Japanese Art

Ukiyo Style

The Ukiyo-e style spanned from the 17^th to the 19^th century. In Japanese Ukiyo means “pictures of the floating world”. This style was popular in Japan and arose out of Edo during the Edo Period, which was from 1615-1868. Edo is in the place that is today known as Tokyo. This period was aided by the addition of the prints in 1765, which would form single prints with a wide range of colors.

This style consists of wood block prints and paintings. The theme of these pieces ranged, from female beauties, sumo wrestlers, to erotica. There were also many paintings done focused around busy scenes, such as historical events, of folktales. Landscapes were also common.

These pieces were popular amongst the merchant class as they began to rise up during this time period. They were now able to afford these paintings for purpose of decorating their homes. Edo was a highly populated city that was very diversified. That is why this style is so remarkable in my opinion.

Okumuru Masanobu

Okumuru Masanobu was born in  1686 and died in 1764. Very little was known of his early life and there are lots of mysteries about where he learned his skill set. It is thought that he was self-taught and did not learn under anyone to learn the skills that he did. Despite his independent study, Masanobu became a leading figure in the Ukiyo style of art. He was a book publisher, print designer, and painter. He was born in Edo and raised there making art pieces in a variety of mediums.

Morita-za

Morita-za by Okumuru Masanobu

Morita-za by Okumuru Masanobu is an excellent example of Ukiyo style in Japan. The origin of this piece and the date are unknown. This piece is a depiction of everyday life and is very busy. It is a prime example of Ukiyo Style which focuses on folk tales and daily life. I choose this piece because of the insane detail. Although the people are similar they are all uniquely different. They all wear different colors and hold different poses and facial expressions. I loved that within this piece a million stories could be told. I thought of the fact that each of these people had their own lives, goals struggles, yet together they form this beautiful sea of people. Above them are these lanterns, each detailed and perfectly hanging in place.

Shibai Uki-e

Shibai Uki-e by Okumuru Masanobu

Shibai Uki-e by Okumuru Masanobu was created sometime between 1741-1744 but it is hard to know when exactly for sure.. This piece did remind me of the piece above except the colors were much more vibrant. In this piece the colors showed, power, extravagance, and controlled the painting. This painting is very busy and full of contrast. I love this piece because the colors seem to fight each other on the page. There are as many people as the previous painting yet they seem as busy as the background, drawing more attention to the piece as a whole than to the individuals.

Ando Hiroshige

Ando Hiroshige was born in 1797 and lived until 1858. He was raised in a samurai background. When his father died, he was handed the job of fire prevention at the Edo Castle. This was a relatively easy job that left him a lot of free time. This free time led to an opportunity for him to refine his art style. He is best known for landscapes, and his interpretive pictures of flowers and birds. He was a known figure in Ukiyo style. In fact, his death marked a decline of Ukiyo-e genre of art work.

Evening Snow at Kanbara

Evening Snow at Kanbara by Ando Hiroshige

Evening Snow at Kanbara by Ando Hiroshige was created in 1834. This piece is a woodblock print composed of ink and color on paper. This piece is representative of the Ukiyo Style. I choose this one because it did remind me of Japanese art but there was part of it that surprised me. When I think about Japan I do not commonly think of snow, and this other side of that land that culture was very interesting. I found the use of color in this piece interesting. Rather than being over bearing or extreme, there is minimal color which raises the significance of each thing that is colored. The people appear weighed down and dreary. The mountain and snow to the left seems to be arching in on the people, and is jagged and scary. There is something to be said about the overbearing fear of the landscape.

Kinryusan Temple at Asakusa

Kinryusan Temple at Asakusa by Ando Hiroshige

Kinryusan Temple at Asakusa by Ando Hiroshige was created in 1856. It is part of a series titled On Hundred Famous Views of Edo. This was created during the Edo period and is an excellent depiction of the Ukiyo style. This piece is a woodblock print comprised of ink and color on paper. I choose this piece because of the attention to small detail. The ink marks in the trees and the ring of the lantern are very precise. I also enjoyed the contrast in the painting. There is such a vibrant red in the foreground and yet the lighter white in the background still is prominent. I found the mix of mediums for the use of this piece very interesting.

Works Cited

Artcyclopedia. Ando Hiroshige. 2015. http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/hiroshige_ando.html. 22 November 2015.

hiroshige.org. THE WOODBLOCK PRINTS OF ANDO HIROSHIGE. 18 August 2014. http://www.hiroshige.org.uk/. 22 November 2015.

Johansson, Hans Olof. UKIYO-E. 2014. http://www.ukiyo-e.se/. 22 November 2015.

Library of Congress. The Floating World of Ukiyo-E. 2015. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/ukiyo-e/intro.html. 22 November 2015.

Timeline, Heilbrunn. Woodblock Prints in the Ukiyo-e Style. 2015. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ukiy/hd_ukiy.htm. 22 November 2015.

Depression on Paper

Post Modern Art emerged after the 1970’s and spread rapidly as it was so controversial. The new style called into question everything that constituted as art. Because of this variations, and new mediums including video, emerged. A large movement within Post Modern Art is Conceptual Art. This idea encompasses art that is unique in the fact that is has little monetary value. Its value, rather, lies in its message and the impression it is making on people. These art pieces tell a story, provoke an emotion, or persuade about a given topic.

The theme of my exhibit is looking inside the mind of depression. The isolation and misunderstanding of the brain, and an individual when battling mental illness is hard to write but much easier to express through art. I choose a few pieces that call upon just a few of the aspects of the mental trap that is depression.

Sol LeWitt

Soleman “Sol” Lewitt was an American artist born in 1928 and he died in 2007. had a large role in contributing to the Conceptual movement. He was known for his drawings, and well as sculptures and paintings. One of his unique creation included wall drawings which was a unique medium. He believed that the artist was a creator of ideas. This concept was new in the respect that the artist did not have to depict reality but could create their own. He used a lot of lines and basic colors in his work and then applied them in a formula to create patterns and designs. 

Isometric Projection- Sol LeWitt

 This piece is an ink and pencil drawing and was created on paper. It was made in 1981. This is a clear interpretation of isometrics and a manipulation to turn formula into art. It was very common of LeWitt to derive his art from mathematics. This piece relates to the theme as is shows the trapped feeling of isolation. There is a single figure here, encloses. The outside of the figure is complex and busy with lines all going different directions. This is very symbolic of a person battling mental illness. The confusion and the lack of understanding shine through and it is also open to other meanings and each person is likely to to feel an emotional connection because of their own given experiences.

Wall Drawing #439- Sol Lewitt

 The piece Wall drawing #439 by Sol LeWitt was created in 1985 and was one of many painting and drawings LeWitt did on walls. This piece related to the theme because of the seperation of color. Each color is right next to another and they are all reaching out from the same origin. This shows how people all come from the same pain and the same basis and then spread out. The colors dont overlap and as they continue out the only take up more space and seperate further. The colors seem further from one another yet they are all still touching, and still just as near as they began. when battling mental illness it is easy to forget that people are nearby, or that no victim is alone in their thinking.

Wall Drawing #1138- Sol LeWitt

Wall Drawing #1138 by Sol LeWitt was created in 2004. It is a other example of his work with wall drawing however this piece was done much later in his career. There is a lot going on in this piece. The lines are busy, chaotic, and vary in pattern. They have varying depth as well. There is bright colors to the right but also black and white lines to the left. The lines to the left are much simpler. This piece relates to the theme because to the left there is simplicity and calm, the exterior of a person, but to the right, around a corner, there is panic. This shows how one person can have many sides or many feelings. This is a visualization of chaos and it's depth is also suggestive of many emotions conflicting. The wall drawing can't decide where it wants to rest and that's also fitting to the theme with the lack of rest or understanding.

Joseph Kosuth

Joseph Kosuth is an American artist who was born in 1945 in Ohio. He studied at the Toledo School of Design and then went on to study privately. He was also a Theoretician who believed that words had relationship to themselves. He translated this believe onto art where he created many pieces containing text. He maintained within the theme of Conceptual art and worked to create pieces that told more than could be taken from an initial glance. There was always a deeper meaning, sparking new ideas. Kosuth is still teaching today as a professor and lives in New York and Rome.

Frammento by Joseph Kosuth

Frammento by Joseph Kosuth by created in 1999. I don't know what the words translate into, however the first thing that came to my mind was: simple. The piece has no color, and no depth. Even that notes on the bar all single and they not even vary much in length or key. There is far analysis that could be done if one knew more about music. I liked the simplicity. the beats don't vary, they don't decrease, they just continue on the same speed. This shows a lot about people who carry on day to day and do not change their ways because they fear the repercussions.

The Phenomenon of the Library by Joseph Kosuth

 The Phenomenon of the Library was created with a series of different setting in specific scenarios that Kosuth picked out. The piece was created in 2006. I choose this piece because it seemed dated and older than the piece actually was. This lead me to believe that it was on purpose and that the age is on purpose. The projections on the walls were dark and dreary. Libraries were commonly used for checking out books and finding information. Today they are used as a place to study. Although the library carried on, the books serve less purpose. Yet they are still there and they get to watch as people come in and evolve, needing them less and less. This was powerful to be because I felt it symbolized abandonment.

Text/Context by Joseph Kosuth

Text/Context was created by Joesph Kosuth in 1979 using specific settings and interpretation. I choose this piece because it didn't make sense to me. The words looked as if they didn't belong where they were places. They are too small to read and not logical to be created that small as a billboard. Those could be the best words ever written but in the wrong place they are useless. This spoke to me. This says a lot about all of us. If we have strengths or abilities but we are not the right setting to use them it is useless. This makes it seem that the talents or value(s) doesn't exist when it does. Untapped potential is heartbreaking and leads to false doubt and conflict. These feelings were strong enough that I thought others would get the same impression.

Works Cited

Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation . Guggenheim: Joseph Kosuth. 2015. http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/artists/bios/1070/Joseph%20Kosuth. 15 November 2015.

Art, Encyclopedia of. Conceptual Art. 2015. http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/conceptual-art.htm#conceptualism. 15 11 2015.

Artsy. Sol Lewitt. 2015. https://m.artsy.net/artist/sol-lewitt. 15 11 2015.

Dia Art Foundation . Sol LeWitt. 16 September 2006. http://m.diaart.org/exhibitions/main/3. 15 November 2015.

MASSACHUSETTS MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART . Sol LeWitt:A wall drawing retrospective. 2008. http://www.massmoca.org/lewitt/. 15 11 2015.

Modern Art Insight. Joseph Kosuth. 2015. http://m.theartstory.org/artist-kosuth-joseph.htm. 15 November 2015.

—. Sol LeWitt Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works. 2015. http://www.m.theartstory.org/artist-lewitt-sol.htm. 15 11 2015.

Influences of World War 1

The First World War

World War one was seen as the first world war. It is unclear how the war started exactly, there are many theories as to how the rivalries started and how the tensions began to rise. However, the one turning point that truly began the war was the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Siberian national. The war was bloody and gruesome. It left over 10 million military men dead and 20 million wounded. Over all they thought this would be the war to end all wars. However, with the gruesome nature of the war, and the advancements in technological warfare, tensions only heightened and the stage was then set for WW2.

Influences

The two sides to the war included the Allies (Russia, France, and Great Britain) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austrian-Hungry, and the Ottoman Empire). By the end of the war over 26 countries had joined the war including the United States. This war tore nations and families apart. More so, this tore at the mentalities of the individuals. Art had already began to stray from depictions of reality. The abstract style of art was already on the rise, and the war sent it over the edge. People lost faith in reality, as the honest truth of the world became more painful. Art has always been an outlet and I believe that art work being made during this time period captures the chaos and distraught notions of the world.

Marcel Duchamp

Rotary Demisphere (Precision Optics)- Marcel Duchamp

Marcel Duchamp was a French artist. He was well known for his work that incorporated the Dada style into it. He created the multimedia piece titled “Rotary Demisphere (Precision Optics)” in 1925. This piece was created in Paris. This piece is a painted wood piece on velvet with a copper collar and plexiglass dome. This piece shows chaos, randomness, and disorder. It is an obscene combination of objects that ends up being visually alluring. I personally think that the piece is meant to look hypnotizing. That was the first thing that came to my mind was an object to hypnotize someone. I found this interesting especially with all of the horror going on in the world at the time. With the war and mass destruction people don’t know what to think or how to react to situations. This piece shows that mental strain that was being felt by so many during the time period.

Hans Arp

Hans Arp was a French artist who lived from 1886-1966. He created many pieces that went untitled. I found this amazing. This was one of the biggest changes that I noticed in art is that there were more pieces without names. The pieces are so much less specific and I don’t know why this is. It was very interesting that the mass amount of death a cruelty would lead to things such as art losing their individual sentiment. One possible theory, is that people must become less personal about individuals when so many are dying. Because of this “focus on the masses” mentality, it is possible that there was less focus on individual pieces of art and more on the movement of art as a whole.

Untitled- Hans Arp

            The piece I places below is one of Arp’s untitled pieces. It is described in the gallery as “collage with squares arranged according to the laws of chance”. This piece is torn pieces of paper placed upon a larger piece of paper. One thing that was interesting to me was what constituted as art. There are many people in previous eras that argue that this would not count as art work. However, the color and contrast work well and it is in fact artwork. I believe that with the war causing people reevaluate morality, they begin to the question other laws and principals, and the meaning of art falls into that category.

Hans Ritcher

Visionares Selbstportrait (visionary self-portrait)- Hans Ritcher

Hans Ritcher was a German painter. He lived from 1888-1976. I found this work specifically interesting because he was German, and they were part of the Central Powers. This country fought against the United States and did many things that the world viewed and acts of terror. Not only that, they also had a large amount of poverty and distraction within their own country. Ritcher made a painting titled “Visionares Selbstportrait (visionary self-portrait)”, in 1917, which was during the middle of the War. This piece shows a very distraught self-portrait. It encompasses a vast contrast of colors as well as a rather demented view on human perception. Of all the pieces from this era I found this one to be of the most powerful. This artist draws himself in a distraught and demented way. These views about himself I believe are linked to his shame about his country. He is artist from a country that is not shed in best light due to the war. The people of Germany are viewed as responsible for the actions of the military, even if they did not personally partake in anything. This dark side of nationalism could explain this painting and adds a lot of emotion to it. It also gives and interesting perspective to the other side of the war.

Works Cited

Artlex. Dada. 2010. 4 November 2015.

Johnson, Reed. Los Angelos Times. 21 July 2012. Newspaper. 4 November 2015.

Khan Academy. British Art and Literature during WWI. June 2015. Website. 4 November 2015.

National Gallery of Art. Dada. 2015. 4 November 2015.

Rosenberg, Jennifer. About Education: World War 1. 2015. Web Site. 4 November 2015.

Photography in the Romantic Era

Setting the Stage

There was a continuation of technological advancements as the world entered the romantic era. These helped set the stage for a change in art and the addition of photography. There was continued exploration of the world at this point, and the Americas were becoming increasingly colonized. There was the outbreak of the Civil War during this time period, which also aided in the Romantic Era’s theme of war.

Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur was born in 1822 in France, and lived until 1895. He contributed largely to science with many discoveries such as milk pasteurizing and an increase in the understanding of how diseases spread. Of all his discoveries, the most significant is the new study of microorganisms. This required a new view on reality. It would not be long before there would be a desire to capture an image of what was seen under a lens. I believe that scientific advancements such as this helped to spark photography. These scientific breakthroughs increase people’s views on realism and humanism. With an eye for more realistic pieces, photography has the foundation to flourish. 

 

Early Photography

Which the foundation set with the expansion of realism, the art of photography began to take off. Much like paintings were previously used, photography can serve the purpose of not only entertaining, but also informing. Photos were used to strengthen journalism, especially in times of war. Self-portraits and family pictures also became common as the idea of self-image became socially accepted. 

 

Mathew Brady with his Family

Mathew Brady

Mathew Brady was born in America in 1822, and lived full heartedly in the country until his death in 1896. He was called “the Presidents Cameraman” and contributed greatly to American photography. One of his large focuses was the Civil War. He did take photos of war for journalism purposes but was highly acclaimed because he did so with an artistic perspective. Although his pieces were used to tell history, they also evoked emotion, and were very anesthetically pleasing. He captured the grief of the Civil War and was able to have it radiate through his work. He made photography into art. He almost died in the Battle of Bull Run attempting to photograph the war and preserve that part of the history for the country to carry on. 

Alexander Gardner

Alexander Gardner

Alexander Gardner was born in 1821 in Scotland. He later traveled to America and was best known for his photography centered around the Civil War. Gardner was often over looked and many of his pieces were given credit to Mathew Brady although that was later proven false. Despite having his work misnamed, he was an amazing photographer. Gardner worked under Brady and took over when Brady became ill. This was an amazing opportunity which allowed him a chance to capture history in a way he otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. 

Antietam- Confederate Dead By A Fence On The Hagerstown Road 

by Alexander Gardner

The photo, Antietam- Confederate Dead By A Fence On The Hagerstown Road by Alexander Gardner is documented in the Library of Congress to this day as a key piece of American History. This photo shows the devastation of the Civil War. It shows dead Confederate soldiers on a road that leads to Sharpsburg from the north. It also evokes emotion through the heartlessness of their actions. The bodies are not collected; they are simply left to lie there, which is a great disrespect. This could also show the disrespect and wrong that was being done to the nation through the act of a Civil War. The wrong in general was wrong because the country turned on itself when it needed to ban together. This photo shows the betrayal and the lack of respect for the country through the disrespect to the people that died. It also shows a fence that divides the photo and fades into the distance. This could show the divide of the nation, and the vast difference between the sides. 

Gertrude Kasebier

Self portrait of Gertrude Kasebier

Gertrude Kasebier was an American photographer who lived from 1852 to 1934. She began as a painter and later moved into photography. Her talent was quickly seen by Stieglitz and he sold many of her photos for a high price. She was part of a miserable marriage and at the time, divorce was not allowed. She was restricted in her photography because of her husband.

  It can be seen in her work after her husband’s death such as Yoked and Muzzled--Marriage 1915 that she was able to express herself much more. This photo shows defiance and a rebellion against oppression. A large amount of her photos her portraits to begin with. She did a large amount of work with the Native Americans. There a raw and natural beauty about these photos and the way they capture Native American heritage. Photos such as Native American Indian had so much emotion behind them because the personality and struggle of the people could be clearly seen. 

 

Native American Indian by Gertrude Kasebier

Yoked and Muzzled--Marriage 1915 by Gertrude Kasebier

The Manger

The Manger by Gertrude Kasebier

The Manger was taken by Gertrude Kasebier in 1899. This photo was sold for $100 which is equivalent to $2000 dollars today, which was the highest amount a photo had ever been sold for at the time. Both characters are dressed in white with a light shining through the window from above. The photo evokes innocence as well as purity. There is a beauty that thrives from the photo. Kasebier was a mother and so it is not surprising that choose to encompass the beauty of motherhood in such a way. She understands the love associated with a new child and she gets the viewer to feel that. I personally think that the connection the Virgin Mary and Jesus in the Manger is no mistake. This photo was taken towards the end of the Civil War and people needed to have hope. This photo links to Christianity but also to the feeling of starting again, and of salvation. There is symmetry and clean lines formed from the boards behind her. This shows order and adds to the feeling of being complete.

Romantic Art

Francisco de Goya

Self Portrait of Francisco de Goya

Goya was a Spanish artist born in 1746, and lived until 1828. He lived across the world from there American photographers, yet his artwork emanated the same themes. Goya was a painter. When he was younger he supported Napoleon and his conquering. However, when civilian hostages were slaughtered he became disgusted and went on to paint of the horrors that he lived around. His art world encompassed romantic style and was very realistic. Much like the photos above, it was meant to show emotion and make people far away feel the power and the pain of devastation and war even if they weren’t there. This allowed people to empathize, but also to understand what was happening and not be blind to it. 

The Third of May By Francisco de Goya

The painting The Third of May, was one of Gayo’s most famous pieces. It reminds a lot of Antietam- Confederate Dead By A Fence On The Hagerstown Road because the devastation and the depiction is very similar. It also forms the same emotions for people, and shows the pain behind war. This painting illustrates one of the civilian executions from fighting in the Puerto del Sol area of Madrid. Goya witnessed these shootings because he lived in an area where they took place. He was haunted by these events and so he painted them to show the horror to the world. To me this is much like the American photographers using photographs as a form of journalism. I think that he made these pieces to spread the truth. To me that mirrors the intent of the photojournalists in their efforts to document history. 

Works Cited

Congress, Library of. Antietam, Md. Confederate Dead By A Fence On The Hagerstown Road. 2015. 25 October 2015 <http://www.americanheritage.com/content/antietam-md-confederate-dead-fence-hagerstown-road>.

Gardner, Alexander. Library of Congress. 2015. 25 October 2015 <http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cwpb.01097/>.

Morgan, Keya. Mathew B. Brady (1822-1896). 2004. 25 October 2015 <http://www.mathewbrady.com/about.htm>.

Nattel, Lillian. Women Photographers: Gertrude Kasebier Rebels. 7 December 2008. 25 October 2015 <https://liliannattel.wordpress.com/2008/12/07/women-photographers-gertrude-kasebier-rebels/>.

Stamberg, Susan. How Painting Advanced with Tin Paint Tubes. 18 December 2006. 25 October 2015 <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6640315>.

Trust, Civil War. Alexander Gardner. 2014. 25 October 2015 <http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/alexander-gardner.html>.

Weems, Erik. An Introduction to Goya . 1998. 25 October 2015 <http://www.eeweems.com/goya/introduction-to-goya.php>.