The Yellow Submarine

 In comparison to my own work, The Yellow Submarine is rather similar despite the differences.  For one similarity, I try to have a variation of colors with a limited pallet.  Another similarity that can be seen is the concept.  The Yellow Submarine is filled with unordinary, fantasy-like, and other worldly characters, ideas, and content.  At the same time, the movie incorporates the world's current political and social events.  With my work, I also try to have some sort of meaning behind my work and try to keep it spontaneous, unexpected, and erratic.  I do not like my work blending in with others, and this movie is far from anything expected and is completely random in its story-telling.

5 Images of a Functional Object

5 Different Versions of Camoflauge

 

Image Relations

After Japanese art being closed off from the world for a couple hundred years, it had developed into a style of its own.  Once Japanese trade routes were opened across the world, it was a flood-gate for art.  Many artists of this time period found great inspiration from Japanese prints and had a nice collection for themselves.  The fuse between European and Japanese art has become known today as Art Nouveau.

Art Nouveau was the pivotal art movement for art history.  It changed art for generations, across all styles, and across the world.  It is still effecting art today.It is the foundation for the art today.

Art Nouveau branched across a variety of mediums.  It was relevant in paintings, architecture, and even contemporary items like furniture. 

As you can see, in both Japanese prints and Art Nouveau, they both use or have resemblances of nature and geometry. There is a sense of color and movement.

Over time, this style has really become to evolve.  It keeps its core values, but it has indeed involved.  This is just one example in strobe photography.  There is a sense of movement, passion, and circles.  There is so much geometry and action!

This form of art eventually turned into a more psychedlic and "trippy-ish" vibe.  It keeps the same sort of movement, geometry and such, but it is more 3D and new.  Even though it is a new style, it still keeps the same values as its originator,  Art Nouveau.  Simple lines created this, nothing more.

Once again, this evolved into something more.  More color was wanted and added to these pieces.  To create an even bigger impact and intensity, vibrating colors were used.  In the image to the left, with the use of geometry and colors, the image appears to be moving even though it really is not.  These pieces are often referred to as non-relational pieces as well.  Why?  Non-relational pieces are just as they sound - they are not related to anything, have no real purpose or subject.  They are art for the sake of art.

This generation of art was much about color and developed into what we know as pop art.  Andy Warhol is a great example of taking the ordinary and making it not so ordinary. 

 

 With the play of color and the knowledge of the eye, Max Wertheimer and two other psychologist formed the Gestalt theory.  One image having two different appearances depending on looking at negative or positive space created quite an interest.

The products of the Gestalt theory are also known as optical illusions.  Another interesting concept is the mind completing lines, words, and missing pieces.  The mind automatically fills in the blank and is able to see what is not really seen.

Siegfried Bing Notes

• In 1854, Siegfried Bing went to Paris where he developed an interest in ceramics.
• In 1863, he and his family created a porcelain manufacturing company.
• He received a Gold Medal from the French government.
• This showed he was a master of porcelain techniques and a professional production company.
• This also showed Bing was able to work with artisans to create beautiful pieces.
•  In the 1870s, Japan oped it's trading to the East, causing more Japanese items and prints to be available around the world. 
• Bing collected Japanese art and items to draw inspiration from.
• He was a great advocator of Japanese art and Japanism. 
• He was such a huge promoter of Japanese art, he went to Japan for a year, leaving family and friends.
• When he  returned to France, he brought loads from Japan "like a hurricane."
• He had several items, ranging from ordinary to extraordinary.
• Bing came to the conclusion that Japanese art revolves around geometry and nature.  
• Le Japon Artistique was a magazine had a broad target audience.
• In 1894, Bing travels to the United States.
• Here, he discovers opaque material that he used to create vases and bowls.
• With his travels to the United States, he decided to bring together American and French artists.  He mainly did this to use Americans to inspire French art.  
• Large stained glass windows came from this integration/mingling. 
• With his return to France, he decided to redo the U.S. gallery/studio/shop he set up in the U.S. in France.  
• Louis Bonnier was the artist for this new construction.  He submitted 10 sketches for approval.  
• It used stencils and ceramics as inpsiration.
• It was named L'Art Nouveau.
• Henri Vande Velde designed the metal work throughout L'Art Nouveau.
• L'Art Nouveau exhibitied Edvard Munch, which was a big publicity move.
• Defeur was one of the lead artisans.  He created beautiful works and was a major asset to L'Art Nouveau and Bing's reputation.
• Bing ends up becoming sick and gives up his gallery.  He dies about a year after on September 7th, 1904.

Toulouse Lautrec, Moulin Rouge & Art Nouveau

 
In Albi, France, Henri de Toulouse Lautrec was born an aristocrat in 1864.  Among aristocrats, it was common to inbreed to keep their bloodline pure especially in this time period.  This factored into Toulouse Lautrec's poor health throughout his life and his inability to heal. Both of his legs were broken by his 15th birthday and stunted his already slow growth.  Due to his health issues while growing up, he turned to art as his entertainment.  He quickly developed his skills and his fascination for art continued into his adulthood.  Known for being the "little one" while growing up, Toulouse Lautrec had more than a little spirit.  He was lively, fun, and constantly "searching for the present moment."  He would dress up and was really interested in posing for trip photography.

Attracting his attention along his road of adventure, Montmartre caught his attention, where the Bohemian lifestyle was a common alternative to tradition.  Alcohol, ladies of the night, and the Moulin Rouge life consumed most of his time and is consistently seen throughout his works.  He was a painter by day, a sketcher by night.  He would go to places like the Moulin Rouge and sketch as much as he could so he had sketches to reference for his paintings the next day.  Along with the alcohol and other influences, another main source of inspiration came from Japanese art prints.  Him, as well as Van Gogh, had a nice collection of these Japanese prints.  He continued on this path until the end of his short life.

Moulin Rouge has an interesting twist on what seems to be the lifestyle of Toulouse Latrec.  In its accuracy, it manages to keep what little information included correct yet presented in a unique and enjoyable way.  The documentary we watched in class is also interesting, but more informative and serious.  I feel both have their pros and cons.  Although Moulin Rouge is a more visually appealing and artistic way of showing the information, the documentary gives a darker and more realistic side to Toulouse Latrec's life. The music, lighting, and wardrobe are all large differences in setting the tones of both videos.  Moulin Rouge has more dramatic music, dramatic lighting, and awkward and weird clothing whereas the documentary has instrumental music, a more typical light setting, and clothing of the time period.

If I were to make a movie with Art Nouveau in mind, I would try to have a combination of both Moulin Rouge and a documentary.  I would try to have furniture and decorations of the Art Nouveau style.  The staircases would look curvilinear and flattering.  The furniture would have no edges and be rounded.  The chandeliers would have the same qualities.  Every scene in the movie would consist of Art Nouveau objects.  The music would even have circular sounds; harsh, abrupt, and sharp sounds would not exist in the movie.  This would be the same for the light.  The light would not be harsh, but soft and inviting, just like Art Nouveau.  The actors would even be dressed in rounded garments.  This all sounds over the top, but if it is - it contains the essence of Art Nouveau.  It would be a lesson as well as a fun movie to watch.  Dr. Seuss' videos are over the top and contain the essence of Dr. Seuss himself.  That is what my Art Nouveau movie would be like and memorable.