Vito Acconci and Boundaries

Vito Acconci, 1999

According to Kit White, "Art has no boundaries except those imposed by the needs of the maker...By defining an area of interest or by stating a new priority, art allows us to create new definitions of ourselves and the context in which we operate.  To blur a boundary is to confuse the definition.  To move a boundary is to make a new definition."  Some schools of thought keep tight boundaries on what they consider art or at least acceptable art.  But all the great masters of the past blurred the boundaries of traditional art and pushed for new definitions of art.  That is one of the great things about art, it changes as the world changes.   Enjoy!

Paul Gauguin and Synthetism

Paul Gauguin, 1894

According to H. H. Arnason, "Paul Gauguin (1848 - 1903) sought what he termed as a synthesis of form and color derived from the observation of the dominant element.  Gauguin advised fellow painters not to copy nature too much.  Art is an abstraction; derive this abstraction from nature dreaming before it, but think more of creating than the actual result."  Gauguin called his ideas Synthetism.  He wanted to combine the subject and idea with form and color in order to created a visionary quality in his paintings.  Subject matter combines with the formal elements of line, shape and color giving Gauguin his unique look.  Enjoy!

Louise Bourgeois and Porous Art

Louise Bourgeois, 2008

Porous defined means permeable or full of pores.  Sculpture, in the past, had volume and mass.  A form carved from marble, bronze, or wood and set on a pedestal.  Louise Bourgeois's sculptures lack the solidity of ancient sculptures.  Her sculptures challenge us to see through them and discover our own response to them.  According to Wikipedia, "Louise Joséphine Bourgeois; 25 December 1911 – 31 May 2010), was a renowned French-American artist and sculptor, best known for her contributions to both modern and contemporary art, and for her spider structures which resulted in her being nicknamed the Spiderwoman."  Enjoy!

Oil Landscape Painting

Alice Cook, 2014

Just finished an oil landscape painting that was reworked over a previous landscape painting.  The scene is simple, sky, one large mountain and land.  The previous painting done on this canvas was a representational painting done early in my artistic career.  The current landscape was painted directly on top of the old painting.  It was interesting to find out which color of paint had better covering power, so that the old landscape wouldn't show through.  Bold colors were used in the new painting with bold design features.  I really had fun painting this one and was pretty spontaneous with it, except for planning the color palette.  Enjoy!

Devajyoti Ray and Pseudorealism

Devajyoti Ray

A new art style has developed in this century called Pseudorealism.  According to Pseudorealism.com, "Pseudorealist art or pseudoreal art essentially involves the use of abstract surreal shapes, geometric symbols, which do not have any specific meanings but which become meaningful in the context of the whole work of art. Another essential element of pseudoreal art is the use of offbeat colors, which may not be appropriate for a realistic portrayal of the subject matter or may even be inappropriate for the mood of the painting. Yet such offbeat colours are used in pseudoreal works in such a way that they render both believability and the requisite mood. "  Devajyoti Ray is a contemporary artist from India that works in the pseudorealist style.  What attracts me to his work is the depiction of everyday scenes with brilliant colors.  Enjoy!

Classical Realism

David Gray, 1970

Wikipedia states that, "Classical Realism refers to an artistic movement in late-20th-century painting (1970's to present) that places a high value upon skill and beauty, combining elements of 19th-century(1800's) neoclassicism and realism.  Classical Realist artists attempt to revive the idea of art production as it was traditionally understood: mastery of a craft in order to make objects that gratify and ennoble those who see them. This craftsmanship is then applied to drawing, painting or sculpting contemporary subjects which the artist observes in the modern world."  I like artworks that gratify and ennoble those who see them, but art cannot be limited to this definition.  In my opinion, one style or movement of art is not better than another style or movement.  Classical, Greek, Modern, etc., there is room for all in the art world.  Enjoy!

Claude Monet and Discovery

Claude Monet, Impression, Sunrise, 1873

According to Kit White, "Making art is an act of discovery.  If you are dealing only with what you know, you may not be doing your job.  When you discover something new, or surprise yourself, you are engaging in the process of discovery."  In my opinion, not all artwork is an act of discovery.  Some artists, for example, love making landscapes in their particular style and have no interest in changing or in discovery.  Contentment can be a rare thing.  For myself, I am never content with my art, and probably never will be.  I like to discover and push the envelope.  Other artists find contentment in their art just as it is.  The great thing about the art world is that there is room for all kinds of artists.  Enjoy!

Edouard Manet and Change

Edouard Manet, what can I say. 

Edouard Manet, The Luncheon on the Grass,
1863

He was a unique painter of his day.
He challenged traditions of the past.
He made artworks that would last.
Olympia and The Luncheon on the Grass.
People of his time thought were crass.
Now considered the first modern painter.
For he did art that didn't cater.
If it wasn't for Edouard Manet,
Painting may have never changed.
Thanks Manet.

Art as a Cluster Concept

Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Banjo Lesson,
1893

According to Wikipedia, one theory of art is "art as a cluster concept.  Cluster concepts are composed of criteria that contribute to art status but are not individually necessary for art status.  These include:  (1) possessing positive aesthetic qualities; (2) being expressive of emotion; (3) being intellectually challenging; (4) being formally complex and coherent; (5) having a capacity to convey complex meanings; (6) exhibiting an individual point of view; (7) being an exercise of creative imagination; (8) being an artifact or performance that is the product of a high degree of skill; (9) belonging to an established artistic form: and (10) being the product of an intention to make a work of art."  The interesting thing with this theory is that it is not necessary for all the criteria to be met in order for art status.  This then leads to a "highly pluralistic theory of art."

Kit White and Form

Kit White, 2010

According to the dictionary, "Form is the external appearance of a clearly defined area."  Kit White states that, "Form accommodates a need to embody an idea or perception.  Formlessness challenges that very need and questions our sense of the immutability (changeless) of things as we know them.  Form is a vessel.  It can be open or closed."  It is true that when I see a shape or defined area, I tend to try to classify it.  Is the shape a person, or a certain object in the world?  To see a form and not relegate it as a thing is challenging.  Accepting a shape, whether open or closed, as just a form, I will need practice.  Enjoy!

Contemporary Art and Llyn Foulkes

Llyn Foulkes

According to Wikipedia, "Contemporary art is art produced at the present period in time. Contemporary art includes, and develops from, Postmodern art, which is itself a successor to Modern art."  Contemporary art that I have seen is very eclectic and brings in all types of media.  Since the turn of the century, different art movements and styles have developed.  Artists continue to push the envelope in art and challenge traditional art styles.  Through the weeks to come I plan on writing about the art movements that are happening right now across the globe, it is sure to be interesting.  Enjoy!

Giorgio de Chirico and Complexity

Giorgio de Chirico, 1914,
The Nostalgia of the Poet

According to Kit White, "Complexity derives from the presence of contradiction.  To simplify may be to render a false condition and therefore an incomplete description.  Embrace the irreconcilable elements, the contradictions.  They are part of any portrait of a moment."  Wikipedia states that, "Giorgio de Chirico; (July 10, 1888 – November 20, 1978) was a Greek-born Italian artist. In the years before World War I, he founded the scuola metafisica art movement, which profoundly influenced the surrealists."  Life is complex, even our human body is complex and science doesn't even understand everything about it.  So it is natural that artist's work could be filled with complexity and contradiction.  Dreams, which influenced the surrealists, are filled with mystery and complexity.  So this can come together in an artwork through the use of the conscious and unconscious mind, and what we get can often blow our minds.  Enjoy!

Shout Out to Gutai Group

Electric Dress

According to Wikipedia, "The Gutai group (具体； means "Embodiment") is the first radical, post-war group in Japan. It was founded by the painter Jiro Yoshihara in Osaka, Japan, 1954, in response to the reactionary artistic context of the time. This influential group known as Gutai Bijutsu Kyokai was involved in large-scale multimedia environments, performances and theatrical events."  Jiro Yoshihara once said, "Do what no one has done before."  This statement can sum up the purpose of the Gutai Group.  They were innovators during this time, with experimentation at the forefront.  I feel that each artist can bring something new to the art world, for each person is unique, they are what's never been done before.  Enjoy!

Theory of Art, Historical

Pablo Picasso, Bull's Head, 1942

According to Wikipedia, "Historical theories of art hold that for something to be art, it must bear some relation to existing works of art...In order for these works to be 'art' they must bear a similarity or relation to those previously established artworks...this definition of art also includes a disjunct for first art:  Something is art if it possesses a historical relation to previous artworks or it is first art."  The historical theory of art is interesting, if it didn't include 'first art' in the definition it would not work as a theory.  We often define new art by what has gone before it.  This theory also leaves room for innovation in art, by allowing for 'first art.'  Picasso's Bull's Head (see picture) is made up of a bike seat and bike handle bars.  Picasso used everyday objects rearranged to form a piece of art.  Any theory of art needs to make room for innovation and experimentation in art.  Enjoy!

Juxtaposition of Objects in Art

Ellen Urselmann

Juxtaposition is the act or placement of two things near each other.  According to Kit White, "Unrelated images put together in the same space may be nothing more than unrelated images in the same visual field.  It is the relationship of those individual images to each other, and what those relationships describe that creates content."  I have seen some installations where objects are grouped together and arranged in a certain way that have been very successful in communicating a dynamic relationship between each object.  I find my mind wants to draw a thread from one object to another and create some type of relationship between them.  For me, successful art allows one to do this.  Enjoy!

Henri Matisse and Modern Art

Henri Matisse, 1908

According to Wikipedia, "Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of experimentation. Modern artists experimented with new ways of seeing and with fresh ideas about the nature of materials and functions of art."  This coming semester I will be taking an art history class which is focusing on modern and contemporary art.  I am excited to study this time period on art when the artist threw away the rule book and did their own thing.  Experimentation and innovation was critical during this time period.  I hope you will enjoy taking this journey with me.  Enjoy!

Frank Stella and Design

Frank Stella, 1967

"Don't just make designs - say something."  According to Kit White, "Pleasing design alone does not make interesting art.  To succeed, an image must lead to something beyond the mechanics of formal arrangement.  It must be integral to a larger discussion about the world in which it was created, and the history of its own form."  For me, art is not all about technique, art communicates.  Some artwork, like some photorealism, has great technique and I am amazed at the technical skill of the artist.  Unfortunately, the only thing the artwork communicates is that the artist has great technique.  For me, this is a missed opportunity in the viewing experience, where it is more about the artist than the art.  Enjoy!

Shout Out to Paul Cezanne

Paul Cezanne, 1906

According to Wikipedia, "Paul Cezanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century. "  Some call Cezanne the father of modern art.  His experimentation with brushwork and simplifying nature into geometric shapes was truly revolutionary.  Cezanne inspired other artists of his time and future artists.  Enjoy!

Theory of Art, Institutional

Andy Warhol, 1964

According to Wikipedia "The institutional theory of art is a theory about the nature of art that holds that an object can only be come art in the context of the institution known as "the artworld."'  Basically it is stating that an object is deemed to be art when some person or persons from a certain social institution (the artworld) confers the status of art onto the object.  For example, Andy Warhol replicated Brillo boxes (that one could find in a supermarket) and put them in a gallery and called it art (see picture).  The critics and curators at the time agreed, so hence the artworld deemed it art.  Art is subjective, and to wait for the approval of persons in the artworld to call what you created art, seems to be putting too much power in the hands of a few, that's my opinion.  Enjoy!

Christopher Williams and Sincerity

Christopher Williams

According to Kit White, "Once a work of art leaves the studio and arrives in the larger world, your sincerity is a weak predictor of the work's success.  Outside of the studio, your work must stand on its own and reveal itself without you being present to defend or explain it."  I would agree with this statement.  I have been asked what my artwork is about or it's meaning and usually I reply, "What does it mean to you?"  This often frustrates the person who wants me to define the artwork.  Sometimes I give in, but often not.  Art communicates, whether we like it or not, even with the artist's best intentions of creating art that communicates a certain thing, people will often see something in it that the artist never intended.   So look at art and you decide what is means to you.  Enjoy!

Drawing 2, Assignment 3

Alice Cook, 2013

For assignment 3, I was to create an artwork using watercolor.  I started with watercolor paper that had a black and white photo of the campus of the school I attend lightly printed on it.  Then I proceeded to apply 5 layers of transparent watercolor to the paper.  The first layer was wet in wet with merging of the colors allowed.  The second layer pulled out shapes from a grid drawing I drew on the paper.  For the third layer I pulled out shapes from the actual photo printed on the paper.  The final two layers were concerned with the unity of the painting and allowing the viewer's eye to move throughout the painting.  I enjoyed doing it, especially having the photo printed on the paper (see picture).  Enjoy!

Transparent to Opaque Paint

Paint can be transparent, translucent, or opaque.  Transparent paint allows light to pass through so that objects behind can be distinctly seen.  While translucent paint allows light, but not detailed images, to pass through; semitransparent.  Opaque paint is not able to be seen through.  I have found that knowing the covering power of the paint I am using in a picture is critical if I want a certain affect.  In previous years of painting, I have mistakenly tried to cover a particular object in the painting, but failing miserably due to the fact that the paint was transparent.  I now identify the paints covering power before I use it to see if it will work in a particular situation.  Enjoy!

Pastel Landscape

Alice Cook, 2014

A couple of days ago I did a pastel video by M. Katherine Hurley.  Since I don't have much experience with pastel, I thought this video would help me along.  It is of a simple landscape, a field of grass with trees in the distance and a path that runs through the field.  Hurley had us first lay down an undertone of orange and magenta, then applying workable fixative.  Multiple layers of pastel was applied with the forms taking shape.  I enjoyed the video and was happy with my results (see picture), though less camera time on Hurley and more camera time on the pastel painting would have been nice.  Enjoy!

Theory of Art, Formalism

Piet Mondrian, 1924-25

According to Wikipedia, "The formalist theory of art asserts that we should focus only on the formal properties of art--the "form" not the "content". Those formal properties might include, for the visual arts, color, shape, and line. Formalists do not deny that works of art might have content, representation, or narrative-rather, they deny that those things are relevant in our appreciation or understanding of art."  The question for me is, can you separate the content from the form?  Art is subjective and I believe people are unable to objectively look at a piece of art and separate content from form.  Art is about color, shape, and line, but what those colors, shapes and lines produce is relevant to a person's appreciation of the artwork.  The brain takes in the whole artwork and does not segregate form from content, that's my opinion.  Enjoy!