Non Western 2

Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (Frida Kahlo, 1940)

 

 

Born July 6^th, 1907 in a small town (Coyoacon ) on the outskirts of Mexico city. Her father was German and her mother was Spanish. The Mexican revolution started in 1910 when Frida was only 3 years old.  Later in her early adult life, she was involved in an automobile accident. The accident left her in a full body cast for three months. The injuries left her unable to have a child, and she experienced three miscarriages in the following years. During the recovery from her injuries she began to paint to kill the time while she was immobilized. Her mother had a special Easel made for her so she could paint in bed. The subject matter of most of her paintings was the suggestion of pain. Her marriage, miscarriages, and her numerous operations were all subjects of her paintings.  In Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird she paints a self portrait. Kahlo mixes indigenous Aztec tradition with Christian imagery. The thorn necklace echoes Christ’s Crown of Thorns while at the same echoes Aztec practices where priests performed self-mutilation with agave thorns and stingray spines. The dead hummingbird is sacred to the chief god of Tenochtitlan, Huitzilopichtli, the god of sun and of war. The fearful Aztec goddess Coatlicue wears a necklace of skulls:    I like the painting and the use of imagery Frida uses in this painting. I think the Necklace of thorns may symbolizes her inability to have children and how she always wears it, how its always on her mind.

Non Western

Never Never Never Again (2011,Wanyu Brush)

 

Wanyu Brush’s Never Never Never again was one of the highest selling paintings to come out of Kenya. The painting sold in 2011 for 20,000 Euro’s. It was not on not only the highest selling painting from Kenya but was also the artists highest grossing work.   One of the founders of East African art, Wanyu Brush still lives where he was born, in a simple house in Ngecha village.  His original name was John Njenga Kamau. He changed his name to Wanyu Brush in 1969 when he began painting under Gallery Watatu’s late Ruth Schaffner. The name Wanyu means Yours. So he chose his name with the philosophical intention to let everyone know he was there brush. Or there instrument for expression. In the painting Never Never Never again. The work shows violence that has ravage Kenya for years.               The painting is a call for peace and non-violence. I liked the message the artist is trying to get across.  At first glance the painting looks like a big blur. However if you concentrate on a certain area you can see  a clear image but when you look at the whole, its like like a mess. It’s a pretty cool illusion I thought.

 

Exibition

The first artist in my Exhibit is Scott Jacobs. He is and American artist who began his career in art not with his painting, but by buying a failing gallery at nineteen with money he saved from working odd jobs.  He found he had a great ability to paint. He eventually became the first officially licensed Harley-Davidson artist in 1993 and still proudly holds that privilege. Added to that list are; Chevrolet, Ford, Mattel, Marilyn Monroe Estates and Elvis Presley Enterprises.   Some of his works include 1914 Indian , 2010 Scott Jacobs. I found this one interesting, Indian was Harleys biggest competitor until they eventually went under. It’s interesting because he is commsioned by Harley. The work shows a beat up old part of an Indian motorcycle.

My Way Or The Highway, Scott Jacobbs 2010. Looks like a throwback to the 1950’s. You can see the old style motorcycle, gas pump, and helmet the rider is wearing.  

Scott is also a very prominent artist in the subject of Wine and spirits. I actually some of these works on a cruise I went on a few months ago, they seemed like something I would like to have hanging up in my house. An example of one is Dancing Bear, 2010.

The second Post Modern artist i this exhibit is Jean-Michael Basquiat. He was an American Artist who began in the late 1970’s with Grafitti. In the 80’s he progressed into Neo-expressionism.  Some of his works included. Skull, 1984. I found the style of art to be strange, but cool. I like the peice. 

Cabeza, 1982.

And finally Untitled, 1981. This is a really neat painting. If your really analyze it, you can see he use of so many different colors. I found it pretty incredible.

Migrant Mother

                                                                                                                                                                         The Great Depression was a world wide time of economic depression. Lasting from 1929 till the late 1930’s and into the early 1940’s.  Massive bank failures and the crash of the stock market helped set off this decade long depression. During this time unemployment went to a record high of 33 percent. The construction industry came to a virtual standstill. Farming was also hit hard as crop prices fell by as much as 60 percent.      The piece I choose to write about is Dorethea Lange’s “Migrant Mother” (1936).  It is a portrait that really sums up the economic conditions of the Great Depression. In the portrait you see a mother (Florence Owens) sitting with two of her seven children. She as well as her children are in old and tattered clothing and carry the look of someone who is broken down from the world around them. The Photographer Dorethea Lange happened upon Ms. Owens and her children by chance, as she was driving back on a month long assignment for the Farm Security Administration, photographically documenting the impact of Federal programs in improving rural programs. She saw a sign for a work camp and decieded to stop in and check it out, that’s where she found Ms. Owens. As she talked with Owens she began to see the horrors of her situation. Ms. Owens and her children had been surviving off frozen vegtables and birds that the children would kill.  She asked my Owens if she could photograph her and her children. The picture she took became an Iconic image of the Great depression.  When Dorethea returned from her assignment, she showed her editor in San Fransisco the photographs she took of Florence Owens and her children.  The editor informed federal authorities and as a result the government sent 20,000 lbs of food to the work camp!      Although the image is a simple portrait. I think it really does sum up the desperation of the time. The great depression lasted right up until WW2. The war jump started industry and got America back on track economically.

Impressionism

Impressionism

 

Born in the nineteenth century , Impressionism was a stylistic change in art of the day.  Some characteristics of Impressionist art were relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, ordinary subject matter, and the accurate depiction of light in it’s changing qualities.  As opposed to say Rococo  where the subject matter was light in nature, and an emphasis was placed on pleasure, and pastel colors were used. The term Impressionism stemmed from a painting, Claude Monet’s Impression, sunrise 1872.   The choice and scheme of colors used in the painting give a unique look and feel to the viewer.  In the painting there is a sun over the harbor. The sun appears to be the brightest color in the picture. However in all reality it’s luminance is equal to the color of the sky.   It’s a pretty interesting visual.      I like the impressionist art, I like the way they pick ordinary subject matter, such as the harbor of La Harve France in Claude Monet’s Impression, sunrise 1872.  Also the use of colors and brush techniques I find interesting. The painting has a blurry or cloudy look to it that is unique and different from the pre impressionist art.               In post impression the artist while using some of the same techniques, began to  change it up a little bit. They started to emphasis geometric forms and began using arbitrary coloring. In Vincent Van Gogh’s The Potato Eaters 1885,  Van Gogh portrays peasants sitting around the light of a candle eating potato’s.  The idea of using real subject matter really comes through in this painting and you can really get a feel for how the lower class of the time lived.       I found both Impressionism and post impressionism to be very interesting and unique in their own ways. It’s amazing to keep seeing the evolution of art throughout the years.

Franz-Joseph Haydn

 

Along with being called “the father of the symphony” as well as “the father of the string quartet”.  Joseph Haydn was a key player in the developement of the Sonata form as well as the Piano trio.  Haydn Was born, grew up, and lived his life in Austria. He had a brother (Michael) who was also a renowned composer. One of Joseph Haydn’s  most notable works was The Suprise Syphony 1791. The Suprise Syphony consisted of of two each of flutes, oboes, bassoons, horns, trumpets, plus timpani, and the usual string section consisting of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. A typical performance of this symphony would be 23 minutes. Haydn was known to place “musical jokes” in his works. The name Suprise Symphony came about because Haydn placed a fortissomo chord at the end of a other wise piano opening theme in variation-form second movement. Then the music returns to its original quiet dynamic as if nothing happend, and the following variation do not repeat the joke.    At the beggining of the classical era composers created and performed music for the aristocratic classes. As the era came to an end composers became more freelance and started writing and performing for the middleclass as well. The change in audience inspired a change in music. The growing middle and merchant classes desired music with high level of instrumental orginazation.  Joseph Haydn’s Suprise Symphony would have been well recieved at the time. Not only did it have a very high level of organization but Haydn through in a little “suprise” for the audiences lisening enjoyment.

Velasquez: The surrender of Breda

 

Diego Velasquez (The Surrender of Breda, 1634)

 

In the Piece (The Surrender of Breda) By Diego Velasquez we are shown a scene depicting General Ambrosia Spinola and his army outside of Breda after they have sacked it. Breda was a city near Holland. The town held the “Vale Tempe” a very formidable fortress. In fact the Spanish government thought that a siege against a Castle like Vale Tempe would be to expensive and wasteful.  Do to a lull in Spain’s Thirty Year War in Germany, forces could now be used for a siege against Breda.  Spinola against the advise from his peers marched on Breda, and took it.  The terms offered for the surrender were of the more honorable and lenient of the time.     Spinola’s Bravery and success are the inspiration for what some call one of the most famous Pieces of Spanish Boroque art.   Framed in the center of the painting it show’s The Dutch General Justin Nassau handing over the keys of the city to Spinola. This is not only painted in the center of the portrait, but it is the central theme of the painting as well. The Painting does show in the background a city that has just been taken, but the real focus that Velasquez is drawing the viewer to is the reconciliation after the battle.  Spinola and Nassau met post battle to discuss terms of surrender. Spinola greeted his beaten opponent with respect and admaration for his courage during a hard fought battle.  Pinola had also ordered his men not to jeer or relish in there victory over the Dutch. Spinola himself even saluted Nassau. The painting was Velasquez’s way of portraying the honor and respect shown from one general to another during times of war.

 References

 James Morris, Spain, 1964, p. 29.

Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights

Hieronymus Bosch was a painter during the Northern renainsiance. He was born in 1453 in Hertogensbosch Holland. He;s know for his work depicting Heaven and Hell, saints, hermits, the passion of the christ, and sin and its punishment. These were comoon themes during his time.  What seperated Bosch from the rest of the contemporary artist of the day was his imagery. He painted demonic figures in a new a grotesque way that wasnever depicted before. In His painting (The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1480-1490). Bosch uses a triptych (a three paneld painting)to portray The garden of Eden, Mans Decadence, and Hell. It is Believed the painting is in chronological order from left to right. Begining with the Garden of Eden scene. In that scene Bosch depicts God presenting Eve to Adam. In The center Panel Bosh portrays a panorama of sexually engaged nude figures, oversized fruit, and starnge animals. In the last panel Bosch Depicts Hell and Man’s Damnation.    I found this peice very interesting and entertaining. I like the triptych style of portraying the story. Also aneat feature is when you fold the right and left panel’s in, you see a graiselle painiting of the Earth during creation. A Graisele painting is usually one color like gray, the artist uses this as a base or mold to work from or as a underpainting for oil painting’s. In this case it’s used to portray the earth during the third day of creation, after the addition of plants but prior to humanity.  A huge supporter of Bosch was the King of Spain Phillip the 2nd. He had the Escorial in Madrid decorated with many of Bosch’s works.  One of if not the last of Bosch’s works, was a triptych painting (The last Judgement-1504). It was commisioned by the Duke of Barbant and Burgundy, Phillip the Beautiful. The support of such royalty enable Bosch to make a living doing what he loved, creating.

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