Guggenheim Museum by Frank Gehry

Bilbao, Spain, 1997
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Opinion: The Guggenheim Museum is Spain is striking. I have found that many buildings in the world are beautiful, but they don’t necessarily stand out. The Guggenheim is a shining, futuristic, dramatic, curving, colossal building that draws the eye. When I first saw it, I was reminded of the Disney Concert Hall, not realizing that Gehry had designed both. My dad used to work for Disney, so the Disney Concert Hall is a part of my childhood and thus that positive association was another reason I picked the Guggenheim. 

Theory: The Guggenheim Museum is made out of limestone and titanium, which serve to emphasize the asymmetrical, irregular, and imbalanced forms. There are certain organic forms, that Gehry refers to as the "metallic flower". This is offbeat by the structure being futuristic and reminding the onlooker of a cold, mechanical, industrialized world. “In disorder, it seeming randomness of design, and the disequilibrium it prompts in viewers fit nicely into postmodern and deconstructivist agendas” (Gardner, Page 1113). 

Backs by Magdalena Abakanowicz

Musee d'Art Modern de la Ville de Paris, Paris, 1982
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Opinion: Based only on looks, I initially chose Backs because I thought it had an anti-war message, which was very powerful to me. I think there's always a better way to solve problems. However, when i researched Backs, I discovered that it was actually about conformity- a topic much more relevant to my life. 

Theory: Abakanowicz is a leader in the innovation of weaving sculpture. She said "I see fiber as the basic element constructing the organic world on our planet" (Gardner, Page 1126). In Backs, each piece was made by pressing organic fibers into a paster mold the sculpture represents the average person as indistinct in the vastness of society. Each sculpture is asexual and has slumped shoulders, communicating calmness and conformity. Although made form the same mold, there is an odd sense of individuality and distinction between the figures: each has a somewhat different posture and the textures have different patterns (Gardner, Page 1127). 

Surrounded Islands by Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, 1980
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Opinion: I have always been an environmentalist of sorts- I am a diligent recycler, I use solar light instead of electricity, and I believe in global warming. When I first saw this picture, I thought it was a stupid idea. However, the more I thought about, the more I realized the genius of it. People react to what they can see with their own two eyes and so much of the destruction on our environment is not visible to the naked eye. Christo and Jeanne-Claud found a way to visibly show people the effect that their actions have on our environment and I think that is awesome.

Theory: The Surrounded Islands were part of the environmentalist art that came out of the environmentalist movement. For two weeks, eleven islands in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida were surrounded with specially fabricated pink polypropylene fabric.The purpose was to bring about the awareness of people as to what we do to our environment. The whole concept is that it doesn’t take much to destroy the environment, but to create awareness, it takes years. They are making a political statement. 

Cumul I by Louise Bourgeois

Exhibited at Musee national d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, 1969
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Opinion: I was initially attracted to the smoothness of this piece. I thought it was strange that although Bourgeois created abstract shapes, the shapes seem to have almost human characteristics. Additionally, I like the organicness of the piece with the round shapes and white marble. 

Theory: Louise Bourgeois is a post modernist. She once described her sculptural objects as “groups of object relating to each other...the drama of one among many” (Gardner, Page 1087). This sculpture is a collection of organic- rounded headed units huddled with heads protruding out of a cloak. They are abstract, but remind us of humans and have a certain sensuality about them that is magnified by the high gloss next to the matte finish (Gardner, Page 1088).

Kaufmann House by Frank Lloyd Wright

Bear Run, Pennsylvania, 1936- 1939
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Opinion: To be honest, I’m not one for architecture, but I really like the Kaufmann House. I admire its closeness with nature, especially the waterfall. It has a certain unassuming air   about it as it blends in with the surrounding area. I could see myself living in a house like the Kaufmann House one day. 

Theory: Kaufmann House, also known as Fallingwater, is a product of early twentieth century architecture. Wright’s vision in architecture was to create buildings that were part of the natural area.  He developed Fallingwater after studying a chair without front legs. We call this support system a cantilever system (as opposed to post and lintel for normal chairs with four legs). He suggested that what you could do with a chair could be done with a building.There are areas which are completely unsupported next to supported areas. Characteristic of Wright are his continuous roof planes and cross-axial plan. The building contains a variety of different textures, including metal, natural stone, and concrete. His use of full strip windows serve to connect the interior with the exterior. Wright truly created a building became one with nature (Gardner, Page 1059, Madame Oyler). 

Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange

Exhibited at The Oakland Museum of California, City of Oakland, 1935
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Opinion: Upon first seeing this picture on a poster in a mall when I was in elementary school I thought it was my best friend’s mother. I knew Mrs. Nelson had done modeling and I believed the picture to be staged. Now, of course, I know it was a chance shot by Dorothea Lange taken in 1935, many years before Mrs. Nelson was even born. However, I still see her every time I look at this photograph.  

Theory: Migrant Mother was taken by Dorothea Lange in 1935 as she attempted to document the lives of migratory pea pickers in California. The woman holds a baby on her lap with two younger children clinging to her and raises her hand. Both worry and strength show in her face. Lange’s piece became a propaganda of sorts for the Great Depression because it drew upon values of the time, such as family and stability. It is an example of the influence of photography. People see a picture like this and view it as reality. However, “they must acknowledge that people always read visual images through the lens of cultural conditioning” (Gardner, Page 1066). Rather than focusing on the central economic problem, the picture calls on pathos and sympathy of the viewer. 

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali

Exhibited at Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1931
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Opinion: I remember seeing this picture by Dali everyday for two years in Mr. Hyne’s class. During out unit on art, he always covered the surrealist movement and showed us this picture. Initially, the Persistence of Memory is what interested me in art history. 

Theory: The Persistence of Memory was a product of the surrealist movement. It is a dreamscape of sorts with recognizable shapes that have metamorphosed into a dream or a nightmare. Dali created a barren space where time has ended. An amorphous creature sleeps in the foreground and is draped with one of the limp watches (another hangs on a tree). A time- keeping piece is swarming with ants while a fly alights on one of the limp pocket watches. It seems to suggest that time is dead or has gone bad and is therefore decaying (Gardner, Page 1040). 

Der Krieg By Otto Dix

Exhibited at Staatliche Kuntsammlugen, Gemaldegalerie Neue Meister, Dresden, 1929
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Opinion: Der Krieg reminded me of several different movies. It seemed to be a cross between I am Legend and War of the Worlds. It has a certain futuristic vibe, which I found interesting. However, this is not especially surprising, considering it shows the annihilation of mankind, which is a premiss upon which many sci-fi movies are based. I felt guilty after coming to this conclusion because this painting was created to depict a horrible war and immediately I jumped away from reality and into the world of film. I think it says something about our society that its difficult for us to recognize reality and violence because we are exposed to so much on the media. 

Theory: Der Krieg is an Expressionist piece created in the wake of World War I.It depicts the horror of war on both man and the surrounding nature. In the first panel, soldiers march off to war, while in the center and right panel, the viewers sees the terribly awesome aftermath. There are mangled bodies and debris everywhere. To make his piece more personally powerful, Dix actually painted himself in on the right hand panel as a ghostly figure who helps a fallen comrade to safety. The piece is nihilistic- it is the complete destruction of life and communicates Dix’s view of the war. It is also reminiscent of the Isenheim Altarpiece, except there is no resurrection of Christ and therefore no hope. Dix wanted to show the reality before him (Gardner, Page 1035). 

Unique Forms of Continuity in Space by Umberto Boccioini

Exhibited at Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1913
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Opinion: I was surprised I liked Boccioni’s piece because it is abstract and I do not usually like abstract art. However, I think what I appreciated was the idea of it- of Boccioni representing movement. I look at his sculpture and with its planes, shining surface, and twists, I can understand his purpose and think its a cool idea. 

Theory: Unique Forms of Continuity in Space was made during the Futurists movement. As the word expresses it, the futurists believed in any mechanical thing that brought forward new inventions and they were primarily interested in technology and movement. This piece depicts the movement of a man running. His sculpture the sensation of movement, not fixed movement in space. The figure is so “broken in plane and contour that it disappears, as it were, behind the blur of its movement” (Gardner, Page 1021).

A Bar at the Folies-Bergere by Edouard Manet

Exhibited at The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1882
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Opinion: I was attracted to this painting because it puzzled me. I like when things force me to think and the more I look at this painting, the more I think. I keep musing over what exactly is going and of course, still have absolutely no idea. 

Theory: This is an Impressionist masterpiece created by Manet. It shows the basic Impressionist characteristics: a blurred painterly style depicting a moment in time. However, unlike many other Impressionist pieces, it caused quite a stir among art historians. Manet’s Impressionist style calls attention to the surface and pushes viewers to try to make sense of the scene. When the viewer does so, visual discrepancies emerge. If the background is a mirror, everything else should be shown in the mirror, but its not. “It is impossible to reconcile the spatial relationship between the barmaid, the mirror, the bar’s frontal horizontality, and the barmaid’s seemingly displaced reflection” (Gardner, Page 910). Additionally, who is the woman behind the barmaid? Is it her reflection, although it looks like an older women. The main figure is recognizable. The people who go to the bar have paid money to be entertained and she is the only who we can recognize. The man who she is waiting on could be any Frenchman of the time. She, on the other hand is giving us her inner feeling: she is not a happy woman. In conclusion, Manet produced an extremely thought- provoking painting which called on us to examine the medium’s basic premises. 

Degas

The Rehearsal, The Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, 1873credit here

Ballet Rehearsal, Exhibited at Glasgow Museum, Glasgow, 1876credit here

L'etoile, Exhibited at Musee d'Orsay, Paris, 1878credit here

Opinion: I chose Degas as an artist and not merely one piece because I found myself drawn to too many of his paintings of ballerinas and dancers. I have always admired the art of ballet and like how the movement and grace of the ballerinas is not just communicated through the figures themselves but through Degas’s very brush strokes and style of painting. 

Theory: Degas was an impressionist painter whose fascination with movement and light led him to the ballet school. He had several methods of bringing the viewer into his pictorial space. These methods included, cutting the cutting off the space (as by a staircase) and arranging the figures in a random manner. “By seeming to stand on the same surface with them, viewers are drawn into their space” (Gardner, Page 910). Loving the way the light shimmered on the tutu, Degas used this to create patterns of light splotches that communicated the Impressionist notion of depicting a moment in time. The moment theme is also shown by the painterly style that contributes to the movement of the piece. 

Draped Model by Eugene Durieu

Exhibited at Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles,  1854
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Opinion: The word that comes to mind when I look at this photograph is beautiful. The Draped Model has a quiet and simple beauty that comes from a variety of factors. These factors include the anonymity of the model,the lack color, the classic folds, the simplistic background, and the sinuous s curve of her back. Though at first glance it appeared to be a modest photograph, the understated grace and artistry left me unable to look away. 

Theory: The Draped Model is a photograph taken in 1854 during the Romantic period during advent of photography by Eugene Durieu and Delacroix. It represents the symbiotic relationship between painters and photographers. Between Delacroix’s artistic sense and Durier’s engineering skills, they were able to produce beautiful pictures such as this one. The lighting and careful draping of the cloth creates a specific mood that is reminiscent of Grand Odalisque (Madame Oyler). 

The Burial of Atala by Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson

Exhibited at Louvre, Paris, 1808
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Opinion: The Burial of Atala pulls on my heartstrings. It’s sweetly tragic how Atala’s lover hugs her legs as she’s lowered into her grave. On a side note, the whole scene seems to be fanciful Strangely, I was again reminded of something out of Lord of the Rings with a wizard (the old man), an elf (Atala), and a human (her lover). 

Theory: The Burial of Atala was created by Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson in 1808 during the transition from Neo-classical to Romanticism. Based on a popular novel, Atala is buried in the shadow of a cross by her lover and a priest. Now, there is Romantic despair being paired with religion. Little by little, religion is no longer considered something intellectual, but emotional. The appeal here is to the viewer’s private world of fantasy and emotion (Madame Oyler). 

Ancient of Days by William Blake

Exhibited at The Whitworth Art Gallery, The University of Manchester, 1794
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Opinion: Ancient of Days- Ancient of Days is probably my favorite piece that we have studied. The figure’s stance combined with the wind and the bright rays on the darkness elicits the power of creation.

Theory: Ancient of Days was created by William Blake during the Romantic period. The work is not realistic at all- it is all emotion. Blake is showing us a picture of creation- God creating the world with a protractor. Such a scene is reminiscent of God as the Architect of the World during the Gothic period. The picture from Blake has a lot of movement as the wind blows, emphasizing the strength of the figure. The sun is painted behind God and rays of light (similar to the Ecstasy of Saint Theresa) pierce outward. In this period we are now beginning to see works of art that are based on the subconscious. Thus, this work is what Blake would think- as in this is his personal interpretation of God (Madame Oyler). 

The Swing by Jean-Honore Fragonard

Exhibited at The Wallace Collection, London, 1766
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Opinion: I chose this famous Rococo painting because sophomore year one my close friends, Suzanne, re-created a parody of it. In her replica, the girl was actually falling off the swing. Made out of colored pencils, I thought Suzanne’s copy of a masterpiece was absolutely brilliant.

Theory: The Swing was painted by Jean-Honore Fragonard and is largely representative of the Rococo art in France. It has pastel colors,  a frivolous theme, wealthy subjects, is placed outside in nature, and has an abundance of light without contrast. “The glowing pastel colors and soft light convey, almost by themselves, the theme’s sensuality” (Gardner, Page 786). The death of Louis XIV in 1715 marked a movement away from classical Baroque and into Rococo, which ended with the French Revolution. During this period there was a surge for happiness and indulging in pleasures. The Renaissance triangle showing solidity is gone and the triangle between the figures here is to show the lack of cohesiveness of marriage. There are live figures as well as stone figures. The statue on the left is the god of love. He is shushing the two immoral lovers so they do not give themselves away. The two figures below the swing have a helmet to suggest Mars, the god of jealousy, war, and messages. The inclusion of the old and new is characteristic of Rococo- pairing mythological gods with contemporary figures. The main subjects slipper is flying off and contributes to the frivolity of the theme while the dark clouds in the background suggest that people at the time were becoming unhappy with the French aristocracy (Madame Oyler). 

Girl With A Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer

Exhibited at Mauritshuis, the Hague, 1665
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Opinion: The Girl With the Pearl Earring is such a mysterious painting. I had actually researched it prior to enrolling in Art History. I saw the movie and read the book and can say that both rank among my favorite films and novels. The familiarity helped me identify with the painting. 

Theory: The Girl With A Pearl Earring was created during the Baroque period. Vermeer was especially known for his domestic scenes and use of the colors blue and yellow, as evident in this painting. The focal point of the painting, as the name suggests, is the pearl earring. A strength of the painting is its use of light, illuminating the girls face and highlighting the earring. Vermeer was ahead of his time in terms of his understanding of colors and light. The background is dark, which is uncharacteristic for Vermeer and demonstrating that his focus was only on the girl (credit here).