Non-Western, African Body Art

For this blog post I chose to research “African Body Art” also referred to as “body adornment.” In Africa, body art is used as a way for people to expresses themselves, their spiritual beliefs, social status, and their ethnic affiliation. Body adornment is displayed in a variety of ways including: body piercing, tattoos, body painting, scarification, and unique hairstyles. I really learned a lot of interesting things while researching this topic, I enjoy learning about other cultures and their definitions of beauty (which are often so different from our views in America) and I am excited to share with you what I have learned! So, here it goes….

 

This first image is of a Surma woman. In Surma, both men and women shave their heads as a symbol of beauty

(SO different from our Western views of long “Herbal Essence” hair!) Even more interesting, women pierce and gauge (or stretch) their lower lip and insert a plate. The larger the plate, the more appealing the woman. What is even more significant is that the plate has meaning. These plates represent the number of cattle required for the womans dowry. In this particular picture, this plate is worth 75 cattle. Again, it is interesting because this is so different then our view in America where gauged or stretched piercings are often seen as a “punk-like” thing to do and they serve no purpose.

Another tradition of the Surma tribe is body painting as a means of self expression. This can also be seen in America where

we use tattoos as a means of self-expression. Body painting begins early in life as children mock what they see their parents doing.

Also, body painting is used as a way for people to show their relationship to one-another. In this case, the three children have painted their faces the same as a way to symbolize their friendship.

Since it is difficult to tattoo African skin, they used “body scarification” as a means of permanent beautification. (Interesting, because in America we tend to view tattoos as ruining the beauty of the human body). Body scarification is done by cutting the skin to create permanent scars.

 

What I enjoyed most about this section was seeing how the definition of beauty varies so much by culture. For more information on African body art you can look at the websites that I used:

 

http://www.africanconservancy.org/member/bodyart.html

http://www.ezakwantu.com/Gallery%20Scarification.htm

“3D Joe and Max”

When it comes to art, one of the things I am most intrigued by is 3-Dimensional Art. I don’t mean actual objects, but rather art that is designed to create an optical illusion with a 3-Dimensional element. This is beyond just art! It requires math, science, and the knowledge and understanding of shading!

In my search to find unique street art and artists I came across “3D Joe and Max,” Max and Joe are an artist team who have been traveling the world together for the past eight years creating unique works of 3D art designed to stimulate audience interaction (as most 3D work does). They have even done some work for big name companies including Disney, Google, and Sprite.

Below is one of my favorite pieces from their collection

(not going to lie, I probably wouldn’t go near the “edge” with how real this looks).

This piece is located in the Solaris Building in Singapore

Here is one of the works they did for Sprite in Europe

 

Max & Joe also hold the world record for largest 3D street art with this piece:

It was created in London’s West India Quays, Canary Wharf

Below is a picture showing how the work was created, imagine the amount of math and science involved!

Max & Joe say one of their essential tools was a camera to help them make sure that they were

creating the optical illusion they desired.

 

Even more fascinating… their work is done with chalk and it takes an average of only 4 days to complete! AMAZING! Several sources say that Max passed away tragically in 2010, but Joe has continued on with their art and keeps their name as “3D Max and Joe” in his memory.

 

Their incredible works of art can be seen at several different sights, here are a few that I used:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2297575/Joe-giant-beanstalk-Artist-creates-breathtaking-3D-street-art-world-tourists-resist-posing-photos.html

https://www.facebook.com/3DJoeandMax

http://arrestedmotion.com/2011/11/joe-hill-x-reebok-worlds-largest-3d-street-artwork/

http://3djoeandmax.com/

Visual Arts & The Great Depression

The Great Depression had a significant impact on visual arts. Prior to the Great Depression visual arts were found primarily in colleges and museums. After the Great Depression during Roosevelt’s Presidency he created the Work Progress Administration in an effort to employ the unemployed. As a result, artists were employed to create works of art for public buildings such as hospitals, post offices, zoos, and other public entities. Artists were required to submit their sketches and compete for their work to be chosen for a public place, if their work was chosen they would then receive compensation for their works. 

December 8, 1933 was the start of the Public Works of Art Projects (PWAP) which promoted art in public places and employed artists when jobs were hard to come by. 

This painting, River Boat and Bridge is an example of a painting that was created during the 

PWAP in 1938 by William Schwartz. It is located in the Pittsfield, IL post office. Wouldn’t it be cool 

to go to our local post offices and see works of art from this time? 

 

During this time artists were also employed to document cultural projects. 

This painting, The Timber Bucker, by Ernest Norling is a part of a series documenting life in the Civilian 

Conservation Corps. 

This is just a small portion of the 240 ft. 60 panel mosaic created by Helen Lundberg. The mosaic was called The History of Transportation and was originally kept in a park in Inglewood, California in 1939, but 70 years later it was taken down, restored, and moved to a new location. 

Below are a few real-life pictures of the mosaic so that you can see its true size and beauty. 

8 feet high, 240 feet long, and sixty panels… wow! 

Up close… AMAZING! Love mosaics!!! 🙂 

 

Sources Used: 

http://vickeyk.hubpages.com/hub/Art_and_WPA_A_Vanishing_Heritage#

http://depts.washington.edu/depress/PWAP.shtml

http://laplaces.blogspot.com/2009/08/inglewood-history-of-transportation.html

 

Impressionist Paintings!

I LOVEEEEEEE impressionist paintings! I think what I love most about these paintings is the use of small dots of different colors to create one larger image. One of my favorite Impressionist painters is Claude Monet. The more I research impressionist paintings more I become in love with the technique! Here are a few paintings that I found that really show the technique used in impressionist paintings. 

A Field of Tulips in Holland by Claude Monet was created

in the spring of 1886 during Monet’s stay at the Hague in the Netherlands. 

The use of small dots and loose brush strokes is a primary example of the Impressionist technique. 

 

I thought it was important to include this painting of Lydia Leaning on Her Arms, Seated in a Lodge because it is a really good example of the loose brush strokes technique that is also used in impressionism. However, the small colorful dots are still my favorite! 🙂 This painting was created in 1880 by Mary Cassatt.Most of Mary’s paintings reflect the loose brush stroke technique. I think that it why Claude Monet is my favorite… I love his portraits with millions of small dots brought together to create one beautiful image!

Here is another painting by Mary Cassatt that shows how she uses the loose brush strokes. This paintings is titled Pink Sash and was created in 1898.

I also included this painting The Garden in Flower created by Claude Monet in 1900 to show how the two artists used different techniques to create the same style (Impressionist) paintings.

For this section I chose to focus on “morality in the arts” during this time art was making a big shift from the rococo style of art to the Neoclassical style. The reason being was that the people were outraged by the morals (or lack of) portrayed in the rococo style of art. The artist I thought showed the best example of this was Jean-Honoré Fragonard and his famous painting The Swing. One of the things that was so fascinating to me was how much meaning their was packed into this one painting. It showed me just how naive I am to the arts! As I started reading about this painting, I could not believe all the different symbolism that so clearly showed the rococo style. This picture portrays a woman on a swing being pushed by here husband, as she swings through the air she is giving the man on the ground a “peep show.” Another small detail that is interesting to see is that she is flinging her shoe at cupid. As I am learning more about the arts I have become very fascinated with the technique of tenebrism. I love how the woman in this painting is illuminated but yet you have to search for the hidden (literally) meanings which are mostly dark in color. This painting was created in 1767-68 and is currently located in the Wallace Collection, an art museum in London. 

The next painting I chose, which again shows the “immoral” behaviors in rococo art was Blind Man’s Bluff also by  Jean-Honoré Fragonard. In this painting (below) the woman is peeking out from below her blind fold while she and the man engage in what is assumed to turn into seductive play. What I love most about this painting is the amount of detail not necessarily in the symbols but in the painting itself. The sky, flowers, clothes… every piece of this painting is so beautifully detailed. I also love the bright colors. It was created in 1769 and is currently located in the Timken Museum of Art in San Diego, California. 

I am also including a painting from the Neoclassical style to show the difference in morals from the changes in artistic styles. The painting I chose is Cornelia, Mother of Gracchi Pointing to Her Children as  Treasures. What I love most about this painting is the moral content that is being depicted. In this painting the woman wearing red is showing Cornelia (in white) all of the things or “treasures” that her husband brought back to her after his trip. These treasures were materialistic things: jewelry, pearls, etc. She then asks Cornelia what her treasures are and Cornelia calls out to her children to show the women that her treasures are her children….WOW! I love, love, love this because as a mom I believe that my son is my GREATEST treasure and no earthly material (clothes, shoes, jewelry, purses, etc.) could ever amount to the love I have for my son. This painting was created by Angelica Kauffman in 1875 and can be found in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia. 

It is so interesting to see how the morals depicted in art changed so significantly from the Rococo style to the Neoclassical style. From women frolicing with men who are not their husbands to a faithful wife showing her children as treasures! 🙂 

Sources: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Swing_(painting)

http://uncgartgrads.blogspot.com/2008/04/cornelia-mother-of-gracchi-pointing-to.html

http://keephistoryalive.wordpress.com/2013/02/27/art-history-wednesday-cornelia-mother-of-the-gracchi-pointing-to-her-children-as-her-treasures/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Man’s_Bluff_(Fragonard)

Baroque

The painting I chose for this section of study is The Crucifixion of St. Peter by Caravaggio from 1601. One of the reasons that I chose this painting was because I am fascinated by the art of tenebrism. I think it is amazing the way that the contrast between dark and light in a painting can make a particular part of a painting appear to be “spotlighted.” This is an oil on canvas painting and is located in the Church of Santa Maria del Polpolo. 

One of the things that Caravaggio is most well known for is the “realness” of his images. This can be seen primarily in St. Peter when looking at his body you can see the detail in his skin creates a very real image as well as the expression in his face. This realness can also be seen in the rope that is cutting into the man who is helping to carry out the cross. This sense realness is important because it brings life and emotion to the painting which was essential to the reformation of the church where they relied heavily on art to educate, or re-educate people about their religious beliefs. 

The relationship between this painting and The Council of Trent was significant. A large part of reforming the church was educating the people of the church by means of religious paintings. It is for this reason that Baroque era art is suppose to be easy to the viewer to understand and should be emotionally impacting. I would say that this painting is nothing short of that. One of the most emotionally impacting things for me was that Peter asked to be crucified upside down because he felt he wasn’t worthy of being crucified in the same way that Jesus was. 

Sources:
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/10/18/the-basics-of-art-the-baroque-period/
http://www.artbible.info/art/large/427.html
http://www.aug.edu/augusta/iconography/staMariaPopolo/peterDeathCaravaggio.html

Italian Renaissance Art: “Virgin of the Green Cushion”

The painting that I chose is “Virgin of the Green Cushion” also known as “Madonna of the Green Cushion” by artist Andrea Solario. This painting is said to depict Mary nursing Jesus. While breastfeeding in public is quite a controversial subject I found it interesting how many paintings during this time are of nursing women. Not only are they paintings of nursing women, but they are viewed as art. In today’s world, a picture of a nursing women would be considered (by most) pornographic or sexual. I like that this painting shows the natural beauty of an infant being nursed by breasts which were intended for this very purpose. 

This painting was one of Andrea Solario’s most famous. While it was difficult to find information on him, it was known that Solario was born in Milan and was one of the most important followers of Leonardo da Vinci. He lived from 1460-1522. This particular painting was an oil tempera painting on wood dated from 1507-1510, it measured 59cm (23.2 in) height and 48 cm (18.9 in) in width. It is currently located in The Louvre Museum in Paris, France.

Due to the religious nature of this photo, I don’t think that it relates to humanism which is often viewed as the rejection of the importance of a belief in God. However, I suppose on a more literal level you could say that this painting does promote the humanist idea of providing for the welfare of humans in the sense that she is providing for him by giving Jesus the nourishment his body needs through nursing 🙂

 

Introduction!

My name is Hailey Hansen, I am a social work major. I work part-time and I am a full-time mom and wife! I have an amazing baby boy who just turned one in July. I enjoy watching him learn and grow. It seems he is learning new things everyday! I am from Fairbanks, but just recently moved back from Oklahoma. I love Alaska, but I don’t think I am ready for winter! Brrr. However, I will take the cold over the tornados! I’m sure a warm fire & coffee will get me through winter 🙂

As for my relationship with art. I am terrible at painting, drawing, sculpting, etc. but I suppose that the beauty of art is in the eye of the beholder 😉 I do however, really enjoy bringing Pinterest projects to life mostly in the form of old furniture. I enjoy bringing old things back to life in a new way. I also do a lot of “re-purposing” of old items that I find at garage sales.

My favorite website for art is www.pinterest.com it has so many different categories of art from a specific “art” album that shows different paintings, sculptures, etc. to a food category which can also be seen as art. I hope you all enjoy checking it out!!

~ Hailey