Unit 5: Impressionism

It can be said that impressionism is one of those art reconciling eras of art between essence and evolution. If analyzed how the world suffered drastic changes of art tendencies, first neoclassicism integrated back ancient Greek art. Then, the world drastically jumped to realism that completely changed the way in which artists view the world from dreamy and mythical to crude and realistic. Then, impressionism came. The world forgot about the old and mythical.  During the impressionism era the artists’ view of the world challenged original painting techniques and rules. Its biggest exponent, Claude Monet used free brushing techniques, bright colors and thin lines to define shapes and forms. Thus, it changes the classical, detailed “fresco” appearance of paintings created previously. On the other hand, new century, new society and new idealism. Therefore, impressionist paintings where mostly portraits of people socializing in cafes, natural landscapes and all types of city views. Impressionism is also about modernity and independence, that is why perhaps today’s world is filled with the presence of the work of painters as Monet and Renoir anywhere.  Impressionism gave a quite change in people’s perspective of the world and art itself. At the end, impressionism portrayed the life of people form a modern view.

Unit 5: Renaissance.

As I have mentioned before throughout this blog, I found the renaissance era one of the best times that ever existed in the history of art and humanity. This, because most of my favorite painters as Botticelli, Donatello and Michelangelo rose at that time. It was an era of renovation. An era in which thankfully, the darkness and horribleness from the medieval times were taken away. Almost everything was going to be created from scratch and new inventions emerged. But, if talked about inventions and paintings, there is Leonardo da Vinci. It is laughable to notice that “La Giaconda” or “Mona Lisa” of da Vinci is the most known painting in the world and almost no one knows the era in which it was painted. I believe that if it was not because of the renaissance, the world of art and humanity would have never progressed. Thanks to renaissance, painting techniques, themes and materials, paintings became finer, delicate, more detailed, clearer and simply more beautiful. If it was not for “La Giaconda” of da Vinci or for “Venus” by Botticelli, the world of paintings, humanity and all kinds of art,  would have never find the light for progress. The renaissance era is for me, the light of the world.

Unit 5: Bernini

It is absolutely obvious that Bernini was a tremendous talented artist committed to give his greatest potential to the world. The way he defies gravity and captures vivid emotions and textures in his sculptures defines him as a unique and original sculptor. When I knew that his father was a sculptor from Florence I supposed that he was going to perfect his father’s surprising techniques but he surpassed everything and everybody actually. His work as an artists is magnificent and extraordinary. The “Ecstasy of Saint Teresa” and the bust of his beloved Constanza, I believe those are the most beautiful and realistic sculptures I have ever seen. The way that he is portrayed in the video allows people to get a superhuman perception of him. He was completely committed to his art, reputation and love life. What I think about what he really was, is that he was an extremely hard working person who loved to do what nature gave him as a talent. Thus, he did not have the necessity to avoid real life with substances and unrealistic problems such as Caravaggio and most artists, actually. Because Bernini worked hard enough to make himself a name and a reputation by making unconditionally what he loved to do, that make him move mountains in world of art.

Unit 5: Manifesto of Futurism

When reading the “Manifesto of Futurism” is easy to understand the concept of what the writer(s) want art to be.  Sometimes it is easy to get tired of beautiful and perfect things, such as museums and libraries as the manuscript recall. But, from my point of view there is no justification to get rid of beautiful and perfect things, given that those are the most appreciated things to have a happy human life. From the beginning of the time for art, all kind of artists have been trying to organize, perfect and beautify all forms of art. So, I do not find a reasonable reason for tearing down all what artists of all generations have been struggling for. The word “futurism” is a really eccentric word for whatever tendency the manuscript talks about. I think that the word “futurism” should represent progress and evolution of humanity and art. What the manuscript dictates is something absolutely not a list of principles that would take humanity and art to achieve progress and evolution, but all the contrary instead. Terms such as “scorn for women,” “violence,” “cruelty” and “ injustice” are things society fights and struggles everyday with. Because those things are bad situations. There is not even a little chance that people would accept something like this manifesto in their lives. Humanity is progress and evolution, a synonym for good, happier and easier, and art is a reflection of it.

Unit 5: Greek art

Greek art is one of the most beautiful and oldest manifestation of human feelings in the world. The fact that the tragedies, mysteries and taboos from Greek society were expressed in each piece of art is hard to digest all at once. From politicians, gods, goddesses, to ordinary people, Greek art showed that everything in the human world derives from art, feelings and beliefs. Although many cultures from superpower civilizations had conquered, transmitted and influenced great countries, there is no other like the Greek. As simply as it is, the Greeks not only created their own politics, literature, language and traditions, but their own type of art. I find Greek art as complicated as a human being. Its existence is pure and innocent at first, but it turns complex with the pass of the time. Love, passion, ambition, sacrifice and death happens. Some people say that Greek busts and pottery portrait the mythology and leaders only. What ii think is that busts and pottery, among other artistic creations from that time, show what human life is like. Greek art and mythology are pure manifestations of human beings.

Unit 5: Romanticism.

When romanticism approached people during the end of the eighteen century, they were somehow still influenced by the neoclassic era. What I think that happened, is that with the new rise of ideas of freedom, people wanted to be themselves pure as they could in literal and emotional aspects. So when the concept of freedom came to art, artists of all kinds felt the need to explore what they were really feeling and express it as deliberately as they could. Except when painting or writing about leaders. Because most of the paintings made during the romantic era where associated with heroic themes, leaders and courageous people where portrayed as something almost mythical. Perhaps that is why they called that tendency romanticism, artists tried to created something from nothing portraying their emotions as raw as possible, but at the same time, they gave their works an overthought and dreamy-like essence.  Though, when comparing prior art tendencies such as rococo and neoclassicism with romanticism, it can be said and noticed that romanticism turns to be the most crude and sincere kind of tendency ever adopted by society as a medium to express people’s feelings.

Unit 5: Neoclassicism.

I have come to believe that when humans do not know what else to do to express themselves, they just recycle whatever was used years and even centuries before. That is how I think that Neoclassicism rose from one second to the other. I find quite easy to believe that the Rococo era was a blast for all forms of art. What I do not find easy to digest is why people would choose to go back and take ancient Greek tendencies. It might be that I am saying this because the Rococo and Renaissance eras are the ones I like most. Rococo art was just a beautiful and almost magical representation of what the eighteen century was like. Rococo portraits would show their characters as immensely beautiful people in dreamlike places. Women would look like real life porcelain dolls and men as handsome as possible. On the other hand, neoclassicism brought back the coliseum like landscapes and disappeared the pastoral backgrounds. Everything was beautiful but simpler. So, I am not saying that Neoclassicism brought negative things to that era but, it was something not as progressive and evolutionary as I would have liked it to be.

Unit 5: Manifesto of Futurism.

When reading the “Manifesto of Futurism” is easy to understand the concept of what the writer(s) want art to be.  Sometimes it is easy to get tired of beautiful and perfect things, such as museums and libraries as the manuscript recall. But, from my point of view there is no justification to get rid of beautiful and perfect things, given that those are the most appreciated things to have a happy human life. From the beginning of the time for art, all kind of artists have been trying to organize, perfect and beautify all forms of art. So, I do not find a reasonable reason for tearing down all what artists of all generations have been struggling for. The word “futurism” is a really eccentric word for whatever tendency the manuscript talks about. I think that the word “futurism” should represent progress and evolution of humanity and art. What the manuscript dictates is something absolutely not a list of principles that would take humanity and art to achieve progress and evolution, but all the contrary instead. Terms such as “scorn for women,” “violence,” “cruelty” and “injustice” are things society fights and struggles everyday with. Because those things are bad situations. There is not even a little chance that people would accept something like this manifesto in their lives. Humanity is progress and evolution, a synonym for good, happier and easier, and art is a reflection of it.

Unit 4: The Content.

We have talked about the importance of many of the components of a painting or of a work or art but almost never of its content in specific. From my point of view, the content of a work of art is more important than its technique and style. The content is what makes people react to a work of art. In a movie, is the drama or the comic content what makes people enjoy or dislike it.  In other words, the content is what makes the audience react to a piece of art. When painting, playing or acting, your work as an artist is to firmly communicate your emotions, so anyone around your work can feel them to. That is emotional content. Clear examples of emotional content are the paintings made by the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. She transmitted her suffering to anyone that looked even for a second at one of her paintings. I believe that independently of admiring a painter’s technique, what really matters is his or her capability of making the audience feel something transmitted from his or her work. What makes possible a connection between the artist, the audience and the work, is the content. If a piece of art does not have any kind of content then the person that created it is not an artist at all.

Unit 4: Art and Gender.

As I have said many times before, because art is the purest expression of a human being, an artist’s work is a portrait of what he or she is. From my point of view, I do not see any difference between the does and don’ts of a specific genre. I believe that independently of being a man or a woman, whatever feeling passing through a person have the same effect. So, for me, both genres can do and feel the same things. Unfortunately, because of society’s taboos and social rules, most people think that men are different than women. A very long time ago it was established that men are stronger, more capable and have the right to do anything they wanted in comparison to women. Therefore, when interpreting the work made by a woman artist, critics would see and perceive different complements than a painting made by a man painter. A clear example of the importance of gender in art can be seen when comparing the two versions of “Susannah and the Elders” by Jacapo Tintoretto and Artemisa Gentileschi. It can be said that because Tintoretto is a man painter that lived during the fourteenth century, his version of the female character of the painting is somehow seductive but innocent, just as many men from that and this time usually see women. On the other hand, Gentileschi’s version portraits the female character in an anguish and discontent position. As a she is being molested by the old men and wanted them to stop. This last is I think, the most realistic version of Susannah’s situation, given that she is a woman and the painter can relate to the situation she is in. Also, I do not believe that any man or women would be acting seductive and innocent when they know that two old men and observing them with those kind of eyes. So, for me yes, gender takes a very important role in art. Men and women perceptions only differ because of society’s expectations, not because of a personal choice.

Unit 4: Formalist Criticism.

Although formalist criticism is somehow a very superficial way to interpret art, there is another possibility of understanding its point of view. Because formalist criticism do not look at the emotions, meaning and history of the paintings or arts of work, its interpretation of things are purely oriented by the technique, forms shapes and colors used in the works. It is hard to understand how formalist criticism intends to work with only the non-emotional elements of art when art is actually the expression of emotions. Art is the representation of whatever painters feel, live or see. That is the reason for a painter to paint. Emotions. So, when criticizing a piece of art from this perspective I cannot see the purpose why a person would bother to examine it. From my perspective, there is not a possible way for interpreting or criticizing art without feeling something each time an art work is displayed. People even associate forms, colors and textures with feelings that may give reference to a place, a situation or even a dream. Therefore, I personally think that when people try to criticize a painting from this point of view, they overlook what really art is and also, they try to stop being human, and that is something impossible.

Unit 4: The Meaning of the Abstract

When admiring an abstract painting, people is able to find a personal meaning or interpretation for the work. I believe that independently of all types of paintings, abstract works are very personal for the painter and for the audience. Although abstract paintings are sometimes symmetric and with different shapes and forms, the overall picture does not have a defined result. That is why painters like Clyfford Still and Carlo Carra got multiple critiques of their work. There is not a possible way that the public had a general concept of their paintings. Abstract painting is impossible to understand with general concepts, emotions and too much thinking. Abstract paintings are what they are that is all you can get from them. Abstract paintings are the union of colors, shapes and the direction of brushstrokes. These kind of art work does not even require people to think and search for Thea meaning. Instead, the meaning and sense of abstract paintings are found when the first glance is given to the painting. The effect that the colors, shapes and forms of the painting give to people is the real meaning of it. If a person associates bright blue with the sky or the ocean, the abstract painting would have a oceanic or heavenly effect in that person. For me abstract art is one of the most beautiful, personal and enjoyable types of painting. It is basically you.

Unit 4: Triumph of the Will

After watching an excerpt from the movie Triumph of the Will by Leni Riefenstahl, about the Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler’s “success,” it is possible to say that the audience can become very motivated by the promises and illusions made by the Nazi party.  Sadly, the movie has this effect in people only because of the special effects and the production of the movie. I believe this movie is an example of how naïve, unconscious and primal human beings are. This movie shows that human beings are very competitive and that is why they abuse and harm themselves in a psychological way. That is why perhaps, they proclaim to be the most mentally superior living beings in the whole universe, human beings have found their own weakness and that is their own minds. This movie made me realize that art has more influence in people than they would ever know. From speeches, poems, novels, and music to paintings and films, art can change people’s world in one second. This movie has awaken a part of me that made me become aware of how manipulative human beings are. With the movement of the camera, the background music and the special effects Triumph of the Will might have changed the perspective of a great amount of people toward the world and how to live with prosperity. This is how perhaps how we are still manipulated in mere 21st century.

Unit 4: Chris Burden's Shoot

When watching Chris Burden’s Shoot, there are three possible explanations for his work. The first one is that he wanted to express or show to the world the power and control of the human mind given that he volunteered to be shoot by his friend without showing any restraint, pain or panic when the shooting happened. The second reason is that he wanted to cause controversy and attention in order to get a wider public by showing and doing what almost no one in the world would never accept to do (harm themselves). The third possible reason to explain his work is that he felt the need to get shoot and experience the adrenaline and pain that being shoot inflicts in order to satisfy his artistic or personal demands. I understand that Burden experienced the Hippie, Disco and Rock & Roll movements all at the same time, and that those tendencies influenced him in an artistic way. What I do not understand is the reason why somebody would try to portrait a situation of personal danger. Pain has always been the “lover” of artists, but the concept that he uses to portrait whatever he feels (that for his presentation can be said that it is not pain), is not what art is like. From my perspective, whatever feeling or action portrayed in a work of art has to come from a natural medium, not something that you as an “artist” think and do. It is something that already occurred to you and you need to take out of your body and mind so you can live with a little bit more of peace. And, I do not think that being shoot purposely would give whatever kind of person you are a little bit of piece so you can live. At the end everybody is different in perspective and for matters of feelings and everything is respectable.

Unit 4: The Spirituality of Colors

After reading “The Royal Arts of Africa, The Majesty of Form” by Suzanne Preston Blier, the public is able to find and interpret art as something that goes far away from feelings and materials. The public is able to interpret art by its colors and forms in a spiritual way. The use of wood and bead to represent deities completely challenge the generalized representation of royalty and wealth. Given that Yoruba and Dahomey people use simple and natural materials to portrait the highest power in the earth for their culture, gives their art a more profound meaning when it is appreciated. Yoruba and Dahomey art show people that the importance of something is given by the value of that something itself. There is not necessity of showing precious rocks or exotic materials when the power of the colors themselves represent the importance of an object. Because Yoruba and Dahomey people assigned colors with their gods, saints, and royals, the use of any color and form would make people associate and connect with their spirituality and traditions. Thanks to this written work by Blier and to the Yoruba and Dahomey people, the perception of art and colors have a more profound impact in people who knows about it.

Unit 4: Un Chien Andalou

When watching Un Chien Andalou by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí, people is able to perceive almost immediately the surrealism of the movie. The way in which the scenes are shot and the concepts used to represent the most essential and controversial themes for humans as love, sexuality, pain and terror have a very good impact in the public. Though, the fact that surrealism is very difficult to understand when it is expressed by someone that is not you, makes the movie a little tedious and hard to watch at moments. The way in which the special effects and succession of scenes is accommodated may have had confused and altered the public, given that the movie remotes to the 1930’s when only the very “rebel” and rich people were the ones that paid to watch this kind of films, and they were repudiated by the “normal”  and “decent” people of society. People of the 21st century, now see surreal artists as Salvador Dali with admiration eyes. Though, I have to say, Un Chien Andalou would probably be a short film not well acclaimed because as everything that is surrealistic, people would not be able to find easily the meaning of the work unless the work was made by them, and people to the 21st century do not like something that is not easy to do or understand.

Unit 3: Contemporary photography

Thanks to technology and the demanding use of cellphones integrated with almost professional camera resolutions, contemporary photography is almost everybody’s thing.  If analyzed how accessible the use of photographic cameras became in a ten-year period, the technological progress can be compared with the integration of tablets in the world. Although classic and professional photography still important for society, the daily-life informal photography is what matters the most for everybody. Today photography is a way of communication and social status. With the use of social media applications and a smartphone, people is able to take pictures at the caliber of a professional photographer. The capture of food, fashion objects, landscapes and work out pictures are the most famous captions of interest all over the world. What makes these pictures interesting is the way in which people alter and modify their capture. A very new and current photographic tendency called “selfies” is, I think, one of the most influential artistic tendencies ever. It consist in taking a picture of yourself from certain angles that makes you look “you”. Today pictures can also be digitalized and edited immediately after being taken. People is able to adjust the light, contrast, shadow and even erase the so hated in the past “red eyes.” In my opinion, I can say that thanks to the digitalization of all forms of art, not only artists but all people can reach a way to express or in this case, capture whatever they want and can.  

Unit 3: Digital arts

As everything created by humans, all forms of art evolve continually with new technologies. The purpose of making even art easier made possible the existence of new tendencies. Thanks to digital arts, sculptors and painters can see their work finished and symmetrically perfect in their computers before painting or sculpting. Digital arts also contribute to the general economy with great impact. Today, the all kinds of sell strategies use of digital arts with advertising purposes. Today for big companies “the catchier the images, the richer you get” is their motto. Digital art has also established new types of fashion all over the world. The digital editing of classic paintings, the use of fluorescent colors and the making of different types of patterns for clothing make cultures constantly change all over the world. I think that with today’s graphic designers and all other types of digital artists, the world is in a constant art revolution. Digital arts are getting rid of the old.

Unit 3: Contemporary sculpture

Sculpture has become one of the most influenced forms of art by technology. With the invention of new digital techniques to create art in general, sculptors now have the opportunity to get their artworks perfectly symmetric and textured by different computerized programs. In other words, the sculpture of today’s world is more perfect than it probably was during any other time from the past. Also, the use of very easy-to-handle materials and carving machines and instruments have made the world a way easier for sculptors to work more than ever. New sculpting tendencies started to rise when digital art programs became accessible to everybody. The work made by Barry X Ball is a great example of what contemporary sculpture looks like. His work is a mixture of old and new sculpting techniques that make his works look new and classic at the same time. Ball’s busts are also representations of classical sculptures from around the world. Ball adds a touch of realism and texture to make the busts his. So, perhaps, as any other thing during this time, all forms of art are suffering a change where old techniques, works and themes are altered in order to fit in the new society.

Unit 3: Painting

When thinking about everything related to painting, most people would always picture a squared canvas with random colors, shapes and themes. Also, when visiting a museum or gallery, people would always find a painting that they like most. But the selection of this painting would almost always have to do with the theme, shapes and colors of the painting, and rarely with the texture and the space. Also, people almost never care about the type of materials and techniques used by the painters to create their works. Though, the materials and techniques are the most important factors of a painting, given that they define the nature of the work. The most known coloring materials used by painters are encaustic, fresco, tempera, oleo, watercolor, acrylic and ink. Each of these materials are worked with specific techniques with the same name. Additionally, the use of the coloring materials give distinct textures due to the ingredients used to create them. For example, oil is heavier than any of the other materials, but when it is applied on a canvas, the texture given as suave as the touch of the skin. From my experience, when thinking about texture, I prefer to use acrylic and oil given that I consider those two the most malleable but consistent materials to paint with on canvas.