Artwork of India-Non-Western Art

 The artwork of India is as diverse as its people, its countries include (see below) Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal (Wikipedia, 2022). 

The first piece I've selected is by Ismail Shammout, titled Dreams of Tomorrow, it is the final painting of a 19-piece mural collection painted from 1997-2000 (Wikiart, 2022) in Palestinian territory. Shammout uses oil-based paints and the collection is a chronological telling of the Palestinian people from exodus to reconstruction (Wikiart, 2022). 

Dreams of tomorrow .., 1997 - 2000 - Ismail Shammout - WikiArt.org

In white, the focus of the painting, is a Palestinian woman's corpse, her shape mimics the map of Palestine. The pain of the people and their long struggle under occupation is shown in the left upper corner by the reaching masses. They are waiting for redemption. Peace, hope, and a people united and free are shown on the opposite (right) side of the woman. This side is brighter, flowers, birds and the playing children speak of stability and hope for the future.  I appreciate the artist's use of symbolism to tell the story of the people and would like to see all 19 pieces to better understand the history of the Palestinian people. In the red edges of the woman's dress are the names of Palestinian cities and the words love, good, patience, and tomorrow (Wikiart, 2022). 

1898, Raja Ravi Varma, Shakuntala
Shakuntala (Raja Ravi Varma) - Wikipedia

Shakuntala, oil on canvas, was painted by Raja Ravi Varma in 1898 and is on display at the Sree (Shri) Chitra Art Gallery of Thiruvananthapuram, India (Wikipedia, 2022). The story of the painting is based on Hindu mythology and is from "Mahabharata", one of the major Sanskrit epics of Ancient India (Wikipedia, 2022). Featured in the painting is Shakuntala with her two female companions and a passerby in the background. Shakuntala pretends to pick a thorn from her foot whilst searching for her absent lover (WikiArt, 2022). The scene is peaceful, the featured character is surrounded by beauty and friendship, but still she longs for her love. Varma's use of earthy tones, light and shadow give this piece a realistic feeling transporting the viewer to the garden with the women. 

Untitled (Woman at Work), 1958 - M.F. Husain - WikiArt.org

1958, M.F. Husain, (Woman at Work) Untitled

The final piece I've selected is my favorite. Husain often used cubism, the style of painting seen above in his untitled work, oil on canvas, painted in 1958. One of the most well-known and internationally acclaimed Indian artists of the 20th century, he was known for his progressive style and was one of the pioneers of early Indian Modernism (WikiArt, 2022). I was unable to discover where this work is displayed currently. I love the choice of muted colors, the simplicity of the girl and bird, and the subject matter, a woman at work. I would proudly display this piece anywhere. I find it enduring and soothing, a gentle reminder to slow down and appreciate the small things. 

The influence of religion and culture are clearly portrayed in all of these artists' work, but with great diversity of style. Shakuntala is the oldest piece and Dreams of Tomorrow, the most recent work, by a Palestinian artist. Husain makes a clear departure from the traditional painting styles of the others with his early use of cubism. 

References

WikiArt. (2022). Dreams of Tomorrow. (online). Dreams of tomorrow .., 1997 - 2000 - Ismail Shammout - WikiArt.org

WikiArt. (2022). M.F. Husain. (online). M.F. Husain - 79 artworks - painting (wikiart.org)

Wikipedia. (2022). India. (online). India - Wikipedia

Wikipedia. (2022). Shakuntala. (online). Shakuntala (Raja Ravi Varma) - Wikipedia

Post Modern Art Technology and Diversity

The Civil Rights Movements of the 1960s opened the door for diversity in America. Women, ethnic minorities, and non-Judeo-Christian ideas began to have a voice both in politics and on the art scene. By the 1980s, and with an explosion in technological advances, art had expanded into multiple domains including, fiber arts, video games, performance art, environmental and street art. 

Paul Friedlander The Wave Equation 2008

Paul Friedlander - artfutura

Paul Friedlander creates kinetic light sculptures, an art that incorporates science, technology, and art. His work has been shown at ArtFutura in Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Madrid, and Montevideo and at the Museum of Modern Art, Madrid (Art Futura, 2022). The Wave Equation would be best observed in-person. I find Friedlander's work fascinating and could see it being a teaching tool for budding scientists and artists. Friedlander uses computer lighting systems to illuminate his pieces (Art Futura, 2022). A sure departure from paint and canvas, Friedlander's work epitomizes diversity in art. 

Super Mario Brothers 3. Nintendo Entertainment System, 1990, Nintendo of America, Inc / SAAM

The Art of Video Games | Arts & Culture| Smithsonian Magazine

"Video games are the only forms of artistic expression that allow the authoritative voice of the author to remain true while allowing the observer to explore and experiment.” -Melissinos (Tucker, 2012).

Pictured above, Super Mario Brothers 3, made its debut in 1990 and its graphics are the enduring quality that ties all the games together and make them cohesive for the gamer.  Artist Shigeru Miyamoto of Japan designed Super Mario Bros and other popular games Zelda and Donkey Kong (Rossen, 2015). His career began with Nintendo in 1976 (Rossen, 2015).  The video games that are played today are so detailed that the gamer may have trouble deciphering between reality and fantasy. Virtual reality transports the games to separate spaces and places. Video game art is nostalgic for me and most of my generation. I would frame and display scenes from (old) video games in my home. 

Alison Knowles, Proposition #2: Make a Salad. 1962, Performed at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, October 1962

Fluxus Spotlight: Knowles/Ikeda | LA Phil | Walt Disney Concert Hall

Alison Knowles is a Fluxus artist and performed Proposition #2: Make a Salad in 1962 at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London and again in 2019 at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles (LA Phil, 2022). Fluxus art seeks to redefine the boundry between life and art and is often interactive and performance based (ArtStory, 2022). Fluxus artists scorned "high-art" and sought to bring their work to the masses (ArtStory, 2022). Knowles is one of Fluxus' most influential artists and uses the auditory cues of the vegetable chopping as a soundtrack for her performance (ArtStory, 2022). This piece is said to be Zen-based in practice and would be a revolutionary way to experience art. I would love to attend a Knowles performance. 

Post Modern Art is hard to define, its diversity influenced by new ways of thinking and advances in technology. We seem to be living in a time in which everything is fair game, from materials use to performance platforms. Computer advances and graphic design have opened the door to creativity as evidenced by the first two artists, and storytelling is no longer limited to 'correctness' but open to free expression, as is the case with Knowles Fluxus performance. 

ArtFutura. (2022). Paul Friedlander. (online). Paul Friedlander - artfutura

Art Story. (2022). Fluxus. (online). Fluxus Movement Overview | TheArtStory

LA Phil. (2022). Fluxus: Fluxus Spotlight: Knowles/Ikeda. (online). Fluxus Spotlight: Knowles/Ikeda | LA Phil | Walt Disney Concert Hall 

Rossen, J. (2015). 17 Fascinating Facts About Nintendo Legend Shigeru Miyamoto. Mental Floss. (online). 17 Fascinating Facts About Nintendo Legend Shigeru Miyamoto | Mental Floss

Tucker, A. (2012). The Art of Video Games. Smithsonian Magazine. (Online). The Art of Video Games | Arts & Culture| Smithsonian Magazine

Early Modern Art and the Great Depression

In response to the Great Depression, the result of the stock market crash of 1929, newly elected president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, created The New Deal (U.S. Department of the Treasury). The New Deal was an initiative to put America's unemployed to work, build infrastructure, and stabilize the economy (Antique Trader, 2022). One of the many programs that came from The Great New Deal was the Work Projects Administration (WPA) and part of WPA was the Federal Arts Project, which put to work over 10.000 artists during The Great Depression (wikipedia, 2022).  Among these artists was Grant Wood, an American painter. Featured below is his iconic piece, American Gothic, painted in 1930, it is oil on beaver board, and is displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago. 

American Gothic | The Art Institute of Chicago (artic.edu)

Though painted prior to the WPA, this piece is meant to convey a positive image of America's rural communities (Art Institute Chicago, 2022). This painting is simplistic, the focus is on the personalities of the farmer and his daughter. Wood does an excellent job of telling their story through his subjects' facial expressions. Staunch and serious minded, the viewer is reminded that farm work is tough work, but rewarding and work that one can take pride in. The pride is evidenced in the crisply pressed and neat clothing of the pair. The tone is warm and earthy throughout. The pitchfork and architecture of the building in the background hint of the Midwest setting without overwhelming the piece. I would proudly display this piece in my home or place of business as a reminder of American values and traditions. 

WPA Artists Changed the Course of U.S. Art - Antique Trader

Daniel Celentano - Wikipedia

 Featured above is Daniel Celentano's Pelham Bay, oil on canvas, painted in 1935. I believe this piece may be part of an individual's private collection and am unable to find where it may be displayed. Daniel Celentano grew up in East Harlem, New York, the son of Italian immigrants. and was commissioned to paint murals for the Federal Art Project (wikipedia, 2022). Celentano was an American Realism painter and often recreated realistic scenes from New York (wikipedia, 2022). American Scene painters did not use embellishments and their work was created for all palates, not only for the refined.  America and the New Deal's focus on strong infrastructure is featured in this piece. The train line was one of the primary ways of transportation in the city. Celentano uses rich color tones and earthy hues in his work. While I feel Pelham Bay is inviting, I do not identify with the scene, having come from rural America. 

The final piece (above), Stacking Hay, is the work of Jason Pollock, a lithograph print, circa 1935, and is on display at the Denver Art Musem. Pollock worked for the WPA Federal Art Project from 1938-1932 (wikipedia, 2022). Black and white, the print is still able to capture the essence of farm and life in rural America. Like the girl on top the haystack, most American Midwest and Western kids spent time in the fields helping to bring in hay whilst growing up. Pollock's use of shadow and shading creates an electric atmosphere. I find this print whimsical and realistic at once. The wide-open spaces invite daydreaming, and the never-ending work of farm chores are an enduring part of our country's values and traditions. I would display this print as a reminder of my roots. 

References

Antique Trader. (2022). WPA Artists Changed the Course of US Art. (online). WPA Artists Changed the Course of U.S. Art - Antique Trader

Art Institute Chicago. (2022). The Collection. American Gothic. (online). American Gothic | The Art Institute of Chicago (artic.edu)

U.S. Department of the Treasury. (2022). WPA Art Collection. (online). WPA Art Collection | U.S. Department of the Treasury

Wikipedia. (2022). Daniel Celentano. (online). Daniel Celentano - Wikipedia

Wikipedia. (2022). Federal Art Project. (online) Federal Art Project - Wikipedia

Wikipedia. (2022). Jason Pollock. (online). Jackson Pollock - Wikipedia

WPA Artists Changed the Course of U.S. Art

From 1935 to 1943, Roosevelt's New Deal artists created paintings and murals and photographs and more to capture the social realism of the Great Depression. A Swann Auction Galleries event celebrates the work.

WPA Artists Changed the Course of U.S. Art

From 1935 to 1943, Roosevelt's New Deal artists created paintings and murals and photographs and more to capture the social realism of the Great Depression. A Swann Auction Galleries event celebrates the work.

Romantic Era-Art Nouveau vs Hudson River School Style

Gustav Klimt Paintings, Bio, Ideas | TheArtStory

Alphonse Mucha Paintings, Bio, Ideas | TheArtStory

The 19th century, or the period of time in the 1800's, is known as the Romantic Era of art. This period brought many different styles, but the unifying theme was that of idealism. Art Nouveau, the style of painting featured above, stepped outside of the academic study and artists began to explore painting in a style more emotionally driven and less concerned with perfection. Flowing organic lines and muted hues of greens, yellows, browns, and blues are characteristic of Art Nouveau style (Art Story, 2022). Japanese prints also influenced this style of painting (Britannica, 2022). Some of the work in this style reminds me of circus posters.

 Klimt's work, Medicine, oil on canvas, was commissioned in 1894 by the Ministry of Culture for the Great Hall of the University of Vienna (Art Story, 2022). The painting was met with much disapproval and was eventually destroyed in 1945 (Art Story, 2022). Klimt was the first president of the Vienna Succession, founded in 1897, and he challenged the conservatism of Austria's artistic institutions (Art Story, 2022).  Medicine features the goddess Hygeia. When studied closely, one will see that on her right are nude figures captured by the skeleton of Death and also hidden is a mother giving birth (Art Story, 2022). This mythological take on modern medicine was not well received. Klimt would buy back all three of his commissioned paintings in 1905 (Art Story, 2022). I personally would display this painting and am grieved that it did not survive. The subdued brown/gold hues that dominate the piece I find comforting. The hidden work in the background deserves careful scrutiny. 

Mucha's work, The Seasons, is a color lithograph, painted in 1896, and is on display the the Mucha Museum in Prague (Art Story, 2022). Mucha was an artist from the Czech Republic and is most known for his posters (Art Story, 2022).  Women were the dominate theme of much of Mucha's work and it was often mass-produced. You can see his use of symbolism in The Seasons, each woman conveying a different mood. I love Mucha's work. All his women are powerful and rarely tainted by the inclusion of men. The Art Nouveau palette of greens, browns, blues, and yellows is soothing and pleasing. These painting are touched by a bit of romanticism for sure. 

While both of these paintings, Medicine and The Seasons, are works of Art Nouveau style, my preference is for Mucha's work. I enjoy his interpretation of the symbolic and his paintings often have a broader use of color. The women he paints appear powerful and strong.

Thomas Cole Paintings, Bio, Ideas | TheArtStory

Albert Bierstadt Paintings, Bio, Ideas | TheArtStory

Another style that came out of the Romantic Era was that of the Hudson River School. The Hudson River School was a loosely organized group of painters, largely from New York, that mastered landscape painting. Many of these artists are responsible for bringing notice to our lands and the need to preserve them. 

Thomas Cole, the artist that created The Oxbow, seen above, is thought to be the founder of the Hudson River School (Art Story, 2022). A British American, Cole's work focused on the wilds of America. The Oxbow, painted in 1836, oil on canvas, is on display at the Metropolis Museum of Art in New York. I like the drama of this piece. On the left, a summer storm is passing over the the valley of the Connecticut River as evidenced by the shadow and darker grey tones. The right side of the painting is bright and fresh as though the storm has just passed through, and the sun is shining down. The river valley is clear and uncluttered and allows the visitor to bask in this work. This piece brings me joy, though it would not be suitable for display in my home. I believe this work needs a larger audience. 

Bierstadt, a German American painter, created Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak, in 1863 (Art Story, 2022). This work is oil on canvas and is displayed at The Met Museum, New York. Bierstadt stood out to me as one of the few of the Hudson River School painters to focus on the Western United States. I feel his work is almost too idealized which distracts from the natural beauty of the landscape. The painting shown above, Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak, for example is altered to maximize its effect on the viewer (Art Story, 2022). Bierstadt uses luminism to pull the viewer into the scene (Art Story, 2022). My preference is for Cole's work, being truer to life, though my heart is with the Western United States. 

References

Britannica. (2022). Art Nouveau. Artistic Style. (online). Art Nouveau | History, Characteristics, Artists, & Facts | Britannica

The Art Story. (2022). Art Nouveau. (online). Art Nouveau Movement Overview | TheArtStory