lilyarthistory

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02/04 - What Do We Do Now?

This lecture was focused on what we want to do with an art history degree after we leave university. While this is something I have been forced to think about often, I still don’t have a solid answer. I have a vague idea of working in a museum or gallery, perhaps in a curatorial role, but I have learned from the various people we have talked to on our trips that there is no easy path to this role. One of the articles we had to read prior to this lecture was ‘I Am an Art Historian’ by Francesca Ramsey, which was a sad but true look at many people’s careers following an art history degree. The opening line “I am and Art Historian. This means that I work in a pub.” would probably resonate with many in this field. She talks about how young minds are wasted in unpaid volunteering and invigilating jobs. These are the sort of jobs I wanted to do before the current crisis made that impossible, but I hadn’t before thought about how easy it is to take advantage of volunteers.

Our guest speaker today was Lauren Velvick, who is an editor for Corridor8. She talked us through the journey of her career, starting with a History of Art degree in Manchester. She has had a long list of jobs including Islington Art Academy, RIBA, an arts and crafts shop, Manchester Art Fair and writing for Corridor8. I really liked her project,the Exhibiton Centre for the Art and Life of Books, which set up reading rooms, events and film screenings. At this point in her career Lauren was a well known artist, but wanted to move to more institutional roles in her career. She became a programme coordinator at the Bluecoat, and then received a grant to travel as a north-western artist. She then moved to Hull to be an assistant curator, while still writing for Corridor8. She then became a Creative Producer for Lancaster Arts.

Lauren then gave us some advice for our time at university. She herself felt that a writing career was not advertised to her at uni, so advises that we should write about art at every opportunity. She also said that it is usual to experiment with what kind of job you like and move around frequently. We should also take every opportunity to set up our own projects and exhibitions while we can and have the support of the university. I asked for Lauren’s advice on volunteering within Liverpool, to which she recommended Bluecoat and FACT. Hopefully I can gain some experience when everything has gone back to normal! Lauren also advised looking at roles as an artist’s assistant, as this can build good relationships with artists.

I thought that it was really valuable to be able to speak to someone with such a vast role in the art sector. I would definitely be happy to follow in a similar path, meandering until I found somewhere that feels right. During our extra-long summer break I will have a lot of time to think about the future. Although our first year is now practically over, I will (hopefully) continue to immerse myself in the contemporary art world and keep up to date with the institutions we have visited over the past few months.

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26/03 - Digital Exhibitons - Museums without Walls?

The first half of the lecture was spent discussing some of the digital exhibitions we had found. One of the ones sent to us called ‘isthisit?’ was really fun, one of the works was set out like a VR video game where you can control where you walk and what you interact with. This website has been showcasing online exhibitions before the quarantine, so does so in a fun and trendy way, unlike some websites that have moved online recently. Another online museum I found was ‘USEUM’, an interactive fine art gallery. This website has high resolution images of famous artworks. I liked how you could explore the collection by art movement or by museum. While this website would probably be useful for academic studies, I don’t think it’s somewhere to go when you’re bored as it is essentially just a database of art, rather than an interactive tour of the museums.

The next part of the lecture included a discussion with those effected by the pandemic; Andrew and Ryan from the Convenience Gallery and Katy from PINK. Everyone expressed how their gallery timetables had been disrupted, which are often planned a year in advance, so rescheduling will be a nightmare. Katy commented that she felt forgotten about even more so than usual. As PINK hasn’t officially opened yet, there are no funding records, so she is unsure if she will get financial aid from the government. Her organisation is founded on the principles of open collaboration, which obviously cannot be achieved under these circumstances.

On the other hand, a positive outcome of the pandemic is that people are consuming art more than ever in terms of literature and film, so hopefully the internet can adapt to be a place of display. However, Ryan pointed out that galleries posting online everyday is not natural and causes the content to become over saturated. He believes the scramble for online presence is not legitimate, and is still focusing on Convenience Gallery’s future as a physical space. They are using this time to get things in order and to cement a solid future. Convenience still want to focus on their strong community interaction and meet with regular collaborators, even making their services free. Similarly, Katy is still working towards PINK’s first launch. She suggests that this time could be used for research, interviews and journals. She finished by reiterating that we need to not get caught up in a conceptual future and focus only on the present, which is the perfect advice for the world we live in today.

It felt like a privilege to be talking to these creators in such a difficult time, but I could sense that this open discussion was probably a much needed form of therapy for them. I agree that at least in the news, the arts sector is being completely ignored, so I hadn’t even thought about the difficulties that small galleries would be facing. Discussion about digital galleries was really interesting as we have an upcoming assignment about digital art for another module. I feel I now know how galleries can do online exhibitions the right way and the wrong way.

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JASMIR CREED 19/03

It seems that LJMU is the latest victim of the coronavirus pandemic, meaning that all face-to-face teaching has been stopped. This means that I attended this weeks lecture from the comfort of my flat, in my pyjamas with a cup of tea - doesn’t seem so bad!

This weeks lecture we delivered by Jasmir Creed, an artist based in Manchester who has national and worldwide prestige. As soon as she mentioned she had exhibited in the Victoria Gallery and Museum, I remembered seeing her work during an open day to LJMU. One painting in particular has always stood out in my memory, and after some digging I have found it’s called ‘Undercamp’. It showed a swathe of tents, a reference to the homeless population of Manchester. The crowds and commuters walking past are suspended in the sky, showing their disconnect from these issues . I have remembered this particular painting throughout my time so far at university as one of my favourite British contemporary paintings.

The themes of Jasmirs work revolve around psycho-geographic journeys, exploring how places can have a greater meaning to us, and how we can explore locations in more ways than just walking around. She references being inspired by Baudelaire’s Flaneur, someone who walks around a city and observes life for the purpose of writing or making art about it. Throughout her presentation Jasmir made references to both art history and contemporary artists she has been inspired by. One of my favourite themes in Jasmir’s work is how she combines elements of the natural and man made world into one image. For example in ‘City Pads’, she has played on the idea of an urban environment being reflected in puddles or in a pond. Although the work is inspired by something seemingly ordinary, the result is a surrealist scene conparable to one of Dali’s dreamscapes. Another personal favourite is ‘Sometimes Lost’, which features the Metropolitan Cathedral. I probably feel a connection to this work because I live over the road from the cathedral, meaning I have my own psycho-geographic connection to it. For me, it acts as a beacon that guides me home after a night out and it’s ringing bells are a familiar sound on a Sunday morning.

I really enjoyed listening to Jasmir talk about her work, I love how it celebrates Liverpool and the North East. I will definitely look out for her exhibitons in the future and genuinely hope to see more of her work.

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FACT - 27/02

Today we visited FACT, an institution that is dedicated to displaying technological and digital art and films. We were given a talk by the some of the creative leaders of the galleries, who talked us through how the gallery worked and some recent projects.

The first was ‘Why Can’t We Do This IRL?’ by Megan Broadmeadow, which explored the relationship between the real and virtual world. The creator was inspired by a viral video from Red Dead Redemption, where the player murders a suffragette, who is a NPC. The artist explores the consequences of these actions and the trial that follows. This is done by using virtual reality, where a psychedelic depiction of the courtroom and characters involved. We were even given the opportunity to wear a VR  headset and experience the project as the artist intended.

We were then introduced to the past and ongoing projects surrounding the prison system and offenders. Inspired by research from LJMU, this project explored the correlation between ex-servicemen who become criminal offenders. This included a number of workshops conducted within prisons to explore these themes. Footage and interviews from these were compiled into the film ‘The Separate System’, which was screened at FACT. We were also told about a board game created from the perspective of an ex-military person, and the struggles they face when released from service. This was an interesting and interactive way to explore this issue, and can be utilised by children and families too. It was interesting to see an art gallery not tackling real life issues but also working with those affected. 

Although I had been to the cinema at FACT, I have never been to the galleries before. However, after today I will definitely look out for future exhibitions as the gallery is in a convenient location. After exploring their website, I am considering that FACT may be a good place to do some volunteer work after the term ends.

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OUTPUT Gallery - 20/02

Today we visited OUTPUT gallery in Liverpool, which is tucked behind a vintage clothes shop on Seel Street. As well as view the current exhibition on display, we were given a talk by Gabrielle de la Puente, the gallery manager and writer for The White Pube – which I personally love reading. She explained how she began writing about art in her third year of university. She was bored of art reviews that seemed to have no substance or were purely academic. The White Pube has been running for around four years, and publishes weekly reviews and essays about art that provide a refreshing take. She finds that Liverpool artists seem to be at a disadvantage, even in their own city, and need to have notoriety before becoming successful. She found that the powerful institutions such as the Tate, Bluecoat, FACT, etc put on very few exhibitions and all of which are pretty much the same. She called out the fact that all of these people in power are white and middle class, and often aren’t even from Liverpool themselves.

Gabrielle went into detail about how she came to be in her position. After the venue that was previously here was removed, the owners decided to make it into an arts space. They were recommended to get in touch with The White Pube for advice, who would then create OUTPUT gallery. It is unique as it only works with artists from Liverpool and the Merseyside area, and has a much higher turnaround than other galleries in the city. Exhibitions also often have events attached to them such as workshops and conversations, and at the start they hosted film screenings. Their technique of simply requesting artists to come and present their ideas to them is really unique idea that ensures a diverse selection of art on display. She explained in the future they are working on a development programme for artists of colour, which is something that I doubt would be held by the bigger institutions.

I found Gabrielle’s attitude and views really refreshing. She is not afraid to be brutally honest about other institutions and how they are failing to serve the artists of Liverpool. She was inspiring and has motivated me to be part of this movement for change in the art world. I will definitely be returning to OUTPUT exhibitions, not only because of the loyalty card I received but because of the remarkable work they are doing.

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Leeds Field Trip - 13/02

Today we visited Leeds and had a jam-packed day visiting art galleries, studios and other art institutions. Our first stop was the Henry Moore Institute, an organisation that displays contemporary and historic sculpture in honour of the sculptor Henry Moore. We were given a tour of the current exhibition, Edward Allington’s ‘Things Left Unsaid’, which explored classical forms and geometric shapes. I found the exhibition really interesting, despite having never heard of the artist. I’m not sure how I would’ve understood the work without a guided tour, so perhaps wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as a normal visitor. We then received a quick tour of the huge library of specialist art material, specialising in sculpture. We were also allowed to look through some of the archive collection and ask questions to the archivist. I was especially interested in how she came to this role as this is a career that is fascinating to me and one I would like to learn more about. The HMI was connected to Leeds Art Gallery which provided an interesting juxtaposition between contemporary and classical art. This can be seen in the galleries, such as Damien Hirst’s ‘Black Sheep with Golden Horns’ sitting amongst classical oil paintings. 

After a lunch break, we headed to East Street Arts’ Patrick Studios. This was a large facility with individual studio space, communal areas and exhibition space. We were given a tour of the space and allowed in to an artist’s studio as he was working. The studios here reminded me of the ones we had seen in TRS, where artists have their own space that can be shut off from the rest of the studio. We were also taken to a residency space where  visiting artists are provided with accommodation and work space for a period of time. It was interesting to learn the variety of not only exhibitions but activities and workshops they run out of this space. Similarly, I was surprised to hear how many spaces this organisation rents out to artists across the country. Like TRS, I left this space thinking it would be a great experience to work here.

We then continued to The Tetley, a contemporary art gallery based in an old brewery. The interior of the building seems to have been fairly unaltered, meaning exhibitions are bizarrely separated between different rooms, making them a little disjointed and difficult to follow. Despite this, the exhibitions of Taus Makhacheva and Emii Alrai were really unique. I especially enjoyed Taus’ ASMR experience which I had never seen as part of an art exhibition before.

Our final stop was at Serf, an artist-led studio and exhibition space founded in 2016. It consists of an open-space area that doubles as studio and communal areas. This space seemed to hold a few of the stereotypes of artist studios, such as being slightly run down and in need of repair. However, it seemed an inviting and open place. The artists talked to us for a while and answered all questions we had in full detail.

Overall, the trip to Leeds was really fun as well as informative. It was nice to see a combination of traditional museums and galleries as well as artist-led studios and spaces. I had no idea that this city had such a big presence in the art world, but I will definitely be more of aware of it going forward!

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Collaboration with Contemporary Art 06.02

This lecture focused on how to write about contemporary art and how to communicate ideas effectively in our writing. We first examined Gilda Williams’ approach of clearly separating text into factual information and criticality. Although I have William’s ‘How To Write About Contemporary Art’ sitting on my bookshelf, I admit I have never opened it before now! However, after reading the first few chapters I think it will be helpful in not only this module, but also when writing my exhibition review for the Introduction to Museums and Galleries module. We then discussed how important writing is in understanding contemporary art, as galleries no longer have the total authority they once did. Certain writers and reviews can make or break artists and exhibitions, which is easy to forget when learning about contemporary art in a classroom setting. 

We then continued by looking at some of the most influential and famous art critics in history, such as Baudelaire, Ruskin and Greenburg. I was particularly intrigued by Walter Benjamin, who wrote the hugely influential ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’. After reading about his interesting life and tragic death, I was curious about his work so have taken this book out of the library to read. Perhaps I will do a book review and give my thoughts on his philosophy. 

During this lecture we also had to partake in an interesting activity. We were all given a selection of art critic magazines and books, which we took turns opening on a random page and reading the first sentence we saw. This was quite a fun activity in comparison to listening to a lecture, and was also helpful in widening my vocabulary and introducing me to more art magazines.

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Collaboration with Contemporary Art 30.01

Our first lecture with James and Gabriela was surprisingly similar to the art history lectures we had grown used to last semester. My expectations were that learning about contemporary art would be completely different from historical lectures, however this was not the case, especially at the start of this session. We began by discussing what an artist’s studio is used for, which I believed was just a space to create artworks, however I have since learned it is much more than this. We were talked through how the studio has developed from the Renaissance era to the modern day. Most of this was familiar and had been covered last semester, although some of the modern developments and movements were new to me. Then, we covered why, how and where we get studios, comparing the historical and contemporary reasons. 

After this, we headed out into Liverpool to visit some working studios. It was refreshing to get out of the classroom, and I’m excited for the numerous trips we have planned in this module. The first studio we visited was the one in our own art school, where we talked to Rory, the head of Fine Art. Rory explained that studio space is only given to students who have practices that need them. Students can choose who they are surrounded by, although it seemed that they freely mingled with each other, even across year groups. This studio felt very relaxed and more like a social space rather than a place to complete assignments. 

We then headed to CBS in the Baltic Triangle to meet with Kevin Hunt. This studio was in the loft of an old industrial building, divided into different sections. One space was used to display art and hold exhibitions, another was the workshop where their picture framing business is held. The studio space was divided into small sections for each artist, around 2x3m for each artist. This space felt much more cramped than the LSAD studios, I’m not sure I could spend most of my time in this space. Kevin talked in depth about his own work and how the studio operated, even letting us rifle through his collection of plastic items.

Our final studio was The Royal Standard, also in the Baltic Triangle. This was housed in a much larger industrial building, which they shared with a cafe. They are an artist-led studio who try to support under-represented and undiscovered artists. We were shown around by two directors of the studio, Faye and Ben, who were extremely accommodating and allowed us to go into some of the studios while artists were working. I liked how this institution had private studio spaces as well as communal and social areas. This seemed like an extremely nice place to work, I will definitely be on the lookout for upcoming events at this venue!

This exercise was really helpful for me to understand and visual how an artist’s studio works, as I have never been in one before. As an art history student I think it’s important that we are able to experience how these institutions work and how artists come to be part of them.

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Frameworks in Art History: Self-Representation and Identity - 09/12

Gillian Wearing asked people to write how they were feeling on a sign and photographed it, the most famous being a business man saying ‘I’m Desperate’. Marc Quin makes a latex cast of his head every 7 years and fills it with his own blood, including all aspects of himself, even the DNA and cells. Jo Spence’s ‘Narratives of Dis-Ease’ show her taking back her identity after being diagnosed with breast cancer, writing ‘property of Jo Spence’ on her breast. Alison Lapper is a disabled artist who explores the themes of motherhood and feminine beauty in her portraits, copying the poses of Venus in classical works. She challenges the stereotypes surrounding disability.

Georgia O’Keefe denied any connotations of identity or female sexuality on her work, claiming they were just paintings of flowers. However, after being cheated on and moving to New Mexico, her self image clearly changes in her portraits as they become more barren and isolated. She was one of the first artists on the path to abstraction. Similar themes can be found in the portraits of Frida Kahlo, such as in ‘Broken Column’, which is reflective of her disability and pain. 

Once again, I am inpressed that Julie has chosen to put under-represented artists and groups in the spotlight. This topic could easily be applied to classical renaissance portraiture or portraits of the 19th century, yet Julie has defied these expectations. I have been introduced to more artists that I am eager to learn more about.

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Intro to Art History: The City and Art of Everyday Life - 05/12

This lecture explored the topic of the city both inspiring art and being the subject of it. Cities first started to inspire artists in the 1850′s, when they grew most rapidly, kickstarted by the essays of Baudelaire. New layouts of cities led to the Flaneur character and the theme of voyeurism in art. Although this is only one section of the lecture, we have covered this topic numerous times so felt a little tiresome. We also learned about German Expressionism, inspired by Berlin. The Die Brucke movement aimed to bring different art movements together against the forces of superiority. However, this movement along with many others was stopped short due to the war. This lead to many migrants moving to the USA, making it one of the up and coming centres of art.

The US now had it’s own culture, rather than being a melting pot of others. It was becoming the centre of modernism, American artists were taking pride in their landscapes, emphasised in the American Precisionism movement. Artists such as Joseph Stella depicted the experience of being in the landscape, assaulting the senses such as in ‘Battle of Lights: Coney Island’. 

In New York, different populations were competing in business and architecture. The first skyscraper built in 1894 in Chicago was a completely new concept, developing the use of steel frames and large glass windows. New York intended to beat the record with the Chrysler building in 1931, although this was quickly broken by the Empire State Building. Both are great examples of the art deco style, featuring bold designs and geometric patterns. Much of this movement was inspired by motifs of the Ancient Egyptians, due to the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb sparking an Egyptian craze.

It was really refreshing to have almost an entire lecture on American art and culture, rather than just British or European. This period of American history is so rich and is one of my favourites to learn about. There are so many different inspirations melting into this period that you can approach it from a new perspective every time.

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Guest Artist - 04/12

This weeks first guest artist was Roy Claire, who utilises a combination of written and performance art. Their 2014 work ‘Mental Furniture’ was created in a single draft with no editing. The artist revels in mistakes and Freudian slips, so was made using a typewriter where words cannot be deleted. 

‘Posh Mans Pet’ is a performance where Roy attempts to read a typed script that has been redacted out with a black marker pen. Only the indents of the words are left, making it very hard to read, forcing the artist to move around to catch the light on the paper. This begs the attention of the audience and forces us to read their body language just as much as we listen to their words. A similar work is ‘Touching’, where torn up pieces of paper are scattered across the floor. Roy is crouched on the floor trying to piece them together, and the sounds of the paper scraping and microphone knocking against the floor are jarring. They first read the fragments individually then read the piece as a whole. I found this piece to be quite uncomfortable to watch, although this may have been the artist’s intention. 

I found Roy Claire enjoyable to listen to, her presentation was very coherent and easy to follow, which isn’t always the case in the guest artist lectures. I loved how they were apologetically proud of their identity and art. 

The second guest artist today was Patricia Mackinnon Day, who’s presentation was based around her artistic influences. One of her first projects was to search the archives for the history of her house in Glasgow that had been destroyed. She conducted interviews with the locals and made local and historical workplaces central to her art, such as ship yards, psychiatric hospitals and factories. I really enjoyed that Patricia integrated the local people in her work and raised the status of locations that had been overlooked by the government.

Patricia also talked about her current Tate exhibition, the Calling Sheds, which similarly exhibits underrepresented women in agricultural jobs. We were lucky enough to see this exhibition with Julie, so understood it’s layout. Once again, I really enjoyed Patricia’s work, although her lecture was a little all over the place and not as easy to follow as Roy’s.

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Art in the City: Globalisation and Emerging Cities of Art - 03/12

We have discussed in previous lectures what cities need in order to become global players in the art world; a cultural infrastructure, landmarks, galleries and other art institutions. This brings in tourists, money and a highly skilled workforce to the city. This is due to globalisation and the integration of global economies. 

In recent times some cities have only just emerged as these cultural centres. For example, Dubai has had a booming art scene since 2008 due to the show Art Dubai, which has over 90 patrons. In 2018, this show alone brought in 28,000 visitors, generating around 38 million dollars in revenue. Similarly in Shanghai, art is being used to educate during the cultural revolution, and aim to make the city into a cultural capital. In Moscow, many high profile institutions have opened, including the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and the Tretyakov Gallery. They aim to integrate more with Europe. Many African countries are being encouraged to bring historical and contemporary local art to the international stage.

We also learned about placemaking, which refers to a collaborative process by which we can shape the public realm in order to maximise shared value. We can pay attention to the physical and cultural identities that define a place and help it’s evolution. It was really interesting to learn about centres of art that are still developing, something that I didn’t expect to learn about on an art history course. These are the places that we may be working with in future careers in art history, so it is definitely worth studying.

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Visit to Face Lab - 2/12

Today we visited the Face Lab, where a team of researchers carry out forensic and archaeological studies of human remains. We were first taken to their office where their general research was explained to us. We were able to look at and feel some of the 3D printed models of faces and figures recovered by the team. Some of their most famous facial reconstructions include King Richard III, Saint Nicholas as well as other ancient people. 

After this, we went back to the art school to visit the Fab Lab, where we had the opportunity to have a go on the software they use to create the facial reconstructions. It works like a digital block of clay that you can sculpt using a pen-like tool. The pen resists against you as you push it down, creating the sensation that you really are carving clay. We were also shown some more of Face Lab’s work, including an animation of Robert Burns reading one of his own poems. It was really fascinating to see how this combination of art and science can make history come to life. I had never considered how much artistic licence is needed in the scientific field, as the genetic data can only provide so much detail. I also never knew it was happening in our own university! It may be helpful in the future to have been introduced to people in this field, and am always grateful for such opportunities. 

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Intro to Art History: Realism - 28/11

Baudelaire is one of the key figures in promoting the lifestyle of the modern day person, which many artists who rejected the academy welcomed. Courbet’s ‘Burial at Ornans’ depicted the real people of his village so that their faces could be recognisable. The landscape is true and he includes all social classes in the work, painting them in the same way as he would historical figures. Courbet often attempted to raise the working classes in his work, as we can see in ‘The Artist’s Studio: A Real Allegory’, which was intended to be displayed with the Realist manifesto. He had to exhibit this at the gates of the academy as he was refused to show it. Courbet successfully emphasised the significance of ordinary people, rejected the academy’s fantasy and gave the power to the artists. Once again, Emma has introduced me to an artist I had not previously known, and has inspired me to research him more.

Similarly, Manet wanted to show the realism of Parisian society, much of his work also rejected from the academies. ‘Luncheon on the Grass’ features a prostitute who is staring directly at the viewer, challenging the male gaze. This is also used in ‘Olympia’. Manet also used revolutionary techniques, outlining his figures with a black line, deliberately rejecting the academy’s guidelines. He also used the prostitute character in ‘Bar at the Folies Bergere’, which also used unusual perspectives in the mirror. Manet also often used jarring compositions to make us question reality, such as cutting characters off the canvas.

Another iconic artist of this period is Monet, who is considered the pioneer of the impressionist movement, kickstarted by his work ‘Impression: Sunrise’. He accurately depicts how the eye really sees a scene when it passes over it, just impressions of light and shape. His work was not only revolutionary in technique but in subject too, including industrial scenes.

I felt that most of the topics had been covered in previous lectures, Julie has extensively talked about Manet and only last week Emma’s lecture was about moving away from the academies. However, these topics are so important in art history it is probably only a good sign that I am getting tired of them! It is clear what themes Emma has interwoven within the lecture.

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Dior: Fashion and Controversy - 21/11

This was a special lecture from Emma about the history and controversies of Christian Dior. Dior’s first collection came out in 1947, and attempted to be high fashion but still be wearable. It included two different silhouettes or lines; the flower and the ‘en 8’ style.The Bar Suit was the beginning of the ‘new look’ after the war. These looks were completely different to wartime utility wear, created to minimise the waste of fabric and be mass produced. Although Dior may not have been the first designer to do this, he was definitely the better advertiser and utilised motion photography. He also understood the spectacle of the fashion show and was the first to lower the catwalk very close to the audience and have the models walk quickly down it. He was the first to put fashion editors in the front row so they would have the best seats.

Many of Dior’s dresses were controversial as they had corsets built into the dress, which was offensive to many feminists, especially after the role women had played in the war. However, his designs were very well engineered and made them able to stand up by themselves. His designs were also seen as very wasteful, especially as rationing did not end in the UK until 1954. One dress, the Diorama, needed 80 yards of fabric and had a 24 foot hem. Some women in Paris had their dresses ripped off in public, and in Chicago a protest exclaimed ‘burn Mr Dior’. The reaction wasn’t quite as strong in the UK, although the Board of Trade did decide to ban long hem lines at this time to save materials and labour. Despite this, the Royal Family still promoted long dresses, such as Margaret wearing a Dior dress for her 21st birthday, and inviting Dior for a private show in Buckingham Palace. Dior was deeply inspired by British history and the royals, and often replicated historical fashions.

It was a nice change to learn about the history of fashion rather than paintings like we normally do. It was clear that Emma is very passionate about this subject which made it enjoyable to listen to, and she even bought in a Dior-style dress for us to look at. It has definitely made me consider fashion in the history of art more than I did before.

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Intro to Art History: Secession From the Academies - 21/11

This lecture was about the artists that moved away from the academies at the end of the 19th century. The academies were overly harsh and rigid on what the students should produce, only encouraging historical, religious and mythological subjects. However, many artists were sick of this so broke away and developed their own techniques, such as Edward Burne-Jones. He was more interested in the overall pattern and feel of the work, rather than the subjects themselves. He rejected modern English society and looked back to medieval times for inspiration. In Paris, the first break-away gallery was the Salon des Refuses, where ‘the White Girl’ by Whistler was displayed. It was badly received due to the overuse of white and the lack of narrative. He later named it ‘A Symphony in White’, showing how influential music was on the arts. Whistler would go on to this with many of his works, e.g. ‘Nocturne in Blue and Gold’. Much of his work was very abstract and experimental, and he was arguably one of the very earliest abstract artists. We also learned about the famous court case between Whistler and critic John Ruskin, which divided the art world and led to the end of both men’s careers. I had never heard of Whistler before, although after this lecture I will definitely research him further. We watched a documentary about his life at the end of the lecture, which was fascinating and has piqued my interest.

We also learned about the artists who were inspired by Whistler, such as Steer and Sickert, who adopted the same impressionist principles. They founded the New English Art Club in 1885, focusing their art on normal people with unusual viewpoints and perspectives. Steer’s ‘A Summers Evening’ is proto-abstract as the figures are indistinguishable and the heat is visible due to the blurred lines. Sickert would travel around the lower class areas of London to find his subjects, much like the Flaneurs of Paris. Similarly, the Fitzroy Street Group explored gritty urban scenes, commonly painting ‘kitchen sink scenes’ in the early 1900’s. Other artists travelled to other ‘exciting’ places, e.g. colonies set up in Cornwall. These were inspired by Gaugin’s colony in Brittany, where he would paint the locals as ‘Others’, meaning they were of a different lifestyle or look to the viewer.

I found this lecture really interesting, and am enjoying Emma’s lectures as they move into more modern subjects. I am being introduced to artists I did not know of, such as Whistler, who I am scited to learn more about. It was nice to learn about British artists at the end of the 19th century, instead of exclusively French ones which this period is associated with.

[lilyarthistory]

Guest Artist - 20/11

Today's lecture was from Ariel Schlesinger. He liked to look at how other people view his work by searching his own name on Google and reading the results, he referred to this as his therapy. He said that presenting his work in this way is less boring than doing it in chronological order on a power point. The first works he showed us were called ‘Dance of Love’ and ‘Two Good Reasons’, both had large pieces of paper moving in the same direction so that they pushed against each other. He is playing with the physics of objects and testing if it is repeatable. ‘Exploding Gas Bubble’ is a machine that creates a bubble of gas that is dropped onto a grill which ignites it. The mechanism is fully exposed, engaging with the audience. 

The next pieces he showed us were inspired by a Charlie Chaplin film ‘The Kid’, where the character scams people by breaking their windows and then charging them to fix it. In the same way, Schlesinger has smashed glass and photographed it, framing it and displayed it in a gallery. He made a whole series of works like this.

His next series was of burned carpets. The Pergamon museum in Berlin had to hide their Persian carpets in WWII, although some got destroyed and weren’t touched for 40 years. As they were rolled up, the fire only destroyed some parts, leaving an intricate pattern behind. Schlesinger has recreated this himself with other carpets and parchment. He described how this process was unpredictable and very long. These were probably my favourite works of Ariel’s, they were incredibly beautiful yet this was completely out of the artist’s control. I found Ariel easy and enjoyable to listen to. Rather than drone on about his life, he asked the audience throughout if we had any questions and asked us what we wanted to see, which was a nice change.