Jose Clemente Orozco ~ Non-Western Part 2

Born in Jalisco, Mexico on November 23, 1883, Jose Clemente Orozco completed many paintings which expressed his point of view throughout his life. His paintings were very clear and detailed to many viewers of his work. Below is a self portrait of himself which was completed in 1946 during the Mexican Realism. He was a Mexican social realist painter.

[1]

Jose Clemente Orozco detailed his work because he wanted to show the truth by his paintings. He was politically active and he promoted many works that of peasants and workers. [2]

[3]

This painting is known as the Catharsis. It was completed in Mexico City, Mexico in 1934. As you can see by the painting, it resembles so much hurt, poverty, violence, and despair which the people were going through during the Mexican Realism period. Orozco put so much detail into his work, so that the viewer would be able to see all the emotions being expressed. This painting shows so much truth behind it when it is viewed closely. I like how Orozco showed the truth throughout his paintings and work.

There is a DVD based on Orozco’s life events. It is called Orozco: Man on Fire. [4] It is a documentary which emphasizes Orozco’s paintings and details which changed the way art and politics were seen during his lifetime. Orozco influenced many other artists by his work. Orozco also influenced President Roosevelt with the Mexican mural movement along with his colleagues Rivera and Siqueiros.

I chose to post about Jose Clemente Orozco because he was a strong individual who put so much truth into his paintings and mural artwork. Coming from a life of poverty was not easy for him. He worked hard to show what he wanted through his paintings. Not many artists create their work from life experiences and hardships like Orozco did.

Jose Clemente Orozco ~ November 23, 1883 – September 7, 1949

[1] http://www.wfu.edu/history/StudentWork/fysprojects/kmason/Orozco.htm

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Clemente_Orozco

[3] http://www.wfu.edu/history/StudentWork/fysprojects/kmason/CATH.htm

[4] http://www.paradigmproductions.org/films/orozco/?c=synopsis

Non-Western ~Noh~

When I first viewed Noh, I didn’t think it would be so dramatic with the masks and stories. It is fascinating to me because the masks and stories do relate to my Alaskan Native culture. I was very impressed with the spirits they correlated into the story.

[1]

This is a video that explains Noh. It is very useful to the person who doesn’t know what Noh is or about.

Noh is the oldest existing form of theater known to date. It started in the 14th century from the Chinese performing arts and the Japanese traditional dance. [2] They pass their knowledge of their culture from father to son and this goes back for many generations. I like the way they pass on their culture because in Alaskan Native culture it is very similar.

Did you know that Noh means ability or skill in English? When the performance is occurring, you will get a very good glimpse of the actor or actress performing their character part in the story. Very impressive of how the actor/actress utilize their skills and abilities in the performance play.

There are five types of Noh performances and characters such as gods, warriors, beautiful women, various figures, and demons are always included. These characters make up the play and do emphasize the performance significantly.

  [3]

These are masks that are used in performances associated with Noh. When the actor uses them, they cannot visually see what they doing because there are no eye holes for them to see out of. The stage they work on has four pillars, so the actors must be fully aware of this while performing. These masks are from the Edo Period (1600-1867) and are currently on display at the Pitt Rivers Museum in the United Kingdom.

I chose Noh to share because the stories do sort of resemble Alaskan Native culture stories. I am Alaskan Native and I heard similar stories which relate to Noh, but I have never seen it actually played out. It would be a great experience to see a Noh performance in person.

[1] http://amtf200.community.uaf.edu/2009/04/24/japanese-theatre/

[2] https://classes.uaf.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_122654_1%26url%3D

[3] https://classes.uaf.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_122654_1%26url%3D

Technology Improvement throughout Art ~ Virtual Exhibit

Technology has improved drastically over the years since the internet was developed. Computers went from boxes to flat screens. Cellular phones now include internet plus they don’t have the numbers on them like they used to, they’re on the screen. As of today, internet is used basically everywhere including public and private schools, the banking system, and in our own homes.

[1]

This is a 3-D chalk drawing done by Julian Beever. It was completed on the Strand in the city of Westminster, London, England on June 27, 2007. Anamorphic illusions are drawn in a special distortion in order to create an impression of 3 dimensions when seen from one particular viewpoint. [2] You obviously can tell the drawing of the laptop resembles the technology theme I am incorporating. I enjoy looking at Beever’s 3D Artwork because they are drawn publicly in chalk and they are just fascinating to look at just because of the use of technology. Beever’s chalk Artwork erases after it rains.

 [3]

This is a second painting done by Julian Beever. It is of the Times Square at the Time Square in New York City, New York and was completed on March 7, 2010. This is my favorite among Beever’s chalk artwork because of the famous Times Square with all the technology it has. This piece is fascinating because it actually looks like the child is looking down from the high building in Times Square.

Julian Beever was an born in Cheltenham, UK  in 1959. While growing up he attended state schools and studied Art at Leeds Met. University in UK. Beever is known as “the Pavement Picasso”.

[4]

This is a drawing of the famous Princess Diana. Beever actually did this pastel chalk drawing as a tribute to her life. It was drawn in Zurich, Switzerland on September 29, 2008. Not too long after, Beever started drawing 3D chalk artwork in various places around the world. Princess Diana was known as a natural leader who helped many third class countries. Many children learn about her by the basis of technology.

This is a drawing of the famous Princess Diana. Beever actually did this pastel chalk drawing as a tribute to her life. It was drawn in Zurich, Switzerland on September 29, 2008. Not too long after, Beever started drawing 3D chalk artwork in various places around the world. Princess Diana was known as a natural leader who helped many third class countries. Many children learn about her by the basis of technology.

[5]

This is one fascinating painting done by Kurt Wenner. It is called the “Herald Square Celebration” and was created in Rome, Italy in March of 2008. The painting was used to celebrate the 500^th year for the Buick motor company. Oh how technology is used in motor vehicles as well to this day.

[6]

This is another drawing that Kurt Wenner did for the Buick Company. It was created at the Grand Central Station in Washington, DC a couple years ago. This resembles a 3D image of the Buick Lacrosse car, even though the car isn’t actually there. Beautiful 3D pastel drawing!

[7]

This is Kurt Wenner’s 3D pastel artwork from the Chevy event in Las Vegas, Nevada. Such fascinating 3D effects which Wenner created just from pastel artwork. It makes a person not want to step down because they are afraid to fall, when actually this is just drawn on pavement.

Kurt Wenner was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan on June 22, 1971. He is an American Artist who is known for his invention of 3D pavement art and street painting. Wenner attended Art school at the Art Center College of Design and Rhode Island School of Design.

[1] http://www.julianbeever.net/images/phocagallery/gallery/portable-i.jpg

[2] http://www.julianbeever.net/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=categories&Itemid=7

[3] http://www.julianbeever.net/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=category&id=2&Itemid=8

[4] http://www.julianbeever.net/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=category&id=3&Itemid=9

[5] http://kurtwenner.com/pavement_gallery_3.html

[6] http://kurtwenner.com/galleries/pavement/pavement_3/pages/StreetPaintingGallery3.004.htm

[7] http://kurtwenner.com/galleries/pavement/pavement_4/pages/StreetPaintingGallery4.018.htm

Early Modern ~ Dada & Federal Arts Project

After World War I, a new art movement known as Dada was created by artists. Dada meant yes-yes in German. It was a group of artists who felt that tradition initiated the war and they felt that tradition should no longer be followed, but it was to be rejected. They then created their own style and their art relied heavily upon chance. Depicting reality was no longer an issue for the artists.

Francis Picabia (French, 1879–1953) Dada Movement [1]

This is a drawing done by French Artist Francis Picabia. It basically represents the changes which occurred during this time. Not only did changes involve artwork, it also involved the development of new electronic devices such as the television and radio broadcasting.

I found the Dada group fascinating because they basically created themselves after World War I occurred. They blamed the war on tradition and from that they initiated a new movement toward their style of artwork.

After World War I was over and done with, United States of America artists were basically unemployed and very poor. This was the time after the Great Depression as well. President Roosevelt developed the “New Deal” which involved the Federal Arts Project. [2] This was a program which was federally funded that employed artists to complete artwork and the artwork would be shown in public places such as post offices and court houses.

William Schwartz, “River Boat and Bridge” 1938 [3]

Schwartz was employed by the Federal Arts Project during this time. This mural painting is hanging at a post office in Pittsfield, IL.

I particularly liked the Federal Arts Project during this time. If former President Roosevelt didn’t initiate the project for the arts, maybe the art world would have crashed completely.

The Dada group and the Federal Arts Project were both created after World War I. They both created a new view toward the art world, although they were in two different countries at the time. One group, the Dada, was created by artists themselves and the other, Federal Arts Project was created by the U.S. government in order to help the artists with employ-ability.

[1] http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=35993

[2] http://vickeyk.hubpages.com/hub/Art_and_WPA_A_Vanishing_Heritage

[3] http://vickeyk.hubpages.com/hub/Art_and_WPA_A_Vanishing_Heritage#slide87224

Impressionism – Mary Cassatt, Claude Monet

There were a few women artists during this time period and Mary Cassatt was one of them. Although she didn’t have any children of her own, her subjects were mostly that of the bonding between a mother and a child. Mary mostly worked indoors.

Mary Cassatt, The Bath, 1890-91 [1]

This painting is of a mother who is washing her child. As you can tell, the people of this time didn’t have running water, as the mother is giving her child a sponge bath. This painting was completed during the Impressionism and it doesn’t look fully complete. Many paintings during this time did not look complete or finished, which is why this time was given the term Impressionism. Looking at this painting from a distance looks like a photograph to me.

The painting of the boat below is the work of Claude Monet. He was known as the “Father of Impressionism”. The way he painted the painting below initiated a writer to call him an “impressionist.” The term impression eventually stuck and lend to an Impressionism time for other artists as well.

Claude Monet, Impression, Sunrise 1872  [2]

To me, the Impression, Sunrise painting by Claude Monet does in fact look like it isn’t finished yet. His use of brush strokes to complete the painting was unique. Claude Monet worked outdoors completing landscapes for majority of his paintings. When observing the painting for quite some time, it made me feel like I am in a dream or a cartoon picture.

Some of the paintings during this Impressionism time did not look complete, maybe because of the clarity of the colors or the sharpness of the painting. My favorite among all the paintings during this time, was the Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet. It is my favorite because it takes me into a day-dream, which makes the painting unique in it’s own little way.

[1] http://robinurton.com/history/impressionism2.htm

[2] http://robinurton.com/history/impressionism.htm

Art and Scientific Discovery 1700s : Classical Era

Sir Issac Newton is by far considered the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived. [1] He realized that the same things that made objects move and fall on Earth, was the same thing that made the planets go around the sun. This is known as gravity. Issac Newton is the creator of the three laws of motion. The first two laws include physics which involve motion, either at rest or with force. The third law is for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Newton lived in a time when people were striving for new ideas, they were hungry for knowledge which made this period a classical one.

“Church in the Meadows” Bavaria – Rococo style

Dominikus Zimmermann was the person who designed the church seen above in the picture. He was an architect and his work was completed in 1754. [2]

Rococo painting represents the visual portion when new ideas of human existence came about. [3] Much of the colors that were used for the paintings were pastel and they included emphasis on pleasure. The paintings were very similar to the architecture during the 1700s. From Rococo style, a new form of style was developed known as the Neoclassical style.

The Interrupted Sleep, 1750
François Boucher (French, 1703–1770) [4]

This is a Rococo panting done by Francois Boucher. Boucher is known to reinvent the pastoral form of painting. He included the landscape with individuals who enacted scenes of love which had close resemblances with comic operas. Opera theater was still very popular during this era.

Art and scientific discovery during this classical period were very interesting to me. After Newton discovered the gravity direction, it seemed everyone wanted to know more and more about everything else. In music, the piano was invented to add to operas as well. Inventions of new things started to develop, as well as the traveling and discovery of where America is today.

[5]

This is a supplementary video clip of the piano. The invention of this “new” musical device during this period sparked new interests and ideas for music as well as opera during this time. I feel that through the work of new scientific discoveries, development of art and music sparked a hunger for knowledge among everyone. I particularly liked the invention of the piano because it does make music sound better. As for the paintings during the era, the pastel coloring gives them a brighter look and understanding.

[1] http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Isaac_Newton#encyclopedia

[2] http://www.worldisround.com/articles/32608/index.html

[3] http://www.huntfor.com/arthistory/c17th-mid19th/rococo.htm

[4] http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/49.7.46

[5] http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=63snnLQqBLQ

Baroque Era – Antony van Leeuwenhoek

“. . . my work, which I’ve done for a long time, was not pursued in order to gain the praise I now enjoy, but chiefly from a craving after knowledge, which I notice resides in me more than in most other men. And therewithal, whenever I found out anything remarkable, I have thought it my duty to put down my discovery on paper, so that all ingenious people might be informed thereof.” [1]

Antony van Leeuwenhoek discovered bacteria during the Baroque era and this opened doors for the medical world drastically. He learned to make magnifying lenses after seeing illustrations from the book Micrographia by experimental scientist Robert Hooke. With the magnifying lenses, Antony invented the microscope. (He was credited for the microscope along with Zacharias Jansen and Robert Hooke.) [2]

Bacteria was first discovered from Antony’s plague from his very own teeth. Looking through the microscope he discovered the live bacteria which was similar to seeing fish swim in a river. From this discovery, I think many people started to care for themselves in a healthier way. With the microscope, medicine was developed in order to kill the live bacteria in which a person would die of during the Baroque era. Antony was like a hero because this discovery allowed people to study scientific matter which cannot be seen by the human eye. This allowed many others to become educated as well.

The picture to the right is that of Anthony’s microscope. He created over 500 styles of microscopes. Only a few of them have survived to this day. It took patience and knowledge of how the microscope was used.

The discovery of bacteria, blood and sperm cells lead to many other discoveries that of the human body, plants, and animals. Who couldn’t be more thankful for the invention of a vaccine that would save your life, if you were to get sick. The microscope is still used to this day and by utilizing it, determinations are made to what type of illnesses are out there and how they are being treated.

I am very happy for this discovery of the microscope. Antony van Leeuwenhoek was a very hard working man who craved for knowledge. He had the patience to show the royal society this development during the Baroque era and they most likely funded for more experiments and discoveries.

People like Antony van Leeuwenhoek are very successful. They like to learn more and with their knowledge they expand to those who do not have the knowledge. His character is what many more people should have as of today. I am thankful for this breakthrough in medical history.

[1] http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/leeuwenhoek.html

[2] http://www.physics.umd.edu/courses/Phys106/rolston/Lectures/Lec28.pdf

Lavinia Fontana – Renaissance Blog

Holy Family with Saint John [1] by Lavinia Fontana (1552-1614)

This is a painting done by Lavinia Fontana. Lavinia Fontana was a female artist painter during the Italian Renaissance. She was also known as a Mannerist Artist because of her support of the arts during the 1500s.

Mannerism evolved from the the late 1500s and lasted until the early 1700s. During this time, many artists were able to paint whatever they pleased to, not just religious icons. A lot of paintings during this time, were portraits that of important or famous people.  “The word mannerism derives from the Italian maniera, meaning “style” or “manner”.” [2]        I think people like Lavinia Fontana painted because they wanted others such as us to see their style of artwork, as well as their use of color.

Before women like Lavinia Fontana and Sofonisba Anguissola were able to do such things like painting, women were treated differently than men because they were expected to stay at home. After the Sack of Rome during 1527, a lot of economic changes occurred and these changes provided women the ability to find a job besides just staying at home. “Some historians think that the sack of Rome marked the end of the Renaissance altogether.” [3]

The Catholic Church had so much influence to why there was an Italian Renaissance. Another church known as the Protestant Church evolved out of the Catholic Church because of Protestant reformers Luther and Calvin. Both Luther and Calvin initiated a new chapter for people’s lives who did not agree completely with the Catholic Church during this reformation. “Calvin believed that the church should not be subject to the state, or vice versa.” [4] This created many people to think twice about what rights they were justified to. After the reformation, women were more freely and capable to perform jobs or go after careers they were finally entitled to.

[1] http://www.mystudios.com/women/fghij/fontana_holy_family.html

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannerism

[3] http://salempress.com/store/samples/great_events_from_history_renaissance/great_events_from_history_renaissance_rome.htm

[4] http://www.theopedia.com/John_Calvin