Unit 8: Later European Art 1900-1980, Cards 199-225 (Les Demoiselles d'Avignon to House in New Castle County) FFCC+Indentifiers

Spiral Jetty. Great Salt Lake, Utah. (U.S.) *Robert Smithson* 1970 C.E. Earthwork: mud, precipitated salt crystals, rocks and water coil.

Form: *Earthwork*- made of natural materials, turns nature into art Curving, prominently of bulldozed rock and stone forms pathway above sea level. Projected a 1/4 mile into the Great Salt Lake Resembles a (?) or spiral Sense of dynamism from shape vs. still, permanent piece Very remote and the Jetty leads to nowhere Function: ART FOR ART'S SAKE and a meditative path to nowhere. Walk nowhere but getting to the heart or center of the piece. Flaunts the useless nature of art Content: Inspired by a folktale that Early natives believed, the Salt Lake was a marvel of nature connected by a subterranean canal to the Pacific Ocean, creating whirlpools on the surface. Suggests something hidden in nature being made visible with the piece. The spiral is an archetypal shape, appears primal. Influenced by whirlpools. Context: 1960s: Art galleries are focused on Selling art over displaying it. *Smithson*- Widespread distribution of Avant-garde art weakened its impact. He wanted to create Art that could exist without being sold. Attracted to the Salt Lake because of the red algae. Reabsorbed two years after being made, as the water level rose for 30 years. We'll be able to see the spiral now due to climate change. *Earth Art*- Genesis of Hippie culture and Environmentalism, dealt with the permanence, seeming ancient. The term was coined by *Smithson*, also called Earthworks or Land Art. -Art markets disenchant Artists, the movement was a backlash to Consumerism -Modern equivilant to ancient ruins.

The Steerage *Alfred Stieglitz* 1907 C.E. Photograph

Form: *Photography* True levels- Divided by a diagonal bridge and ladder Taken from above the lower level. Not portriture or landscape- Scene of everyday life, traditional painting style Creates an illusion of 3-D space Well balanced and Complex Composition Uses ship layout to form a geometric layout. Function: Stieglitz was focused on creating a geometric composition with photography to prove the artistic value of photography. Content: Ship coming from Ellis Island to Europe Lower- Steerage/Lower Class. Immigrants rejected at Ellis Island, deported back Upper- Americans, likely rich vacationers. (not focused on social commentary) Influenced by *Cubism*- Considering the geometry of the picture plane. Context: *Stieglitz*- 291 Gallery (1905) on 5th Avenue, New York- becomes a show case for the masters of European Modernism (Picasso and Matisse) along w/ Photography. The Photography vs. ar debate is raging, Stieglitz is very pro-artistic photography. *Pictorialism*- Stieglitz pioneered- attempting to make photographs as close to paintings as possible. Not seen as much here, at this time Stieglitz felt photography didn't have to imitate painting with its own advantages. Stieglitz had the first gallery to show Georgia O'Keefe (plus they had an affair! Got married too!)

Illustration from The Results of the First Five-Year Plan *Varvara Stepanova* 1932 C.E. Photomontage.

Form: *Photomontage*- Collage made of pasted photographs. Skewed composition Rich, red background (offset w/ black, white and natural sepia) Strong diagonal red towers lead to speakers and flags, conveying movement Lenin= Size of the sun and in the back 5-signs in photography overlapped with typography Function:*Propaganda* supporting Lenin's 5 Year Plan and the progress of the USSR Content: Political Respnse: Massive Crowd listening to Lenin Electrical towers showed Industrial Progress and carry Lenin's message across the state Speakers (appear like horns) carry the Message and spread change Red=Communism! and the USSR Flag Lenin= headed 1917 revolution, Established the USSR in 1922 Context: *Stepanova*- Contributed to magazines, including USSR propaganda magazines. Adament that the 5 year plan did wonders for the state. 5 Year Plan- Communist Revolution-1917- Established USSR in 1922. Lenin dead when piece was made, he became a symbol of the nation. The Plan failed since the radical measures taken to increase Industralization lead to a wide spread famine. The Communist revolution helped develop *Avant garde* (Advance the guard) art or New art, used to innovate or demean. *Constructivism*- To express aims of Revolution & Communism to advance society as a whole. Incorporate machine aesthetic in their work with Architecture, mass produced items, photography and Newspapers.

Memorial Sheet for Karl Liebknect *Kathe Kolllwitz* 1919-1920 C.E. Woodcut

Form: *Wood Cut*- Thick, bold lines. Minimal crosshatching. Individualized figures. Only black and white- Values lead us to the figure in response. negative space around Liebknect's face Content: Focused on the faces of the Mourners over Liebknecht. Heavily inspired by *Goya's Disasters of War* series. Rough Edges emphasize the harshness of war. *Religious Allusions*- Appearss very similar to a Lamentation scene, painting Liebknecht as a Martyr. Context: End of WWI- Establishment of Vemar Republic. Germany is lead by a handful of Socialist groups, eventually the Germany Communist Party, attempting to insite revolution. The Moderate Governour sends milatary to tamp out the revolutionaries, killing 25 including Karl Liebknecht. *Kollwitz*- Not a communist, knew Liebknecht and respected him as a person. Attended his funeral. She experimented with engraving, chose woodblock for its rough edges. Best known for her depictions women and children, showing poverty in a very raw way. When Nazis came to power, she refused to create propaganda. She was labeled a 'Degenerate Artist' and had her pieces siezed.

Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks. *Claes Oldenburg* 1969-1974 C.E. Cor-Ten steel, steel, aluminum, and cast resin; painted with polyurethane enamel.

Form: 30 ft tall, big tube of coral lipstick in a gold tube, sitting on a rusted tank. Primarily stell, the lipstick was originally inflatable rubber, that deflated so now its resin. Mered hyper-femine imagery with hyper-masculine item. Function: Used as a rallying point for War and feminist protests at Yale Content: *Absurd sculputre*- called attention to both the absurdity of war and femine Beauty culture/Consumer culture. Used consumer culture language- Mass produced tube of lipstick *Parody*ed War Memorials, not making fun of the dead, but of War itself. Disregards the heroics of War because of death. Piece highlights the useless deaths of Vietnam. Context: Installed in 1969 (the first year women were admitted) at Yale University in Benecke Plaza. *Pop ARt* sculpture, part of the youth/countercultural movement, civil rights/womens rights and anti-war movements. Beauty standards were being questioned, a period of revolt and protest. Put up in secret and reveled on the first day of finals week. Resin piece was installed in 1974

The Migration of the Negro, Panel no. 49 (They also found discrimination in the North although it was much different from that which they had known in the South.) *Jacob Lawrence* 1940-1941 C.E. Casein tempera on hardboard

Form: Abstracted. Near collage style. Very little detail. Casein Tempura- Solid forms vs texture. Space is compressed and flattened- no sense of linear space. Limited color palette- muted, focused on simple primary Expressive body language. Divided compositon. Diagonal lines let the eyes bounce across. Mimal abstraction, nothing extra. Function: Series of 60 artworks dealing with the Greak Migration, meant to be shown in sequence. Content: Divided composition shows Whites only vs. Colored sectionin a northern resturant. No interaction between them. The White Side has emphasized, menacing facial expressions and are bigger, also have nicer place settings and more detail. The Colored side cna't be seenas individuals with their lack of facial expression and hunched forms. Context: Great Migration: African Americans migrated North to escape the violence and oppressionof the South but still faced segregation and racism. *Lawrence*- Harlem, born in the South, African American. Visited the Harlem Library and was inspired by the African art and MET displays of Goya,Manet, and Modern Cubism. Worked on all 60 piece simultaneously. If he mixed one red, he used it for all the sections of the series that needed red.

Villa Savoye Poissy-sur-Siene, France *Le Corbusier (architect)* 1929 C.E. Steel and reinforced concrete.

Form: Bottom floor- Geometric, rectalinear, symmetrical Patio/Top floor- Curbilinear Stark and white, Isolating itself from nature *Cantalever* in the round- columns aren't supports to the structure. All sides are identical, creates no true entrance point. Window placement has a uniform front. *Puts heavily elements atop light ones.* Content: Influenced by the Machine Aesthetic- making pieces appear metalic and industrial. Sleek and manufactured look. The interior and Exterior lead to a roof garden. The Bedrooms and main Interior are below the rectangle in the circular space. Context: *International Style*- Very Popular, Corbusier pioneered a style meant to look trascendant of Architectural style. (Zero ornimentation on facade, Non-traditional materials [steel/glass], Pure geometric forms. wide expanse of glass windows) Emerged in Europe in the 1920s/30s. Next step in Modern architecture after Sulliven but added more style and design.

The Kiss *Gustav Klimt* 1907-1908 C.E. Oil on canvas, goldleaf

Form: Bright colors. Realistic facial features. Primarily made of patterns (circular and rectangular, even with a dottist background) Use of Goldleaf to illuminate piece. Content: Rectangles -> Masculine Circles -> Feminen Passonite scene. Cliff creates a sense of danger and the kiss is sups dramatic. Context: *Klimt*- Went to Italy, saw Byzantine art, influenced by Byzantine gold drapery and the lack of linear perspective (Flat, didn't conform to the body) Lead the *Vienna Sececion (or the Sececionists)*, felt they rebeled against Academic Art. Influenced by Freud, implimented his psycho analysis into their work. *Klimt* was associated w/ *Symbolists* since he explored Universal themes in his pieces.

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon *Pablo Picasso* 1907 C.E. Oil on canvas

Form: Cubism- Makes the forms appear fractured, elements become unclear due to abstraction. Very geometric, instead of curves, the piece has hard edges throughout. Multiple perspectives on one plane (Fruit= Bird Eye, Trio= tipped up on plane, could be laying down or standing up) Flat, compressed space. Indicates space with figures overlapping each other. Very unproportunal figures w/ undetailed anatomy. Uses simple small lines, unrealistic image. Vibrant colors- help orient viewer with skin tones. Content: d'Avignon- Well known avenue in Paris for brothels (therefore the women are Prostitutes) De-emphasizes feminity with them pointy breasts. Destroys the concept of a female nude w/ how uninticing the piece is, cause Harsh shapes are not inviting. Uses traditional poses to offset the piece's abstractism. Context: Piece created a radical shift in art for abandoning reality and 'paint what you see' *Picasso*- Highly influenced by African Mask (European artists had exposure to non-Western art via colonialism and art exhibits) He was a child prodigy, painting realistically/classically at a young age. Abandoned his classical training for his own style. Inspired here by *Manet and Cezanne* *Cubism*- Abstract and radical for its time, defies the practice of reflecting reality. Not inital well recieved, primarily for being *too simplistic and unpleasent*. George Braque- "Partner"/Influenced by Picasso, big Cubist artist.

Fallingwater. Pennsylvania, U.S. *Frank Lloyd Wright (architect)* 1936-1939 C.E. Reinforced concrete, sanstone, steel, and glass.

Form: Embeded in Nature- House is built over Bear Creek, running underneath an outcropping. Use of Natural Materials- Natural stone (had to use concrete, appears neutral and glass/steel) Multiple walls made up of windows- Nearly entirely uninterrupted view of nature *Cantalever*- an outcropping that juts out without external support. Allows extention outward into space and resembles tree branches. Unfortunatly, causing structural issues today. Rectalinear forms- very Organic shape Living spaces divided and placed to resemble a running spring of water. Function: Commissioned for Edgar Coffman- wealthy, Pittsberg Department Store owner- as a summer home. Placed on the creek because his kids loved playing there. Content: Influenced by Japanese Tea House Design- Open Floor plan and sliding Doors/Walls allowed for interior flexibility. Very Assymetrical with low cielings Context: *Lloyd Wright*- America's best known architect, incredibly influental. Worked for Sullivan early on, absorbed his view that modern architecture shouldn't reference the past. Establishes his firm in 1893, by 1900 his popular, primarily designed individual family homes in Oak Park (a Chicago Suburb) *Praire Style* home, with Low, Horizontal rectaliner form with heavy over hangs nad low roofs. Wright saw *Japanese Tea Houses* at the Chicago World's Fair (1893), was struck by their simplisity and harmony within nature.

Woman, I. *William de Kooning* 1950-1952 C.E. Oil on canvas.

Form: Erratic and Aggressive Brushstrokes full of action and movement Stylize, non-proportional figure Muddy, discordant color palette- "Flesh is the reason oil.. was invented"- so a lotta flesh color Jagged, thick lines create an overwhelming figure Mixed painting style (*experimentation*)- Thick vs. Thin brushstrokes Vague background Figure has a blank stare and a frozen grin Very Ab.Ex. Function: 1st in a series of 6, worked on for a year and a half, almost thrown out. Context: Inversion of the traditional depiction of women in art -Pin-up girls -Large breasts= Masculine gaze and Fertility statues -Grin= Women in Advertisement selling products -Blank stare offsets Intimidating gaze She's angry and frightening instead of warm and inviting. Content: *Abstract Expressionism* or *New York School*- Center of the Art World - First American movement -Push after WWII to ignore all representation and favored abstraction. - Reaction to Minimalist Abstraction (De Stilj)

Improvisation 28 (second version) *Vassily Kandinsky*. 1912 C.E. Oil on canvas

Form: Expressive, fluid lines. Soft, pointerly brush work of color- Hazy, muted background with sudden pops of color. Bright primary color palette- Secondarys are mixed on the canvas Very limited referance to the real world- no sense of foreground/mid ground/background No focal point Content: Based on *the Revelation of St. John the Divine* or The Apocalypse. There will be a time of Natural disaster andn war followed by a new period of Hean and Earth. Canvas divided into sections, the Apocalypse on far left (seen with the strange, flowy line in the bottom left that represents the Great Flood, there are also canons firing off), turmoil and war in the center (horses in the bottom center are an indicator and possibly represent the Horsemen of the Apocalypse) and Paradise on the far right (the church on the hill is the easiest identifer as well as the couple embracing below) Context: *Kandinsky*- Believed looking at Art would facilitate spiritual experiences. Became an artists late in his life, studied Economics in Russia and was a political advocate. Started painting and just did what he wanted in the moment, hence 'Improvisation' (a music concept) Believed and influenced by the concept of Synesthesia (like Munch)

The Portuguese *Georges Braque* 1911 C.E. Oil on canvas

Form: Geometric shapes. Angles. Flattened space. Multiple Vantage points. Limited, dull color palette. Use of Typography* Content: Image of a Portuguese musician, purposely fractured to the point of Deconstruction. Inspired by watching the musician perform in France. Context: *Braque*- Fascinated by Abstraction especially *Fragmenting* forms. Commercial, sign painter previously (hence *) Picasso & Braque work together- 1908 *Cubism*- Unobjective deconstruction of reality. Boomed with Einstein's 'Theory of Relativity' (1905), creates Artists focused away from reality and instead eyeing the theoretical. *Analytic Cubism*- (1908-1911) 1. Analyze an object from every angle 2. Simplify/Fracture the object. 3. Re-combine the fragments in a new, multi-vantage piece.

The Bay *Helen Frankenthaler* 1963 C.E. Acrylic on canvas.

Form: Large scale- ~7ft tall, ~7ft long Solid areas of color-use of tints of a single color in blue. Uses a muted color palette *Acrylic Pour*- Diluted paint w/ water so it flows. Worked on raw canvas so it absorbed the paint. poured over the canvas w/ coffee cans and spread. Created a more dull finish and the white of the canvas comes through. More stained than painted. Organic shapes, calm and meditative. Content: The Bay- invokes a landscape. Created by chance, not meditated. No brush strokes. Collective spontaneity reads as a bird's eye view of a landscape Context: *Frankenthaler*- Associated w/ *Color and Abstract Expressionism* (an evolution of expressionism with no detail, color, shapes and abstraction create emotion invoking pieces. Color Expres. focused on large fields of color.

Marilyn Diptych *Andy Warhol* 1962 C.E. Oil, acrylic, and silkscreen enamel on canvas.

Form: Left half- Oil acrylic neon color palette gradiant Right half- Silkscreen enamel, black and white, gradually becomes lighter or is obscured with excess ink. Repetitive Image w/ various degress of shading and color. Diptych- two sided piece, refers to altar Triptychs Content: Marilyn gradually fades and is obscured- Commentary on the fading benefits of fame and the short-lived life she and other stars lead due to pressure and life. Color Side= Life, advertising her with her image (hence neon, attention grabbing colors) Black/White Side= Death and the decay of fame Copy of her face mad eover and ocer reflects the hundreds of 'copies' of Marilyn made by Hollywood. She was constructed into a copy of the popular starlete to sell herself. The manufactured image used reflects the way her style and look was manufactured (plastic surgery, dyed hair, studio placed name) Context: Marilyn Monroe- Famous stalot, massive blow to America when she died, Had a tragic life of drugs, body issues and marriage problems. Died in her early 30s) Piece made soon after her death. *Warhol*- Celebrity artist, background working for Glamour. Saturized advertizing and celebrity culture. The Founder and most well known *Pop Art*ist- focused on mass produced goods and Questioned the authenticity of art in the face of manufacturing. 1964- opened *The Factory* an art studio and celebrity lounge that further highlighted this question of production vs. art.

Goldfish *Henri Matisse* 1912 C.E. Oil on canvas

Form: Multiple vantage points. Extra bright colors (Neon goldfish) Little to no layered colors, very little color. Complementary color scheme (Neon orange against blue green) Multiple patterns in background, i.e. either plants or wallpaper. Spacial Ambiguity (Really floaty) Content: Fish= Tranquility, resembles Paradise w/ lush green folliage. very similar to Islam (Muhammad's Garden) Context: *Matisse*- Visited Morroco in 1912, noticed people staring at fish bowls. Made gold fish a symbol of daydreaming. Influenced by the meaning of Islamic culture. Painted in his home (a suburb of Paris) uses his furniture for modeling. Had a personal conservatory. Founded *Fauvism*- Fauve= Wild Beast, used wild, unrealistic colors and was named by a critic.

Narcissus Garden. *Yayoi Kusama*. Original installation and performance circa 1966 C.E. Mirror balls.

Form: Orbs are mirrored metal. 1500 shimmering spheres= very overwhelming composition, reflecting outdoor light and viewer. Function: Massive performance piece, launched Kusama's fame in the art world. Protested the high commercialization of art by selling it cheap. Content: Narcissus- Tragic greek figure. Grew so infatuated with his reflection in a pond, he drowned trying to kiss it (a tragedy of hubris) Mirrors= Reflective= Narcissus' reflection Context: *Kusama*-broke into the Venice Bienialle, huge international art exhibit. She was uninvited but exhibited the garden, dressed in a gold kimono, outside the Pavillion of an exhibit hall. She starts selling the orbs for $2 each. Put a sign up saying "Your Narcissism for Sale!" Vistors to the event loved it, many unable to purchase large pieces taking the mirror balls instead. She sold them to recoup the costs and protest the *commercialization* of art with her cheap price that was under the rich.

Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow *Piet Mondrian*. 1930 C.E. Oil on canvas

Form: Rectalinear forms. Colors guide the eye. Completely abstract and mimalistic. Only Primary colors and Thick, bold lines. Simple, compact composition (shapes and color) Calm, Orderly and Balanced, yet Assymetrical. Varying line thickness and cut off sections create a feeling of infiniteness. *Dynamic Equalibrium*: Calm with Assymetry creating eye movement. Content: Pure Abstraction, no resemblance to the real world. *De Stijl*: Dutch, The Style or *Neoplasticism*. Used a reduced palette, primary colors w/ black and white. Utopean role of Art, movement without reference and Abstraction Context: *Mondrian*-Wanted to create something completely removed from the real world. Believed art could be a tool to create harmony and balance in the world and rebuild our broken culture. Fanatical, to the point of refusing Diagonal lines that could be seen as movement or anchors. Influenced by *Analytic Cubism*, the Fragmentation expanded here to pure Abstraction. *Lost Generation*- Reality is garbage and we need Escapism. WWI broke them.

Self-Portrait as a Soldier *Ernst Ludwig Kirchner* 1915 C.E. Oil on canvas

Form: Rich, vibrant colors- Deep Blues and reds Geometric figures- Not fully abstract, not realistic Jaged, agitated lines and brush strokes. Very distorted forms. Cubist faces with light detailing that keeps the piece from Abstraction. Compressed space Fauvist influence- unrealistic, expresive colors. Multiple perspectives. Content: Self-Portrait of the artist *as* a solider. In his Artist studio. Female in the background is a nude model. Turned away from studio, unfinished painting behind his shoulder. In uniform, off battle, showing his gangrene infected amputated hand. Thousand yard stare of a solider- reflects psychological trauma. Context: *German Expressionist*- Similar style to Kirchneer. *Die Brüke-The Bridge*-Artists united against the hypocrasy of those in power (i.e. The damage caused when elites force citizens to fight) Kirchneer- Never an amputee or saw action, but he knew many soliders and shared their trauma. An alcoholic, depressed, morphine addict who was drafted in War times. 34 when WWI began, he was so terrified of combat he volunteered to be a driver to avoid the front. Declared unfit for service due to his weakness and lung issues. Painted this after being dismissed. Depression worsened in the 1930s- 600+ of his paintings were confiscated by Nazis from public collections. 32 pieces were in Hitler's 'Degenerate Art Exhibition'. Died by suicide in 1938.

House in New Castle County Delaware, US *Robert Venturi*, *John Rauch*, *Denise Scott Brown* (Venturi's wife) [architects] 1978-1983 C.E. Wood frame and stucco.

Form: Sits on a rolling field in Rural Delaware, beside a forest Resembles a traditional American Farm House or Barn -Painted siding is white -Intersecting gables are laid with unstained wood shingles "Front" Facade- Floating arching screen, raised awkwardly from the lower gable -Signifies the structure as a residence -Acted as a blind for the large windows -Austrian Baroque origins and Classical in derivation but Cartoony "Back" Facade- Dominated by an arched screen -Framed by the edges of the gabled roof -Appears supported by a *Doric colonnade*, the columns are actually flat cutouts that enclose the recessed porch and hold little weight -The left column appears split by the drain pipe while the right column grows from the wall, creating a childish incongruity Interior: (Simple and Comfortable) Wood decoration inspired by various 19th-century design traditions. -Painted arches, quirky chandeliers, and perforated wall patterns- straight forward, craftsman quality, some piece cut like jigsaw puzzles -Evokes *Carpenter Gothic* or *Queen Anne* Styles -Brick, stone, wood and warm colors Function: Built for a family of 3 and was specially tailored to the residents. The blind over the windows was to keep the large windows from reflecting light and scaring away birds as the family was avid bird watchers. The music room was high vaulted because the mother of the family was a musician. Content: Decoration without Function The backlash to International style, with the opposite of steel, glass, and metal. Likely focusing on *Villa Savoy* References the past and yet remains timeless Context: *Venturi*- Studied architecture in Princeton, attended American Academy in Rome in the mid-1950s. Was partial to post-Renaissance architecture (*Mannerism and Baroque Style*) A Gentle Manifesto: Belief that orthodox architecture was done to focus on "messy vitality over obvious unity", How buildings look and are perceived is more important than their construction. Also wrote Learning from Vegas- which likely inspired the large screens in front of the windows. *Post-Modern*- *Venturi* wasn't a fan but his buildings and writing propel late 20th-century architecture towards *Post-Modernism* Incorporated Screens are similar to billboards and road ads. The late 20th-century style that represented a departure from Modernism and a problematic relationship with Art.

Seagram Building. New York City, New York. *Ludwig Mies van der Rohe* and *Philip Johnson* (architects) 1954-1958 C.E. Steel frame with glass curtain wall and bronze.

Form: Steel frame, glass curtain wall, and bronze Strips of bronze= *Malians*= dividing glass On a wide Plaza, set back balanced by reflecting poles Bronze veneer= Monolithic 516 feet tall Function: Style becomes the main image of a skyscraper in WWII. *van der Rohe*- Wanted the structural elements to be visible Content: Interplay of Horizontal and Vertical lines Bronze appears white with sunlight Machine Aesthetic- Cleanliness, reflective surface A timeless look, very similar to the International style and *Villa Savoy* Pedestrian plaza at the base A skyscraper merged with the *Sullivan building* The facade appears to be entirely glass, steel eye-beams add to a reflective sheen Context: Little to no ornamentation Emerging *Minimalism*- rejected pop art with Less is More philosophy Formed from Less is More- Clean open space with white lines *Skeletal System*- Internal structure, allowing sight of the elements Very decorative inside Built in one of the most expensive areas in New York After/During World War II: International Architects, including *van der Rohe*, fled Europe. Taught their style and used it to build. Rubbed with oil to keep bronze from oxidizing every year.

Object (Le Dejeuner en fourrure) *Mere Oppenheim* 1936 C.E. Fur-covered cup, saucer, and spoon.

Form: Surreal piece. Cup, saucer and spoon covered in Gazelle fur. Tactle quality (Ya wanna pet it! but also your repeled by it cause gawdimagineDRINKINGfromTHAT?! AHAIRYCUPUUUUUGHGAWD) ~Sensuality-i.e. Fur as a fetishistic object (the ordinary vs. the sensual) Content: Le Dejeuner en fourrure- Luncheon in Fur, nod to Manet's Luncheon on the Grass Context: *Surrealism*- Absurdity based, focused on challenging what could be called an ordinary object. Based in dreams and the unrealism of the wandering mind. Also heavily influenced by Freud's view of the subconscious (unearthed and hidden desires) *Oppenheim* was having lunch w/ Picasso in Paris. Picasso saw her fur bracelet and mentioned wanting to cover anything in fur. She jokingly asked the waiter for fur to keep her teacup warm. Brought this piece to a surrealist exhibition (made a great impression on the movement -but- she was a one-hit wonder)

The Two Fridas *Frida Kahlo* 1939 C.E. Oil on canvas.

Form: Two distinct versions of the same woman, one in a wedding dress the other in indigenous dress. Flat, abstract sky form background. Sat on a bench. Anatomical hovering hearts. Content: Veins circling the arms; connect the figures. The left heart is bisected showing its internal chambers. The exposed heart shows the figures vulnerabilty and emotion. Blood is a symbol of life, hereditary and her essence. The figures are holding hands, showing off the two sides of Kahlo. The Frida in a European wedding dress is holding a hemostamph-tool used to stop blood flow. She has lighter skin and well groomed hair, a more refined, European version of herself represented a s a newlywed. The Indigenous Frida holds a locket with an image of Rivera, has a mustache, darker skin and an untamed appearance. Context: *Kahlo*- Heavily influenced by her own emotional pain and experiences. She had polio as a child and a tragic bus accident that disabled and neutered her. She went through 32 operations and heavily used medical imagery. Marriage with Rivera? really shit, he had so many affairs and was generally a big dick to her. Rivera was also more famous and well regarded, worsening her emotional state and self-loathing since her work was extremely personally and being mocked in his shadow, hence the divorce and sudden return when she was overly vulnerable. She was discovered in 1938, under Rivera's shadow, represents a turning point when she gains recognition. Kahlo didn't consider herself a *Surrealist* she 'only painted my own reality', suggesting she always viewed the world as she depicted it.

Fountain (second version) *Marcel Duchamp* 1950 C.E. (original 1917) Readymade glazed sanitary china with black paint.

Form: Urinal- Stripped of its context to show off its form. Added a signiture and date (R. Mutt 1917) Readymade- Mass produced product from J.L. Mott Iron Work Content: R. Mutt- Pseudonym of Duchamp, either came from the company that made the urinal (Mott to Mutt) or a popular new comic character (*Mutt* and Jeff) Context: THIS BOY RADICALLY CHANGED THE ART WORLD BY NOT BEING MaDE BY AN ARTIST! *Dadaism*- Started in Europe (1915/1916) by very dissallusioned artists post-WWI. Traditional Art didn't speak to them so they exhibited 'readymades'- an object not meant for aesthetics being presented as art. Focused on Absurdity, humour and rejecting Artistic Values. Seen as very anti-Art. Youth oriented group attempting to free their expression for their elders. *Heavily questioned the value of art and the meaning* Shocked viewers to have them re-examine their own views on *what Art is* *Impressionism* took ages to be excepted putting the Art World behind the *avant garde* world. Abstractism was being rejected despite advancing past the establisment's notions of Art. *American Society of Independant Artists*- Group complaining over the state of the art world, attempting to penetrate their works through the establishment. Shared and experimented the boundaries of 'Art'. *Duchamp*- Rejected by the A.S.I.A. Raised questions over the importance of the artist with his readymades. When rejected from being shown in exhibitation, had the piece photographed by Stieglitz and published in The Blind Man.

Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Park *Diego Rivera* 1947-1948 C.E. Fresco.

Form: Very busy and vibrant *mural in fresco*. Set in Alameda Park- Mexico City- w/ figures facing towards the audience Realitively realistic with light abstract element. Function: Created for the Hotel Deprado, across the street from Alameda Park. Rivera wanted to show every aspect of Mexican history. Content:Depicts 400 years in Mexican history w/ ton of historic figures, relatively chronological L-R: Cortez, Maximilian and Wife (put into power by Church after Spanish Independance, killed by the Church for rebeling), Sor Juana, Benito Juares (President, restored repuclic after French occupation), Frida (in indigenous clothing) holding Diego Rivera as a child, Calivera/Catrina (wearing a feathered serpant [Aztec symbol]) on the arm of Jose Hosada (popularized Catrinas w/ a series of prints to insight revolution), Porfirio Diaz (Dictator, Midoro is next to him) Zapata (Fierce revolutionary, surronded by revolution fighters, flames and horses) People in foreground are citizens and indigenous people. Context: Alameda Park- Once a crematorium where Inquisition victiums were burned. turned into a gathering place for Mexican revolutionaries. Controversy: Figure held a paper stating 'God Does Not Exist'. Rivera was forced to change it to a headline alluding to a Conference on the seperation of church and state. Mural is now in the Regis Hotel due to an earthquake in 1985 damaging Deprado. Rivera wasn't a Surrealist, more focused on politics and history, adopted some forms and elements though.

The Kiss *Constantin Brancusi* 1907-1908 C.E. Limestone

Form: Very solid, very little carving. Very simplified and abstracted. No space between the two figures, fully intact. Limestone, unpolished surface. Natural material. Appears timeless and ancient. Content: A couple embracing. Shows romantic love. Context: *Brancusi*- Highly influenced by Romanian folk art. Worked in Paris, a bit w/ Rodan (displayed the piece on the floor w/o pedestal). Felt sculpting the world around them was simplistic. *Abstractism*= A new challenge and a way to show the imagination.

The Jungle *Wifredo Lam* 1943 C.E. Gouche on paper mounted on canvas.

Form: Yellow to Blue Color Palette- Heavily complementary Crowd of stylized, abstract figures in front of natural background. Very crowded composition and very geometrical. No focal point. *Gouache*-Opaque water color between watercolor and acyrilic. Function: Wanted the viewer to focus on the Laboring Cubans harvesting sugar cane Content: 4 Mask-like figures and faces. Sugar cane in background. Influenced by *Santoria*- African-Cuban religion that mixed African beliefs with colonized Christianity. Depicts saints or godly figures of the religion that had human and animal characteristics with the masks. Context: *Lam*- Afro-Cuban, in 1930s Lam lost his wife and son. He threw himself into art and found *Matise* and *Picasso*. Went to Paris, met them and traveled to Haiti. His mother was a Cuban slave, she worked in the sugar fields, so Lam was close to the explotation of these workers. Encountered Vodoo and Surrealism, comvined Indigenous sights with European Surrealism, tapped into the unconscious thought with foriegn imagery. 1943- Fear of U.S. intervention in the country and general unrest in Cuba lead Lam to creating this piece.