Blog #6

These six weeks of art changed how I perceive and look at art. Before this class, I never really looked deeply at art work to understand where they came from and why. I had a more superficial appreciation for art. Now I know that paintings during the Realist period focused more on the scientific because of the creation of positivism at that time. I can also look at a piece of art and figure out what they were inspired from. For example, I can make a connection between a piece by Monet and a piece by Pollock.

Although these paintings do not appear obviously similiar, there is a connection. Monet depicted the effects of light, not so much form. However, it is still apparent that this is a landscape. In Jackson Pollock's piece, there is a complete loss of form. The idea could be inspired by artists like Monet, but it is a little more extreme since there are no recognizable forms at all. Before this class, I would have just looked at these pieces as completely seperate works of art. However, now I am able to see that they are alike and that one inspired the other.

The class also taught me to not judge a piece of art right away. I found that when I know the background of the piece and what the artist is trying to convey, there is a meaning found that makes the piece so much more interesting. Even if it is not aesthetically pleasing, the idea can make a piece brilliant.

Blog #5 -- Manet

Manet is often called the Father of Modern Art and his influence can be found in many paintings. One obvious painting that Manet influenced is Nude with Apple by William Glackens (1910). Glackens painted this piece to look like a modern day Eve. He uses bright and vivid colors and a brushstroke that makes the painting appear a little blurred.




When this painting is compared to Manet's Olympia, there are clear comparisons. For one, the subject matter is very similar. Both paintings represent a female nude on a couch. They both show the female with an indifferent expression while staring down at us, portraying status. Therefore, Glackens imitated Manet's Olympia in its portrayal of a non-accommodating female nude. The painting technique is also alike. Although Glacken's use a more blurred brushstroke akin to his later works (ex: Woman with Fans), the color scheme is very much like the colors used in Olympia. The female is very pale in relation to the background which is relatively dark. Surrounding the female form are light sheets that make our focus in both paintings the female. Even the placement of the black cat is mirrored by the black shoe, and the flowers are represented by the flowers on the hat. While not identical to Manet's Olympia, Glacken was definitely inspired by the piece.

Supplemental for Week 5

The Impressionist artist I found most interesting was Mary Cassatt. She was brought up in an upper-class family where she was raised and expected to be a house wife. Even though her father and society did not approve of her pursuing a career, she enrolled herself in Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She was not even discouraged when the male faculty and students were not supportive of her in her studies, and later moved to Paris to study by herself. Even though she had many obstacles against her success as an artist, Mary pursued her career and eventually had art work showed at the Salon and later with the Impressionists. Her subject matter was also different from most Impressionists since she focused on portraits rather than landscapes, especially portraits of domestic women and children (as seen in Breakfast in Bed above). She even represented her portraits in an unconventional way by showing the truth. Mary Cassatt is very inspiring because she pursued her dream even though there were obstacles and also took risks by painting in a new way that was rarely ever seen.

Blog #4 -- Art in Society

In today's society, art has the same purposes as it did in the periods we are studying, but in a less obvious and real way. We looked at the way art was portrayed as propaganda, and in the blog below, it is relevant that propaganda does exist. However, art is not always propaganda but just a means to portray a certain idea or message to the public. For example, in the painting in the left by Picasso that was mentioned in a voicethread, Picasso is making a statement on the chaos that was going on at this time in the 20th century -- war and revolution. Therefore, in this cubist piece, he is representing the chaotic world he is living in and trying to understand it. He is painting a message about the world he lived in, the fast-paced and disordered way of life, without the realism of the earlier centuries.

Another example of this idea is seen in Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup Can series (1962). Although not obvious of the message he is making, a closer look shows what he is trying to portray to society. He is making a commentary on mass production by presenting numerous soup cans to show the monotony of society. Art is a useful tool for painters to influence society through their works by portraying their ideas on the world in which they live in.

Blog #3 -- Propaganda

Louis XIV realized that he could use art to influence people internationally through propaganda. This painting by Rigaud is a perfect example of how art is used to influence people in a specific way. Louis XIV by Rigaud (1701) shows the monarch in elegant clothing while showing off his favorite feature, his legs. His gaze to the viewer makes him seem human even though he has such high status. This painting portrays Louis XIV in a light where he is a rich and powerful leader but also tangible to his people.



Similarly, in our newest election, the media used propaganda to portray Obama in a positive way to influence more votes. These posters were seen almost anywhere, shirts, buttons, etc. Obama's face is serious and concentrated while underneath his face is the common slogan associated with his campaign: CHANGE. By creating these posters, Obama and his supporters were portraying that Obama is very serious about his promise to bring change to the United States and that he is working for the American citizen. Like Louis XIV, creators of this poster wanted to use art to influence people in a positive way.



Unlike Louis XIV's idea of propanda, current art is often used to influence people negatively against a person or event. For example, there is a lot of negative propaganda regarding our former president, George W. Bush. The cartoon on the left is a perfect example. The artist is depicting George Lucas telling reporters that his character Darth Vader, who was an evil ruler and destroyed almost everything while trying to take over, is a metaphor for George W. Bush. He is even going so far as to say that this is obvious even without the shirt.

Propaganda is very prevalent in our current society. Artists often use there art to portray messages and influence the viewer in some way.