Dorothea Tanning, Family Portrait, 1954
we had a nice class this wednesday. we're moving on, covering a veritable explosion of movements in the first half-century (almost at the point of world-war two):
we discussed the expressionist graphic contribution, Futurism (with Depero & Marinetti's work), Constructivism (Rodchenko, Moholy Nagy), Paul Klee, DADA and its two graphic developments (political and metaphysical --though I didn't address Max Ernst, will do next week), BAUHAUS (and try to cover some of its many facets), Neue Typographie, German New Objectivity, Plakatstil,
go ahead. please, no echo chamber & research your point.
15 comments:
I found it interesting how Fortunato Depero further revolutionized Futurist design. He helped further blur the lines between commercial design and fine art, especially with his Depero Futurista. This bolted book combined mechanical techniques and visuals with carefully crafted artistic elements. His design work was dynamic and it showed how graphic design does not have to be static and boring. It can flow all around a spread, still be legible, and look amazing on its own. Commercial work does not always have to be serious and lackluster. His belief in promoting one’s own work is reflected in his design style. If an advertisement could look compelling enough on its own to draw in consumers, then it’s doing the most important job correctly. In commercial design, the words themselves come second to the visual/sensory experience that first draws in a customer.
Melody Macias
The Vogue magazine covers created by Alexander Liberman greatly interested me because of how similar current magazine covers look to them. I found it extremely fascinating to see that parts of the magazine covers produced for Vogue when it just started are still seen in their current covers. Clearly, the elements and layout that the cover originally embodied still remain to be their preferred look. The simplicity of the content combined with unique fonts or colors is what I believe helped sell this magazine to the public and catch the eyes of people who might’ve never thought twice about fashion. It’s truly inspiring to see how one idea can carry on for the rest of time and continue to keep getting better and better with great ideas from new designers.
Maggie Nusim
In class with the talk about different pieces of furniture such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair and Marcel Breuer’s Wassily Chair I thought of another classic chair that can still be seen today, Verner Panton’s Stacking Chair. This piece of functional art sets itself apart from these other chairs because of the material. The Barcelona Chair and the Wassily Chair use metal and fabric, however this chair is made from plastic. This material was important because it allowed it to be manufactured and easily replicated using a mold. This chair was the first molded plastic chair. It is made from a single piece of plastic, has no legs, and is in the form of an S. This chair was also significant because it was quite efficient: able to be manufactured relatively quickly, stackable, durable, and weatherproof. I think this is an excellent example of how design can be combined with functionality to create something more.
Will Neugebauer
The topic I found most interesting last week was the conversation we had on Bauhaus. After doing some research, I learned more about the bizarre and intoxicating nature of the school, and it intrigued me even more. The artists and teachers at the school made art a way of life and incorporated it into every aspect of their daily lives. To the outside world, they seemed like a cult, but I think they were just a group of passionate designers and artists that were able to share their ideas freely and be taken seriously by their peers. Even though they faced a lot of scrutiny in Germany, their designs changed the art world and became staples in modern art. When the school eventually closed, artists left and introduced styles developed at Bauhaus to countries worldwide. Even though the school was no longer operating, its ideas were spread around the world. Bauhaus's impact on design is very evident, even in work created today, which I found fascinating given its short period of operation.
Clarke Weddington
What interested me most from last week's lecture was the magazine work of Alexey Brodovitch. His asymmetrical layouts and willingness to present images crossing the pages of the magazine is an interesting innovation. I think it makes his work more interesting to look at. It reminds me of the rule of thirds for photography; although you have the tendency to want to center everything, it is more visually pleasing when your subject is along an imaginary line a third of the way down your composition. I looked into the history of this concept, and the term was coined by 18th century writer, painter, and engraver John Thomas Smith. Still, Brodovitch's use of this kind of concept, of an off center composition, is extremely visually satisfying.
Andrew Dubinett
Based on our discussion from last class, the artist that spoke to me quite easily was the legend himself: Walter Gropius. It had not initially connected with me that the creator of the Sugar Bowl from 1969 was made by the same person who founded Germany’s Bauhaus. The simplicity of the Sugar Bowl is something I aim to achieve in my own sculptures and art pieces as the functionality of the piece is uncompromised but gives such a “simple twist” to a daily object that most never even think about. Further research into Gropius taught me that the artist believed in the modernist principle of letting functionality guide form. This is exemplified in his designs in affordable housing as well as bettering conditions for factory workers as his focus stemmed to greater social issues as well as art. Including his many other accomplishments, Gropius will also go down in history as the introducer of modernist architecture in the United States.
Adeeb Ahmed
What I found interesting about last class was the Italian poet Filippo Marinetti. In 1909 he published his Manifesto in a Paris newspaper. This daily morning French tabloid newspaper was called Le Figaro. It is known as one of the oldest national newspapers in France. His work inspired many artists to use all types of colors and type faces on the same page. From bold looks to twenty types of fonts this new art made a major splash in society. This is why it is considered that Marinetti launched futurism. Futurism is typography that could become a concrete visual form that impacts a change in social norms. He gave people the courage to take a stand and use all types of different things in their own art.
Megan Alexander
Good points, keep at it.
I really enjoy the dada art movement and the work of marcel duchamp and his concept of “ready made art”. He challenged the conventional line of thinking that was used during art processes and the creation of art marketing by using subversive actions like calling a urinal a fountain or installing an inverted bicycle on a stool. He isolated objects from their functional purpose and settings and was able to elevate the status of these objects. He focused on producing art that questioned the meaning of art itself. From this, I can conclude that any art object can be equipped with physical attributes and characteristics that can be used to elevate the status of the art form. I could get a banana, tape it to the wall, and call it art. An art object is defined by its context which is used to perceive the various environments which the object would fit in. A few years back, I did a project like this that incorporated ice cream to demonstrate the passing of time. I elevated something like ice cream into art and gave meaning to it which is what ready made art is all about.
-naz
An aspect from our last lecture that I found interesting was when propaganda and advertising was mentioned. Propaganda is in itself a way to mislead others towards a certain perspective usually through ways of different medias. It is also interesting to note that propaganda can be seen as an indiscreet form of advertising. Someone can “advertise” or promote a certain perspective by misleading others. They are different by forms but in a way, they do have a similarity. Both forms do go back a long time. Nowadays, both are seen everywhere in this digital age, and have both sometimes coincided with each other. For example, political advertisements are also seen as being similar to propaganda. Advertisements and propaganda can stand alone as their own concepts but it is interesting to note how they are similar to each other.
Melanie Bergunker
From last class the things that stood out to me most were definitely the paintings by Otto Dix. I found it pretty humorous and a little ironic that he gave all his portraits a cartoony look. Yet when he drew a self-portrait he completely got rid of the caricature style of painting. This caused me to do a little research on Otto himself. Apparently when the nazis came into power they regarded him as a degenerate artist and kicked him from his post as art teacher at Dresden academy. During the First World War he drew realistic and harsh drawings of the war, he even volunteered for service during that war. The experiences he had during the war haunted him and caused him to have nightmares, which subsequently began to effect his artwork. Back to World War 2, during that time he served in the Nazi's Cultural Ministry. He also had to promise to inoffensive landscapes. Honestly I had him pegged as egotistical but, he went through a crazy amount of stuff during his life. Most of his paintings ended up being about war. He had a pretty interesting story which felt like a curve ball considering those caricature paintings he did.
Joshua Biggins
I have always been a big fan of Vogue and the aesthetic they embody in their work. It is amazing to see the work of Alexander Liberman because it is so similar to the work the magazine still chooses to use to this day. They have always had a very simple and clean look to the layout and design of the magazine and they have kept that consistent throughout decades. Their consistency is what appeals their customers because it can apply to such a wide demographic all throughout the world. One website stated that "VOGUE focuses on soliciting trust from its readers. Keeping things consistent and organic, but not at the expense of becoming stale."
- Gianna de Landaburu
Although I was not in class, I was able to review the work that we went over, and I saw that Malevich was one of the artists we were looking at. I have always been interested in Malevich’s work after he created his famous Black Square piece. The background of his creation of this piece is what fascinates me. The Black Square became a symbol for the common people over the bourgeoise of Russia. The seemingly unfinished Black Square was done on purpose to look unpretentious, and for the viewer to contemplate for themselves. The original was hung at a 45-degree angle and was hung salon-style. Hanging symbols at a 45-degree angle was synonymous with religious shrines of saints for people in the countryside who could not attend church frequently, as it gave them a position to pray. Malevich used this 45-degree angle as a middle finger to religion. He placed it at this angle to show that religion was unimportant, and men were no lesser than God. This piece then became tantamount to the Bolshevik revolution. It was printed out many times and given away in a small size people could wear, put on their cars, or place around their towns. The Black Square took on a life of its own.
Jack Dudzik
Marinetti contributed to war efforts with speeches journalism and theatrical work. An example of this is his work Zang Tumb Tumb. It is a verbal and visual form of poetry. It is an account of Marinetti’s experience of the siege of Adrianople during the Balkan war of 1912, which he covered as a war correspondent. The title Zang Tumb Tumb evokes the sounds of mechanized war. For example, artillery shelling, bombs, and explosions. This piece can now be seen in the MOMA.
Jordyn Simon
I was very interested in your discussion of Murnau and German Expressionism and wanted to give my perspective. I am fascinated by Murnau, I think Sunrise is one of the greatest films of all time, and German Expressionism’s impact on contemporary cinema cannot be understated. The true turning point in German Expressionism was The Cabinet of Caligari, the first film I believe to have truly perfected the building of suspense, that solidified the characteristics of Expressionist cinema. German Expressionism is a dark and menacing genre, characterized by chiaroscuro, harsh angles, prolonged suspense, elaborate sets, and shots from unique perspectives. Not only was this genre perfected by Murnau, it was further globalized upon Murnau’s American debut with the film Sunrise, to such an extent that Alfred Hitchcock considered him one of his greatest inspirations. As touched upon in class, Psycho, especially the shower scene, is riddled with Expressionist influence, in the harsh cuts, distorted angles, and creeping suspense. Murnau, and artists like him, breathed life into a genre that colors all angles of international cinema today and continues to inspire through his timeless work.
Sophie Amador
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