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Student at Eastern Connecticut State University studying fine arts
by hannahlg107

Exhibition Honoring Black Artists

One of the best, most powerful ways to amplify black voices is through the visual arts. Whether invoking an emotional response to its audience through portraying their struggles, celebrating culture, or simply celebrating fine art, this exhibition aims to empower black voices in all ways, through all types of art. By displaying both of these types of art it is a means to balance struggle with celebration, seriousness with playfulness, or just admiration of talent. Also by displaying both sides of the coin out of respect it shows black people’s strength for what pulls them through difficult times, rather than only pitying those of color. Yet the weight for which the struggles they carry should not be ignored, and should make the privileged viewers uncomfortable. Another strong reason to have this exhibition is because of the lack of black artists displayed in galleries and museums being underrepresented. The same goes for black art critics, black art dealers, and black museum trustees. A good reason for why one would want to come to this exhibition would not only be to enjoy the extraordinary artwork but also the recorded number of attendees at the exhibition is considered for the value of an art piece and when the number is higher it supports the black artists. Also viewers can follow the artist on social media giving more value to their work, something curators also look for. 

The first artist to introduce would be a versatile pioneer of black art, Faith Ringgold. She has won countless awards including a National Endowment for the Arts Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship for painting and an NAACP Image Award. Faith Ringgold, born Faith Will Jones, was born on October 8, 1930, in Harlem, a time where she’d be greatly exposed to the Harlem Renaissance. She graduated with a B.S. in fine art and education in 1955 from The City of New York and soon after also received a M.A in art. Protesting in the 60s and 70s against art institutions that had not included people of color, her artwork’s narrative during that time period changes from angry and disheartened when it comes to living in America as a person of color to portraying black females in all their glory in later decades. Later in her career she’d published award winning children’s books during the 80s and 90s written and illustrated by her. They educate youth upon the pivotal as well as inspiring times during black history, Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad, and My Dream of Martin Luther King just to name a couple. Woman on a Bridge #1 of 5: Tar Beach, (1988, Acrylic paint, canvas, printed fabric, ink, and thread, 74 5/8 x 68 1/2 inches) would be included since the book to go along with the piece, titled Tar Beach, won the Caldecott medal which goes out to the most distinguished American picture book for children for its preceding year. Pictured within the artwork are all people of color –  a family sitting with visitors on a city building’s rooftop at night with a food table, potted plants, and a clothesline with laundry hooked. In the background there are the skyscrapers of Harlem lit at night along with the George Washington Bridge also lit. The is a little girl and a boy laying down on a blanket looking into the sky. Interestingly, the little girl in the nightgown is pictured twice because she also appears flying in the background too. 

Faith Ringgold. Woman on a Bridge #1 of 5: Tar Beach, 1988. Acrylic paint, canvas, printed fabric, ink, and thread; 74 5/8 x 68 1/2 inches. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum collection, New York, New York. Image by Guggenheim Museum.

The story behind Tar Beach spoke upon feeling free. A little girl named Cassie Louise Lightfoot living in Harlem imagines herself flying over the George Washington Bridge. She dreams of ways her beloved family members can also feel free, addressing the financial hardships her parents have dealt with while also speaking highly of them. The little girl is determined to take over the city and make a better life for her family, dreaming of what could be. This emphasizes the power of dreaming and that in Ringgold’s case – dreams do come true. 

Her style is characterized by the bright and bold two dimensional artwork style from the Harlem Renaissance and also references Cubism as well as Fauvism, specifically Picasso and Matisse. Like the staple in most of her works, she used an illustrative quilt border in Tar Beach. Ringgold is best known for her quilted artwork for which the patterns take inspiration from multiple elements. Tibetian thangka paintings are one of them. Another is how quilts resonate and honor her mother who took an interest in fashion design, sold dresses in Harlem as well as taught Faith how to sew. Quilt Making also speaks upon the craft behind women’s work within the community in both American and African culture. Quilts are also a reference for what was used to help slaves escape through the underground railroad. The combination of painting and quiltmaking combined is quite innovative. First she paints on fine woven cotton duck canvas fabric. Then she attaches colorful squares of upholstery fabric along the boards, some of which she’d also paint on. 

Who’s Bad? (1988, Acrylic on canvas with pieced fabric border, 79 1/2 x 92 1/2 in.)  would be included because of its fun lightheartedness with Michael Jackson centered, yet speaks upon race also. The Michael Jackson figure appeals to a large audience because of his popularity. For that, this work could even be considered as pop art since he is a widely recognized figure. This adds to Ringgold’s versatility, attributing her work to many aspects of black culture, back then and during more recent times. Within the piece painted there are repeated writings of the names Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X in a vandalized style. In the background there are a bunch black men of all ages and differing personas, based on their fashion apparel, shown together dancing. With this as well as including the following piece mentioned, the viewer can see that because of her history with textiles and fashion she uses apparel to create each individual figure’s persona that reflects the times. In this case it’s the 80s. It speaks upon how no matter how one may identify themself or how society sees them as a black man Michael Jackson’s exceptional talent brings the black community together for a good time. United, this promotes black power. Her work again captures the style of art depicted during the Harlem renaissance as well as Cubist and Fauvist elements. Again the artist references her staple quilted border.

Faith Ringgold. Who’s Bad?, 1988. Acrylic on canvas with pieced fabric border; 79 1/2 x 92 1/2 in. Image by https://www.faithringgold.com/portfolio/whos-bad/.

Another great piece of Faith Ringgold’s to include would be Groovin’ High, 1996 because it celebrates another vibrant time in black culture. “Groovin’ High was inspired by Ringgold’s memories of Sunday afternoon dances at the Savoy and her connection to her native Harlem neighborhood. The title references jazz composer and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie’s 1945 bebop classic.” The founding of bebop is unique to black culture being founded by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. It typically comprises the necessary trumpet and saxophone with a rhythm section (this includes a piano, bass, and drums). The piece similar to Who’s Bad depicts roughly a dozen and a half people, again of all ages, of which are a gathering of black people dancing. Groovin’ High is culturally educational as well as fun and engaging. Again the style resonates the same as mentioned in the earlier pieces, using bold colors with two dimensional figures. Also appearing again she shows her eye for fashion trends, something that she must’ve adopted from her mother, because it shows what people wore taking place in the 40s/50s. The fact that she shows this within both Who’s Bad? As well as Groovin’ High is another captivating trademark since they’re two different eras. To add, again they both also show the power of music and its ability to bring people together. 

Faith Ringgold. Groovin’ High, 1996. Silkscreen; 32 ½ x 44 in. Image by https://www.artsy.net/artwork/faith-ringgold-groovin-high-10.

To go with the theme of bringing people together would be the cozy southern shack house artworks of Beverly Buchanan. When anyone looks at them she hopes that they “strike a chord” with whoever that may be. Many people react saying the works remind them of home. She’s been widely recognized and has received rewards including National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship (1980), a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Award (1994), and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women’s Caucus for Art (2011). Her work is also displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Beverly was born October 8, 1940 in Fuquay-Varina, NC. What influenced her work was how her father was the dean of the department of agriculture at South Carolina State College as well as an agricultural agent for the state to travel so he could teach the trade, with Beverly tagging along with him. Her father’s friend was a landscape architect and she would mimic her own handmade small three dimensional versions of buildings based on the knowledge he’d share. She was pressured by her parents and being black in the 60s to be successful by pursuing medical school, since she was already a health educator in New Jersey. She instead chose to be an artist. During the late 60s she was turned away from a gallery being directly told from them that they don’t show black art. In the same interview where she expresses that she also states how she’s been told even years preceding, “what great work for a woman”. And even for a third example of discrimination that same interview shares how in 1977 once her works were in a gallery in New York gaining success up north curators and dealers down south (Atlanta, GA) finally contacted her showing interest her work after the fact of seeing it beforehand and dismissing it.

 Beverly claims her work’s style is strongly influenced by the abstract expressionist movement. She creates two dimensional and three dimensional works of a common theme, inspired by one to two, perhaps even three hundred year old shacks that are still standing from the old south in South Carolina. Her works are semi representational but her aims towards embodying the spirit of those who lived there and who built them, as she puts it. 

A good piece of Beverly Buchanan’s to include would be Dublin, Georgia, Dublin, Georgia, 1992, Oil pastel on paper, 22 x 30 inches. The piece depicts two small log shacks, taller than they are wide, each with orange roofs, the right one pictured with a staircase, with a dark blue sky, low lit grass at the bottom, thus it being nighttime this achieves the look of a candle lit window. Similar to all her other works she presents a beautiful, bold, rich jewel toned use of color theory. The windows capture a glowing candle lit light, reflective of the times when the house was lived in. This adds, as mentioned earlier, the “cozy” “at home” feel. It’s almost as if these places were never left abandoned, perhaps Beverly gives them life again, which successfully ties along with her artist statement/intent of capturing the shack’s spirit. While scribbles in art are commonly discouraged, instead she owns that type of mark making throughout her work. A similar example for reference would be Macon Georgia, Oil pastel on paper, 22 5/8 x 30 inches 2003. The mark making gives an innocent, childlike, welcoming feel, which is how one wants to feel when walking into another’s home. The mark making also relates to the weathered chaos that the still standing building has been through a couple hundred years or so. Perfect lines wouldn’t make any sense for this type of subject and theme.

Beverly Buchanan. Dublin, Georgia, 1992. Oil pastel on paper; 22 x 30 inches. Andrew Edlin Gallery Collection, New York, New York. Image by Andrew Edlin Gallery.

Beverly Buchanan. Macon, Georgia, 2003. Oil pastel on paper; 22 5/8 x 30 inches. The Johnson Gallery Collection, Spartanburg, SC. Image by The Johnson Gallery Collection.

While it is important to recognize the work of black artists who’ve paved the way, it’s equally just as important to recognize up and coming ones. Ariel Dannielle, 29, is a portrait painter with the theme of drawing the viewer into the intimate everyday life of a black woman in today’s world. From Atlanta, GA, she graduated from the University of West Georgia, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She has been mentioned in the New York Times and has been featured in the California African American Museum, featured in several galleries, and been a finalist in several competitions. Two of her pieces, Be Safe and We Adapt would be included in the exhibition. Be Safe began with the Black Lives Matter protests following the death of Alton Sterling in 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

"Be Safe"

Ariel Dannielle. Be Safe, 2016. Acrylic on Canvas; 30x40in. Image by https://www.byaridannielle.com/paintings.

For context Sterling was selling CDs outside a store and a few days prior began carrying a gun due to recent CD vendor robberies surrounding the area. Two officers responded to a call about a man who was threatened with a gun by a man selling CDs, thus Serling’s red hoodie fit the description. Yet the store owner stands by Sterling stating he was not the one who instigated or in his time of knowing him was looking to cause trouble. Back during 2009 almost the exact same incident involving Sterling selling CDs with police arrival a different store owner also vouched for him saying the same thing. Once Sterling was on the ground officers tased him. Already tased he reaches into his pocket for what the jury claimed to be his gun. After seeing this the now ex officer Salamoni fatally shot him six times in close range. The Department of Justice did not file charges for this case however the officer who shot Sterling was fired two years later before the wrongful death suit began in 2021. 

If Sterling wasn’t shot dead he could have had justice. Perhaps he didn’t address police confrontation properly by resisting and reaching but with the numerous other cases in the media since the Trayvon Martin case of police brutality directed towards people of color it’s no wonder he panicked. Police officers should be seen as trusted professionals but how can they be when they have their own track record? Having the black community fear them is only making the problem grow. 

Ariel Dannielle’s Be Safe, 2016, 30x40in, Acrylic on Canvas is an emotional depiction of the fear behind walking outside as a black man with a target on his back due to police brutality towards people of color. With a blue and red backdrop with the exact same hues of police vehicle lights Dannielle paints herself embracing her male lover. Her expression is fearful and anxious with his being discouraged and hopeless. Along with her other works it is so up close and personal that it has the viewer feeling the emotion it’s intended to portray. Not only is the Black Lives Matter movement about police brutality but it’s also about generational social economic inequality amongst races. What comes with that is besides police brutality, communities of color fear violence from those in their own neighborhood. This piece is very personal and powerful. 

On a lighter note, We Adapt (2020, Acrylic on Unstretched Canvas, 60 × 83 in) has to do with finding the joys within the COVID-19 pandemic that can be found by staying home. The artist pictures herself in her bedroom wearing a facemask in her bathrobe holding up a glass of wine. She looks very happy, comfortable and at home with her dog on the bed with the other hand throwing up the peace sign towards her Macbook. She owns her femininity by including her cheetah print pillow and salt rock lamp. And of course she included a bottle of Purell on the dresser. 

Ariel Dannielle. We Adapt, 2020. Acrylic on Unstretched Canvas; 60 × 83 in. Image by https://www.byaridannielle.com/paintings.

All these three pieces have to do with her artist statement of which challenges gender and racial stereotypes because if a white person was to gain insight into the world of a black woman this would be it. It is simply them trying to enjoy life and loving those around them. This is similar to all human nature that we can all relate to. Being human is something everyone has in common.

Sources

“ABOUT.” Website. July 28, 2021. https://www.byaridannielle.com/about.

“About Faith.” Faith Ringgold. Accessed July 28, 2021. https://www.faithringgold.com/about-faith/.

“Beverly Buchanan, Thornton Dial, and the Gee’s Bend Quiltmakers.” Andrew Edlin Gallery. Accessed July 28, 2021. https://www.edlingallery.com/exhibitions/beverly-buchanan-thornton-dial-and-the-gee-s-bend-quiltmakers?view=slider#4.

Craftinamerica2007. YouTube. May 10, 2012. Accessed December 15, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=794M-mcOJY4.

“Faith Ringgold.” Mattatuck Museum. Accessed July 28, 2021. https://www.mattmuseum.org/mattatuck_carousel/faith-ringgold/.

“Faith Ringgold.” Biography.com. November 05, 2021. Accessed December 15, 2021. https://www.biography.com/artist/faith-ringgold.

Hanson, Reviewed By: Debra, and Debra Hanson. “Faith Ringgold: Paintings and Story Quilts, 1964–2017.” Panorama Journal of the Association of Historians of American Art. Accessed December 15, 2021. https://editions.lib.umn.edu/panorama/article/faith-ringgold/.

“Macon Georgia.” The Johnson Collection, LLC. Accessed December 15, 2021. https://thejohnsoncollection.org/beverly-buchanan-macon-georgia/.

Ufoutlier. YouTube. December 31, 2013. Accessed December 15, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfBZm2QHzi4.

YouTube. June 15, 2020. Accessed December 15, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry5_Ns9jRNI.

by hannahlg107

Vladimir Kush: Awakening the Subconscious

An exceptional Surrealist painter and sculptor would be Russian-American artist Vladimir Kush. His artwork falls into the Surrealist category for its themes involving awakening the subconscious through juxtapositions, thus the merging of dreams with reality. He states how his works emphasize the use of metaphors. His works involve bright, upbeat, whimsical, creative, subjects rather than dark or destructive ones, invoking the viewer’s imagination and inner child. Because of this, according to his website, “The Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health uses Vladimir Kush’s intellectual paintings with dementia and Alzheimer’s patients.” In 2011 the artist was awarded the painter of the year presented by Picasso’s granddaughter. Along with his subject matter it makes sense that the euphoric, imaginative, dream state types of subjects are primarily sold through his galleries in Laguna Beach, California, Las Vegas, Nevada and Maui, Hawaii as giclée prints, jewelry, handbags and face masks which are also sold on his website. These locations are on brand for the artist because the vibrant tourist destinations match the embodiment of his artworks.


Vladimir Kush was born in Russia, near the Moscow forest-park, Sokolniki. He began his artistic study and practice as early as age seven, then spending approximately a year at the Moscow Higher Art and Craft School. This time was short lived because he was drafted into the Russian Army. Six months into training, his unit commander encouraged him to use his artistic talent for propaganda posters. Perhaps his artworks to come after were a therapeutic escape from the harshness from training for the Cold War and also claims how during his time in Russia he could not travel due to government regulations thus resorting to the use of his imagination. After his service he finished his education with a degree from the Institute of Fine Arts. Thereafter he created portraits on Arabat Street in Russia to support his family. “In 1987 Vladimir began partaking in his first exhibitions organized by the Union of Artists. In 1990, at an exhibition in Coburg, Germany, almost all of his displayed paintings were sold. After the exhibition’s close, Vladimir flew to Los Angeles, CA, where 20 of his works would be exhibited.” Still working his way up he’d freelance portraits on the Santa Monica pier. His next destination as well as where he currently resides is in Hawaii.

Kush’s African Sonata (oil on canvas, 21 in × 24 in) depicts elephants with giant tubas for faces. With that being the primary focus also included barbary stag, a deer lookalike found in Africa pictured with a harp for antlers. Along the bed of water are Great Egrets also found in Africa which are similar to pelicans. The scene takes place on a desert with volcanoes in the background as well as various brass instruments, (french horn, cymbals) resembling the shape of long yellow grass. Pieces like this encourage viewers and especially children to never stop exploring, pursue interests that make you feel alive, and as well as along with all his works that everything is connected and no idea is too far fetched.


Vladamir Kush. African Sonata, n.d. Giclee on canvas; 21 x 24″. Jacob Gallery collection, Oakville, Ontario, CA. Image by Jacob Fine Art Gallery.


Along with the theme of Kush’s work many of them use a hazy yet sunny, dreamlike landscape as the background. One of his most well known works is Departure of the Winged Ship (circa 2000, oil on canvas, 39 in × 31 in), a staple within Surrealist art published in books and magazines. It is commonly mistaken as one of Dali’s works. It features a large wooden ship stylized to look like the ones from centuries ago and instead of using a cloth sail it is replaced by colorful vibrant butterflies resembling good luck. The top clouds are puffy yet are also illustrated to look curly giving them a whimsical effect. Artistically placed there are also two sets of wings apart from the sail that are on the bottom. Kush’s standard skinny humanoid figures wave goodbye with their fishing nets at the bottom right standing on top of the rocky shore. It’s said to
speak upon the exciting adventure behind a distant voyage.


What makes Vladimir Kush so appealing is the feel good themes of imagination that take the viewer out of the everyday mundane, which is something everyone regardless of background
enjoys. The power to wish and the power of imagination inspires the viewer within their own life and it’s difficult to feel otherwise when looking at his work. Like other surrealist pieces it’s
enjoyable for the viewer to make sense of the quirky juxtapositions and the meaning behind his metaphors. In other words, the unordinary makes the viewer stop and stare and can’t help but want to make sense out of it.

by hannahlg107

Surrealism: Art of the Subconscious

A beloved art movement, while also groundbreaking when it first came about, is surrealism which emerged during the early twentieth century right after WWI. It’s defined as art that invokes the inner workings of the human psyche or subconscious through juxtapositions creating symbolism. Along with dadaism emerging only a few years before, the symbolic absurdities remained throughout surrealism. The meaning behind the movement (along with expressionism and dadaism) requires higher level thinking for the viewer to understand than previous centuries’ artworks. Surrealism’s goal is to illustrate the merging of dreams with reality, a mystical and intriguing concept for the viewer to make sense of. Examples of surrealist artists include the most well known Salvador Dalí, along with Leonora Carrington.

The meaning behind a surrealist piece is not always obvious and the viewer must dissect it like a puzzle. Keep in mind that interpretation and meaning differ. No matter which era of art the artwork’s interpretation is subjective to the viewer thus having them form their own reaction and opinion. Unraveling the artist’s meaning behind a surrealist work is what makes it so special. Surrealism gives power to the artist to invoke a whole new idea. The meaning behind those pieces were quite literal, unlike surrealist pieces. Even within the more recent preceding years of surrealism the expressionist (art that conveys a feeling) and dada movements’ subject matter were more relatable because groups of people have either felt that emotion or have joked about what’s mainstream. Surrealism opens creative possibilities for the artist to share their distinct, personal, precious dream state.

The first and perhaps most well known surrealist piece is Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory. The landscape background is of his view of the Mediterranean and the Sierra de Rodes from his cottage home. The clocks do not hold their original form as they appear to be melting. The pink matter figure is often interpreted to be Dali himself based on the similar nose structure and which many viewers perceive as flesh to soon be rotting. The fly and the ant correlation at the bottom left of the composition has been thought to speak upon the relation of flies carrying disease which can demolish an ant colony. The meaning viewers find behind it is displayed as grim, in that memories fade. To achieve what is shown on the canvas, before beginning his surrealist works Dali, gained knowledge about the subconscious through Sigmund Freud who had developed the renowned psychoanalysis technique. The artist used what he learned from Freud to do the following, “The year before this picture was painted, Dalí formulated his ‘paranoiac-critical method, cultivating self-induced psychotic hallucinations in order to create art. “The difference between a madman and me,” he said, ‘is that I am not mad.’”1 Thus, accepting his eccentric brilliance caused the pioneering of a whole new art movement. This is similar to Lenora Carrington’s work because the two artists portray an unseen reality.

Leonora Carrington’s intriguing And Then We Saw the Daughter of the Minotaur also comes with lots of symbolism to dissect and put together to unveil its meaning. She was very into mystical concepts such as witchcraft to begin with. Clouds and stars are juxtapositioned underneath the ceiling. A minotaur is displayed with tiny hands performing witchcraft. The boys wearing a cloak could refer to the cloak’s symbolism of their identity being transformed. A rose is displayed that appears to be tampered with, however there’s also white feminine dancing figure with a disproportionately large flower coming from her head with a bright light only shining upon that figure. Nearby there are two white whippet dogs, the only creatures that notice the light, relating to the speculation that animals see spirits that people do not. Throughout the painting are crystal balls scattered. In the background but not centered is the abstract, almost indescribably flowing green figure with a small cross at the top of it. One analysis points out Carrington rewriting the Greek mythology of Theseus conquering the minotaur then travelling the labyrinth of conquering subconscious desires. Carrington does not display the minotaur as conquered and the feminine nuances are not subdued but rather empowered. It’s a surrealistic piece because the story is juxtapositioned but the storyline’s theme about the subconscious. The artist explains that we live in a visual world that changes so much that it’s not worth spending the time that people do to make sense of it, which fits into the lens of a surrealist.

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Leonora Carrington. And Then We Saw the Daughter of the Minotaur, 1953. Oil on canvas; 23 5/8 × 27 9/16″. Museum of Modern Art collection, New York, New York. Image by Museum of Modern Art.

There is much to unpack when it comes to understanding the meaning of surrealist artwork. The artist displays a scenario that has not yet been seen by anyone else by using juxtapositions. Dream states allow for this. During the times of the two World Wars when conformity was the norm, producing art that’s subject matter was entirely unique to the artist was controversial but nonetheless gained much attention. It took more than just artistic skill, which was the standard upheld for art beforehand. Surrealism portrays the subconscious, which is incredible since it isn’t tangible.

Bibliography

“Horns of the Goddess: The Minotaur in the Work of Varo, Carrington, and Lam.” Ebrary. Accessed November 15, 2021. https://ebrary.net/153654/psychology/horns_goddess_minotaur_work_varo_carrington.

Lynley. “Symbolism of Coats and Cloaks.” SLAP HAPPY LARRY. October 31, 2021. Accessed November 14, 2021. https://www.slaphappylarry.com/symbolism-coats-cloaks-robes/.

“Salvador Dalí. The Persistence of Memory. 1931: MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art. Accessed November 14, 2021. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79018.

Tate. “Surrealism – Art Term.” Tate. Accessed November 11, 2021. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/s/surrealism.

“The Meaning of Salvador Dali’s Famous “Melting Clocks” Painting: The Persistence of Memory.” EmptyEasel.com. October 26, 2021. Accessed November 14, 2021. https://emptyeasel.com/the-persistence-of-memory-famous-melting-clocks-painting-by-salvador-dali/#history-of-surrealism.

by hannahlg107

How Feminism and Women Artists Go Together

A dominant narrative within Western art history is that women are objectified. While that being the common theme for the portrayal of women within fine art history is unsettling, there isn’t a real issue as long as the woman portrayed is comfortable doing so, like Rose from The Titanic. But unfortunately it’s common, especially within the older narrative for the woman to be uncomfortable or even spied on, and is captured by the artist within her facial expression. Now that those disturbing facts are put to light, it’s good to mention that (only) in recent decades women artists are being acknowledged. With that, this essay answers a few questions that feminists seek answers to. What characterizes art made by women about women? It could be anything they want. Does it fit a role? No. Fortunately due to evolution of women’s rights these answers are ones that supports feminist ideology. Any woman who makes her own art empowers herself by doing so. This means whether they prefer to portray their gender as more conservative versus more exposed doing so supports feminist ideology.

Artwork produced by women about women may or may not speak against gender roles. One of the first that addresses it though, is Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro’s Womanhouse art installation and performative work in 1972. But of course that doesn’t mean that the female artist depicting a fragile and emotional woman in her work doesn’t support feminist ideologies. Cindy Sherman is a contemporary American artist whose works feature herself and addresses the way women are viewed. She never intended for her work to have a feminist undertone but is glad that feminists appreciate her work and that women find it empowering. Sherman’s work mainly consists of dressing up in costumes and wigs and documenting herself. Her first highly recognized work is her Untitled Film Stills 1977-1980 series. According to the MoMA’s description,

“Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills is a suite of seventy black-and-white photographs in which the artist posed in the guises of various generic female film characters, among them, ingénue, working girl, vamp, and lonely housewife. Staged to resemble scenes from 1950s and ’60s Hollywood, film noir, B movies, and European art-house films, the printed images mimic in format, scale, and quality the often-staged “stills” used to promote films.”

These photographs of course stirred controversy at the time, and perhaps is the reason why she first gained so much attention. Untitled Film Still #14 from 1978 depicts her as a stereotypical vamp woman. Back in the 50s and 60s the use of this term was popular and was one of many coined by men to stereotype women. It made sure to warn fellow men about such women exuding sexual prowess taking advantage of them through film. The term was used to identify a woman typically with heavy makeup (red lipstick) along with showing more skin than usual to enhance her sex appeal as a means to seduce men and manipulate them. Cindy Sherman knowingly portrays herself as such here, along with a weapon, black dress (the color choice perhaps meaning sinister), and a brazen-faced presumptuous facial expression. What causes the controversy is that men felt unsettled having their counterpart instead of themselves being in control. Sherman portrays that as a female she is conscious of this, thus mocking the 50’s and 60’s film stereotypes throughout the series.

Cindy Sherman continues to take the paradoxes of womanhood and runs with it throughout her career. Her work becomes more and more attention grabbing, unsettling, shocking, and humorous. Pregnant Woman from 1991, does this by discouraging motherhood and of course the housewife notion. Yet another controversy, this work by her was done right after Demi Moore’s pregnant and nude Vanity Fair magazine cover, almost recreating it with the same short hair style. Sherman has messy bedhead short hair, black or brown dilated contact lenses, wears a caked on application of makeup, a soaking wet as well as torn white flannel, and has nipples so inflamed they look in pain. Not only is this not the Western ideology of how men would like to perceive women, but it’s also not what any woman wants to be either. They don’t want to become a demonic creature that is forced to sell her body because the baby’s father left her which is what one could read this as. While humorous, it can also speak upon the serious importance of Planned Parenthood in our world. That is, not bringing life into this world that will struggle to survive.

Cindy Sherman. Untitled (“Pregnant Woman”), 1991. Chromogenic print on Kodak paper; 17″ x 11″. Caviar20 collection, Toronto, Ontario. Image by Caviar20.

To answer the question about what role and characteristics do women artists display, perhaps Cindy Sherman is simply having fun with her work. Perhaps topics such as conservatism versus nudity within the feminist realm are about the woman’s ability to choose whichever empowers herself, no matter what men or what society deems as acceptable for the times. The same goes for women who enjoy being a housewife versus women who enjoy living an independent life. Gender identity and how it’s portrayed is a personal choice. To each their own. That is what feminism means, to the right to choose and allow the freedom of expression within female artists.

Sources

Berne, Betsy. “Studio: Cindy Sherman – Interview.” Tate. Accessed October 28, 2021. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/cindy-sherman-1938/studio-cindy-sherman.

“CINDY SHERMAN “PREGNANT WOMAN”, 1991.” Caviar20. Accessed October 28, 2021. https://www.caviar20.com/products/cindy-sherman-pregnant-woman-1991.

“MoMA Learning.” MoMA. Accessed October 28, 2021. https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/cindy-sherman-untitled-film-stills-1977-80/.

by hannahlg107

The Prismatic Palette: Frank Vincent DuMond and His Students

The Prismatic Palette: Frank Vincent Dumond and His Students was an exhibition displayed June 19th to October 3rd, 2021 in the Lyman Art Museum in New London, CT. Dumond’s life consisted of illustrating until age twenty three only then to learn the painting tradition of the Academie Julian Paris in 1888. The academy’s alumni are Diego Rivera and Marcel Duchamp. With this education, he then brings back to the U.S. what is known as American impressionist painting, creating his own works and teaching for six decades at the Art Students League. While Impressionism isn’t abstract art, it isn’t realism either. It clearly resembles the subject however, while doing so it romanticizes it by depicting the changes of natural light throughout time during the day. This creates a widened, bolder, and brighter color palette. However, what Dumond is known for throughout his career and teachings is coining the term prismatic palette, a groundbreaking concept which many artists adopted. Dumond taught the renowned Georgia O’Keeffe, Norman Rockwell, and John Marin.

The first thing the viewer notices when walking in the room is Thomas Torak’s Landscape with Rainbow, (2018) Oil on Linen, 20” x 24” this work was done by a student of Frank Mason, whom of which had taken over the prismatic palette teachings of Dumond at the Art Students League. The other thing viewers immediately notice is that there is sound from the video playing. It’s an educational video for oil painting that discusses Dumond’s sense of color theory. It explains how during his education in France he acquired the skill of premixing his oil paints, a prevalent practice done by nineteenth century painters. However Dumond coined the term prismatic palette through his arrangement of colors on the palette. He does this by taking a few parent colors at their full saturation and arranges several light to dark values on each side of them on one palette. The constant principle is that when mixing lights and darks it was more than just adding black and white. In order for it to be prismatic, blue violet would gradually be mixed in for darks and cadmium yellow lemon does the same for lights. Therefore it makes sense that a prismatic palette is used for natural lighting, due to this connection with the natural associations with color through the sun and nighttime. While his learnings occurred during the impressionist era it makes sense how the artist used colors to support the vivid hues found within that movement. Heavily focusing on landscape painting throughout his study as well as teaching, the video also states that he taught his students to keep their premixed paints in a palette that encloses like a box due to potential weather changes. In that same area right next to that educational video screen is an replicated example of the palette-box he’d use with all the premixed paints arranged as mentioned.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is landscape-with-rainbow.jpeg
Thomas Torak. LANDSCAPE WITH RAINBOW, 2018.
Oil On Linen; 20″ x 24″. Lyman Allyn Art Museum collection, New London, CT. Image by https://www.thomastorak.com/workszoom/2679040/landscape-with-rainbow#/.

Also featured within the exhibition is a set of his illustrative paintings that comes in a pair of two. The subject is of east to westward expansion in nineteenth century America. The top one is of the new American settler’s departure from the east coast. The bottom piece is of their arrival in California. This pair of works not only gives the exhibition artistic education but also historical context. Another piece within the exhibition is a landscape of Grassy Hill right in Old Lyme, Connecticut. It gives a sense of his personal life because it was a portrait of his own farmland. The exhibition is inspiring because it not only shows what he is capable of but also presents the talent he brought out in his students as well. There is a watercolor portrait of Winfield Scott Clime on that same Grassy Hill owned by the Dumonds, done by his student Ogden Pleissner from the Art Students League.

This exhibition was presented nicely. It was a typically lit exhibition, with spotlights for each piece and low lighting for the rest of the space. The only criticism perhaps would be that it could’ve had a larger collection of Dumond’s own illustrative works. All in all it captures his life’s work well, not only by presenting it but also explains his sense of color theory, making it highly educational, especially for painters.

Sources

DuMond’s Prismatic Palette in Practice. YouTube. August 16, 2021. Accessed December 5, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YpPYbDG3tU&t=198s.

“Frank Vincent DuMond.” The Ridgewood Art Institute. Accessed October 23, 2021. https://www.ridgewoodartinstitute.org/our-history-looking-back/frank-vincent-dumond.

“The Prismatic Palette: Frank Vincent DuMond and His Students.” Lyman Allyn Art Museum. Accessed October 23, 2021. https://www.lymanallyn.org/the-prismatic-palette/.

by hannahlg107

Impressionism Leading into Cubism

The wonderful thing about art over time is that it continues to evolve. While the thought process behind the work may shock the more conventional folks as it is introduced, the movement can go down in history. While the works of Impressionism (this term will include Post-impressionism and Neo-impressionism) may result in a very different image than Cubism, rethinking the pictorial plane is what these movements have in common. The preceding way that an artist would assess their subject would be in a one point perspective, established by Renaissance art. But what makes these two movements remarkable is how multiple viewpoints are captured within the subject. What’s baffling about it is the “how?” behind it, which will be further explained in detail.

The first Impressionist movement took place between 1867 and 1886. Artists that made up this movement were Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, Berthe Morisot, Armand Guillaumin, and Frédéric Bazille in France, working off of each other. Impressionism typically captures landscapes and other open spaces that use natural light. Because of natural light this means that over a period of several hours the subject will look different. Therefore painting in this style requires the artist to be very skilled by use of quick thinking and gestural brushstrokes. A great example that plays into that aspect is Bal du moulin de la Galette, 1876, 4′ 4′′ x 5′ 9′′ oil on canvas by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. All in all what every work had in common resulted in an image that was flattened but patterns of bright color and textures were emphasized. Post-impressionism and Neo-impressionism use the main elements already mentioned but vary slightly depending on the artist. These artists include Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat and Vincent van Gogh.

Cubism is similar to Impressionism in the sense that viewing this subject is not going to be in one fixed state with the result showing multiple perspectives. The movement gained traction through Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in Paris between 1907 and 1914. Except in Cubism, rather than light affecting the changes in perspective while the artist is working the artist themselves changes their viewing position. Thus the work of Cubism results in multiple combined perspectives from viewing the subject at different angles, demolishing the one point perspective practice established during Renaissance art. Impressionism and Cubism are also similar in that gestural marks must be made that only capture the subject’s essence rather than all its details. Cézanne’s The Basket of Apples, 1893, 5.6 in × 31.5 oil on canvas is an example of Cubism because the viewer can see objects such as the lady finger cookies are stacked but different sides of it are painted with the perspective being changed. The top cookies are more downturned than they would be if they were painted from the same perspective as the bottom cookies. It’s also hard to make out whether or not the basket can keep its balance and not fall. This illusion is created because the basket was painted using more than one perspective.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Bal du moulin de la Galette, 1876. Oil on canvas; 4′ 4′′ x 5′ 9′′. Orsay Museum collection, Paris, France. Image by Google Arts & Culture.
Paul Cézanne. The Basket of Apples, 1893. Oil on canvas, 5.6 in × 31.5. Art Institute of Chicago collection, Chicago, IL. Image by CC0 Public Domain Designation.

Because of these movements with Impressionism leading into Cubism the viewer can see that there is more than one way to consider the pictorial plane. Gestural brushstrokes/marks and working quickly is what it takes to achieve these styles, and it takes a very skilled artist to assess their subject in this manner. In the case of Impressionism it’s the moving lights and shadows. In the case of Cubism it’s the basic forms being combined at different angles. Achieving something other than one point perspective was very groundbreaking.

Sources

“Cubism.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed December 04, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/art/Cubism.

Gambardella, Steven. “How Cubism Changed The Way We See The World.” Medium. May 14, 2021. Accessed December 04, 2021. https://medium.com/the-sophist/how-cubism-changed-the-way-we-see-the-world-fb6e6cf09496.

“Impressionism.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed December 02, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/art/Impressionism-art.