European, Islamic and Modern Oil Paintings

Field Trip 6 Reaction

           

            

            As I scattered through the museum, looking for great artworks the three that really stood out to me was the Modern, Islamic, and European oil paintings. There are many similarities between the modern and the old Islamic and European paintings such as the use of oil-based paint. The amounts of details in theses oil paintings were phenomenal. The colors were so precise that the painting itself looked like it was take using a camera. So I decided that theses three subjects was my only and logical choice for my theme.

            

            Some of the visual similarities of the paintings I chose for my theme are the fact that all of the artists seem to be capturing the moment in their paintings. From the sunset in Johan Christian Dahl panting named “Copenhgen Harbor by moonlight, 1846”) to the Mosque in Jean- Leon Gerome painting named “Prayer in the Mosque” which featured a prayer session taking place in beautiful Mosque. Also some of the modern painting shows the same realistic consistency. One example of this is in a painting by John Graham named “Celia.”

With the addition of the modern artworks my viewers can start to put together and compare both the Islamic and European artworks, which is mostly comprised of paintings from the early 18^th till the early ninetieth centuries with paintings from the modern and contemporary artworks which spans from the late 18^th century till the late 19^th centuries.

         Jean- Leon Gerome, "Arabs Crossing the Desert" 

                        1870s (Islamic Art Section)

Johan Christian Dahl 

                                                                                 "Copenhagen Harbor by Moonlight, 1846"

                                               

                                                               

Presentation Project Hua101

Theme 

European, Islamic and Modern Oil Paintings 

             My theme is on European, Islamic and Modern oil paintings. One of the reasons I chose this as my theme is because of the amount of details the paintings had. The colors on the paintings were so precise they actually looked like they were taken with a camera. The European and Islamic paintings I chose range from the baroque period till the early eighteen hundreds.

European Paintings

The Harvesters

Pieter Bruegel the Elder  (Netherlandish, Breda ca. 1525–1569 Brussels)

The Musicians

Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi)  (Italian, Milan or Caravaggio 1571–1610 Porto Ercole)

The Horse Fair

Rosa Bonheur  (French, Bordeaux 1822–1899 Thomery)

Islamic Paintings

Prayer in the Mosque

Jean-Léon Gérôme  (French, Vésoul 1824–1904 Paris)

Johan Christian Dahl

Norwegian, 1788-1857

Copenhagen Harbor by moonlight, 1846

Signed and dated (bottom right): JDahl 1846

Gustave Courbet

French,1819-1877

Woman with a Parrot, 1866

Signed and Dated (Lower Left): .66 / Gustave.Courbet

Modern and Contemporary Oil Paintings

Celia

John Graham  (American (born Ukraine) 1881–1961)

Date:

Ca. 1944

Water of the Flowery Mill

Arshile Gorky  (American (born Armenia), Khorkom 1904–1948 Sherman, Connecticut)

Date:

1944

Pasiphaë

Jackson Pollock  (American, Cody, Wyoming 1912–1956 East Hampton, New York)

Date:

1943

               

Chelsea Galleries Reaction

           





                 Chelsea is a great place to find art that is both fun and exciting to look at. One of great things about the artwork featured in the galleries in Chelsea is the fact that you can purchase some of art featured at these galleries; if you were rich. This trip gave me a sense of what I truly would want if I were a wealthy artist looking for great artwork to purchase. It helped better understand what types of artworks are out there. Some of the galleries are also free so you can walk in and view the artworks whenever you like. During the trip I saw many galleries that were both exciting and visually fun to look at. For example, one gallery featured an untitled piece that we actually were allowed to interact with. This piece was completely made out of some sort of quilt that hung from the celling. Pieces such as that one would probably attract buyer who might have kids.

           Some paintings that really caught my attention was one by Richard Avedon, that featured a old black and white photo of an elderly lady with a scared but disbelieve look in her eyes. I was creped out but also curious of what was it that she was scared at. Richard Avedon is known for his photographs of random people. One giant panoramic style photo featured nine businessmen wearing suits, standing side by side. Many of the galleries in that I saw in Chelsea were exciting to view. It helped me better appreciate the artwork that is available to me

Quiz Make Up

             Rackstraw Downes is a talented landscape painter. He was recently featured on a PBS episode of Art21 called “Balance.” Rackstraw Downes stated in an interview that he doesn’t consider himself as a “landscape Artist” but a painter that paint’s his environments. Downes also stated in an interview with a New York Times reporter Dorothy Spears the he “doesn’t troll the Internet for images-he doesn’t own a computer- and he doesn’t use, or own, a camera. He rarely retouches canvases in his studio, relying instead on sketches and his own eyes.”

            Downes earned his BA from Cambridge University in 1961 according to the PBS Art21. He also received many awards including one from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 2009. Some of his artworks include “The Arena, Chinati, 9 A.M., Looking north” and “The Pulaski Skyway Crossing the Hackensack River (2007).”

            Realistic is one word that I would use to describe his artworks. One painting that I really enjoyed was one of the cross street of “110^th and Broadway in new york city. He named this painting “110^th and Broadway, Whelan’s from Sloan’s (1980-81).” This painting featured the cross street of 110^th and Broadway New York during the 1980s. One thing that I really liked about this painting is the fact that he took exactly what he saw and transferred it into a beautifully portrayed painting. From the shadows of the trees and mailboxes to the buildings and the people going about their day in New York, the colors and details of what he painted were exact.

            Other known painting that featured that same realistic overview is a painting of the New Jersey Pulaski Skyway that featured a panoramic overview of the Pulaski Skyway and its surroundings. Downes named this painting “The Pulaski Skyway Crossing the Hackensack River (2007).” Downes also painted a beehive Yard located in presidio TX. He named this painting “Beehive Yard at the Rim of a Canyon on the Rio Grande, Presidio TX.” This painting featured a large open area full of beehives with volcano shaped mountain overlooking it.

            In conclusion, his painting is a perfect example of what I look for in art. The amount of color, details time that Rackstraw Downes put into his paintings really shows his passion and in what I believe he love to do. Art can be any thing depending on the viewer’s view of it and I believe when an artist such as Rackstraw Downes put this amount of dedication into their paintings or exhibits or anything, it really becomes some spectacular.

                        

Citation 

Dorothy Spears. "New York Times." Street Life As Still Life July 21, 2010.

Art:21 History Reaction

            

Glenn Ligon was one of the artists featured on a PBS episode of Art 21 named “History.” According to a PBS Ligon was born in the Bronx, New York in 1960 and created many sculptures and paintings. Many of his most famous paintings include “Hands” made in 1996, “Malcolm X (version 1) #1” which featured a coloring book like drawing of Malcolm X with colors that resembled makeup. Some of his most famous Sculptures include “Palindrome #1” made in 2007 which featured glowing words that stated “FACE ME I FACE YOU.”

            Many of Ligon’s works relates to the idea of history because the historical people that are featured in some of his works. One example of this is in his painting of Malcolm X, an advocate for African American right. Another great example of how Glenn Ligon works relates to the idea of history is with a powerful photo called “Hands” (1996). The historical people featured in his paintings is not the only thing that made his artwork relate to the idea of History, he also used his childhood passion for reading and incorporated it with his artwork. One example of this is in an untitled piece that featured big text sentences by a twentieth-century writer named Zora Neale Huston who was associated with the Harlem Renaissance.  In conclusion many of his pieces showed and related to the idea of history weather it was his own personal history or from different historical people.

Field Trip 4

 Sculpture Center Reaction

           

            This resent field trip to the Queens sculpture center was very odd to say the least. The featured exhibits were by an artist named Bill Bollinger who died on May 26, 1988 at the age of 48 according to sculpture-center.org. His exhibits consists a total of 39 separate exhibits most of which are sculptures; one that features two wheel barrels that sat parallel from each other, filled with dirty water. Bollinger’s exhibits are currently located at the Sculpture Center which once was an old trolley factory.
            The Queens sculpture Center is where Bollinger’s work is currently being displayed. This space where his work is currently being viewed is very unique because of the fact that it once was an old trolley factory. The space where Bollinger’s work is currently being viewed really complements Bollinger’s work because of the type of materials used in Bollinger’s works. For example an untitled piece that featured two wheel barrels filled with dirty water might look like something that you might find in a dirty old factory. Other pieces by Bollinger consists of the same work related materials such as a piece called “Cyclone fence” and “Screen Piece” featured at the temporary annex.

              Other pieces that had the same work-like consistency were named “water pipe” and “Pipe piece.” The piece “water pipe” is made of plastic hoses, cast iron, and brackets. The sculpture was laded out on the cement floor of the factory. There were also no guard railings making it seem like it belonged. One of the most interesting pieces Bollinger that I saw was the reconstruction of the “Graphite Piece.” This piece featured black paint like substance that was spread out onto the floor of a small room space. The description stated it was “Graphite power.”

            In conclusion Bill Bollinger’s art sculptures sat perfectly with the art space. The fact that the art
space was actually an old trolley factory really gave his artwork a theme. The combination of old rusty factory setting and Bollinger’s sculptures of pipes and old wheel barrels really made it seem like it belonged. I personally think that the artist did a great job reconstructing Bollinger’s sculptures such as “Cyclone Fence” so that it would fit nicely with its setting.

Work Citation

Bill Bollinger

“Cyclone Fence”

1968 – Reconstructed (2012)

Bill Bollinger

“Graphite Piece”

1969- Reconstructed- (2012)

Bill Bollinger

“Untittled”

Wheel Barrels

1970 –Reconstructed- (2012)

Bill Bollinger

“Screen Piece”

1968 – Reconstruction (2012)

Bill Bollinger

“Water Pipe”

1970

Marzona Collection

Research Citation

sculpture-center.org

Quiz Make Up

HUA101

Quiz Make Up

           

            David Altmejd is an Artist that created many beautiful sculptures that features a mixture of random objects put together. He completed his masters in fin arts at Columbia University and has a Bachelor of fine arts from Universite Du Quebec a Montreal according to andrearosengallery.com. Some of his works include “Wave” a wood, plaster, and burlap sculpture of a wave of hands being washed away, “giving / Talking” a wood, Chicken wire, metal, dyed face with bananas as horns. He was recently featured in a PBS art21 episode called “Boundaries.” This episode showed the behind the scene look of the process of how these works of art is made. Some pieces featured on the episode was “The Swarm”, “Le guide” and “The vessel”

            “The Swarm” is one piece that I really enjoyed because of the amount of stuff going on at the same time. This piece is huge. It was completely created from Plexiglas. It also had other materials such as chains, metal wire, thread, acrylic paint, epoxy resin and more. The piece had many things going on to it, but the one thing that you would see first is the swarm of bees flying across the exhibit with different color wiring following behind. Other animals such as ants made with the same wiring rode freely across the exhibit as well. One thing that I believe the artist David Altmejd was trying to portray was a sense of freedom by demonstrating the many different insects marching freely across the entire exhibit.

            David Altmejd also completed other art exhibits such as “Twilight Tale” which is currently being featured at Galerie de I’UQAM, Monteral, Canada. Just like “The Swarm” Exhibit, it is also completely made out of Plexiglas and other materials. One other piece that I really enjoyed was one called “The Vessel.” From a distance this piece may look like a boat or a vessel like object with paddled but as you get closer you start to see things such as hands made out of a rubber casting of his own hands and ears also made out of the same rubber casting of his own ear. Also featuring purple and light green wiring through the exhibit Plexiglas carvings of swans.

             In conclusion David Altmejd is a great artist with an incredible imagination. What makes his artwork unique is the fact that he doesn’t draw any of his exhibits out before he works on it. David Altmejd incorporates other materials that he works with such as Plexiglas into his exhibits. I don’t think there’s anything to dislike about his artwork just because I don’t believe there is bad art. I personally think that all art is good and it dependents on ones opinion.