conclusion to art appreciation
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Conclusion to Art AppreciationTRANSCRIPT
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Chapter 4.11 Expression
Introduction
Art A medium of expression A means by which an artist communicates with an audience
Personal statements Self-portraits Explorations of non-visual experience
The sensations of hearing music Experiencing nature Human thought
Original creations or consciously borrowing Expression is crucial to the creation of art
Also a complex subject – artists have used many means to express themselves
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Chapter 4.11 Expression
Making a Self-Portrait
Self-portraits Can represent the physical appearance of the artist
Often convey internal as well as external traits
They may reveal the artist’s
• Personality
• Experiences
• Choices
Artist assuming the role or persona of someone else
• Another form of self-portraiture, much like an actor portraying another person on the stage
4.161 Vincent van Gogh, Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe, 1889. Oil on canvas, 25¼ × 19¾”. Private collection
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Chapter 4.11 Expression
Vincent van Gogh, Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe
Vincent van Gogh’s self-portraits Record what he felt rather than only what he saw Made approximately 30 self-portraits
Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe Refers to a notorious incident in his life While he lived in Arles, in the south of France, had an
intense argument with his close friend Paul Gauguin Afterward Van Gogh cut off a portion of his own ear
Restrained but nervous lines and bold, contrasting colors express some of the agitation that the artist certainly experienced during and after the episode
4.162 Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1939. Oil on canvas, 5’8” × 5’8”. Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City, Mexico
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Chapter 4.11 Expression
Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas
Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits Combine her appearance with references to her feelings Form up to one-third of her artistic output
The Two Fridas Expresses distinct aspects of the artist’s identity Mixed cultural background (Mexican/German) Turbulent relationship with her husband, Diego Rivera Made while Kahlo was divorcing Rivera ( although she later
remarried him) Exaggerations emphasize the sensitive emotional content
Hearts on the outside of the bodies Artery joining the two women together
4.163 Rembrandt van Rijn, Self-portrait with Saskia in the Scene of the Prodigal Son in the Tavern, c. 1635. Oil on canvas, 5’3⅜” × 4’3⅝”. Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, Germany
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Chapter 4.11 Expression
Rembrandt van Rijn, Self-portrait with Saskia in the Scene of the Prodigal Son in the Tavern
Rembrandt’s self-portraits More than 90 of them made over the course of 40 years Reflect the changes in his appearance and the style of his art Portray the artist in many guises (peasant to aristocrat) Examine different facial expressions and character types
Self- portrait with Saskia in the Scene of the Prodigal Son… Based on a Biblical story Rembrandt as the prodigal son Barmaid is modeled on his wife Saskia
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Chapter 4.11 Expression
Duane Michals, The Return of the Prodigal Son
Duane Michals’s self-portraits Explore identity using series and incorporating text
The Return of the Prodigal Son Like Rembrandt, Michals includes himself in the scene,
playing the part of the forgiving father Reconciliation between father and son is shown in 5 frames Final frame, father and son have switched places Reversal suggests the father
• Welcomes his son back into his life
• Accepts some of the blame for his son’s failings
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Chapter 4.11 Expression
Jenny Saville, Branded
Jenny Saville’s self-portraits Larger-than-lifesize paintings in which she appears as a
monumental nude Branded
Breasts and stomach are more prominent than head Artist pinches a roll of flesh with her left hand Counters contemporary society’s bias toward thin women
(and noticeably exaggerates Saville’s actual size) Discolored skin is also far from ideal Words inscribed on her body
Comment on contemporary body image Society’s expectations and personal perspectives
4.166a ORLAN, Seventh surgery-performance, entitled Omnipresence, November 21, 1993. Smile of Delight (Sourire de Plaisir). Cibachrome in diasec mount, 43¼ × 65”
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Chapter 4.11 Expression
ORLAN, Seventh surgery-performance, entitled Omnipresence
ORLAN’s self-portraits An extreme approach to constructing the self Series of plastic surgeries to transform her appearance Documented the entire process (surgeries and healing)
Omnipresence Operating theater as stage for her “performance” Only a local anesthetic during the surgeries Read aloud from philosophical and poetic texts Transmitted a live feed of the surgery
• To CBS News, the Sandra Gering Gallery in New York, and Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris
• Also photographed the phases of her transformation
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Chapter 4.11 Expression
ORLAN, Fourth surgery-performance, entitled Successful Operation
Features modeled after famously beautiful paintings: Chin of Botticelli’s Venus (in The Birth of Venus) Mouth of the Roman deity Diana (French Renaissance) Nose of Psyche (French painting by François Gérard) Brow of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa
ORLAN’s intentions: Actively determine her own appearance Transcend human limitations through technology Critique the cult of beauty and unfair standards for women Make a statement about the impossibility of perfection Raise questions about cultural perceptions and art
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Chapter 4.11 Expression
Finding an Artistic Voice
Artists are inspired by various sources Their own experiences Dreams Fears Confusions
Resulting images Sometimes very different from the way other people might have
experienced a similar emotion or event
Original context of a piece of art Helps us to understand the artist’s intentions Important in order to perceive in the work that there is more than
meets the eye
4.167 Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes, c. 1620. Oil on canvas, 6’6⅜” × 5’3¾”. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
4.168 Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes, 1623–5. Oil on canvas, 6’⅜” × 4’7¾”. Detroit Institute of Arts
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
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Gateway to Art:
Chapter 4.11 Expression
Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes, Self-Expression in the Judith Paintings
Artemisia Gentileschi painted many powerful heroines Biblical story of Judith and Holofernes Strong correlation with events in the artist’s life
• Features of the heroines often resemble her own
Gentileschi was the victim of a sexual assault Raped by Agostino Tassi, her painting teacher Public trial. Tassi was eventually sentenced to exile Gentileschi later married another man and had 5 children
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Gateway to Art:
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Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernescont. . . .
Judith Decapitating Holofernes Gentileschi painted 7 versions over 30 years (4.167) The first one she made
• Depicts Judith and her maidservant cutting off the head • Painted about a year after the Tassi trial • Likely a direct response to her attack
(4.168) made about a decade later• Shows Judith and her maidservant by candlelight, escaping
from the murder scene with the bloody head Reasons for painting Judith and Holofernes
• Earlier paintings probably element of autobiography • Popular theme with other artists of the time • Later representations may have been for patrons who admired
her earlier work
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Chapter 4.11 Expression
Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare
Henry Fuseli Inspired by gruesome elements Folklore, horror stories, and the occult
The Nightmare A woman in white with an incubus on top of her body Woman’s nightmare seems to come to life around her Sinister mood
• Created by expressions on the faces of incubus and horse Enhanced by use of chiaroscuro, or contrasted light and dark At the time it was made, the painting’s sexual implications
were considered scandalous
4.170 James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket, 1875. Oil on wood panel, 23¾ × 18⅜”. Detroit Institute of Arts
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 4.11 Expression
James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket
Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket “Nocturne:” musical composition inspired by night Rhythm, patterns, and mood of a darkened landscape Controversial artwork in its time
• Critic John Ruskin wrote that Whistler was “flinging a pot of paint in the public’s face”
Whistler depicted a fireworks display in London• Departed from the accepted standards of detailed realism to
convey his sense of the scene
Whistler was not interested in conveying the recognizable but instead wanted to focus on line, form, and color
4.171 Mona Hatoum, Untitled (Baalbek Bird Cage), 1999. Wood and galvanized steel, 10’2½” × 9’9” × 6’ 5”
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Perspectives on Art:
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Mona Hatoum Art, Personal Experience, and Identity
Hatoum’s works recall the dislocations of her own life Has lived far from her family and the land of her birth Born in Lebanon of Palestinian parents The war prevented return to Beirut
Untitled (Baalbek Bird Cage) Victorian birdcage from a market in Lebanon Dimensions based on the measurements of the cells at
Alcatraz Prison in California, reference to “Bird Man of Alcatraz”
Wide range of associations: • Containment, femininity, liberation
Fuses individual experience and geopolitical reality
4.172 Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893. Casein and tempera on cardboard, 35⅞ × 29⅛”. Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
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Edvard Munch, The Scream
Edvard Munch Tragic life, physical illness, and depression motivated his art
The Scream Appears to be a fictional scene Munch’s diary indicates it represents an actual event
• Walking on a bridge with two friends, Munch saw the sky turn red, and he froze with anxiety
• Possible explanation: volcanic eruption, or agoraphobia
Like many Expressionist artworks, this painting does not depict what Munch actually saw, but what he felt
4.173 Jackson Pollock, Male and Female, c. 1942. Oil on canvas, 6’1⅜” × 4’1”. Philadelphia Museum of Art
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
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Jackson Pollock, Male and Female
Male and Female When interpreted through Jungian analysis, it can be
understood as an integration of the masculine and feminine elements, and thus a reflection of a balanced psyche
Female figure (on the left) Male figure (on the right)
Inspired by Surrealist approaches Tapping into the unconscious mind Exploring regions of his own psyche
Seeking to access what might be universal ideas about humanity
4.174 Julian Schnabel, The Exile, 1980. Oil, antlers, gold leaf, and mixed media on wood, 7’6” × 12’
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
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Julian Schnabel, The Exile
The Exile Unconventional approach includes antlers Seemingly random images, realistic and abstract Boy on the left: copied from a portrait by Caravaggio Wooden figurine: resembles a Hopi kachina doll Bearded man in a turban: probably Ayatollah Khomeini Blends together art history and current events Conveys Schnabel’s own experience of life in the present
moment
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Chapter 4.11 Expression
Borrowing an Image
Many artworks are personal statements Sometimes artists borrow objects, figures, entire compositions
Appropriation Traced to readymades (see p. 270)
• Invention by French artist Marcel Duchamp
• Urinals, bicycle wheels, snow shovels, and other artworks
Other artists followed in his footsteps
• Appropriated artworks (including ones by Duchamp)
• Borrowed images from popular culture, advertising, and even social stereotypes
Artists can make personal statements by appropriating the work of another
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
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Sherrie Levine, Fountain (After Marcel Duchamp: A. P.)
Sherrie Levine’s work leads us to reconsider the structures of art institutions as they existed in the past
Fountain (After Marcel Duchamp: A. P.) Recalls Duchamp’s famous porcelain urinal from 1917 Levine had her urinal cast in bronze (unlike Duchamp) Bronze was traditionally used for fine art sculptures
Her quotation of a past artwork makes Levine’s sculpture most meaningful for viewers who are familiar with Duchamp’s work and the history of art
4.176 Andy Warhol, Brillo Box, 1964. Synthetic polymer paint and silkscreen ink on painted wood, 17 × 17 × 14”. Collection Andy Warhol Foundation
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
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Andy Warhol, Brillo Box
Pop art: 1960s Brought popular culture imagery into art world Comic-book characters, movie stars, commercial products
Brillo Box sculptures Exactly copied the design of the product’s packaging Plywood boxes built in Warhol’s studio, The Factory Silkscreened by hand (look manufactured)
By combining “high art” processes with the “low art” of graphic design, Warhol expanded boundaries of acceptable fine art practice
4.177 Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboys), 1980. Ektacolor print, 27 × 40”, edition 1/2. Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
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Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboys)
Richard Prince Used advertisements as the basis for his artworks
Cowboys series Focused on the “Marlboro man” from the cigarette
company’s print advertisements Removed logos, otherwise exactly like the ad images Enlarged to fit an art gallery wall
• Became grainy and blurry, revealing they are copies, not originals
Prince’s photographs were considered sufficiently different from the source to have their own artistic merit
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4THEMES
Chapter 4.11 Expression
Nikki S. Lee, Hip Hop Project (25)
Projects series, Lee joined a number of different communities
Shopping in the same stores, adopting their mannerisms Snapshot taken when she felt she was a group member
Hip Hop Project (25) Tanning salon 3 times a week to darken her skin Immersed herself in the subculture of hip hop music Her interaction with these people is temporary No clues in the images to suggest that she is not one of them
Nikki S. Lee considers her identity to be very fluid
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4.161 Private Collection 4.162 Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City. © 2011 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico,
D.F./DACS 4.163 Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden 4.164 Copyright Duane Michals. Courtesy Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York 4.165 © Jenny Saville 4.166a Photo Vladimir Sichov, Sipa-Press. Courtesy the artist and galerie Michel Rein, Paris. © ORLAN 4.166b Courtesy ORLAN. © ORLAN 4.167 Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence 4.168 Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of Mr. Leslie H. Green 4.169 Detroit Institute of Arts, Founders Society Purchase with funds from Mr. and Mrs. Bert L. Smokler and Mr. and Mrs.
Lawrence A. Fleischman 4.170 Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of Dexter M. Ferry, Jr.4.171 Photo Herbert Lotz © the artist. Courtesy White Cube 4.172 © Munch Museum/Munch-Ellingsen Group, BONO, Oslo/DACS, London 2011 4.173 Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. Gates Lloyd, 1974. © The Pollock-Krasner Foundation ARS, NY and
DACS, London 20114.174 Courtesy Bischofberger Collection, Switzerland. © 2011 Julian Schnabel/ARS, New York/DACS 4.175 © Sherrie Levine. Courtesy Simon Lee Gallery, London 4.176 © The Andy Warhol Foundation/Corbis. © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts/Artists Rights Society (ARS),
New York/DACS, London 2011 4.177 The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Purchased with funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts,
a Federal Agency, and Councilman Joel Wachs. © Richard Prince 4.178 Courtesy the artist and Sikkema Jenkins & Co.
Picture Credits for Chapter 4.11