Post-WWII art emerged as the global environment adjusted to the horrors of ‘modern’ warfare. Andy Warhol, an illustrator of women’s shoes and clothes for newspapers, began to direct his gaze to an untapped commercial world that was going to be hooked on material culture. Coming out of years of deprivation and depression followed by a Second World War, the post WWII time frame was repatriating millions of soldiers, sailors, and airmen to civilian life. Coming out of this repatriation effort was the slow but sure access to new materials and the resumption of goods shut down during the war effort.
Andy Warhol recognized an opportunity and quickly became the spokesman for the ‘new material culture’! What Warhol saw was a peculiar movement toward standardization and less and less individuality. Warhol contributed to the replication of images for the tabloid viewing public. As Warhol was starting to show his work, a style of work that would become known as Pop Art, this brash American illustrator understood that Americans didn’t want the questions, they wanted the ANSWERS! As Warhol was preparing for an early television interview, Warhol was sitting in a director’s chair as a makeup artist put foundation cream on his face to blunt the reflection of the bright studio lights off his pale face. The television interviewer dropped in to introduce himself to Warhol and handed the artist a list of questions he would be asked in the interview. Warhol look over the questions and handed them back saying: “I don’t want the questions, give me the answers’!
In an Art News interview of 1963-64, Warhol stated:
“Those who talk about individuality most are the ones who most object to deviation, and in a few years it may be the other way around. Some day everybody will probably be thinking alike.”
What are your thoughts on material culture, the turn of artist’s gazes toward popular culture, and the printmaking work of Andy Warhol?
It is interesting how artists can recognize the turn of styles and how culture changes. Warhol understood the issues of material culture and was an interesting advocate for popular culture. Even back in the day trends were still a thing. And how in reality they aren’t much different from today. Minus the facet of social media, there is little difference between how culture trends change back then as compared to today, and there were still people like Warhol who were able to capitalize on it in a much anticipated way.
I find this question fascinating, because I think artist’s gaze was always on popular culture, popular culture just changes overtime. Artists like Andy Warhol realized that or social reality is not only based on the people around us, but the things around us as well. Artists would prioritize possessions based around the individual, fine linens and finest clothes were often the thing. Materials and tangible items were what was comforting in a time of horror and destruction. Viewers and artists alike were probably tired of idolizing people and nature (more serious material) and needed something fun.
Warhol may have capitalized off of ideas that were not based on individuality, but maybe he felt America needed to share the sense of community.
In general, society and the commercial world has its gaze turned pop culture, pop icons, etc. To have artists, like Warhol, turn their gaze to material culture it seems almost natural. Artists are constantly dissecting their concepts. So when I see material culture being used in artwork I see it as a dissection of it. It puts it in a way that viewers can get a visual dissection of the world that surrounds them. Especially with pop icons. The average person feels so detached from the rich, wealthy, and celebrities. Warhol was creating consumable work. Work that the average person would be attracted to, but also was meant to be in the homes of the rich.
I find material and pop culture to be somewhat interesting. Most of the things I really like or find interesting aren’t influenced by pop or material culture. I mostly ignore them and focus on the things that I like or that interest me. I find Warhol’s quote to be pretty accurate yet scary because a lot of people, especially on twitter, think and act alike. I can see why artists would turn to pop culture because that is where the money and people are at. To thrive in a market where other people have the same goal as you are incredibly challenging and not everyone will become successful, so it may not always be a good idea to focus on pop culture. It may be a better idea to turn your gaze elsewhere and create something new that has a chance to change or become a part of pop culture.
Material culture is an interesting topic for artists in that there is an abundance of color theory and psychology in advertising, packaging, and then of course the multiplicity of the store-shelf display – all of this designed to appeal to the modern person at any given time. Andy Warhol latched firmly onto these truths and produced art that both mocked and closely resembled this burgeoning focus on abundance. Warhol had a keen eye, but also importantly had the right personality and came along at the perfect time in history to be able to embrace the excess of material culture – he was a product of the zeitgeist as much as the art culture became a product of his influence. The artist turning toward popular culture just seems intuitive, especially as communications and travel became more widespread and television brought popular imagery into an increasing number of households.
I think that Andy Warhol wanted to capture attention with material culture subject matter. Definitely, he has influenced by Graphic design at the time, and he knew that the only way to gain international fame in the Fine Arts world was by doing provocation, therefore influenced by popular culture. He was smart and used material culture as a tool to get famous.
There’s no doubt that Andy Warhol had a great impact on the world of art and how the general population takes in and appreciates the art around them. I think he really hit the nail on the head in thinking that Americans did not want questions, they wanted answers and that the material culture they took in needed to reflect that. As an artist, he really understood how to capture people’s attention with design that was very bold and direct and made up of styles that the world was not really used to. While most artists are aware of popular culture but often choose to ignore it in favor of doing their own thing and exploring the lesser known, Warhol understood that any non-artistic person was likely not going to think the same and was going to continue to take in what ever was popular around them at the time, which I think he captured extremely well.
Andy Warhol’s style of art has never resonated very heavily with me and maybe it is due to his heavy influence in materialistic items and trend setting new ways of influence. His art has always felt like an advertisement to me. This is not a bad thing. I would say his art in his own time period shaped today what we know as advertising and art in the media of materialistic things and showcasing these materials. The bright colors and the simplistic shapes of his artwork always kind of made me uneasy and uncomfortable but maybe that was his goal. I think he wanted to get a rise out of people and wanted to make people feel commercial and not question necessarily the product that is being produced but instead question the need for the product in the first place and why the solution is only now coming to light. His Artwork shaped a lot of artwork in his time and also probably an entire generation of peole who were molded to show interest in certain products that resembled that time period.
Material culture is interesting and it seems very reasonable to artist’s to turn their gaze towards popular culture especially now. People are in to popular topics and if it’s something everyone is talking about and knows, then it’ll be more reasonable for artists to take that advantage and gain viewers attention towards their work. If it tends to be something that isn’t as popular than not many people will pay much attention to it. Social media has really created a huge impact on this whether it be cultural or not. Creating works that deal with things around us really gets viewers to think more in-depth and the impact the pieces have. It relates to every day use and can get them to ask the why’s and how’s. It makes the piece much more meaningful that way which seems smart and interesting to look at.
Andy Warhol is definitely someone every art student has heard of and can associate pop art with him. He has paved the way of using what is available and making these pieces appeal to an audience widescale. Especially now, it is hard to be original or find originality since it seems like everything under the sun has been created. I think Warhol understood this. However, it seems that in the art field, you are supposed to try and be original. If not, then you’re seen as not creative enough. For Warhol to create replicated images and have it work, that’s very impressive and a study of why it worked should be looked into further by art students. His work is very clean with hardly any harsh lines to define shape. He also knew to use a recognizable icon such as Marylin Monroe to appeal to a wider audience.
What are your thoughts on material culture, the turn of artist’s gazes toward popular culture, and the printmaking work of Andy Warhol?
Material culture focuses on both the daily lifestyle and culture of society. It focuses on what has changed, improved, abolished, and created in our society over time. Also, it focuses on different popularity trends, such as food, fashion, toys and games, art styles, and behaviors. The material culture focuses on our society’s cultural behavior and changes over time.
I think it’s great that artists are using the material culture for their artworks. The material culture allows artist to understand both our culture and society better. By using the material culture, artists can develop artworks that our society can both understand and connect with overtime. Artists can develop artworks that reflect trends, such as food, fashion, and behavior, to represent our popular viewpoint in society. Also, their artworks can help people both interpret and understand both trends and society better. In addition, by using the material culture, artists can develop artworks that are well respected among different groups of people. Finally, by using the material culture, artists can create realistic paintings that reflect our current society and culture. The material culture can be used to help artists learn, understand, and reflect both our society and culture in artworks.
Andy Warhol’s artworks are very well made. They showcase common popularity trends and artworks during the era they were made. Also, his artworks allows his audience to see material cultures in different art formats and perspectives. Finally, his artworks shows an understanding of our culture that allows his images to connect with his audience. Andy Warhol displays the material culture both accurately and properly in his artworks.
I think Andy Warhol’s prints and pop art, in general, was a very interesting art movement that challenged the supremacy of “high art”. Pop art was criticized harshly by modern critics because of the artist’s use of low subject matter. However, in history, popular art movements such as realism and impressionism, the artists created pieces about everyday life as well as ordinary people and objects too. People like art that they can relate to and is easy to recognize. That’s why the material culture was so popular because pop artists’ work were easily comprehensible images that everyone could enjoy. Pop art rejected traditional views of what art should be. I also think it was a very interesting concept that Warhol was trying to promote that the artist is an impersonal figure.
While I don’t fully understand why it became such a big hit since I don’t like it too much, I do think material culture is interesting. Pop culture is something I do understand more, and I always like how various artists are able to tackle the topics of popular culture in their own ways. Warhol’s ability to create work that took advantage of both of these things due to his prior work experience was a very important moment of American art. The artwork itself is not my favorite thing in the world honestly, but i do think it has a nice aesthetic to it with its use of color and copies with subtle differences between them.
It is interesting to see how what is considered new and daring in the art world changes over time. Warhol was responding to his current culture and letting his artwork speak to the consumerism and popular culture of his time. He took what was being consumed by the general population and altered it to relay a message that was different from its original intent. Seeing how his work appeared to both be celebrating and calling into question popular culture was also interesting. He tapped into what the general public gravitated towards, using this as a way to let his art speak to a diverse range of people.
I think both pop and material art have similarities and perhaps play off one another. Material culture is essentially studying what people like, hate, love, desire about the objects around them. What the relationship is between people and their stuff. Although the relationship to the clothes in my closet is materialistic, it is one that has been fueled by pop culture. Pop culture influences so many people consciously and unconsciously. I think that the artist’s turn towards pop culture was a way to give answers to Americans in a time of need. Although I don’t fully agree with Warhol’s statement, I think pop culture influences what we buy, from what kind of clothes, bags, furniture, and decor is in style or popular. However, individual thinking will always be there, so even when everyone buys the same kind of soup because they were told it is the best; Everyone will have a different opinion of it physically in taste, and visually how it was presented, no matter the influences.
I honestly don’t know why Warhol and his prints were such a big hit. The only thing that I think could be the reason was an air of elitism and exclusiveness that came with owning one of them. Not that it wasn’t good art, even high-end art can be good.
As for pop culture, it’s always been a muse for artists, all without succumbing to the hyper-consumerism of Warhol.
Materialism is an effect of consumerism/capitalism. Artists reacting to popular culture is nothing new, in my opinion. Critique and analysis of what is happening in the world is something artists have done since there was a dominant culture to critique. So Andy Warhol creating works which react to a hyper-consumerist capitalist culture that America has cultivated since its inception is perfectly reasonable, and I enjoy his works. I do think it’s ironic, however, that his works making commentary on heavy consumerism have become the heavily consumed product as he has grown exponentially in popularity.
I think that the turn of the artist gaze towards popular culture isn’t that unusual. We have seen how over time artist gaze and interest have changed drastically. The methods in which artist produce art has also changed as new technologies emerge and as that shift in interest and life change. The printmaking work of Andy Warhol is quite iconic to many I think that mainly has to do with the context of time period as well as the context of some of Warhols thinking about individuality.
Material culture scares me at times. Even though it is apart of Graphic Design, I find it terrifying as an artist. It is a big innovation, but it can also lead to people copying others’ ideas and relabeling is a new piece. With that in consideration, I do still feel like it was a vital step to make, moving into modern day. Everything is becoming more and more tech heavy and this helps with everything. Andy Warhol will always be seen as a major part in graphic design history. Without big sparks/ideas like this, the world would never evolve and neither would a part of the world of art.
I discover material and pop culture to be to some degree intriguing. The vast majority of the things I truly like or discover fascinating aren’t impacted by material or pop culture. I generally disregard them and spotlight on the things that I like or that interest me. I think artists like Andy Warhol understood that or social the truth isn’t just founded on individuals around us, however the things around us too. Perceiving how his work appeared to both celebrate and raising doubt about mainstream society was likewise intriguing. He took advantage of what the overall population floated towards, utilizing this as an approach to allow his specialty to address an assorted scope of individuals.
In a way, art kind of reflects how the world is for the artist and this isn’t just limited to what’s going on in their life but also what’s going on in the world. Various things can influence someone’s work, pop culture included and this way of thinking still persists within the modern day with the creation of memes and references existing on newly released works of art. Sometimes it’s a bit terrifying to think that consumerism and materialism are things that are so ingrained in our daily lives that it’s weird to see it in an art form (something that can be seen as an escape to some people).
I think that Andy Warhol’s work has a bit of symbolic messaging to it. Much of art is based on the world around us. In days of old, people idolized gods. They made paintings of political icons, and even the mundane around us. Thus, with how consumed in material the modern world is, it only seems natural. We praise celebrities like gods, we use pop culture as old folktales were presented. I don’t think Warhol’s works are all too impressive, but they are noteworthy for what they represent. They are also important for the world of Graphic Design, and set up a lot of foundation in future graphics.
Personally I think that it was an amazing feat of its own to be able to recognize a possible shift so early on. It almost feels so simplistic in nature how he was able to correlate the historical situation to this change. If anything, I think it takes great skills of observation to do so. Popular culture feels inevitable, especially in the world of art. In my eyes, pop culture feels inherently iconic and has this pull because of it. I feel like art generally has a popular culture (separate to what Warhol was doing as Pop Art) so the turn of the artist’s gaze towards it doesn’t feel all that different when speaking about how groups of artists change their gaze to a new subject. Lastly, regarding Warhol’s printmaking, I find it aesthetically pleasing to look at face-value. It’s extremely iconic and I’m willing to bet that many people have seen the Campbell’s soup but maybe don’t even know who it’s by. I think it just speaks to how much that image has been spread. Like I said, popular culture is just extremely iconic and I love looking at it!
Warhol’s work is timeless in my opinion and always will. I believe that Warhol is an artist that had that perfect combination of art and pop culture, plus he would convey a strong message behind each piece which is incredible. As for material culture coming into play with how it molds its way into the art creates a theme where people can pick and choose almost, and I feel that to have a theme like definitely brings the generic crowd of people more interested in art. Also, combining it with pop culture is the perfect blend I’d say.
Material culture as an art subject is an interesting phenomenon. Art is an excellent way of showing how culture evolves over time, but it can often appear shallow and generic because pop culture plays such a large role in people’s lives that people can often become desensitized to an art piece’s subject matter. However, different people can see the same subject in completely different ways. Artists are no exception to this. As a result, multiple artists can produce art that is of the same subject matter, but have completely unique takes on them. I think Warhol’s work is interesting in this regard because he would make something so simple like a soup can or a portrait of Marilyn Monroe seem so unique and vibrant by simply modifying a few elements like color, lighting, and value. As for artists’ overall shift in focus towards material culture, artists often have no choice because it is sometimes the only way they can hope to make a profit and survive off their work. However, this does not make it impossible to put their own unique spin on a familiar subject. As a matter of fact, this might actually put the idea of sticking to material art in an artist’s favor because their art might become recognizable to the point where their style does all of the talking in terms of setting up a piece’s meaning. Warhol had the right idea in this regard. He put his own unique take on common things in material culture, which led to his own art style becoming one of the most iconic out there.
As someone who works in high-end luxury retail and an art installation, I find myself becoming more and more materialistic every day. I feel material culture is inevitable. In this world of content being consumed digitally, we see so many affluent members of society having all the nicest and most expensive things. Likewise, I think modern art turning to popular culture is a great dynamic. This brings in a different audience. There is a misconception fine art contains a high price tag and is only meant to be appreciated by the elite in society. However, I find including popular culture normalizes art into something everyone can enjoy. Warhol achieved this by making prints of famous people and everyday grocery items. I have always admired Andy Warhol’s work. Being a printmaker myself, I recall wanting my own screenprints to come out just as clean as Warhol’s. I particularly admire his use of color. His saturation is bright, vibrant, and eye-catching. His art looks commercial, but still has the technique of fine arts quality work. I enjoy the fact his work and techniques are so well known, he is still talked about today.
When we discuss Andy Warhol in this context, we are given a view into our world today that material objects are very numbing. People buy tech and clothes and a multitude of unnecessary things just to fill a void that something has left. In this quote it seems that Mr. Warhol is trying to say that this culture originated in the time he was creating his highly-printable art, and that in the post-war period many people were seeking out something like this just to have something comforting and consumable. An image of an icon like Marylin Monroe may have brought people comfort, reminding them of a time where they relaxed and watched her on TV, or the soup can could remind them of sitting around the table with their family. Printmaking allowed these feelings to be spread far and wide, making these comforting prints widely available to anyone who needed them at the time.
Learning about how Andy Warhol was influenced by the growing material culture at the time makes his work even more interesting. I think that it can be important for artists to create pieces that comment on cultures or movements that take place during their time because there’s always a chance their work will cause people to question if things like material culture are morally right. Warhol’s work was definitely commentary on material culture and known for being such at the time.
This blog reply is going to be a response to the March 8th post. I hadn’t realized I forgot to post my entry.
The question was: What are your thoughts on portraiture in general and, in particular, when it comes to John Singer Sargent? A painter who was more interested in landscape and the more intriguing aesthetic side of art than portraiture!
Portraiture is something that is very important in art and leaves a grand impression on any artist’s reputation. John Singer Sargent was special in a way because he was able to include the small details in his work and really capture what was right in front of him. I actually think his portraits were successful because of his liking to landscape artistry. I think people enjoy portraits in general because human nature as a whole is selfish in a way. It is similar to the fact that hu,mans look for faces in everything, because the most important thing for humans in nature, is their own existence and they love to be reminded of the fact. John Singer Sargent paints landscapes, which takes out human praise and focuses on only nature. That is why I think he can paint so well, because he takes the selfishness out of portraits.
Material culture is definitely a relevant and interesting topic throughout history. Although it might have a stigma of appearing shallow, it is undeniable that a majority of the world revolves around material culture. Warhol quickly acknowledging this and developing a style that would be known as pop art is impressive, but also, in hindsight, seemingly inevitable knowing how people tend to consume media and information in the past and present. This has led to his works being heavily influential in the field of art and design and easily recognizable. Material culture and pop culture is definitely a big influence of how I became interested in art. A lot of what I enjoy in art, when looked into, can be derivative of other artwork; stories, characters, and worlds in mediums such as books, movies, and games are generally derivatives of other pieces of work. Despite “derivative” carrying a potentially negative connotation, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing as a lot of concepts and designs have been elevated through this. Warhol’s quote is definitely interesting in this sense as well as most works are derivative of something, thus aggressive individualism can be ironic or misinformed in a sense as well.
Response for “It is the first vision that counts…” (comments closed).
I think the initial or first response is a strong starting point or foundation, but not necessarily as a “gospel”. I tend to branch off of my first thought, looking in different directions in order to get a better view of the situation overall. The initial vision is most likely based on what we currently know, but that isn’t necessarily the best for every situation whether it is through issues such as ignorance or bias. Thus, research and planning should be a priority in my opinion whenever creating a design. Whether this ends up reinforcing my initial vision or directs me down a different path, I believe it is better to go about it this way in order to create a overall “better” or “stronger” design.
Society has generally focused its gaze onto things such as pop culture and pop icons for the past few decades now. I think it was only inevitable that artists such as Andy Warhol were to turn their gazes onto material culture as well when looking at the bigger picture. Artists are constantly looking on how they can reinvent themselves as an artist and how to stand out amongst the crowd. As time moves forward, I feel as if originality in creative fields is only going to get harder to achieve. Warhol, instead of trying to make things completely from scratch, decided to make his works based on an abundance of material items and pop icons. Although it wasn’t completely original, it was something that had never been done before which I think Warhol noticed and decided to focus on in his career. Warhol’s works show off the popularity of certain trends in his era and allow for the common populace to appreciate his pieces. I do think though that time played a big part in his rise to fame, which is still commendable, nonetheless. His works are clean and stylish for his time, but I think that if he were not the one to start the trend, eventually someone else would have come along and done it.
Response for “It is the first vision that counts…” (comments closed).
In my experience, normally I like to use my first vision as the starting point in setting up a foundation for the overall project. My projects tend to have at least one part that came from my very first rendition of the project. As I move further, I start changing things individually, and maybe sometimes I even scrap the entire thing if I do not feel like the first vision is not cutting it anymore. This has happened last minute far too often if I am being honest, but I just tend to be very indecisive when it comes to choosing things. When it comes to intuition, maybe I should more often trust my gut feeling because more often than not do I end up choosing the wrong option. But with art projects, I have more time to let the project dwell and evolve as I think about it longer. I could see many people going at their pieces with the same mindset as Ryder, but for me, I prefer to take my time.
Hannah Rath
Robert Tracy
ART 474 Section 1001
30, April 2021
Class Blog Posts
January 19, 2021
Welcome to Art 474/674 for the Spring 2021 Semester!
It is interesting that Copley felt to be one of the first artists to in America to bring about knowledge and cultivation of fine arts. I’m pretty sure art had been around before the 17th and 18th centuries. However, it is nice that he felt that he and other artists were going to make art in America stand out on its own and not be compared to that of Greece or Rome.
January 24, 2021
The Colonial Artist (Limner) and Frontier Society
I think that this harsh assessment does still exist in today’s society. We see many differences of opinion and I think people value things more when it comes from their own time or within their own territory. So, people in America may not like art that comes from European countries or vice versa, because it is not what each society is used to. Now saying something is the cockroach terminology may be a bit harsh, but to each their own.
February 2, 2021
John Singleton Copley…American Painter and Ed-Patriot Artist…
I feel that many artists have felt that they have needed to travel abroad to get education about making art. Plus, going to Europe, especially at this time, was where art was taught on a very in-depth way and in Europe there was a lot more history of art than there was in America. I think traveling abroad is a very good way to really hone one’s knowledge and technique in art because not everything is taught the same way, and certain places may be limited to the information that is available to the student.
February 8, 2021
Potato Versus Peach: The Whims and Expectations of the Patron When It Comes to Portrait Painting…
I agree that in order to truly capture a person’s likeness in a portrait, the painter should get to know their subject. This allows the artist to display the subject’s true emotion in the piece. The painter will know what is natural for the subject when they have gotten to know them. A subject’s pose could be conveying anything to the viewer, so if the artist doesn’t understand who their subject is, then they could convey the subject in a very different way than what the subject may have wanted.
February 15, 2021
“It is better to be a poet; still better a mere lover of nature…” (Ford Madox Brown)
Personally, I like portraits over landscapes. Landscapes are so vast, and it keeps changing over time, so it would hard to capture a precise moment. However, I can see why people prefer nature to portrait, nature is so bright and colorful. I respect these American wilderness painters trying to move away from romanticized and strictly traditional and be more free, and capture what they believe to be beautiful or natural from nature.
February 23, 2021
“It changed the whole course of my life”
I think that photography is still very much and important form of truth and reality in today’s society. Many people say that unless there is proof, especially photographic proof, then an event did not happen. Photographs provide that semblance of proof that something has truly occurred and in history this is even more prevalent because it teaches people about what was happening and captures the emotions that were going on at the time which can be very eye-opening to people, putting things into perspective.
March 2, 2021
“…the knowledge of a lifetime”
I feel like artists should not have to defend their art. Everyone has different ways of conveying things and have different styles. People should not expect art to look a certain way, if they want the art a certain way, they should go make it themselves. If everyone made art the same way, no one would be unique, and art would be boring. I am not a fan of critics at all, I feel that art should not be judged by critics, everyone has their own opinions, but an artist should not feel humiliated by their opinions.
March 2, 2021
“My honours…”
I commend Eakins for what he did. People of different sexes should have been able to learn together. The lesson is also very important, the difference between naked and nude is very essential for artists to know and learning about the difference between capturing the male body and the female body is very much needed amongst artists. Being comfortable around others should be encouraged, because if an artist is uncomfortable around their subject or others, then they cannot create.
March 8, 2021
“Cultivated to his fingertips” (Henry James, quoted in Olson, John Singer Sargent: His Portrait, 1986)
Portraiture is a form of art that can be quite challenging. Conveying a person as you see them and how the subject wants to be conveyed is something that takes a lot of careful attention to detail which takes time and patience. It is probably a very high honor to be painted by someone, especially a prestigious painter, and it is probably a high honor for someone to ask a specific artist to paint them. It is amazing that Sargent can do both portrait and landscape, but it probably such an honor for him to do a portrait when he prefers landscapes.
March 22, 2021
“…you’re grateful, and then you get on with it.”
When I create, I am usually in one of two places. Both of these places I bring my box of art supplies and the space becomes my studio. When I am in my “studio” I am happy, I am having fun, I am focused. Nothing going on around me matters when I am in my “studio” everything just disappears. It is just heavenly and all that matters is that I get to create something.
March 29, 2021
“It is the first vision that counts…”
The first vision, I feel is the “foot in the door”, it is the thing that gets you thinking. The first vision is important, but it is not always the best course of action. I will usually experiment with many different ideas or methods until I make an actual decision, which may come back to my first thought. I think it is a good thing to think through different paths and weigh options.
April 5, 2021
“the tear glands of the world dried up from over-use…” (Lucy Lippard, Pop Art, 1966)
I do not like the thought of all artists being similar, thinking the same, and creating the same kinds of art. I like people to be more unique and do different things. I think doing what is popular is kind of fun, but people should try to put their own spin on things to make it stand out and not the same as every other person who took part in the latest trend.
January 19, 2021
Welcome to Art 474/674 for the Spring 2021 Semester!- closed comments
It is interesting that Copley felt to be one of the first artists to in America to bring about knowledge and cultivation of fine arts. I’m pretty sure art had been around before the 17th and 18th centuries. However, it is nice that he felt that he and other artists were going to make art in America stand out on its own and not be compared to that of Greece or Rome.
January 24, 2021
The Colonial Artist (Limner) and Frontier Society- closed comments
I think that this harsh assessment does still exist in today’s society. We see many differences of opinion and I think people value things more when it comes from their own time or within their own territory. So, people in America may not like art that comes from European countries or vice versa, because it is not what each society is used to. Now saying something is the cockroach terminology may be a bit harsh, but to each their own.
February 2, 2021
John Singleton Copley…American Painter and Ed-Patriot Artist…- comments closed
I feel that many artists have felt that they have needed to travel abroad to get education about making art. Plus, going to Europe, especially at this time, was where art was taught on a very in-depth way and in Europe there was a lot more history of art than there was in America. I think traveling abroad is a very good way to really hone one’s knowledge and technique in art because not everything is taught the same way, and certain places may be limited to the information that is available to the student.
February 8, 2021
Potato Versus Peach: The Whims and Expectations of the Patron When It Comes to Portrait Painting…- comments closed
I agree that in order to truly capture a person’s likeness in a portrait, the painter should get to know their subject. This allows the artist to display the subject’s true emotion in the piece. The painter will know what is natural for the subject when they have gotten to know them. A subject’s pose could be conveying anything to the viewer, so if the artist doesn’t understand who their subject is, then they could convey the subject in a very different way than what the subject may have wanted.
February 15, 2021
“It is better to be a poet; still better a mere lover of nature…” (Ford Madox Brown)- comments closed
Personally, I like portraits over landscapes. Landscapes are so vast, and it keeps changing over time, so it would hard to capture a precise moment. However, I can see why people prefer nature to portrait, nature is so bright and colorful. I respect these American wilderness painters trying to move away from romanticized and strictly traditional and be more free, and capture what they believe to be beautiful or natural from nature.
February 23, 2021
“It changed the whole course of my life”- comments closed
I think that photography is still very much an important form of truth and reality in today’s society. Many people say that unless there is proof, especially photographic proof, then an event did not happen. Photographs provide that semblance of proof that something has truly occurred and in history this is even more prevalent because it teaches people about what was happening and captures the emotions that were going on at the time which can be very eye-opening to people, putting things into perspective.
March 2, 2021
“…the knowledge of a lifetime”- comments closed
I feel like artists should not have to defend their art. Everyone has different ways of conveying things and have different styles. People should not expect art to look a certain way, if they want the art a certain way, they should go make it themselves. If everyone made art the same way, no one would be unique, and art would be boring. I am not a fan of critics at all, I feel that art should not be judged by critics, everyone has their own opinions, but an artist should not feel humiliated by their opinions.
March 2, 2021
“My honours…”- comments closed
I commend Eakins for what he did. People of different sexes should have been able to learn together. The lesson is also very important, the difference between naked and nude is very essential for artists to know and learning about the difference between capturing the male body and the female body is very much needed amongst artists. Being comfortable around others should be encouraged, because if an artist is uncomfortable around their subject or others, then they cannot create.
March 8, 2021
“Cultivated to his fingertips” (Henry James, quoted in Olson, John Singer Sargent: His Portrait, 1986)- comments closed
Portraiture is a form of art that can be quite challenging. Conveying a person as you see them and how the subject wants to be conveyed is something that takes a lot of careful attention to detail which takes time and patience. It is probably a very high honor to be painted by someone, especially a prestigious painter, and it is probably a high honor for someone to ask a specific artist to paint them. It is amazing that Sargent can do both portrait and landscape, but it probably such an honor for him to do a portrait when he prefers landscapes.
March 22, 2021
“…you’re grateful, and then you get on with it.”- comments closed
When I create, I am usually in one of two places. In both of these places, I bring my box of art supplies and the space becomes my studio. When I am in my “studio” I am happy, I am having fun, I am focused. Nothing going on around me matters when I am in my “studio” everything just disappears. It is just heavenly and all that matters is that I get to create something.
March 29, 2021
“It is the first vision that counts…”- comments closed
The first vision, I feel is the “foot in the door”, it is the thing that gets you thinking. The first vision is important, but it is not always the best course of action. I will usually experiment with many different ideas or methods until I make an actual decision, which may come back to my first thought. I think it is a good thing to think through different paths and weigh options.
April 5, 2021
“the tear glands of the world dried up from over-use…” (Lucy Lippard, Pop Art, 1966)- comments closed
I do not like the thought of all artists being similar, thinking the same, and creating the same kinds of art. I like people to be more unique and do different things. I think doing what is popular is kind of fun, but people should try to put their own spin on things to make it stand out and not the same as every other person who took part in the latest trend.
It was interesting to know that this all happened post-WWII. I can only imagine that after having years of struggle that a booming economy would lead to consumerism like never seen before. Similar with us not having social interactions during the pandemic, we’re a world ready to socialize. I think Warhol’s work to me sheds a light on the fact an artist was hired to design the labels for these products that then get mass produced. We notice the company and brand, but never the individual artists. In a way Warhol reclaims it from the company. When I see the tomato can, I think Warhol and not the brand. Material culture brings lots of jobs for artists because everything needs to be designed, but hardly any of the artists who design the things around us do we know by name.
Taking a look at Andy Warhol’s work it’s interesting to see how he was able to make his move during a pivotal point in history. I feel like it was a smart move for Warhol to base his work on the interest of martial culture during his time. Looking at material culture, there is always a constant push for having certain products designed or marketed a certain way. It’s a play on how there’s always a mass production of some goods. Warhol was able to make a statement on the redundancy in society through his artwork. This shaped how the public viewed what is considered art. This tracking was able to have other artists besides Warhol time rethink themselves and what they’ve come to understand.