognition of the world (Appendix A). This painting depicts something innocent, defenseless, which requires human attention and care. The main idea of the picture is a child who finds themselves in a dangerous or unpleasant place; perhaps they are afraid and need the help of adults – that is, viewers who empathize with them.
Such an image is typical of English’s works, raising acute social issues. The style of paper is also characteristic of English – bright, memorable and technically verified. Like other works of the artist, this painting makes viewers think about important social themes: war, cruelty, consumer culture, disregard for human victims and lives, and the aggressive foreign policy of some states (Appendix A). The child depicted by the artist contributes to solid emotional experiences since the idea that children are one of the central values is inherent in people by nature. In addition, the painting, as befits a real work of art, performs several vital functions:
Social-transforming function: this picture can have an ideological and moral impact on people, forcing them to change their attitude to the bloodshed and the fate of children suffering in wars. (Benton & Yanni, 2012).
Information and communication function: it is a means of education, dissemination of knowledge, and the basis of interpersonal communication, a conductor of ideas and feelings. After seeing this picture, many people will be interested in finding out what thoughts and ideas lie behind it and what meaning the artist laid in them. Thus, viewers will learn many new things for themselves, expand their horizons and, perhaps, acquire a new hobby.
Thus, this work of art has essential aesthetic functions and features and expresses the artist’s thoughts about the world and other people. It raises crucial political and social issues, makes the audience think about the current state of things in society, and causes strong and complex emotions. Like many other works by English, this painting speaks about the importance of empathy and the danger of non-interference (Appendix A). When looking at this picture, the feelings that arise are complex: discomfort, anxiety, some fear, and a strong desire to help.
In addition to all that has been said, the painting is technically verified, has a sharp artistic image, and accommodates a deep and precise idea. The main idea of this work of art is that while most people are having fun, going to the movies, eating fast food, and praising brands, innocent children are dying in developing countries. The selected art object is a real work of art, as it has significant aesthetic value and clearly expresses the author’s thoughts. The author’s main thoughts are a call to action denial of indifference and the principle of non-interference. The author ridicules and condemns most people’s frivolity, blindness, and indifference to what is truly important.
The History of Graffiti in New York
The history of graffiti began with messages that representatives of gangs of New York left on the streets of the city in the 1920s and 1930s. Over time, similar inscriptions appeared on all kinds of immovable and movable objects, so the number of artists and styles grew exponentially (White, 2018). Thus, by the end of the last century, the police and city authorities in different countries began to fight against adherents of street art (Lohmann, 2020). As a result, the underground movement was divided into several directions. Some artists preferred the streets of commerce and went to galleries, giving way to the bravest veterans of the genre.
Graffiti as a phenomenon is firmly entrenched in street culture, and it is difficult to imagine modern cities without them. The first manifestations of graffiti are drawings and inscriptions left on the walls of buildings and freight trains by members of New York street gangs in the 1920s and 1930s (Ross & Lennon, 2018). Then a similar practice was adopted by young people; however, it did not immediately use the drawings on the walls for self-expression (Casino, 2019). The inscriptions appeared as a reaction to socio-political problems, and defiant slogans and slogans became characteristic of that period.
By the beginning of the second half of the XX century, street artists joined the new movement, leaving short marks on the streets with their pseudonyms. It was then that the first enthusiasts began to leave inscriptions with names in random places around the city (Ross & Lennon, 2018). These manifestations of individualism have become a challenge to the increasing ubiquity of branding and public infrastructure.
References
Benton, J.R., & Yanni, R.D. (2012). Arts and culture: An introduction to the humanities (4th Edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Casino, K. I. (2019). Graffiti as Art as Language: The Logic of a Modern Language. Philosophy, 9(5), 223-232. Web.
Ross, J. I., & Lennon, J. F. (2018). Teaching about graffiti and street art to undergraduate students at us universities. Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education, 6(2), 1.
White, A. (2018). From primitive to integral: the evolution of graffiti art. Journal of conscious evolution, 11(11), 1. Web.
The 18th century emerged as a very important era in the development of music and the “personality cult” culture. Earlier years were jammed by classical music, which was nevertheless less personified but still moved listeners with unmatched aura (Brown, 1973). This period saw the emergence of virtuoso singers who were more charismatic and agile, traits that kept their performances alive, and led them to be completely adored by listeners. Some modern scholars have described the virtuosity in that period as dominating, thereby enslaving the listeners (fans). The paper discusses the development of the virtuoso artists and their fanatic following, represented by Prima donna Faustina Bordoni and The male castrato: Farinelli, and how they moved their fans, drawing support beyond an unimagined boundary-less population of the world. It also discusses both the professional and brief personal lives of Fautina Bordoni (female Prima Donna) and Farinnelli (male Castrato).
Introduction
The rise of virtuoso singer in the early 18th century brought an important era in the development of music synonymous with the personalities behind the music. Prior to these years there the classical music, that was less personified but moved listeners with unmatched gastro (Brown, 1973). The rise of the virtuosos was represented by the visibly charismatic singers of both sexes who kept the performance alive, getting support from the virtuoso pianist, and their listeners, who with their enthusiasm kept the artists strong and blazing. Franz Liszt, a legendary figure in his own right, was dubbed “the Orpheus of our day” in 1840 by one Christian Anderson (Carter, 1992). This music was described as dominating, and thus could be termed as enslaving the mentality of the listeners (fans) who seem not to look at the contents into details but follow the artist’s appearances and antics during performance.
While it is true that ornamentation played a very important role in the early baroque music performance and that it was instrumental to the early sociento style of music, there is no denying fact that the performers, particularly the male virtuoso singers and the prima donnas became the center of attention during these early years. This is due to their perceived supernatural style they portrayed during performance, and the public image they infused into the minds of the fans, that could be associated with the fanaticism, developing into cult-like following.
Origin of the cult of the performer- the castrati
The castrati in these early days were the male singers who were castrated to preserve the soprano or contralto range of their voices and played a major role in the Italian opera (Fenlon, 2002). According to many scholars, the fact that St. Paul forbade women to sing in the churches perpetuated the castration of boys in an attempt to preserve their voice and that this practice continued in early 18th century, i.e. whenever there was need for high voices, the boys, falsettists, or eunuchs had to be recruited (Grout, & Claude, 1988). This period experienced constant use of eunuchs in Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire during the middle ages (Carter, 1992).
The Castrati and the elaborate a cappella style gained root in European music in the middle of 15th century (Grout & Claude, 1988). This music, however, required a much wider range of voices and higher level of virtuosity than anything else. It thus followed that the then present singers were not well prepared enough to provide the backup to this new and highly needed trend, and as expected the music fraternity responded almost immediately. It saw the early form of this music taking the Spanish falsettists format, and later on towards the end of 16th century the whole industry had taken the form of castrati (Grout & Claude, 1988). Castrati dominated the new baroque art form in the following two centuries and that opera, arguably the Italian principal musical activity, was the most dominant, taking most of Europe with storm. Music scholars argue that opera was the legitimate theatre due to the fact that it spread beyond its origin and that it was the first musical form that became popular internationally, surpassing the national boundaries and penetrating the international cultures of the world (Schulenberg, 2001).
The leading star singers became extremely popular, drawing overwhelming discussion about their lives, facing unmatched criticism, and sometimes unjustified comparison (Schulenberg, 2001). Majority of these singers who became celebrities in their own right were the castrati. Carter (1992) says, “If other nations had some form of native opera, this ranked lower on the cultural scale and was indifferently sung, while the Italian version enjoyed the highest standard of singing that had ever been known, and will in likelihood never again be attained.” France for example, did not acknowledge the Italian singers, and discriminately banned castrati from performing in major cities but the French citizens were not left out in the Europe citizens who hailed praise at the Italian opera (Heriot, 1956).
Romanticism
The music of the early 18th century exposed the spirit of personal and individual expression contrary to the classical period that was wholly concentrated on reason and balance (Hill, 1997). According to Tyler & Paul (2002), the rise of cult-like worship of the musicians was perpetuated by the French revolution that promoted the middle class to be a recognized force in both social and economic perspective. Consequently, there was the development of concert hall where the public would have “freedom” to attend, and with the unified mass feeling of perfectionism among specific artists, who elicited excitement in their supporters with unusually mythical personification. The virtuoso re-developed into an artist as well as a hero, thereby becoming an artistic star receiving individual accolades and subsequently personal triumph. The romantic period artists represented by Niccolo Paganini and Franz Liszt embodied the heroic stature, with their music inspiring a whole generation later.
The World of Fantasy
As Fuller describes it, “the Italian opera was the product of taste and sensibility of the age that brought it to sensibility-the age of the Baroque. Baroque art set itself a definite goal: that of creating music through the imagination of a world more beautiful, more sumptuous than the everyday world, and depicting it in images calculated to appeal not only to man’s intellect but to his senses as well” (Schulenberg, 2001). This vividly highlights how some of the scholars viewed the late romanticism, perpetrated by the culture of “verbal acrobatics” of Marino, famed as the pillar of aesthetic outlook which set up as a world of fantasy and “distorted world” (Nino & Elena, 1982). Critics say that Baroque art provoked abstract, perpetuating the “cult” worship instead of extending the spirit of jazz which they say had more substance and relevance.
Prima donna: Faustina Bordoni
Born in 1697 and brought up in Venice, Bordoni was guide by her composer brother Benedetto Marcello and composer and singer teacher Michelangelo Gasparini (Brown, 1973). During this period of 18th century, castrati were the dominating group of singers with their admirable voices. Bordoni made her operatic debut as early as 1716 in Carlo Francesco Pollarolo’s Ariodante (Carter, 1992).
Recognized as just Faustina and dubbed the “new siren”, she dedicated her historical first CD to the works of Hasse and Handel and she went ahead and sung alongside Francesca Cuzzoni, whom she rivaled in the later years of their performance, despite the fact that he was much older than her. She also performed severally at Reggio nell’Emilia, Naples, Parma, Florence, Modena and Milan and became a great favorite at the north of Alps after the 1723 Munich- German debut (British Journal, 2005).
“The rival queens” and the fan culture
Feustina’s London debut alongside Senesino and Cuzzoni as Rossane in Handel’s Alessandro that took place on 5th May, 1726 exposed the rivalry between their fans (Fenlon, 2002). Her performance of 6th June, 1727 together with Cuzzoni exposed the personal and professional rivalry between the two artists, leading to a physical fight on stage, in the presence of Caroline, Princess of Wales (Grout & Claude, 1988). However, a recent research revealed that contrary to the belief that the two prima donnas were bitter rivals, the whole problem emanated from their fans and the media. Fenlon (2002) states, “the journalists exaggerated the whole rivalry, and that their supporters are the once who behaved badly, not the singers themselves.” This research reveals how the cult-like supporters of these personalities defined the musicians to an extent that it invoked the strong feeling of emotional attachment, and consequently intensified cultish behavior, mostly described by fans as the “love” for their artists.
Faustina got married to the German Johann Adolf Hasse – a composer (Hill, 1997). Such union could be termed as strategic as production stage of music is a very important step in the success of both artist and music. For sure, Hasse would not let his wife fail in music, would he? The couple was later summoned to the court of Augustus the Strong at Dresden, where she (Faustina) enjoyed success in her husband’s opera Cleofide, and famously described as “truly an exquisite couple” by one Metastasio (Nino & Elena, 1982). Faustina explored most of her career success when she was allowed to make foreign trips to Italy’s Naples, Venice and Parma. She retained her salary and the title of the virtuosoda camera to the Elector even after retirement until the demise in 1763 of Augustus successor, Frederick Augustus II (Hill, 1997), an indicator of how the superstar culture rained supreme with no boundary, penetrating even the political class, comprised of rulers. Indeed this was a subject of the entire mass and its leaders who are regarded highly by the society, and unbelievably could not resist the joy of joining the public in the artist’s list of fan base, a scenario that has persisted to date.
Contrary to her rival Cuzzoni who died poor, Faustina lived a happy and rich old age when she and her husband moved to Vienna and later to Venice in 1773, together with their two daughters (both trained as singers) (Grout, & Claude, 1988). Charles Burney’s description of Faustina as “a short, brown, sensible, and lively woman…with good remains…of that beauty for which she was so much celebrated in her youth” (Heriot, 1956) summed up the charm she exposed among her loving supporters who undisputedly adored her and truly “worshiped” her like it happened to other virtuoso singers of this period.
The male castrato: Farinelli (Carlo Maria Broschi)
Farinelli was the stage name of Carlo Maria Broschi, considered one of the 18th century most adored Italian castrato singers, specialized in soprano as his trademark and identical voice (Schulenberg, 2001). Born into a family of musicians in Andria, with composer father, Salvatore and mother Catherine, the father Salvatore became a governor of the town of Maratea, giving him (Ferinalli), a stepping-stone to popularity among the people, and drawing parallel with other castrati who were mainly from humble family lineages. By the time they moved to the capital city of Naples in 171, Carlo had developed interest in singing and was boosted by the enrolment of his brother, Maria di Loreto, at Conservatory of S as music composition student (Machlis & Forney, 1999). The father’s unexpected death in 1717 seemingly led to economic downturn of the family, subsequently leading to the decision to castrate Farinelli, to increase his chances of success in music performance, and subsequently popularity boost and success (Machlis & Forney, 1999). After this castration, Carlo’s singing prowess astronomically increased under Porpora (his teacher), emerging very famous in the whole of Italy and popularly referred to as il ragazzo, “the boy” (Nino & Elena 1982). His debut performance in Rome (1722) at Porpora’s Eumene and Flavio Anicio travesty drew unimaginable enthusiastic population, and saw an emergence of a legendary story that he had to perform an aria with trumpet obbligato, that actually evolved between the singer and the trumpeter (Hill, 1997). It is rumored that he completely surpassed the trumpet player in terms of technique and ornamentation that he only got silenced by the audience. What could draw such a massive crowd with so many mythical stories following the artist? It is justified to deduce that it was more than good music, but the belief among the fans that such talented artists had mysterious and supernatural ability beyond human explanations, indicated by the decorative nature of artists’ performances.
Farinelli in Europe
Farinelli got invited to Vienna by the director of the Imperial Theatre, Pio di Savoia, making his first appearance there, and later took a whole season in Naples (Heriot, 1956). However, his visit to Parma and Milan in 1726 marked the climax of all his visits where after the performances, Johann Joachim Quantz commented, “”Farinelli had a penetrating, full, rich, bright and well-modulated soprano voice, with a range at that time from the A below middle C to the D two octaves above middle C…. His intonation was pure, his trill beautiful, his breath control extraordinary and his throat very agile, so that he performed the widest intervals quickly and with the greatest ease and certainty. Passagework and all kinds of melismas were of no difficulty to him and in the invention of free ornamentation in adagio he was very fertile” (Machlis & Forney, 1999). One would argue that such descriptions were overly exaggerated. However, the fact that such a comment came from a respected figure in the society could be a clear manifestation of how the artist drew emotions without boundary, cementing the fan base and developing cult-like following.
In 1728, Ferinelli performed in Bologna, met the other famous castrato Antonio Bernacchi, who was his senior by 20 years (Machlis & Forney, 1999). His performance in Orlandini’s Antigona exposed his musical prowess when he showed off his beautiful voice and style, and expressing a superb virtuosity that saw the crowd rewarding him with a huge applause and to sum it all, the 1729 carnival season performance in Venice saw his popularity even soaring further, and it’s rumored that his rival castrato Gioacchino Conti fainted away from sheer of despondency when he heard him sing (Tyler & Paul, 2002).
His visit to London saw him perform in several occasions, with his first appearance coming in Artaserse, accompanied by his Brother Riccardo and Johann Adolph Hasse. He portrayed supernatural ability. This was illustrated by his fiend’s quote, “Farinelli has surprised me so much that I feel as though I had hitherto heard only a small part of the human voice, and now have heard it all. He has besides, the most amiable and polite manners…” some fans even went further to refer to him as “One God, one Ferinelli” (Nino P & Elena P, 1982).
Conclusion
The music of the early 18th century clearly showed the performer as a “cult” figure, surpassing the earlier jazz music performers who never elicited much enthusiasm with their personality status as did the Virtuoso artists composed of male cast ratings from and female prima donnas. One would logically conclude that this was the beginning of the celebrity culture where artists are regarded highly more than what they produce in songs.
References
Brown, H. M. (1973). Sixteenth-Century Instrumentation: The Music for the Florentine Intermedii. American Institute of Musicology.
Cardamone, D. G., (1981). The Canzone Villanesca alla Napolitana & Related Forms, 1537-1570. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press.
Carter, T. (1992).Music in Late Renaissance and Early Baroque Italy, Portland: Amadeus Press.
Cappelletto, S. (1995). The most recent biography of the Singer. La voce perduta
Ellen, T. (2009). ed. “Farinelli” , Grove Music Online, L. Macy (2009).
British Journal for Eighteenth-century Studies, vol 28, no 3; Oxford, 2005). Farinelli- the most recent collection of articles about the singer
Fenlon, I. (2002). Music and Culture in Late Renaissance Italy, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Grout, J., & Claude P. (1988). A History of Western Music, Fourth Ed, New York: W. W. Norton Co.
Heriot, A. (1956). The Castrati in Opera, London, p. 95–110.
Hill, J.W. (1997). Roman Monody, Cantata, and Opera from the Circles around Cardinal Montalto. Oxford: Clarendon Press
Machlis, J., & Forney, K. (1999).The Enjoyment of Music, Eighth ed. New York: W.W. Norton Co.
Nino, P., & Elena, P. (1982). Music and Theatre from Poliziano to Monteverdi trans. Karen Eales (Cambridge: Cambridge Studies in Music).
Schulenberg, D. (2001). Music of the Baroque, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Tyler, J. (1980).The Early Guitar: a History and Handbook. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Tyler, J., & Paul, S. (2002).The Guitar and Its Music: from the Renaissance to the Classical Era. Oxford: Oxford University Press.