Cubism

Cubism was one of the most influential styles of the first half of the twentieth century. Pablo Picasso was the founder of this style which paved the way to modern art. He took Cezanne’s ideas to another level. It was also influenced from African art, depicting real life moments. Picasso was obsessed with cinema, and many scholars think that Cubism was inspired from the moving picture. Their aim was to lose the traditional techniques and develop a new way of seeing the world. Taking an object and looking at it from various angles, placing all these different views in one composition.  Eventually they used to transform objects into geometric shapes. Braque & Picasso’s favourite motifs to paint were usually, forms that can be related to one another, such as the human figure, bottles, grapes and musical instruments. Since these motifs are similar, they help us to find our way through the paintings and make it easier to understand. This style was divided in two distinctive parts, the Analytical and Synthetic. The Analytical was when artists viewed the subject from different viewpoints and transform it into a composition. Having a limited palette of colours, to represent these fragmented images. From the 1912 onward  Braque and Picasso’s paintings became so similar, more abstract, where the subject matter is less recognizable. Then Picasso started placing actual images related to the theme on his still life. This was the origin of collage.

 Pablo Picasso. "Violin and Grapes." Spring-summer 1912

Head of a woman (1928) vs. Head of a woman (1946)

Head of a Woman
 Pablo Picasso, 1946, oil on canvas (Museo Picasso Malaga, Malaga)

Head of a Woman

Pablo Picasso  (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France)

Picasso wanted to check out for himself how far the idea of constructing can go when using unusual forms and materials.  He composed 16 different paintings symbolizing his crumbled marriage to Olga Kokhlova. In one of his earliest composition, we can see that he uses one continuous line. He added an abstract shape suggesting the contour of the face. He placed the eyes as far as possible from each other, with different sizes. To picture this angry female, he placed only three hairs and also a small pair of nostrils. He created four pointed lines in the middle representing her teeth, which make the image look a bit terrifying.  In the other composition, her teeth give a harmonious feeling to the image, with one continuous line. He divided the image in two to create a contrast, one with a darker background leaving the facial features blank. He placed the same eyes found in the other painting on top of each other, unlike the other composition. He added an extra hair, using straight lines. Only one nostril is seen. The curve in the lower part of this arrangement indicates Olga’s body. The simple lines, both vertical and horizontal are connecting the two parts together. The vertical line found in the middle presents the image of a hand.

Sources

Contemporaneous Extension, Highest Lights

Available at:- http://contemporaneousextension.wordpress.com/ ( Accessed on 18.11.2012)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-2012, Head of a Woman

Available at:- http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/210010276 ( Accessed on 18.11.2012)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-2012,Cubism

Available at:- http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cube/hd_cube.htm (Accessed in 17.11.2012)

Cubism-The first style of abstract art, 2012, Cubism

Available at:- http://artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art_movements/cubism.htm (Accessed on 17.11.2012)

E.H. Gombrich, Phaidon, 1995, The story of Art, Pgs 574-577

Art Poster

“Design is the method of putting form and content together. Design, just as art, has multiple definitions; there is no single definition. Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated”

                                                                                                                                        — Paul Rand   

Graphic Design is a combination of Text and images. It has 3 different purposes:- persuasion (propaganda), information (signs) and instruction. Graphic Design became widely used after WWII.

                                                            

Jules Cheret, El Dorado, 1894

In this blog, I’m about to tackle the transformation of the Art Poster over the years. A poster includes an expression of economical, social & cultural life.  They started as a mass production and show famous artworks at a very low price, compared to the original artwork. Ability to combine text and illustrations which finally made lithographic posters reduced. Jules Cheret, Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, Jacques Villon were the exponents of the poster till the 1890’s. Jules Cheret, the father of the poster, was also a massive contributor to the world of advertising. He developed the famous process named “three stone process”, where the rainbow colours can be achieved through the primary colours, the main characteristics of his posters were a feminine figure, drawn lettering and very bold with a cartoonish touch. When the French Art Nouveau started, Alphonse Mucha, simplified Cheret’s style. His posters were more colorful  with a bold outline, animated with most of them including a female figure with a stained glass background. Art Nouveau, in Italy was known as the Liberty style. Cappieldo’s work, influenced from Cheret & Lautrec took over other artists work. He used a lot of dark backgrounds to create a strong contrast with the use of complimentary colours. Aubrey Beardsley composed black and white illustrations, conveying a great contrast. He also used flat perspective in his work. The figures were influenced from the Japanese graphic art. Will Bradley took over Beardsley, when he passed away. He combined Art Nouveau with Medieval and Renaissance art. His work in children’s illustrations and paintings was fascinating. The Wiener Workstation workshop, aimed for quality improvements. It brought various artists and designers together. The main characteristics are the breaking down of objects to simple shapes and the use of geometric patterns with minimum decorations. The Beggarstaff brothers formed an innovative style but wasn't popular. Simplified shapes, few strong colours, less lettering & hand drawn. Bernhard Lucian took their idea and managed to popularize it. He then became the master of Plakastil, which is the simplification and definition of objects with flat colours. Advertising posters include only images of the object being advertised.

                                                         Lucian Bernhard

                                                                 

Some of Peter Behrens's posters

From a floral, Japanese prints, Egyptian style to a more serious, refined version of Art Nouveau, Art Deco. The main characteristics of Art Deco are futurism, cubism, constructivism, neo-classicism, abstraction to modern artists such as Hoffman and Frank Lloyd Wright.  Peter Behrens is known as the founder of modern design which is linked with Jugendstil (a style similar to art Nouveau). In his posters he is not only taking care of the product, but viewing it as a whole entity, from introduction till the end. The beginning of constructivism started with a highly contrasted geometric composition. The Futuristic movement in Italy was rejecting harmony and order but expressing speed and movement. Their arrangements created a transformation from the traditional typography to new forms and design. Their font types weren't linear, and most of the forms didn't make any sense but created a sense of expression. DADA’s aim was to destroy the traditional art and create a new one, without following any known rules. Subverting images to collages, photo montages, extremes which made them use ready made objects. Hannah Hoch was one of the most aesthetically gifted collagists of the Dadaists. 

Hannah Hoch, Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife through
 the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultura
l Epoch in Germany, 1919

        

     

 Sources

Timetoast, 2012, History of Graphic Design

Available at:- http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/53704 (accessed on 13.11.2012)

Edward Booth-Clibborn & Daniele Baroni, Thames & Hudson, 1980, The language of Graphic Design

The Four Feathers

This film produced in 2002 is full of transformation and it tells the story of Harry, the son of a British Army Hero. Harry’s a British officer in love with Ethne. The movie takes off with a scene where the British officers are playing a rugby derby. They look very dirty, strong and angry while the spectators are lovely dressed and well mannered, which is very conflicting. If we compare this scene to the ending scene, we can see that the setting of Harry and Ethne walking hand in hand leaves a harmonious effect on the viewer. 

Just before the regiment was about to depart for the battle, Harry decides to resign his commission. His friends Ralph Richardson, Jack Allen, Donald Gray and wife-to-be Ethne, sent him four feathers symbolising his cowardice.  Eventually Harry transformed himself in one of their rebels in Sudan to rescue the British Army. In Sudan, Harry’s lifestyle had a drastic change, from a wealthy life to a needy one.  In one particular scene, Harry is seen sucking the camel’s flesh.  When he was trying to save his friends, he ended up in prison where he found his friend and with the help of Fatma, they escaped to get their lives back. I’ve also noticed the change in the relationship Harry had with his colleagues. Harry used to treat Jack as his brother, but Jack without any guilt feeling proposed to Ethne, the woman that Harry was in love with.  In the end, Harry and Ethne continued their relationship where they had left it in the beginning of the movie.  

Sources

IMDb, 1990-2012, The Four Feathers(2002)

Available at:- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240510/ (Accessed on:- 6-11-2012)

Floating Ecopolis for Climate Refugees

Vincent Callebaut named this project “Lily pad”, but it is also known as “Floating Ecopolis for Climate Refugees”. This urban design was created to serve as a protection for the future climate change refugees. Callebaut came up with a solution, an answer to global warming. The water in the coming future may rise from 20 cm to 90 cm; therefore low areas will be flooded. He then created these cities to elevate the sea level. It is designed in the form of a lily pad, to gain full stability and survive storms in the open waters. These cities will provide a shelter for about 50,000 people. This project is still in design, and it will take over 90 years to be seen in reality.

Transformation

In this floating structure, we can see transformation from a land city to a floating one. This design is a solution to many problems the world has to deal with in the near future such as; the rise of water level and climate changes. The structure is very modern and the curves in the design itself create a sort of motion, movement. It creates its own energy. This project may be an inspiration to more creative solutions which may provide a solution that works.

Sources

Freshome - Interior Design, Decorating & Architecture Magazine, 2007-2012, Future Architecture: Floating Ecopolis for Climate change

Available at :-

http://freshome.com/2008/06/11/future-architecture-floating-ecopolis-for-climate-refugees/ ( Accessed on 4.11.12)

Inhabitant, 2012, LILYPAD; Floating City for Climate change refugees

Available at :-

http://inhabitat.com/lilypad-floating-cities-in-the-age-of-global-warming/ ( Accessed on 4.11.12)

Paul Cezanne

Paul Cezanne took part in impressionism exhibitions and he also created the bridge between impressionism & post-impressionism. When he grew tired of Impressionism, he decided to move on & go to his home town, Aix-En-Provence, where he could discover his art once again. His aim was to capture the discoveries made in Impressionism but with a sense of perfection, balance and order. Most of his paintings are related to the scenes found in Provence, Cezanne and the Sainte Victoire Mountain had a strong relationship. He painted this mountain at least 60 times. 

Bestand:Paul Cezanne La Montagne Saint Victoire Barnes

Mont Sainte-Victoire and the Viaduct of the Arc River Valley

In this post, I’m about to review the transformation which these 60 renderings carry. The influence of Pisarro is very much visible, he abandoned the dark colours and the canvases display a brighter painting. For Cezanne, a painting is not an image, in these renderings we can see that he transformed each landscape in his way, positioning the trees and houses. This conveys a transformation from the nature world to the artistic world. He was interested in the world, not in the subject matter. He represented these imperfect forms with traditional shapes. In his first paintings the main elements were still visible but as years passed by the paintings became more simplified. The light in the painting, gives an impression of real depth, even the chunks of colour with no blending in between. These different planes of colour all placed next to each other, are communicated trough his broad brushstrokes. Cezanne’s small, very repetitive brushstrokes are characteristic & highly recognizable, which were arranged in a manner to enhance the feel of harmony. This is seen in a later part of his career, where he used colour in shorter strokes.



Sources

Bruce and Bobbie Johnson, Paul Cezanne 

Available at:-

http://hoocher.com/Paul_Cezanne/Paul_Cezanne.htm (Accessed on 27.10.12)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-2012, The Transformation of landscape painting in France

Available at:-

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lafr/hd_lafr.htm (Accessed on 26.10.12)

Avignon et Provence, 1996-2012, Paul Cezanne( The Sainte Victoire mountain, promised land of his devotion)

Available at:-

http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/cezanne-biography/paul-cezanne/cezanne-paintings.htm#.UJUtUm_LTE0 (Accessed on 26.10.12)