Non-Western Art 2

African artists seem to have a different style than anything I’ve ever seen. They are vibrant and abstract and very appealing to the eye, at least for me. John Odoch-Ameny is a sculptor from Uganda. He uses wood or medal for his sculptures. I really like The Family he created from wood.

The Family, date unknown

 

Standing Lady, date unknown

Here is one of his metal sculptures and it contrasts quite alot from his wood sculpture. It seems rough and harsh instead of smooth and clean yet it is still a very interesting sculpture.

I like his works a lot but I am going to explore other african art for I dont know anything about it and it is beautiful in a mysterious way.

Non Western Art Post 1

Steal Drums or Pans are fascinating instruments developed in Caribbean Island of  Trinidad. These drums make distinct sound that is metallic and twangy. Listen to the below

Steal Drums are created from hammered steal that is concave in shape. The dents in the steal create individual notes like a regular instrument.

Closer Look at a Steal Drum

These instruments create the trademark and stereotypical sounds of the Caribbean. I personally would love to learn to play one for I love the unique sound they create.

Sources:

http://www.rhythmsofpieriansprings.com/?page_id=37

http://www.toucans.net

Food Art

Jim Victor is a sculptor of food whose works have been featured in many papers and magazines including the New York Times, Philadelphia and some are in the presidential library. His various sculptures are made from butter, chocolate, cheese and even vegetables. When he works with butter and chocolate he must do so in a freezer to prevent his media from melting.

Mother and Children by Jim Victor. 2010 This sculptures is made from butter

 

"David" as Surfer in Butter, 2010

Christel Assante of France  is another food artist that carves quail and goose eggs. Her works take her over 3 days to complete and are quite delicate.

Chouette, date created unknown, carved from egg by Christel Assante

Geisha, date unknown, by Christel Assante carved from egg

Jason Mecier from Los Angeles creates mosaic art using everything from candies and dried beans to cookies and noodles. He has no formal art training yet he has always loved mosaic art and decided to create his own. His subjects are always from pop culture and his art has become so popular that celebrities send him materials for him to make their portrait.

Grease, in beans and noodles. Date unknown by Jason Mecier

Carl Warner of Liverpool, England creates “Foodscapes” which are made from real food on a triangular table to give the image depth then he photographs the art.

Broccoli Forest by Carl Warner

 

 

Untitled by Carl Warner made from various fruits and vegetables

Untitled by Carl Warner made from various fruits and vegetables

All these works fit into my theme of food art because they are all made from food. I really like all these works because I love food. I especially love Carl Warner’s works for their depth and color. It amazes me that everything around us could potentially be created by food.

Early Modernism: Dorothea Lange

In Dorothea Lange’s photograph it is easy to see the connection to the Great Depression. The weary and hopeless face of the mother in the background is what I noticed first. The man in the fore ground still has hope and joy in his eyes, at least thats what I see. The title of this photo tells about what is going on. Drought refugees hoping for cotton work BLythe CA, 1936. This family is living in poor conditions typical of the Great Depression. They appear to be under a tent on boards. The child’s feet are dirty as are the hands of the man. It is clear the mattresses are thin as well. I like this photo quite a bit because of the way the sun shines behind the mother in a very angel like way. and the clear detail of tree and boards and lines of the man’s forehead. They all combine to create a striking image of life in the Great Depression.

Opinion on Impressionism

Impressionist art an important step in art history. It is the stepping stone for modern art, it was more abstract in nature and open for interpretation. For this reason I value and respect it but in general I have not strong feelings toward it or any other style of art. I don’t love it and I don’t hate it. I really like the color and texture within the paintings of Monet like his Haystacks (1890)

  I also like the people subjects in Renoirs      paintings they are incredibly beautiful and  colorful. I like the variation between these two  paintings. One is more abstract and interpretive  while the other is clear and smooth.

 

 

 

 

Compared to the other artistic styles Impressionism is definately more about the technique, visual effects and focused less on the subject matter. Unlike the still lifes of the baroque era, that focused on subject matter that had specific meanings and light and darkness within the paining.  Impressionism also did not include much for religious subjects nor portraits of important people like Renaissance era art. The paintings were also conveyed people realistically unlike the Mannerists who focused on nude subjects in awkward body positions.

All in all impressionism was very different from the other styles of art and I appreciate how it has contributed to modern art and its individuality but I really don’t feel strongly about it in any way.

 

The images above were taken from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/impressionism

Classical Era: Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata

Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata is actually the first movement of Piano Sonata No. 14 in C#minor “Quasi un fantasia” which means ‘almost a fantasy’. It is said that this piece is dedicated to one of his pupils Ciulietta Guicciardi whom he was in love with. This piece was composed in 1801.

Unlike other sonatas the Moonlight Sonata does not follow the traditional form of a sonata. It starts out slow not fast. Music Critic Paul Bekker says the slow movement in the beginning gives the work definite character from the beginning that could not be changed throughout the piece, Beethoven wanted a prelude not a proposition.

The first movement of the sonata leaves a powerful impression on my mind. The second movement is less haunting and more cheerful, changing form C#minor to C#major it is described by Franz Liszt as “a flower between two chasms” 

The last movement is a stormy comparison to the first two movements but it still hold the same key of C#minor as the first movement. It is fast, one of the most difficult pieces to play on the piano. It is so complex I am amazed that all that sound comes from one instrument and ten fingers only. Listen to it its incredible.

Classical era music is much different from early styles of music because it was simple, clear and elegant, at least comparatively to earlier styles. The middle-class called for this style and Beethoven’s style was incredibly popular. Beethoven was the first composer to remain freelance throughout his career. He supported himself by composing and performing for the public. He did have a few patrons however.

Beethoven, I consider to be the greatest composer, not for his musical compositions alone but because he was deaf for the last 15 years of his life and he continued to compose!

Baroque Art: Willem Kalf’s Still-Life with Late Ming Ginger Jar

Kalf’s Still life with a Late Ming Ginger Jar (1669) is an interesting still life portraying the prosperous Dutch merchant trading with Eastern Asia. It includes Venetian and Dutch fine glassware, a ginger jar from China, a dutch silver platter, a medeteranean peach, a half pealed lemon, all displayed on an indian floral rug. All these wares symbolize the the prosperity of Dutch trade.

Fruit is often displayed in still life art as a symbol for prosperity and abundance. Notice that Kalf includes two pieces of fruit among his objects.

Also note that the painting is arranged in the flowing triangular way of most still lifes.

I like the painting because of its rich color, dramatic lighting, and stunning detail it seems to be a paradigm piece for still life in the Baroque Era.

Renaissance Art: Birth of Venus

The Birth of Venus is a beautiful peice of art created by Sandro Botticelli in 1485. Botticelli was a rising artist during the Italian Renaissance. This work seems to be inspired by Poliziano’s poem of the Giostra .

…a young woman with nonhuman countenance, is carried on a conch shell, wafted to shore byplayful zephyrs; and it seems that heaven re-joices in her birth.

the Hours treading the beach in white garments, the
breeze curling their loosened and flowing hair;
their faces not one, not different, as befits sisters.

You could swear that the goddess had emerged
from the waves, pressing her hair with her right hand,

covering with the other her sweet mound of flesh; (1)

The zephyrs blowing Venus to shore.

 

Lorenzo de Medici was very swift to support this artist, and in fact Botticelli’s Birth of Venus was in the Medici villa in Castillo.

Botticelli seems to vary is style of art over his career as an artist. The Birth of Venus is one of his more flat paintings, with little linear perspective; compare it to his Costello Annunciation (1489):

I would not have recognized this painting as Botticelli’s. The depth of the the painting is incredible and the vibrant colors are so different from his Birth of Venus.

Bringing the Focus back to the Birth of Venus. Botticelli was Catholic, although this painting shows very pagan imagery. It was only due to the Medici’s power that this painting avoided distruction by the Catholic Church like some other of Botticelli’s pagan themed paintings.

Botticelli’s works also show a hint of mannerism with the nude figures and awkward body positions and proportions. Note Venus’ tilt to her sholder and long neck. It is suggested that Venus was modeled after the Venus de Medici marble statue.

I find the Birth of Venus an incredibly beautiful work of art. There is a lot of motion within the painting from the billowing cloak being handed to her, to her hair. Her hair is what attracts me most to this painting. The golden length and the way it blows in the breeze, I feel like I am actually in the painting. Her serene expression is one of love and understanding.

 

Resources

1) taken from http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/ARTH/arth213/botticelli_poliziano_birth_venus.htm)

http://www.arthistoryguide.com/The_Birth_of_Venus.aspx

http://www.botticellibirthofvenus.com/

Hello world!

This is me in Maui

My name is Meghan O’Leary and this summer I will be living in a dry cabin with no electricity. So all of my class assignments I will have to complete in an internet cafe. I will let you know how that goes. TTYL