Modern Marvels: Assignment 9

Thomas Tiernan

Assignment 9

Pablo Picasso vs Henri Matisse

            Modern art has been increasing drastically in the 20^th century. Herni Matisse and Pablo Picasso are my two favorite examples of outstanding modern artists. Matisse was born 1869 and in his early years, he did not favor well with the general public. His use of colors was considered arbitrary, and critics even labeled his work as “wild beasts”.  The struggles to make the transition from a traditional painting method lead Matisse to experiment Western traditions of painting. Joy of Life is a great example of his transition due to the use of bold and expressive colors and shadowing, to further dramatize the subjects of his artwork.

This picture only uses a few colors, but everything stands out perfectly. This reflects Matisse’s fascination with traditional art and he uses a classic Fauvist color palette. I believe the nude dancing women conveys the feeling of liberation and freedom.
 Matisse kept himself out of politics and social issues, and his favorite subject to draw was always the human body. Matisse not only worked as a painter, but also worked as a sculptor, book illustrator, and an architectural designer. My favorite Matisse work is of the 5 women dancing in a circle holding hands.

            Pablo Picasso was born in a Spanish town in 1881. He attended an art school in Barcelona but abandoned that to start his own career. Picasso went through different phases in his drawings; for example, “blue period” and “cubism”. His blue phase included famous drawings such as Self Portrait with Palette. This picture shows young Picasso holding a palette but no brush. I believe this symbolizes his talent independent of his tools. Guernica is my favorite Picasso piece. It was created in response to the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. It shows the tragedy of war and the suffering it inflicts upon families and individuals. For example, in the very left of the artwork, you see a woman crying while holding what looks likes her dead son. Even though the characters seem almost abstract, Picasso uses cubism to perfectly demonstrate tragedy from war.

Cubism is a movement in art in which perspective with a single viewpoint was abandoned and use was made of simple geometric shapes. Most people recognize Picasso with his cubism art, because that was what he was doing in his later years.

            I believe Matisse’s art was similar to early Picasso’s work. Both artists created landmark works in the history of modern art. They represent a contrast in approach and awareness in the engagement with modernism.

Depressing Badlands: Assignment 8

Thomas Tiernan

O’Keeffe vs Kollwitz

Assignment 8

            Georgia O’Keeffe and Kathe Kollwitz were inspirational artists of the late 19^th and early 20^th century. O’Keeffe was born on a farm in Wisconsin and studied art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She received her fame after her friend showed her art to Stieglitz. Alfred Stieglitz was an American photographer and modern art promoter who later married O’Keeffe. In 1917, Stieglitz granted O’Keeffe her own exhibit, which was the beginning of her extraordinary artistic success. O’Keeffe enjoyed painting Texas and New Mexico landscapes. The scenery of New Mexico inspired O’Keeffe and she spent part of the year there panting the badlands. 

This painting is of the New Mexico badlands, and the choice in color is unique to me. She chooses black and very dark colors for the background but a vibrant adobe red for the wavy hills in the front.  To me, it symbolizes night and day. Her popular paintings feature objects enlarged and painted as if viewed through a magnifying glass. One of her well-known painting is called, Deer’s Skull with Pedernal, which she painted in 1936 with oil on canvas. I enjoy this painting especially because of the fading transition of blue sky to white clouds, and the relieved symmetry of the deer skull.

            Kathe Kollwitz was born July 8, 1867 in East Prussia. She devoted herself primarily to graphic art after 1890. She is regarded as one of the most important German artists of the 20^th century. After looking through her drawings, I notice a depressing pattern in her work. She chooses black as her primary color choice, and most of art depicts the hard times she must have endured. Kollwitz identified passionately with the sufferings of working people and the struggle of women to protect their children. Kollwitz concentrated on drawings and prints, unlike O’Keefe and her paintings. Her famous self-portrait with her hand on her head reminds me of Leonardo Da Vinci’s sketches.

I also noticed her maternal influence in her art because a lot of her drawings has women holding onto their children.

      For example, Survivors shows a mother grasping her three children with blindfolded people in the background. I believe most of her drawings are dark and gloomy because she had to bear the bad news of her son’s death in WW1 and even her grandson’s death in WW2. I personally am not a fan of her work because I enjoy bright colors and happier themes, but Kollwitz’s drawings have an abundance of emotion that one can tell instantly just by looking at them. Her drawings leave a lasting impact on people.

Van Gogh is Crazy for Ears: Assignment 7

Assignment 7 

Influence of Vincent Van Gogh

Thomas Tiernan

           Vincent Van Gogh was born in Groot-Zundert, Holland on March 30, 1853. He was a post impressionist self-taught painter who was famous for his bold color use and the ear he cut off as a gift. Van Gogh was the first expressionist painter, but lived during the post-impressionist movement. Therefore, he started a new movement. One of Van Gogh’s greatest artistic influences was Paul Gauguin. They met when Van Gogh moved to Paris in 1887, and when Gauguin asked to trade a painting of his, for two of Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings. Van Gogh’s sunflower painting are one of his most famous paintings, along with his self-portraits and The Starry Night. 

I have actually seen one of Vincent Van Gogh’s self portraits in the Edward Norton Museum in Pasadena, California. Looking at it up close, you can see the thick brush techniques and bright colors. I enjoy Van Gogh and Gauguin style paintings because they use large coats of paint. The amount of paint he used expressed his emotions clearly.  

Van Gogh and Gauguin then moved to southern France where they painted together and even similar subjects such as landscapes and villagers. They painted on jute, which is a rough material that looks similar to a burlap sack. This coarse material caused both artists to apply thick paint and use heavier brush strokes. On December 23, 1888, Van Gogh and Gauguin got into a heated fight where later that day, Van Gogh cut off part of Gauguin’s ear and gave it to a prostitute as a gift.  After that, Gauguin left Arles, and Van Gogh was readmitted to a private clinic in Saint Remy de Provence. They continued to send each other letters but even after parting ways; neither artist could escape the other’s influence. For example, Gauguin’s work started to incorporate religious themes because of Van Gogh’s religious background.

Van Gogh was influenced by Gauguin’s technique of painting from his memory. Painting from memory caused Van Gogh’s paintings to become more ornate and less realistic.  Gauguin not only influenced Van Gogh but I believe the impressionist movement also influenced Van Gogh. Without the movement, Gogh would not have created this new expressionistic art.

Monet & Manet Are Not The Same Artist- Assignment 5

Impressionalist

Thomas Tiernan

Assignment 5

            In 1874, a group of artists called the Anonymous Society of Painters started an exhibition in Paris, France that launched the Impressionist movement.  Impressionism is defined as the visual impression of the moment especially in terms of the shifting of light and color. They started this exhibition because for years, the “Salon” has rejected thousands of amazing artwork. This frustrated the society, and thus they initiated the “Salon des Refuses”, which exhibited all the artwork that was rejected by the Salon. The Anonymous Society of Painter’s key leaders were: Claude Monet, Pierre Renoir, Camille Pissarro, and Edouard Manet. Manet impressed many people with his work in the “Salon des Refuses” especially with his piece, Luncheon on the Grass.  This painting amazed the public because Manet was able to capture modern life in his art, which was proof to masters of museums or the Salon judges, that he was worthy of their acknowledgement.  

Impressionist painting styles include thin yet visible brush strokes, accurate depiction of light, movement, and unusual visual angles. Impressionist art was soon followed by impressionist music and even literature. All these qualities are noticed in Manet’s artwork, which makes Luncheon on the Grass, a touchstone of modern art. Another famous artist who impacted the Impressionist movement was Claude Monet and his piece, Impression: Sunrise. 

I really enjoy this picture because of its simplicity. The choice in colors are fantastic, and Monet depicted the sensation of a landscape which became popular to draw. Monet continued painting beautiful landscapes such as Autumn Effect at Argenteuil, which depicts impressionism perfectly. There are little flicks of paint which portray fall and the combination of white and blue to show light being reflected off the water.

Monet and Manet are very similar names, but they are different artists who were both the face of the impressionist art movement. They set the bar for landscape art and began modern art.

My Definition of Art: Assignment 1

Thomas Tiernan

Assignment 1

What is Art?

            Art is a form of expression. There are many different types of art, but they all serve the same purpose, to express emotion. The great thing about art is that, once a piece is finished it is considered a part of history. Whether done by a famous artist or not, art can be preserved for centuries. Therefore, anything can technically be considered art. I imagine the desire to make something special is a characteristic of art. For example, I believe basketball is an art because each athlete plays to be themselves, and they add their own unique playing styles and body language as they move up and down the court. To add, everyone looks at art differently. For example, I do not enjoy modern art as much as contemporary, nor do I understand why people watch ridiculous T.V shows about 5 year old models, but just because I do not enjoy these things, does not mean that someone else could not appreciate them. Thus, art can be enjoyed by anyone and should not be looked down upon or judged. Art can also be used as a form of escape. People enjoy making art because it helps them be at peace. When working on art, one does not focus on distractions like the news or the constant whining of a 4 year old, they simply apply all their attention to expressing their current feelings onto a canvas.  I enjoy drawing because I have complete control over what comes next. I am the one painting the picture, and thus I get my time to shine and express my feelings. One of my favorite artistic works comes from a scene in a movie. What started as a movie poster, this scene has now become very well known.

Many artists have been adding their own twists to this scene since it’s debut. For example, Banksy, a very famous street artist made his own version of this picture.

The pistols held by the characters are now portrayed as bananas. I believe he does this in order to lighten the mood and state his position on guns. Banksy is my favorite artist, and has created many famous street art (some call it graffiti, I call it wall murals). His style is modern and new to most people, which is why it catches my eye. 

Expressing art is important to the world, and I do not see art dwindling away any time soon. I hope new artists, like Banksy, become popular because I believe that art will never go away, and instead people will find more and more new ways to create art.

Do and Gelo: Assignment 6

Thomas Tiernan

Assignment No. 6

Leonardo and Michelangelo

            Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo are two of the greatest artists in history. They both exhibit natural artistic talent and have remained very popular for centuries. First, Leonardo DaVinci was born 1452 in Italy where he stayed in Florence until he was asked to work as the official artist for the Duke of Milan in 1482. Records state DaVinci worked as a sculptor but there are no examples of his work. Not only was DaVinci an artist and sculptor, he also was a very skilled engineer and architect. He was involved in city planning, sanitary disposal, and even military engineering. DaVinci only has a dozen or so finished artworks but has hundreds of unfinished drawings, and thousands of sketches in his journals. In 1507, DaVinci was appointed court painter to King Louis XII of France. DaVinci lived in solitary all of his life, and he did not marry. DaVinci’s best works are: The Last Supper, Mona Lisa, and The Vitruvian Man. DaVinci shows great details in face in these artworks. Michelangelo on the other hand, included detail in human figure. Michelangelo was an artist since birth, when he was 14 years old, he went to an art school for a few years. A lot like DaVinci, Michelangelo considered himself a sculptor. An example of his sculpting work would be, The Statue of David. Michelangelo served 6 popes, two emperors, a king, and numerous noblemen. He would apparently fight with his benefactors about having his work to them on time and payments. Michelangelo’s best works include The Pieta, David, Sistine Chapel, and The Last Judgment.  My personal favorite work out of both of these artists would be Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment. It is one of the most detailed artworks, I have ever seen. The human figure is depicted perfectly in every human being drawn. The bright colors used are vibrant and help differentiate the symbolism between heaven and hell. DaVinci and Michelangelo are great artists and sculptors whose art will continue to be cherished forever.