Reading Visual Art

READING VISUAL ART Art - communicates ideas by visual means - Form of language The Visual World - World of images - Ancient Egypt, 16th Century Italy or 21st Century America - Art reflects visual culture in which it was created, not just the creative achievement of its maker Old Man’s Cloth by El Anatsui -medium: discarded liquor-bottle tops -why?: European traders bartered alcohol for African goods. Also, reminds us of Slave Trade which highlights modern consumerism discards waste. WHERE IS ART? - Coffin, books, any number of contemporary media, art museum Museum - “mouseion” - temple dedicated to arts and sciences (Greek). - hold permanent collections of artworks that are regularly displayed - some can show only a portion of the works in their large collections. - organize exhibitions of works - offer educational programs and other cultural and social events Museum of Arts and Sciences - PH, University of Santo Tomas (1611) Mouseion of Alexandria - Egypt (2,400 yrs ago) POWER AND VALUE OF ART Why a work is valued: - old -rare -unique Why we value art: - has the power to tell us something about ourselves - Aesthetically pleasing - involved great skill - can acquire great religious cultural or political significance Adele Bloch-Bauer II By Gustav Klimt - Most expensive item for sale at Christie’s auction house in New York City (Nov. 8, 2006) - Sold for $87.9M - History: had been looted by the Nazis, who had occupied Austria, and the work later became the subject of a lawsuit by the heirs of the Bloch-Bauer family. (1938) Space Transfiguration -Sold for P112,128,000 (Leon Gallery) -Top Most Expensive Paintings Auctioned in PH as of March 2018 -Abstract Expressionism -Inspired by NASA’s first attempt to reach the moon. Menstrual Period in Political History Artist: Danny Silada - vaginal form over a rocky surface, painted with red, yellow, and blue (the colors of the Philippine flag) PH Politics’ menstrual cycle: - Corruption - Economic instability - Violation of Human Rights - Involuntary Disappearances of Civilians - Century-old war in Mindanao - Insurgency - Poverty - Inadequacy of Political Leaders to address Socio-Economic - Political Problems in the Society Regla by Rhine Bernandino Medium: Glass, water & her own menstrual blood -Composed of 12 Sculptures, one for each menstrual cycle of the year. - She described her every piece as “a makeshift laboratory wherein collections of menstrual blood are not associated with disgust, but regarded as objects of inspection and conversation.” Duterte by Elito “Amang Pintor” Circa Medium: his own blood Painting of Virgin of Guadalupe Medium: Tempera (colors mixed with water and egg) Linen Art - Powerful means of expression because it enables u s to give physical shape or form to thoughts and sensations. Form - object that can be defined in three dimensions (height, width, depth). Self by Marc Quinn (British) - His art focuses on the body but also deliberately uses his actual body. - He’s been making a life-size portrait of his head every 5 years using between 8 and 10 pints of his blood. Blood - substance we recognize as viscerally related to the life force and that we all depend on for survival. The Virgin is seen in the words of the Bible “Clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet.” Revelation 12:1 - - Has the dark skin of an indigenous woman (Virgin’s role as protector of her “Indian” kingdom in Mexico) Symbol of the Mexican Nation Housed in the National Basilica of St. Mary of Guadalupe at the base of Tepeyac hill CENSORSHIP OF ART History: People have found many reasons to attack, destroy, or prevent the display of artworks. Art may be Censored because: - it challenges the politically or economically powerful; some consider it pornographic; - it offends religious beliefs; or - it represents values that somebody considers offensive or improper. - - Muslim Betrothal by Carlos “Botong” Francisco Muslim wedding; bride receiving blessings from Imam (religious leader) Offensive because of the half-naked women dancing along with the pig which are strictly haram or forbidden for Muslims - Located at Lagusnilad - Vandalism instead of art. STUDYING ART ❖ Our interpretations of works of art may differ from other people’s according to our perceptions, beliefs, and ideas. ❖ Art is a form of language; one that can communicate more powerfully than written language. ❖ Art communicates so directly with our senses (sight, touch, smell, and sound) that it helps us to understand our own experiences. ❖ By learning to see, we experience new sensations and ideas that expand our horizons beyond our daily lives. Studying Art: Content and Context Gothika Filipina 2 By Igan D’ Bayan - He was given the option to submit another painting, cover the “offending area,” or face consequences. Sal ubong - Welcome gift for Pope Francis when he visited the Philippines (Jan 2015) Featured celebrities and politiciansinstead of everyday Filipinos. Graffiti by Panday Sining Content - - Art is a form of communication using visual language ● Visual Language - We communicate through our sense of sight / other people’s eyes. All communication has a purpose, a message - in other words, content. Types of Content (important for understanding a work) 1. The subject matter 2. Its underlying meanings 3. The work’s arrangement of the visual elements of which it is composed Infinity (1967) Subject Matter - - - The object or art itself May be visually apparent (e.g. a painting of Mt. Arayat is clearly about a mountain) The title Scholars and Critics later may tell us the subject (e.g. Virgin Mary and The Baby Jesus are traditionally titled Madonna and Child.) It will be clearer if we understand the concepts of representation, non-objectivity, and abstraction. - Abstraction - Representation(al) - Art that depicts figures and objects so that we recognize what is represented. The statue of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius - - - shows him seated on a horse, gesturing in a very lifelike way - Subjective - We each determine our own interpretations of what the artwork means or communicates. The degree to which an image is altered from an easily recognizable subject. “To abstract” - to extract something or to emphasize it. Abstraction in art refers to the ways artists can emphasize, distort, simplify, or arrange the formal (visual) elements of an artwork. Reverie Non-objective / Non-objectivity Art that does not depict a recognizable subject. - Jose de Rivera - As it rotates one full cycle every six minutes, the ribbon-like form continually changes. Made of polished steel reflects aspects of the world around it such as sunlight and the buildings The title does not give us a clue as to the subject matter of the sculpture but does not explain it outright. - - - Allan Houser, 1981 - Two faces: one larger and one smaller. - A representational work with a considerable degree of abstraction. Swoop of the form downward: Back Larger face: Mother Smaller face: Baby being held The mother’s entire body (back, arms, and knees) are abstracted to be one smooth form. The body of the baby is just a bump.