Blog 8 Art1B The Museum

This just seemed like an appropriate beginning to the museum/final blog for ol' Art1B. I have really enjoyed the last several months of art history, it has been a real eye opener. The whole flow of the evolution of creativity as expressed through time and cultures is inspiring, it is something that sets us apart, a very unique and important part of our make-up, this creative expression. The increasingly varied ways that humankind find to express themselves and share their thinking in productive ways gives me a sense of hope for the future. The museum of course was an excellent example of the variety available, from the paintings of earlier periods to the dissimilar paintings of today, the creations from found articles, the out of this world glass creations, the ceramic expressions, the metal work and of course the sculpture. The Museum had a unique location and history of its own brought out by the story of the Stanford's and their particular creative genius expressed in the business world of the time. Finally I got to see The Thinker again, he's quite a bit bigger than I remember from 50 years ago and even more interesting.

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Art and society. I think they're inseparable. If there is a society there will soon emerge a creative imagination that will express itself somehow. Virtually everything we studied so far has been art relative to the society around it. There seems to be an interdependence. The role of art in society is defined by the culture of the time and the art created and preserved ultimately helps define the culture it sprang from. The art we have been viewing in the text is the "creme de le creme", the very best that a period has to offer. In a sense its a snapshot of a period in the broadest most enduring terms. Ideally art should be a positive force in society, but of course that's where the river becomes turbulent and difficult to navigate. Who or what determines what is positive, we don't' all agree on that. Maybe over time art will continue to help define the "ideal", much as the Greeks and the Renaissance did in some particular way. The art of the past has largely been paintings as a means of expression and communication. It was used extensively as a teaching tool, as a legal document, a historical record, a sign of social standing and a means of commenting on a situation and simply entertainment. Today, there are many more avenues of expression that are used for these purposes. I think that television and the movies (video) have replaced paintings as a main source of entertainment and teaching for the greater part of the population. An example of this is the anti-smoking advertisements that are broadcast on television. they are very engaging, pointed, convincing and effective. In my opinion they are imaginative and creative. The Internet is another means of expression that can be used creatively to educate, entertain and inform. Arts has a role in society, it should be used to define the ideal and pursue it. This will be ongoing!

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CON-TEXT: the parts of a discourse that surround a word or passage and help to explain its meaning; also: the circumstances surrounding and act or event. The circumstances surrounding and act or event. Well, I guess it finally dawned on me that the religious, political, and economic environment of any given age directly influence artistic expression. The influence may be direct and positive. Abundant wealth may allow for artists to create and thrive, an open free atmosphere might encourage new avenues of expression. A relaxed stable government could tolerate a variety of creative opinion. Religion might exercise positive moral influence for the good of the human family and this could be reflected in the art of the day. On the other hand, tight economic control or limited resources might dictate who or what is allowed to create and what is created. Strict government control might use art for their own self interest or the advancement of their "agenda". Religion could use art as a tool for deep influence or even control. The historical reality seems to be that so far, events, priorities, circumstances and probably pure chance have conspired to give us a huge treasure trove of established art to appreciate and enjoy, but to begin to understand it we have to view it in its context.

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My first and so far lasting impression of the Baroque period, in a word, is DRAMA. From the first painting on the facing page of our reading assignment the tone is set. Louis XIV is setting the tone. The further reading and the associated voicethread reading makes it plain that a good show is all important. The whole style that had developed accentuated the dramatic. The technique of tenebrism with its deep contrasts between dark and light serve DRAMA. The reading regularly referred to drama and the dramatic. As I progressed through the assigned reading and saw the various artist and the architecture there was not other word that adequately described it but: drama. I think that part of it might be that the Baroque comes on the heels of the High Renaissance. The contrast seems to great. The Fountain of the Four Rivers, Ceiling of Gallery, Palazzo Farnese, Entombment, The triumph of the Name of Jesus and the Fall of the Damned. All of them very much over the top in my opinion. Finally (almost) The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew. Wow! One last thing, Louis XIV, relative again to the information from the voicethread supplemental reading. Louis XIV was the ultimate trendsetter and I heard that fashion trends come around every so often. Are we due for the return of Ermine robes, tights, garters, hair to the middle of your back and high heels for men?

I wanted to gather these characters together for a little modern day reunion. It has been a pleasure to get to know these artists, architects, sculptor and inventors a little better through a more in depth study of their careers and personalities. These men; DiVinci, Raphael and Michelangelo are names that are synonymous with innovation, creativity and the expression of beauty through art for over 500 years. The names to this day inspire awe for what they did and the legacy they left. I think it is important to reflect on the fact that they also owe a debt to those who came before them and that they had the opportunity to learn from. There is a long chain of knowledge and creativity that we today are benefactors of. I think these men and the others of there era were more than fortunate to be alive and active when they were, there was a tremendous confluence of forces that allowed there particular genius to flourish. Another day, another time the result would not have been the same. I was fortunate to find self portraits of these three artists on line it affords us the opportunity through physiognomy to try to gain a better understanding of them, by seeing how they viewed themselves.

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I think the Renaissance period in Florence Italy had to be a very exciting time to be alive. The emerging merchant culture seemed to allow for greater experimentation artistically. There were people willing to take things to the limit to overcome and advance art, and particularly architecture, painting is to follow in the next segment. Advancement seems to take a single mindedness that probably leaves behind what might be normally considered a balanced approach to life. I refer to Paolo Uccello who advanced the understanding of perspective reportedly at the expense of most everything else. We owe a debt of gratitude to those types of pioneers. Also the merchant class such as Giovanni Rucellai who stated he supported the arts "because they serve the glory of God, the honor of the city and the commemoration of myself". Humility wouldn't have accomplished as much during this period. The extreme, confident, even obsessed personality has re lit the culture and it is moving forward. I included this photo for simple viewing pleasure, though I believe its probably an excellent naturally occuring example of atmospheric perspective.