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kiamaartgallery · 5 years

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Cubism was a short-lived Modern art movement from around 1908 – 1922, which has had an enduring impact on artists and painting styles.

Cubist painters re-examined and challenged the concept that art should copy nature, and also challenged the traditional techniques of perspective, modeling and foreshortening.

In cubist works the artists combined a large range of viewpoints (multiple perspectives) in one picture and broke down the natural forms of subjects into geometric shapes.

This style of painting was largely influenced by Paul Cezanne, following a commemorative exhibition of his work in Paris in 1907. In particular, the exhibition demonstrated Cezanne’s

use of geometric shapes,

build-up of small brushstrokes,

flattened perspective, and

way of viewing his subject from shifting positions.

You’ll also see that early cubist works contained similar colours to many works by Cezanne, that is beige, creams, greys, black, greens and browns.

Another key influence was African art, with its vibrant expressive qualities and simplification of forms as planes or facets. A number of cubist artists purchased African tribal masks, which were common and cheap in Paris curio shops. However, they were not interested in the true religious or social symbolism of these cultural objects, but valued them for their expressive style. Similarly, artists were also influenced by Iberian sculpture.

The birth of Cubism is attributed to Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso, who collaborated closely for some years from 1907, after being introduced by Art dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, who promoted Cubism from its inception. They were joined by a number of other artists from about 1910, including Fernand Léger, Sonia Delauney, Robert de la Fresnaye and Juan Gris.

In 1908, Henri Matisse labelled Braque’s work “les petites cubes,” leading the critic Louis Vauxcelles to coin the term Cubism.

Paul Cézanne The Bibémus Quarry c.1895

Georges Braque, Viaduct at L’Estaque 1908

Picasso would have seen 9th century sculpture similar in style to this in Paris

Pablo Picasso, Head of a Sleeping Woman, 1907

Cubist art can be identified by the following features:

Geometric shapes;

Multiple viewpoints

Influence of African masks and Iberian sculpture;

Monochromatic colours in early phase;

Every day subject matter;

Collage, Papier Collé and Assemblage.

Cubist Styles

Cubism is generally divided into two stages;

Analytical Cubism – the early phase of cubism (from about 1908-12) is chiefly characterised by the pronounced use of geometric shapes, fragmentation, multiple viewpoints and monochromatic use of colour.

Paintings produced at this time were often more detailed than later cubist works, with images often gathered tightly toward the centre of the painting, growing sparser toward the edges. Although figures and objects were dissected or “analysed” into a multitude of small facets, these were then reassembled, after a fashion, to evoke those same figures or objects.

Férnand Leger, Exit the Ballets Russes, 1914

Albert Gleizes, Man on a Balcony, 1912

Synthetic cubism refers to the later cubist works (from about 1912-1922) in which the artists synthesised or combined forms, creating three new art techniques.

One was collage, using pre-existing materials or objects pasted (or otherwise adhered) to a two-dimensional surface. The artists used collage to further challenge the viewer’s understanding of reality and representation.

The second was papier collé, or cut-and-pasted paper including words, graphics and patterns, to achieve a desired thematic result.

The third is assemblage, or a three-dimensional collage. Assemblage was a major breakthrough in sculpture. For the first time in Western art, sculpture was not modelled in clay, cast in plaster and metal, or carved of stone or another material. This would pave the way for other artists to assemble found objects up to the present day.

During this period colours were much brighter, geometric forms were more distinct, and textures began to emerge with additives like sand, paper or gesso.

Pablo Picasso, Still-life with Mask, 4 March 1937

Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso – The beginnings of Cubism

In 1908, Braque completed a number of landscapes in the French fishing village of L’Estaque (see above) that reduced everything to geometric patterns, (or cubes, according to Vauzcelles). By this time, Picasso had already finished his painting Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907) which also incorporated the use of geometry, as well as African art.

Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, 1907

The two artists began working together in 1909, spending much time together talking about, as much as painting, this new style of art. It is clear that they were enjoying experimenting with geometry, perspective, and representing three dimensions in a two dimensional space (the canvas). They wanted to introduce the idea of ‘relativity’ – how the artist perceives and selects elements from the subject, fusing both their observations and memories into the one concentrated image. To do this the they spent some time considering the way that people actually see.

They felt that when you look at an object your eye scans it, stopping to register certain details before moving on to the next point of interest, and so on. A viewer can also change their viewpoint in relation to an object by looking at it from above, below or from the side. As a result they proposed that ‘seeing’ an object is the sum of many different viewpoints, and your memory of an object is constructed from many angles depending on your line of sight and your movement. For Braque and Picasso the whole idea of space was reconfigured: the front, back and sides of the subject become interchangeable elements in the design of the work.

They began to fracture (break up) the objects they were painting into a large number of sharp-angled shapes, known as facets, all painted from different perspectives. During 1909 – 1911 their multi perspectives became more radical. The facets were drawn from different angles, and often appeared to overlap. The result could be somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle, with the pieces deliberately mixed up, so that they viewer has some clues as to what they were seeing, but could interpret different sections of an artwork differently.

Both Braque and Picasso helped the viewer with their interpretation by generally using traditional and neutral subjects (often musical instruments, bottles, pitchers, glasses, newspapers, playing cards, and the human face and figure), but often a line or shape could be seen to perhaps be several different things, or facing in different directions.

Because the artists deliberately wanted to avoid the expressive nature of colour, they used a monochromatic palette (ochre, beige, black, and white). Often their work was so similar when they painted side by side it was difficult to tell who was the artist.

Braque and Picasso painted together until the first World War commenced in 1914. During the war Braque suffered a serious head wound and after he returned home his work became less angular and featured subtle muted colours and a more realistic interpretation of nature. At the same time, Picasso was also moving in new directions.

If you would like to know more about Cubism, or any other style of Modern Art, visit my site, Introduction to Modern European Art.

Cubism – A Brief Introduction Cubism was a short-lived Modern art movement from around 1908 - 1922, which has had an enduring impact on artists and painting styles.

#Albert Gleizes #Analytical Cubism #Art History #Cubism #Fernand Leger #Georges Braque #Modern Art #Pablo Picasso #Synthetic Cubism

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tripstations · 5 years

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Inspiration on the French Riviera

So much more than just a coastline, the French Riviera is dotted with hidden gems steeped in local history, excellent cuisine and artists hideaways, discretely located alongside the region’s world-renowned glamour. Head inland from the waterfront bustle to explore towns immersed in rich Mediterranean culture, where pristine vineyards hug hillside contours and an array of artisan activity provides endless appeal.

It is no secret that the evocative Cote d’Azur has long been a big draw for artists and some resulting masterpieces have changed the face of art as we know it. These favoured haunts have aroused such passionate vision thanks to the peerless blue skies and vivid hues of sun, a fact easy to appreciate when watching the exquisite light flicker across the undulating coastline. Dramatic, diverse and ultimately picturesque, this area is home to numerous “villages perchés”; ancient hillside towns packed with thriving communities, where secluded luxury blends with ingenuity. Such unique enclaves of inspiration indeed project an inimitable pull, ready to enchant and beguile the senses of those who come to explore.

Eze

Found 425m above the azure sea, countryside charm exudes from ancient Eze. Centred around the ruins of a 12th century castle, an intricate labyrinth of medieval streets bursts with craft boutiques and art exhibitions. Overlooking magnificent villas festooned with bright bougainvillea, the Jardin Exotique is a haven of tranquillity, not to mention a horticulturalists’ dream, packed with a multitude of cacti, citrus trees and tropical plants. The stunning Chateau Eza hotel, a secluded 400-year-old property and former residence of a Swedish Prince, offers a one-star Michelin gourmet experience on the elegant terrace, high above the sparkling Med. For uber gastronomic dining, the two Michelin star La Chevre d’Or is a world-famous delight. Filled with olfactory delights, the Galimard Perfume Factory and Museum in Eze captures the nostalgia of a bygone era with antique perfume bottles and delicate fragrances locked within a magical environment; an opportunity to visit should not be missed.

Cimiez

Behind the buzzing town of Nice, the historic neighbourhood of lofty Cimiez is calm and secluded, wafted by gentle sea breezes and blessed with incredible views. A town once favoured by glamorous aristocrats, a must-see is the magnificent 17th century mansion of Musée Matisse. Home to the master himself, several of his major works are on display – both art lovers and the uninitiated alike will be captivated. Another surprise is the beautiful 16th century Franciscan monastery, filled with hundreds of items of art, a small museum and immaculate gardens. For those wanting to get away from it all, the lovely Cimiez park is ideal for relaxing beneath the olive trees or a stroll around the fragrant rose gardens; where during summer evenings there are often music concerts held here.

Biot

Charismatic Biot, in the hills between Antibes and Nice, offers a niche of delicate creativity positioned within robust stone fortifications. Here the world-renowned La Verrerie de Biot showcases the mesmerising glasswork trade, with accomplished technicians using the secrets of earth and fire to create objects of beauty. To fully master this skill takes over eight years and craftsmen must be determined, artistic and capable in order to produce the Biot signature bubble structures; each item they craft is a completely unique work of art.

A captivating place both inside and out, the Musee National Fernand-Leger displays prolific Leger’s enthralling progression from post-impressionism through Cubism to Tubism. A powerful collection of large and bright art pieces commands their own space in order to be fully appreciated; being there is an ultimately feel-good experience. The garden hosts many of this important French artist’s sculptures and ceramics, while nearby are equally impressive murals and mosaics displayed across external walls.

Antibes

Within the magnificent 17th century Chateau Grimaldi in Antibes, impressively positioned on the site of the ancient Greek city of Antipolis, Musée Picasso pays exceptional homage to the radical Spanish artist. This chateau hosted Picasso for a short period, where he found his artistic spirit was inspired by the remarkable light found in this exquisite seaside hamlet. The museum’s curator allowed Picasso to use the top floor as his studio, resulting in an incredible 23 paintings and 44 drawings. Upon leaving, Picasso donated his work to the museum, stipulating all should remain there permanently. Regularly visiting, he gradually expanded the broad collection, donating numerous drawings, prints, paintings and ceramics over time. This seaside hamlet was the first museum in the world to be dedicated to Picasso’s work.

Saint-Paul de Vence

Situated on the Colline des Gardettes overlooking picturesque Saint-Paul de Vence, the Maeght Foundation is a world-leading private institution and modern art gallery. Designed by Josep Lluís Sert, a variety of renowned painters and sculptors collaborated with the Catalan architect to create a place where art, nature and architecture blend in perfect harmony. With diverse works of art from the 20th century and contemporary artists such as Georges Braque, Marc Chagall and Joan Miro, this exceptional site contains some of the most important collections in Europe.

Not just limited to simply visual delights, a reputation for culinary ingenuity sees visitors flock to the French Riviera to sample a variety of mouth-watering and colourful cuisine, further enhanced by the accompaniment of award-winning wines and local cheeses. An appreciation for food and fine dining runs in the veins of every French man and woman, with outstanding regional ingredients cultivated with pride; it is no wonder many illustrious chefs hail from this epicurean centre, their gastronomy revered the world over.

Mougins

Mougins, positioned between Cannes and Grasse, rises in a corkscrew of enchanting cobbled streets. The historic centre is awash with quaint alleyways adorned with fountains and statues, while artists’ studios blend into a backdrop of lush gardens. Having become known as a centre of gastronomy, Mougins is home to a myriad of magnificent restaurants, including those with Michelin stars, not forgetting their wonderful food festival each year.

A highly attractive aspect in the village are the trees that grow through restaurant terraces in the main square, creating their very own artistic imprint. At the heart is the picturesque Vieux Village, offering spectacular views over Cannes and Grasse with an international reputation for its gourmet cuisine, where great chefs such as Roger Vergé and Alain Ducasse managed restaurants. Firm links with the art world endures: Mougins has been frequented and inhabited by many artists and celebrities such as Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Man Ray and Winston Churchill, and now showcases 30 art galleries and museums. It’s most famous resident, Pablo Picasso, spent the last 12 years of his life living here.

Port Grimaud

Often referred to as “Little Venice”, relaxed Port Grimaud sits on the doorstep of buzzing St Tropez, superbly combining glorious Riviera beauty with the provincial charm found in Venice. This picturesque mini port offers diverse eateries serving high-quality cuisine to tantalise the taste-buds in a scenic setting. Head inland to the medieval city of Grimaud itself, where thriving galleries and studios have arisen in this charming location filled with motivation for painters, sculptors and writers.

Nestled just away from the glittering coastline, the inspired seclusion and unexpected experiences of these hidden Riviera charms are just a small step away from universal harbourside glam. As Greta Garbo once said, “I want to be alone” – discover the Cote d’Azur lesser-known spots where your wish may come true.

Nicholas Dean is Managing Partner of Ocean Independence. Ocean Independence is a global leader in luxury yachting, providing a bespoke experience across yacht charter, sales and management.

If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

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ruseg · 5 years

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8 x 8: A Chess Sonata in 8 Movements (1957) is an American experimental film directed by Hans Richter, Marcel Duchamp, and Jean Cocteau released on March 15, 1957 in New York City. It features original music by Robert Abramson, John Gruen and Douglas Townsend. Described by Richter as "part Freud, part Lewis Carroll," it is a fairy tale for the subconscious based on the game of chess. While living in New York, Hans Richter directed two feature films, Dreams That Money Can Buy and 8x8: A Chess Sonata in collaboration with Max Ernst, Cocteau, Paul Bowles, Fernand Leger, Alexander Calder, Duchamp, and others, which was partially filmed on the lawn of his summer house in Southbury, Connecticut.

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learningrendezvous · 6 years

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Art and Culture

PITCH, THE: PASSING THE HAT FOR A LIVING

By Jim Kuehnel

What is a "Brusker"? According to Merriam-Webster, a brusker is a 'street performer'; a person who entertains in a public place for donations. Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many instances the rewards are in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Brusking is practiced all over the world and dates back to antiquity. It is also, in contemporary times, used by performers as a way to get discovered.

Performances can be virtually anything¡K anything that people find entertaining. Performers may do acrobatics, animal tricks, balloon twisting, caricatures, clowning, comedy, contortions, escapology, dance, singing, fire skills, flea circus, fortune-telling, juggling, magic, mime, living statue, musical performance, puppeteering, snake charming, storytelling or reciting poetry or prose, street art such as sketching and painting, street theatre, sword swallowing, and ventriloquism. Brusking is only limited by the imagination of the performer.

"The Pitch" takes a look at the world of international street performing bruskers to find out why these men and women have chosen to "pass the hat" to make a living, along with the challenges they face.

The fast-tracked project was filmed over the summers of 2015 and 2016 documenting busker performances and interviews during the 25th and 26th edition of the Buskers on The Bay Festivals.

Buskers featured in the film hail from Australia, England, the US and Canada, providing a broad spectrum of performers. The film is produced by Jim Kuehnel with Mark Berry and Duane Farley as Executive Producers.

Featured artists and interviews include Aerial Manx, Andrew Lopatin, Brad The Balloon Guy, Pogo Fred, Super Elvis, The Flying Tortillas, Madame Guillotine and many more.

Only available in United States.

DVD / 2017 / 93 minutes

CHINESE LIVES OF ULI SIGG, THE

By Michael Schindhelm

Art world sensation Ai Weiwei credits him with launching his international career. Renowned pianist Lang Lang describes him as a mentor to Chinese artists. Curator Victoria Lu believes that his taste and influence as a collector has been felt around the world.

But when Swiss businessman Uli Sigg first went to China, art was far from his mind. The year was 1979, and Sigg-working for the Schindler escalator and elevator company-was hoping to set up one of the first joint ventures between the Chinese government, seeking international investment in the post-Mao era, and a Western company. At the time, even the fanciest hotels had rats, boardrooms were so poorly heated you could see your breath, and the government still regulated hairstyles (five different kinds of perm allowed).

Uli Sigg is not a man who does things by halves. "My ego, my way" says a t-shirt he wears at one point in the film. When he took up rowing, he went to the world championships. When he negotiated a joint venture, he wanted to create a model for future partnerships. And when he became interested in Chinese art, he built a world-class personal collection.

Sigg championed the artists he admired, working tirelessly for their international recognition and to preserve their artwork as a record of China's tumultuous and historic changes. Eventually, Sigg became the Swiss ambassador to China and a consultant on major Chinese art projects, including the construction of the Bird's Nest stadium for the Olympic Games.

THE CHINESE LIVES OF ULI SIGG, directed by art historian and scholar Michael Schindhelm (Bird's Nest) and produced by Marcel Hoehn (Dark Star: H. R. Giger's World, The Knowledge ofo Healing, Monte Grande, Santiago Calatrava's Travels, The Written Face) is a history of China's recent opening to the West, and of the West's embrace of Chinese contemporary art, through the eyes of Sigg and the artists he championed. Artists including Ai Weiwei, Cao Chong'en, Cao Fei, Gang Lijun, Feng Mengbo, Shao Fan, Wang Guangyi and Zeng Fanzhi are interviewed along with curators, diplomats, architects and business colleagues in this colorful documentary survey of contemporary Chinese art.

DVD (Color) / 2016 / 93 minutes

KINGS OF THE PAGES: THE GOLDEN AGE OF COMIC STRIPS

Directed by Robert Lemieux

At the turn of the 20th century, two of the most powerful men in America were newspaper magnates William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. Noted mostly for their contentious rivalry and sensationalist news coverage, they were also responsible for cultivating some of the era's most recognizable celebrities-Nemo, Krazy, Happy Hooligan, George McManus, Ignatz, Mutt, Buster Brown, Hans and Fritz, and Offissa Pup, to name a few.

In their ongoing battle to attract newspaper readers, both Hearst and Pulitzer had discovered that comic strips were a strategic addition. Often raiding each other's staffs to acquire the best talent, both men recognized the potential. It wasn't until Hearst unveiled the first full color, 8-page comic supplement in 1896, that the potential was fully realized, prompting Hearst's now famous quote motto¡K "Eight Pages of Iridescent Polychromous Effulgence That Makes The Rainbow Look Like A Lead Pipe!"

Over the next fifty years, that polychromatic effulgence would usher in the Golden Age of the American comic strip. During that time span, more than 150 different strips made their way into America's living rooms. Every week the characters and their creators provided humorous entertainment and tickled many a funny bone. Reading the comics became a cultural phenomenon.

Only available in North America.

DVD / 2016 / 24 minutes

MONEY ART

By Massimo Brega

Money and art: two worlds, seemingly far apart but actually closely intertwined. One could not exist without the other.

In this film viewers are taken on a journey of beauty. From Ancient Rome to the benches of Renaissance Italy where modern banking was born; from the court of Louis XIV to the auction room at Christie's and the sale of the world's most expensive works of art; from the Impressionists to the New York Stock Exchange.

Guided by historians, art collectors, economists and artists, with special contributions from economist, Jacques Attali, and performance artist, Marina Abramovich, we travel through history, through the art movements right up to the present day to reveal the true nature of this unique relationship between money and art.

You will learn:

Of the story of the richest man who ever lived. Jacob Fugger used art to gain political influence. He then used that influence to make deals which then enabled him build a business empire that today would be worth twice as much as Apple.

How a gambling Scottish art collector with outlandish economic theories bankrupted the kingdom of France. John Law was a scoundrel by any measure, yet his ideas for a new system of paper money gave rise to our modern system of banking and finance.

How the English godfather of modern economics started an art movement in Mexico. John Maynard Keynes was a passionate believer in state funding for the arts. The ideas he developed in the Bloomsbury Group would become the bedrock for Mexico's state funding of the arts, perhaps the world's most evolved system.

How a little known Swiss ambassador became the greatest collector of contemporary Chinese art. Uli Sigg now has his own private island on a Swiss lake. We visit his castle.

How one of largest banks in the world is now one of the most important art collectors. Deutsche Bank now has 60,000 pieces of modern art in 900 offices in 40 countries. How did that happen?

From slums to high society, from archives to open spaces, from private collections to public galleries, we get close to some of the world's most famous pieces of art and provide new insights as into the story of this paradoxical relationship between art and money.

In this visually stunning film, viewers experience the rich, sophisticated imagery that is the hallmark of director, Massimo Brega.

The glorious soundtrack comes from composer Pino Donaggio, who wrote hits for Dusty Springfield and Elvis, as well as regularly collaborating with US director, Brian De Palma. In 2012 Pino was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the World Soundtrack Academy.

The insightful script is by English financial writer, Dominic Frisby, whose film credits include the internet sensation, Four Horsemen, about the global financial crisis.

Only available in North America.

DVD (Color) / 2016 / 53 minutes

BELTRACCHI: THE ART OF FORGERY

By Anne Birkenstock

For nearly 40 years, Wolfgang Beltracchi fooled the international art world and was responsible for the biggest art forgery scandal of the postwar era. An expert in art history, theory and painting techniques, he tracked down the gaps in the oeuvres of great artists - Max Ernst, Fernand Leger, Heinrich Campendonk, Andre Derain and Max Pechstein, above all - and filled them with his own works. He and his wife Helene would then introduce them to the art world as originals. What makes these forgeries truly one-of-a-kind is that they are never mere copies of once-existing paintings, but products of Beltracchi's imagination, works "in the style of" famous early 20th-century artists. With his forgeries, he fooled renowned experts, curators and art dealers. The auctioneers Sotheby's and Christie's were hoodwinked, just like Hollywood star Steve Martin and other collectors throughout the world.

In BELTRACCHI: THE ART OF FORGERY, Wolfgang and his wife Helene Beltracchi chat openly - and with great wit and charm - about their quixotic adventures in an overheated art world ruled by blind greed, and in which apparently no one has an answer to the question as to what is an original, and what is a forgery... Beltracchi is an engaging rogue, a warm-hearted husband and father, and an impossibly self-confident artist. Full of witty dialogues, the film shows Beltracchi's incredible talent as a painter and reveals his expertise in forging paintings from the early 20th century, which were so masterfully done that art experts, museums and auction houses around the world were duped and exposed.

DVD (Color) / 2014 / 93 minutes

EAVESDROPPING ON SOULS: A JOURNEY INTO HAITIAN ARTS

By Jacqueline Jean-Baptiste

Eavesdropping on Souls is an award winning documentation of the spectacular art of Haiti and the underlying emotional culture of its people.

During the early 1960's and 1970's, many Haitians left their country and emigrated to the US, Mexico, Canada, Europe and several African countries to escape the oppressive conditions during the dictatorship of Francois "Papa Doc" and his son Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier.

What is so extraordinary about Haiti is that the poverty which surrounds the people seems to heighten the artistic creativity that is present in the Haitian people. One is struck by the vibrancy of the arts as it is mingled with the every day activities of ordinary people chasing a living and navigating constant political uncertainty.

Whether Haitians live in Haiti or abroad, they continue to express their creativity in various art forms including sculpture, painting and metal work. Unfortunately, this broad range of artistic creativity is often unseen.

Filmmaker Jacqueline Jean-Baptiste has dedicated herself to presenting some of the art and culture of Haiti with a cast of extraordinary painters, sculptors, photographers and other artisans. The result is a portrait of extraordinary art from a complex culture.

Eavesdropping on Souls is about creativity as it is expressed by Haitians within and outside of Haiti.

This film is dedicated to Haitians who, after leaving Haiti, rarely or have never returned; also to young people born outside of Haiti, from Haitian parents, who are used to the images of poverty and corruption portrayed in the press. And to everyone, curious about discovering a complete image of Haiti in its essence.

DVD (English and French) / 2014 / 50 minutes

NEXT BIG THING, THE

By Frank van den Engel

Prices for contemporary art are going through the roof despite the lousy economic situation in general. Internet, the growing number of rich individuals and globalization have changed the art market beyond recognition. Has contemporary art become a commodity in the hands of the super rich private collectors?

This film investigates the ins and outs of the soaring art market and the consequences for artists, dealers, museums and for art history.

With among others: artists Chuck Close, Jack Whitten and Adrian Ghenie, Top 200 art collectors under which Bert Kreuk, Martin Z. Margulies and Thomas Olbricht, museum directors Udo Kittelman and Benno Tempel and Christie's Chairman NY.

DVD (Color) / 2014 / 57 minutes

OCHRE AND INK

By James Bradley

A landmark exhibition opens at the imposing Capital Museum in Beijing. It's the culmination of an extraordinary cross-cultural partnership between Chinese-Australian artist Zhou Xiaoping and the late Aboriginal artist Johnny Bulunbulun, forged over twenty years in remote Arnhem Land.

The extraordinary story of Xiaoping's journey to Australia and his close friendships with Bulunbulun and other Aboriginal people is illustrated with beautiful artwork, fascinating archival videos, and intimate scenes of life in remote Aboriginal outstations-and it reveals the ethics and politics of cross-cultural collaboration.

Ochre and Ink tells the extraordinary story of artist Zhou Xiaoping and his inspiring 23 year collaboration with Aboriginal artists in outback Australia.

Trained as a traditional Chinese brush painter in Anhui Province, Xiaoping arrived in Australia in 1988 knowing almost nothing about the country. On a whim, he traveled to the heart of the outback, where he was surprised to see Aboriginal people for the first time. He became fascinated by their art and culture, and they welcomed him into their communities where the artists showed him their techniques of painting with ochre on bark.

Now Xiaoping is visiting the famous artist Johnny Bulunbulun and his family, working on paintings for a major exhibition to be held in Beijing, on the theme of the 300 year trade in Trepang (sea cucumber) from the Aboriginal people of northern Australia via Macassan traders to China.

Johnny is keen to travel to China for the exhibition; but tragically, he dies before he can make the journey. Instead, Johnny's wife and son attend the exhibition opening at the imposing Capital Museum in Beijing and perform an emotional ceremony in his honour.

Later Xiaoping shows his Aboriginal friends some of the fascinating sights of Beijing.

DVD (Color) / 2012 / 28 minutes

FOLD CRUMPLE CRUSH: THE ART OF EL ANATSUI

By Susan Vogel

FOLD CRUMPLE CRUSH: THE ART OF EL ANATSUI gives an insider's view of the artist's practice, the ingenious steps and thousands of hours of labor that convert used bottle tops into huge, opulent wall hangings. Here Anatsui explains how his artworks have become a marriage of painting and sculpture, objects that speak of African history but also reach for the ethereal - and he talks about his aspirations for artworks he has yet to make.

Behind the charming, easy-going artist we discover a man who remains mysterious even to his dearest friends. The film circles around Anatsui, drawing ever closer to a deep understanding of the man and his surprising bottle top hangings. We see the celebrated artist installing work on the great world stage of the Venice Biennale; we follow him back to the small town of Nsukka as he goes about his daily life, then watch him inside the hive of his studio directing assistants as they stitch together bottle tops into a vast metal hanging. Finally, Anatsui admits us to the privacy of his home where he tells us about his formative years, and reveals a youthful discovery that clouded his life.

DVD (Color) / 2011 / 53 minutes

SWING IN BEIJING

Directed by Shui-Bo Wang

A comprehensive survey of creative life in contemporary Beijing, SWING IN BEIJING captures a remarkable impression of the current state of fine and performing arts in this rapidly changing city. Academy Award nominee Shui-Bo Wang has incorporated interviews with artists, filmmakers, and musicians, along with clips of films, plays and music videos, paintings and other artwork in galleries and studios, and revealing footage of a city in transition.

Although government censorship has been a threat to artists in China for years, many of the artists cite the lack of venues and financial support as the new censorship. Gao Xing, aged 26, is the lead singer of the punk group Underbaby. Gao and his friends say it isn't the government but music producers and MTV-China that demand less controversial lyrics. For painter Wei Dong censorship is a danger that lies within. During the Cultural Revolution his parents were persecuted, and Wei knows his memories must influence him in some way, though he tries to resist the impulse to tone down his work.

The painful transformation of Beijing is a subject many of the artists confront. In response to the destruction of the old quarter, Wei Dong explores artistic methods that embrace modernization but preserve Chinese culture. Filmmaker Jia Khang Ke explores the loss of traditional values and culture as well. Using his small, hometown Penang as the setting, his most recent film is a meditation on the dissolution of the traditional family in China. Zhan Wang is also troubled by the demolition of the old District. In his state-owned studio he creates work that asks, "Where do we come from?" Freed from financial constraints by his work as a commercial artist, Zhan creates conceptual art by photographing the demolished old district, then photographing the same area after his 'renovations.' His work is completed as the new structures go up over the old.

All of these artists, and many others interviewed in SWING IN BEJING, debate the value of Western recognition. While selection for a Western show like the Venice Bi-annual guarantees international fame, the selected pieces are often shown out of context, diluting their power. Western curators, says Wu Mei Chun, tend to pick pieces that shock the Western sensibility, not the best piece. A graduate of the China Institute of Fine Arts she decided to stop practicing art in order to curate. Now 31, she puts on controversial group shows in non-official settings.

Finally, SWING IN BEIJING takes us to the Central Experimental Playhouse for a production of Dario Fo's Death of an Anarchist. Director Men Jeng Hui was a student activist during the Tiananmen uprising, and says the events of 1989 are his formative experiences. Citing Stanislavsky's student Meyerhold as his inspiration, he insists that theater always needs revolution. By raising funds from friends and private corporations (the government has cut funding to the theater), Men Jeng was able to put on a production that is openly challenging to authority. It exemplifies the current state of censorship in Beijing: the government won't stop you from making something, but it won't provide the crucial venue and funding that is necessary to reach the public.

Shui-Bo Wang, whose critically acclaimed film SUNRISE OVER TIANANMEN SQUARE was nominated for an Academy Award, has returned to the cradle of his artistic development, creating an informative and surprising film about the challenges and rewards of the life of an artist in present-day Beijing.

DVD (Color) / 2000 / 73 minutes

CFH SEMINARS IN MODERN ART: BREAK WITH TRADITION (IMPRESSIONISM)

From the Impressionism of the 1800s through the experiments of the last decade, this colorful program analyzes the most important trends of the last two centuries.

Unit One: The Break with Tradition introduces students to the origins of modern art. Explains one of the most revolutionary aspects of Impressionists painting-its use of color-as seen in the works of Monet, Pissarro and Renoir.

DVD (With Teacher's Guide) / 1975 / 20 minutes

CFH SEMINARS IN MODERN ART: CONTEMPORARY TRENDS

From the Impressionism of the 1800s through the experiments of the last decade, this colorful program analyzes the most important trends of the last two centuries.

Unit Four: Contemporary Trends describes the American art scene in the 1940s when painters in New York developed Abstract Expressionism. Among the artists represented are Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Adolph Gottlieb and mark Rothko. Brings the discussion up to the present by examining the Minimal, Pop, Conceptual and Photo-realist movements.

DVD (With Teacher's Guide) / 1975 / 20 minutes

CFH SEMINARS IN MODERN ART: EXPLORING THE HEART & THE MIND (EXPRESSIONISM)

From the Impressionism of the 1800s through the experiments of the last decade, this colorful program analyzes the most important trends of the last two centuries.

Unit Three: Exploring the Heart & the Mind discusses the Expressionist and Surrealist artists who sought to reveal deep feelings and subconscious thoughts in their paintings. Includes work by Rousseau, Redon, Roualt, Matisse, Nolde, Kirchner, Kandinski and others.

DVD (With Teacher's Guide) / 1975 / 20 minutes

CFH SEMINARS IN MODERN ART: THE RECONSTRUCTION OF SPACE

From the Impressionism of the 1800s through the experiments of the last decade, this colorful program analyzes the most important trends of the last two centuries.

Unit Two: The Reconstruction of Space highlights a major category of modern art-Cubism-and traces the influence of Cezzane's cubistic style on Picasso and Braque.

DVD (With Teacher's Guide) / 1975 / 20 minutes

LEARNING TO SEE & UNDERSTAND: DEVELOPING VISUAL LITERACY

Shows how great artists have expressed their feelings through art. Explores works by Leonardo da Vinci, Goya, Lichtenstein, Bierstadt, Picasso, Wyeth, Kelly, Albers and Matisse to show students how great artists have expressed their feelings in their work. Ruth Benedict, Marshall McLuhan, Stanley Kubrick and Kurt Vonnegut offer contemporary comments on visual literacy.

DVD / 1973 / 42 minutes

METROPOLITAN SEMINARS IN ART: COMPOSITION

The Metropolitian Museum Seminars In Art:

Unit Three: Composition

A Chronological exploration of the elements of composition, focusing on the element of pattern, from Gozzoli to Matisse; structure from Pollaiuolo to Cezzane; and expression from Sassetta to Degas. Students study two-dimensional and three-dimensional compositions and learn the similarities and differences between the two.

DVD / 1972 / 25 minutes

METROPOLITAN SEMINARS IN ART: EXPRESSIONISM / ABSTRACTION

The Metropolitian Museum Seminars In Art:

Unit Two: Expressionism / Abstraction

Defines Expressionism as the distortion of form and color for emotional interpretation. It defines Abstraction as seeking to reduce solid objects to the flat plane surface. Students contrast Mondrian's highly intellectual approach with Kandinsky's emotionalized abstractions.

DVD / 1972 / 23 minutes

METROPOLITAN SEMINARS IN ART: TECHNIQUES

The Metropolitian Musuem Seminars In Art:

Unit Four: Techniques

A detailed description of the technical aspects of working in various media: fresco, tempera, oil, watercolor, pastel, woodcut, etching and lithography.

DVD / 1972 / 26 minutes

METROPOLITAN SEMINARS IN ART: THE ARTIST AS SOCIAL CRITIC/VISIONARY

The Metropolitian Musuem Seminars In Art

Unit Five: The Artist as Social Critic/ Visionary

Show how painters have expressed their ideas about relationships, protested vice or injustice, commented on human folly and achievement. Includes examples of social criticism by Botticelli, Goya, Hogarth and Riveria, Blake, Bosch, Dali, DeChirico

DVD / 1972 / 25 minutes

METROPOLITAN SEMINARS IN ART: WHAT IS A PAINTING? REALISM

The Metropolitian Museum Seminars In Art:

Unit One: What is a Painting? Realism

Introduces the fundamental principles of art appreciation and explains technique, composition and personal expression. Students trace realism from Van Eyck to Hopper.

DVD / 1972 / 24 minutes

ART WITH A MESSAGE: PROTEST & PROPAGANDA, SATIRE & SOCIAL COMMENT

This program investigates the ways various art forms are used to sway minds and to argue political causes. Examples include Napoleon and Hitler; artist such as Daumier, Hogarth and Shahn; writers Dickens, Swift and Orwell; and pop artists who mock popular ideals.

DVD / 1971 / 35 minutes

WHY MAN CREATES: MAN - THE MEASURE OF ALL THINGS

Using great works of art and selected passages from literature, this program helps students understand why the history of art is the history of civilization. Students trace people's continuing efforts to express themselves and their concepts of God, life, beauty, joy, order and identity through art. Based on the Metropolitian Musuem of Art's Centennial Exhibition, Masterpieces of Fifty Centuries.

DVD / 1971 / 59 minutes

http://www.learningemall.com/News/Art_Culture_1806.html

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gavriilux · 6 years

Photo

La Création du Monde For its 15th anniversary, the Fluxum Foundation & the Flux Laboratory (@fluxlaboratory) collaborates with the Athens State Orchestra (@athensstateorchestra), the concert hall of Athens (@megaron_athens) and the school of contemporary dance in Athens (@nationalschoolofdance) to recreate the ballet “la creation du monde”. One of the most innovative creations of the ballet súedois, it was presented for the first time in Paris in 1923. The choreography is a mixture of symbolism, animal, human and divine realms. A project under the aegis of the Swiss Embassy supported by Presence Suisse. #lacreationdumonde #dance #moderndance #ballet #fluxumfoundation #contemporarydance #athens #gavriiLuxwarm These are some of my shots from the rehearsals I had the pleasure and privilege to attend. This incredible show is on tonight and tomorrow (3rd & 4th of February) at the Athens Concert Hall (aka Megaron). Highly recommended!! Dancers : Graduates from the National School of Dance @nationalschoolofdance Choreography : Millicent Hodson after Jean Borlin Music: Darius Milhaud (1923) Orchestra: Athens State Orchestra (@athensstateorchestra) Music Direction: Stephanos Tsialis Costumes/Decors & Scenography : Kenneth Archer after Fernand Leger Stage manager: Emmy Katsikosta Light designer : Anna Sbokou Technical Director: Ilias Karamalegkos @elias_karamalegkos Costumière : Zaira Falirea @zairius Coordinator/Production : Athina Delyannis @pallasprojects (at Μέγαρο Μουσικής Αθηνών / Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall)

#contemporarydance #moderndance #ballet #athens #fluxumfoundation #gavriiluxwarm #lacreationdumonde #dance

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emilybaverstockba2a · 7 years

Text

LECTURE. 28.09.17

VICTORIA MITCHELL. PATTERN MATTERS.

Metamorphism

Anthropology

History

Dissecting

Making connections

Textile processes in partnership with pattern, articulate a language of social exchange.

Pattern mediate (in the middle, inbertween of) a profound relationship between nature and culture.

EXAMPLE OF WORK: Norwich Pattern books (dispatch books) c.1790 (Bridewell Museum, Norwich-nature is important due to the material. Hand woven, being of the consumer revolution-beginning with the customer, cultural remain.

MATTER= MATERIAL

Pattern and decoration are meaningful…

William Morris: ‘No pattern should be without some sort of meaning… furthermore, you must only mean something in your patterns, but must also be able to make others understand that meaning.’

PATTERN: a regular and intelligible form or sequence; exemplar

DECORATION: from latin decorare “to adorn, embellish, beautify”

ORNAMENT: from nation ornaments “ embellishment, decoration, trinket”

Biological pattern formation :

Bio-mimetic : Going into the interior and analysing the structure

Morphology : Morph, the study of the shape and structure of biological organisms

Take nature back to its roots.

Books in library:

Ernst Haeckel, Art Forms in Nature, c.1904

Karl Blossfeldt, Art Forms in Nature, 1928

Fine structure of nerve fibre: the patterns of fibre?

Seeing how our brain works and its structure.

‘Ornament is profoundly related to matter, to the way its structure itself as it undergoes forces, be they natural or technological, which is a collocated way of saying that ornate and texture share traces of being made, of the constant reconfigurations of matter,'. Spuybroek

Research : Ghana Amer The Black Bang 2010

From pattern to decoration: eyes, brain and symmetry

Looking at the form and structure, analogy between the sea anemone and the brain, making the connection.

MOTIF: ‘a decoration image or design repeated one, forming a pattern’

Ornament as degenerate and immoral?

Pattern isn't always a goof thing, needs to be use with restraint.

Do we live in an era of pattern and decoration?

RESEARCH ESSAY: ADOLF LOOS ‘Ornament and crime’ (Vienna, 1913)

PATTERN AND ABSTRACTION.

Abstract art, important influence of textiles, began looking at nature, represent how it looks and behaviour and how is can behaviour differently?

Fernand Leger, the Staircase 1913

Sonia Delaunay, 1925

Anni Albers, 1926, educated at the Bauhaus ALL STARTED WITH NATURE.

Piet Monderian, composition 1930

Yves St Laurent, dress, 1965 

Simplification, reducing to their biological simplicity.

FPG: Collaboration between scientists and textile manufactures

(Festival pattern group)

BOOK EXAMPLE: Lesley Jackson: From Atoms to Patterns

Pattern as process, technique and function

Basket maker and her baskets, patterns, function and processes can grow together. Looking at the relationship between the bird nests and the patterns that the birds make to make the nests, see them as patterns.

RESEARCH EXAMPLE:

Joanna Gilmour, Darwins basket

Lynne Bruning, weaving with electrically conductive yarn

Rita Parniczky

Igor Siddiqui

From loom to computer: https://youtu,be/qObSFfde

Computer grew out of the loom, computer came from the loom.

Pattern define us, they can tell stories, impart a message, be subversive, be familiar, be political.

Pattern is a sign, in which it gives us a voice.

Reflecting on this lecture, I found some of the concepts quite hard to understand due to the language she used. A lot of the words I wasn’t sure on the meaning but continued to try and understand the concepts she was explaining. I loved the idea about reverting back to nature to see structures and patterns to influence future patterns and designs. Similarly to our first talk back about ‘Repeat patterns’,I have to remember the importance of pattern and where it originated from. In the next project I would like to research into the nature of patterns and some primary sources to influence my work.

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copchloebagge · 7 years

Text

Fashion and Art

‘Art is art. Fashion is fashion. However, Andy Warhol proved that they can exist together’ Karl Lagerfield (GECZY & KARAMINAS, 2012)

Both fashion and art are aspects of visual culture, involving form, colour, and texture. Like art, fashion can be technically and conceptually rich. According to Zandra Rhodes ‘fashion is an art form - you might call it decorative art or applied art as opposed to fine art, but what’s the distinction?’ (GECZY & KARAMINAS, 2012) Yet there are undeniably differences between art and fashion, which become apparent especially when fashion designers collaborate with artists. According to Hussein Chalayan, best known as a conceptual fashion designer, but who also makes art films and installations, ‘we are like a body of artists who also learn how to make our clothes sell’. (GECZY & KARAMINAS, 2012)

With regards to the catwalk, the phenomenon of fashion shows in recent years has been compared to performance art. Some runway shows, for example those by Viktor and Rolf and Martin Margiela, have resembled performance art, involving ‘unorthodox sites, ritualised acts, video projections, the use of technology and avant-garde music’. In addition to this, fashion designers have embraced fashion film, which could be also described as an art form. Films that redefine the relation between form and function, offering a unique platform to nurture and encourage fashion to engage with moving image in the digital age.

Our brief was to create a short fashion film, made up of several frames, that communicated a conceptual idea through moving image. Having watched various fashion films on SHOWstudio, we were particularly inspired by the Bauhaus Triadic Ballet film, as shown below. Elements of our structural, geometric garment very much resembled the tradition of Oskar Schlemmer at the Bauhaus. Schlemmer built the performance around the costumes, which he called ‘figurines’ and used the human body as an artistic medium, which he choreographed through rigid, stylized movements. (NELSON, 2015) The choreography in the film, is limited by the bulky, geometric costumes, with deliberate, mechanical movements and rare hints of any fluid dance. (FROST, 2014)

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Inspired by Schlemmer, we decided to build the content of our fashion film around the geometric garment we had constructed. Due to the rigid nature of our garment, we wanted to limit the choreography to restrictive, bold movements, similar to those seen within the Bauhaus film. From this, we started to build up a character; as we wanted the main focus to be on the portrayal of the garment, we created a nomadic, lonely character with no identity. We decided to conceal the face, as all of the characters within the Triadic ballet are wearing masks and consequently their identity is hidden.

Having drafted a storyboard, we set about filming the various scenes in different locations around the college building. We wanted to link each filming location back to the garment, for example, we filmed a scene on the stairs; these stairs inspired the zig zag feature on the front on the garment. We also wanted to add a pop of colour to the frames, that reflected the bright colour of the structural garment and consequently, we filmed in front of colour blocked walls.

The filming did at times prove difficult, as it was a small lense and was difficult to see exactly what was recording. However, we took several takes of each scene, in order to obtain a successful recording. With regards to editing the film, we were inspired by Fernand Leger’s film Ballet Mecanique (as shown below), who created a ‘pulsing, kaleidoscope of images set to an energetic soundtrack’. (SPRINGER, 2012)

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Within this film, the image moves frantically from frame to frame, with industrial engines, mannequin parts, and abstract shapes appearing and reappearing with machine-like regularity. (SPRINGER, 2012) We wanted to recreate a similar, mechanical feel for our fashion film and so, we fragmented each frame, reverting back to different scenes in order to reflect the portrayal of our rigid garment.

Overall, I am fairly pleased with the result of our fashion film, despite being abstract, I think we successfully portrayed the rigid, restricted movement of our architectural garment. Perhaps next time, we would need to think of a stronger concept, in order to successfully convey our ideas within a film. In addition to this, I think we need more practice with filming techniques, as this was our first time with the video camera and consequently, we struggled at times to achieve the desired effect!

Bibliography

FROST, A. (2014) The Triadic Ballet [Online] Available at: http://dangerousminds.net/comments/the_triadic_ballet_eccentric_bauhaus_ballet_brilliance

GECZY, A & KARAMINAS, V. (2012) Fashion And Art. London: Berg

NELSON, C. (2015) A Moment for Bauhaus Ballet [Online] Available at: http://www.hintmag.com/post/a-moment-for-the-bauhaus-ballet--march-24-2015-1215

SPRINGER, M. (2012) Le Ballet Mécanique: The Historic Cinematic Collaboration Between Fernand Legér and George Antheil [Online] Available at: http://www.openculture.com/2012/09/ile_ballet_mecaniquei_the_historic_cinematic_collaboration_between_fernand_leger_and_george_antheil.html

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