william blake, red dragon, 1805
new topics: Caslon, Baskerville, l'Encyclopedie, newspapers, Romanticism's different sides, industrialization, Koenig press and chromolithography, the rise of photography, Punch, satire, cartoons, the genius of Daumier, photo reportage, Circus, cards, Victorian erotica, etc,
go ahead,
7 comments:
There were two completely different topics that stood out to me last class. War reportage and photography being introduced in that setting was intriguing. I am sure that the viewers of these photos at the time were shocked and very sensitive to seeing these images. However, it makes me think of the present and accessibility of photography. I am sure if we saw a present-day scene from war, we would not be as moved or affected by the photo as people were in the past. It can almost be argued that we are desensitized because of the accessibility to technology, as well as the overuse of these images. Also, the fact that the photographers had to change the positioning of dead bodies, and used a rifle that was lying around to portray the moments shows the power of the artist and how they can manipulate the photograph.
The other topic that stood out to me was the cards. The oldest Christmas card from 1843 was interesting to see because I would have never guessed that this idea started so long ago. There is a family, religious values being portrayed on the sides and everything looks like a warm environment. Compared to this, nowadays cards look superficial; but the fact that the ones from 1843 look hand drawn is more touching. I also appreciate the fact that the to/from and address sections are not taking over the whole card, it looks like a souvenir that can be kept. Additionally, business cards being more informational than promotional are interesting. More used to be better, but now less is better.
Elizabeth D.
The first pictures that struck me were the caricature drawings, specifically Tragala. I was surprised that caricatures existed so long ago. I was also surprised that they were acceptable and tolerated at that time. I also enjoyed the masks, I thought they were very creative and interesting. I was fascinated by the invention of the magazine. Again, I had no idea they existed so long ago.
I always love learning about Henry Fox Talbot. I think the daguerreotype is the most beautiful form of photography. The detail is unmatched by any modern photograph. The images seem to be 3D. They look as though they come off the photograph.
I’m always astounded by the camera obscura. It has been explained to me many times by multiple professors but I still don’t comprehend how it actually happened. It seems like such a miracle.
One of my favorite images is the man standing on the cliff. I love that there is a sense of mystery surrounding the photograph. Is he about to commit suicide or is he celebrating that he has “made it” in life? The landscape behind his is idyllic and beautiful.
I found two things interesting in this last class; first and foremost, I thought the Baskerville typeface was interesting. It’s a transitional typeface that was heavily influenced by Caslon but the thing that brought my attention to it was how it was designed to strive for the perfect typeface. I don’t think many people take notice of the craftsmanship behind the designs of letters and most designers just look for or design a typeface to fit their current need and prior to the development of Baskerville, I think that was the goal, but John Baskerville wanted the perfect letter and make it the best it could be including the inks it would be used with and the paper it would be used on. I just thought the strive for perfection was really intriguing.
Another thing that caught my attention was the chromolithography; printing has been an art form that has been around for a very long time and the way they wanted to use chemicals to create prints rather than with intaglio or relief was intriguing along with their outcome; I thought they came out highly saturated and almost like illustrations which was interesting considering they’re prints.
I found the rise of romanticism to be particularly interesting, especially when looking at the work's of those such as William Blake. It seems to be a response to the advancements that were introduced in the previous class regarding moveable type and innovations in print that were brought on after the Gutenberg Bible. My comment last week was questioning the individuality of both the product and the producer when moveable type was introduced, specifically in regards to the artistic value of new productions under this method. William Blake seems to be contradictory to this, even as he takes advantage of the same technology. I find this particularly relevant to modern issues that have arisen due to advancements in the way we consume media, especially in relation to our perceived value in craft when it comes to these mediums
What I found most interesting from last week's lesson was the discussion of romanticism. I've studied romantic art and writing since high school, and I've always been drawn to it. It's idealistic way of imagining a perfect landscape and idolizing nature resonates with me. In this day and age, it's hard to imagine untouched nature. But these paintings, although they are exaggerate, show a glimpse into the past that I could stare at all day. It makes sense why they would imagine this ideal life, as well, because their real lives were so horrible. It reminded me of how people would flock to the church in order to escape their grungy, dirty lives in European cities. It seems as though every time humans live in squalor, they use art and design to dream of a better world. Like in cities nowadays, graffiti and rap are modern forms of romanticism in a way. The disgruntled youth react to their class by creating unique forms of expression.
What I found most interesting from the last lecture were the concepts of romanticism and victorian era of pornography and their interrelated nature. Romanticism as a concept and movement is something I think I personally identify with. The connection to nature, or the interrelatedness of us to nature, and us to everything. The idea that as people who feel deeply, and devote their life to the expression of their feeling, that their environment and world play an important role. Everything plays an influential role in emotion, especially when life and health are fleeting, especially for many of these artists. This undoubtedly connects to the creation and dispersion of pornography throughout history and cultures. Going further with the concept of interrelatedness to our earth, we, inevitably, are animals. With animalistic instincts. animalistic needs. Porn has been an industry since long before the common era of pornography as we know it today, because we as emotional and intellectual beings, also have animalistic and universal needs. Including sex. Which is something people from many cultures and generations "denied" themselves (or evidently didn't) for the fear of being immoral, damnable. But with the example of punk as a romantic movement, we can see that things, and people, are not always as they seem. We are all human, with confounding and overwhelming emotions and physiological urges and this is what epitomizes the romanticism in art. the synthesis and expression of the human condition. Filling the void of what we don't know with the overwhelming feelings of what we do know, what we do experience and feel in our own little vessels - our mind and our heart and our body.
Although I wasn't able to attend the last lecture, I utilized my peers' comments to get an understanding of what occurred last week. I agree with a fellow classmate, who finds learning of Henry Fox Talbot and the daguerreotype to always be a treat. I assume the content of this lecture focused on printed work- such as Christmas cards, caricatures, magazines, photographs (like the daguerreotype). I found it interesting that the birth of the magazine happened so long ago- I just assumed it was a product of relatively modern times. What I enjoy about this course is discovering works of multiple mediums and understanding them all as strands of graphic design. I appreciate the way the course breaks down old notions I have had about the nature of graphic design and has expanded what I constitute as graphic design.
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