Non-Western. WEEK 8

Frida Kahlo

The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Me, and Senor Xolotl

1949

Oil on canvas

Collection of Jorge Contreras Chacel, Mexico City

~Born July 6 1907, Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter who is best known for her self portraits. Kahlo gave her birth date as July 7, 1910, because she wanted the year of her birth to coincide with the year of the beginning of the Mexican revolution so that her life would begin with the birth of modern Mexico. Her birth certificate however says otherwise. Mexican tradition is important in her work, and it was sometimes characterized as naive art or folk art. Her work has also been described as “surrealist.” She was married to the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera and suffered life long health problems. She died July 13, 1954 at the age of 47, and stated: “I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.” “I was born a bitch. I was born a painter.”

~I had a hard time finding information about the work itself, but she had 143 different works of art. She is most known and famous for her self portraits. She is influenced by her Mexican culture, which is what inspired her towards this work of art. I enjoy art that is inspired by culture. I think culture is amazing, and being knowledgeable about your culture and willing to pass it on is even more amazing. I am always interested and down to learn about any type of culture. This painting resembles so much; love, the earth, herself. I think it is beautiful that she has something she can look at and know that it has true meaning, and that someone else can look at it and read the title and learn it has true meaning. I think her work is awesome.

Works Cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_Kahlo

https://classes.uaf.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp

Non-Western. Blog #7.

Jose Clemente Orozco

Modern Human Sacrifice

Panel 18 of The Epic of American Civilization
1932-34

Fresco

~Jose Clemente Orozco, born November 23, 1883, was a Mexican social realist painter. He specialized in bold murals that established the Mexican Mural Renaissance. He was the most complex of the Mexican muralist, and was very fond of the theme of human suffering. He was influenced by symbolism and was also a genre painter. Orozco painted murals in Mexico City, Orizaba, Claremont, California, New York City, Hanover, New Hampshire, Guadalajara, Jalisco and Jiquilpan, Michoacan. His drawings and painting are exhibited by the Carrillo Gil Museum in Mexico City, and the Orozco workshop Museum in Guadalajara. He was known for being a politically committed artist, promoting the political causes of peasants and workers. He passed away September 7, 1949 at the age of 65.

~Modern Human Sacrifice is the 18th panel on the mural of The Epic of American Civilization. This mural was painted in the reserve corridor of Baker Library sometime between 1932 and 1934 by Orozco. The mural is composed of twenty-four individual panels or “scenes” of a complex and compelling narrative that covers history of the Americas from the migration of the Aztecs into Central Mexico to the development of our modern industrialized society. The mural covers 3,200 square feet. This is one or Orozco’s greatest works, and is counted as an example of one of the most finest mural paintings in this country.

~I chose this mural because I really enjoy art that has a lot of meaning behind it. Don’t get me wrong, I think that all artists put meaning into their work, but this mural tells a story of what happened in the past which I enjoy viewing and learning about. I also like the fact that it is a mural, and that it is broken up into sections, and each panel has its own story. I like the vibrant colors in this panel, and I also like the fact that the scene is very easy to connect to, because human sacrifices are taken very seriously and respected. I think Orozco is a good artist, and I enjoyed learning about is very popular mural, which I myself wold love to view some day.

Works Cited:

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

http://hoodmuseum.dartmouth.edu/collections/overview/americas/mesoamerica/murals/

A Contemporary Virtual Exhibit.

How the Eye Perceives Things.

   

Victor Vasarely

Felhoe

 1989

Medium: Hand Painted Acrylic On Wood Sculpture

 

Victor Vasarely

Tsikos – C (Stripes – C)

1989

Medium: Oringal Cast Paper Serigraph

 

Victor Vasarely

The Golfer

1977

Medium: Original Color Serigraph

~Born April 9, 1906, Victor Vasarely was a Hungarian French artist whose work is generally seen aligned with Op-art. He was into medical studies, but decided to leave that behind and get into traditional academic painting at the private Podolini-Volkmann Academy. Vasarely left Hungary and settled in Paris working as a graphic artist. Vasarely eventually went on to produce art and sculpture mainly focused around areas of optical illusion. He developed his style of geometric abstract art and worked in various materials but used minimal number forms and colors. Vasarely died March 15, 1997 at the age of 90.

~Felhoe relates to my theme (how the eye perceives things) because when you view the art work, your eyes see it as popping out at you. Each time I look at it, I view it going in a different direction, and I notice different parts pooping out like I can touch them. I like Vasarely’s work, and I like this one in particular because even though it is simple, it is unique in the way that anyone can look at it, and see it differently. I look at it and see different parts coming out, coming alive, and making me feel like I should reach out and grab it. I enjoy that. Tsikos – C (Stripes – C) is my favorite work by Vasarely. It fits into my theme because even though my eyes see it as two zebras kissing, someone else’s eyes may see it as two zebras fighting. I like how the lines on the zebras and how the zebras themselves wrap around each other. It makes my eyes go crazy. To me I see two zebras kissing, which mean they are in love, which I find so sweet. (: The Golfer fits into my theme because at first glance, my eyes do not perceive this figure as a golfer. I see a blob, like flubber. After glancing a few times I notice he is in position getting ready to hit the ball, maybe with his face slightly covered. I like this peice of work because of the colors and of the squares. My eyes are instantly drawn to the shape of the figure, and I like that I have to study it to figure out what is going on.

 

 

Bridget Riley

Ease

1987

 

Bridget Riley

Composistion with Circles

1998

 

Bridget Riley

Red Dominance

1997

~Born April 24, 1931, in London, Bridget Riley spent her childhoo in Cornwall and Lincolnshire. She studied art at Goldsmiths College and later at the Royal College of Art. Her work is also known as Op- art, and presents a variety of geometric forms that produce sensations of movement and color. Her work was said to induce sensations in viewers as seasickenss and sky diving. She started out painting black and white, and then moved to various colors. She was inspired by colorful hieroglyphic decoration. She is now rocking the age of 80, and still expresses her many talents through painting, drawing, and sculpture. She is known for really big and overwhelming pieces.

~Ease fits in with my theme because it makes your eyes go in cirlces. I feel dizzy when I view this painting. The bold shapes go together like puzzle pieces. I like this painting because of the bright colors, and that it makes me eyes move all around and my head spin. It draws me in and keeps me interested. Composition with Circles fits in my theme because your eyes get the impression that the circles are moving. I like this piece because whether it is blown up huge across a wall, or small on a piece of paper, the circles still look like they are moving. I find myself looking all over the drawing when I am studying it. Red Dominance is one of my favorites by Riley. It fits in with my theme because again, your eyes get the impression that this peice is moving. Each time I look at it, I see it moving in a different direction. I like the color of the peice, I always think of pixie sticks, because of the colors and length. There is actually more to this peice, it would not all fit. There is Blue Dominance, Red Dominace, and Green Dominance. When you view them all side my side, everything seems like it is moving. I enjoy that, even though I get a little bit dizy. It keeps me interested.

 

Works Cited:

http://nadav.harel.org.il/Bridget_Riley/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridget_Riley

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Vasarely

https://classes.uaf.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_1_1

Early Modern.

Dorothea Lange.

Migrant Mother.

February/March 1936

Photograph during the Great Depression.

~The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. In most countries it started in 1929 and lasted until the late 1930’s. The Great Depression was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century. The depression originated in the U.S. It started with the crash of the stock market and lead to devastating effects in every country, rich and poor. Tax revenue, profits, prices, and personal income dropped, and international trade dropped by more than 50%. Unemployment rose, construction came to a halt, and  farming and rural area suffered as crop prices fell by 60%.

 ~Dorothea Lange was an influential American documentary photographer and photojournalist. She is best known for her Depression era work for the Farm Security Administration. Migrant Mother is Lange’s best-known picture. The woman in the photo is Florence Owens Thompson.

“I saw and approached the hungry and desperate mother, as if drawn by a magnet. I do not remember how I explained my presence or my camera to her, but I do remember she asked me no questions. I made five exposures, working closer and closer from the same direction. I did not ask her name or her history. She told me her age, that she was thirty-two. She said that they had been living on frozen vegetables from the surrounding fields, and birds that the children killed. She had just sold the tires from her car to buy food. There she sat in that lean-to tent with her children huddled around her, and seemed to know that my pictures might help her, and so she helped me. There was a sort of equality about it.”    –Dorothea Lange.

~I think Dorothea Lange is brilliant. Her photos are breath-taking. Migrant Mother is my favorite photo she took. It hurts my heart to look at it and imagine what people went through during The Great Depression. Lange also took more moving pictures, and because her images were so obviously critical the Army impounded them. It is inspiring how much a photo can tell some one. “A picture is worth 1000 words.” I completely agree. You can see the sadness and the worry in the mothers eyes, and in several of the other photos Lange took . She is an amazing photographer, and is very inspiring. I am truly blessed that I do not have to go through what these unfortunate people did. Lange is my favorite photographer of this time. I like that I am able to get a sense of what people then had to deal with, all through her pictures, without ever having to live it.

Works Cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_Lange

Romantic Era.

Claude Monet.

Impression Sunrise.

1872.

Medium: Oil on Canvas.

Created: Musee Marmottan, Paris.

~Impressionism was a 19th century art movement, which originated with a group of  Paris-based artists. Characteristics of Impressionist painting include small, thin, but visible brush strokes, open compostition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light and its changing qualities, common and ordinary subject matter, the inclusion of movement, which is a crucial element of human perception, and unusal visual angles.

~Claude Monet was the most prolific of the Impressionists and the one who embodies their aesthetic most obviously. This is one of my favorite Impressionist paintings. I get the feeling that the boat is moving at a slow smooth pace into the sunrise. The colors are very beautfiul, and oil on canvas is my favorite time of medim. I like the impression of movement the artist gives off. This painting makes me think peace, harmony and silence.

~I personally enjoy Impressionism. I am so new to all of these different types of artwork, and I enjoy learning about every single one of them. I am certainly not picky. I like the fact that the artists is trying to get a perfecet diction of light and its changing qualities, and I like that the artist is trying to give off the impression of movement. I find all of that very beautiful in this type of artwork, and I like the peace it brings to me when I am viewing the different paintings.

Alfred Sisley.

Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne.

1872.

Created: Unknown.

Loacaion: Metropolitan Musem of Art, New York.

~This is another Impressioist painting I really enjoy. Sisley is known as a French born English Impressionist landscape painter. My favorite feature about this painting is that I get the impression that the clouds are moving. The location is beautiful, and is somewhere I would want to visit! I find it marvolous that an aritst can make the public feel like they belong in their painting. The whole area looks clean and calm and beautiful. I should be floating along in that boat! (:

Henri Roussueau.

The Centenary of Independence.

1892.

Medium: Oil on Canvas.

Created: Unknown.

Current Location: Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

~Post-Impressionism is a term coined by the Britsh artist and art critic Roger Fry. Post-Impressionists extended Impressionism while rejecting its limitations. They continued using vidid, loud colors and thick application of paint. They used distinctive brush strokes and real-life subject matter, but there wre more inclince to emphasize geometric forms. to distort form for expressive effect, and to use unnatura or arbituary color.

~I personally do not have anything critical or negative to say about Impressionism nor Post-Impressionism. I enjoy them both. I really like the paiting above because of the loud colors. They scream at you! I like how everything jumps off of the page and you are drawn to the thick lines and curvy shapes. This paining is not as soft and calm feeling as the last two, but I enjoy variety! I do not have a specific preference, I am very open minded about both types. I do very much like the fact that Impressionist know how to bring one at peace, but I also like the fact that Post-Impressionist know how to grab your attention! I enjoyed learning and experiencing both types! (:

 Works Cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressionism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet,_Impression,_soleil_levant,_1872.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sisley-Bridge_at_Villeneuve-la-Garenne.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Henri_Rousseau_007.jpg

Classical Era.

Francois Boucher

The Toilet of  Venus

Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Created: Unknown

Year: 1751

~Rococo originated in the decorative arts, but the style showed clearly in painting. Rococo style painters use delicate colors and curving forms. They decorate their canvas with myths of love. Some works showed a sort of naughtiness or impurity in the behavior of the artists subjects. Middle class began to rise with a more classy and elegant sort of art work.

~I love the smoothness and elegance of this photo. You can see the different curves and shapes of each subjects body. The colors are light and not overwhelming. There is not a lot going on in the picture which I like, but each subject and object has a lot of little detail that stands out with the different colors. There is some naughtiness to this photo; they are nude. They are not completely exposed which I like, it’s more of the viewer is left to ponder what is being hidden.

~There were also similar photos to this one. I think the public likes that the photo is not completely inappropriate or  made to make the view uncomfortable. When I first was reading and learning about these forms of paintings, I read that they tend to be naughty, so I had no idea what to expect. This however was not over the top, thank goodness. I think they public likes the elegance in the photo, and that there are also similar photos to this is. It is original and unique, but not to the point where it is abstract.

Works Cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rococo

Baroque Era.

Gerard Van Honthorst

Frederick V, Elector Palantine

Location: Kurpfalzisches Museum der Stadt Heidelberg

Created: Heidelberg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Deutshland

Year: 1634

~This photo was influenced by the thirty year war. Frederick V, Elector Palatine was the King of Bohemia. The Bohemians hinted toward Fredrick that he would become king of Bohemia if he allowed them to join the union and come under his protection. They were joined in revolt shortly after by upper Austria, and lower Austria revolted soon after that, and were lead to the walls of Vienna by Count Thurn in 1619.

~The portrait was painted two  years after his death. He was called the “winter king” of Bohemia because he reigned for less than three months in 1620. A rebellious Protestant faction in 1619 installed him into power, and he resigned for just over a year in all. In this portrait, the king is shown wearing the rarely-seen Crown of St. Wenceslas, and other Boheminan Regalia.

~I really like this self portrait. He looks like a badass, and the fact that he is a king makes the portrait that much better. The medium is oil paint, and the colors throughout are ravishing. I like the stance he holds, he seems like he is a very confident, well respected man. I like the fact that he is wearing high class clothing with defined detail. He looks powerful, and the fact that this image can be portrayed to through to the reader is awesome. One of the first things that comes to mind when I view this portrait is power. Oil painting is one of my favorite types of mediums.

Works Cited:

https://classes.uaf.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_60839_1%26url%3D

Italian Renaissance.

David Donatello

Bronze David

Location: Bargello Museum, Florence

Year: 1430

~I was really drawn to the Medici family when learning about the Italian Renaissance! I loved that they spent their wealth to create the worlds most beautiful city, (which is now on my bucket list to view!) and to build the largest library in Europe! Since Florence became the central city of Europe, and was known as an art center and cradle of New Humanism, many Greek sources were brought in. A major artist who became successful and known thanks to the Medici family was David Donatello, a very talented man known for sculpting.

~I enjoy viewing his sculptures because they are simple yet detailed. I feel that each sculpture has meaning behind it, and it is magnificent to me. Bronze David is Donatello’s most famous work. At the time of his creation, it was the first known standing nude sculpture. One thing that really strikes me is that no one thought of this as weird or out of the ordinary; it was appreciated. It was also the first major work of Renaissance sculptures. He started a new trend of nude standing sculptures!

~The fact that this sculpture is nude is what is beautiful to me. I love how he was so comfortable with being different and expressing himself. All of his sculptures have define detail and are realistic. I enjoy his art work very much.

Works cited:

http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/renaissance/medici.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donatello

A picture of me! (:

This is me and my boyfriend in Hawaii! We went for Christmas break and had a fantastic time. Hawaii definitely beats Alaska winters! (:

Hello world!