Week 8-Industrialisation, Modernism and architecture

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (1997) Frank Gehry

Eiffel Tower (1889) Gustave Eiffel

The Eiffel Tower and the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao have both been described as significant 

architectural constructions of their time. The Eiffel Tower has been described as; 

'a symbol of technological prowess' (www.tour- eiffel.com/) 

and the Guggenheim museum has been 'hailed as the most important structure of its time' 

( www. guggenheim.org/bilbao ) 

Research both architectural structures in order to comment on;

-the importance of the design and construction

-significance of the materials

-significance of the designer

-function for which each was built

-function now-has it changed?

Compare the two architectural structures, by noting their similarities and differences.

Eiffel Tower

According to the resource I have researched,
" The Eiffel Tower was built for the World Exhibition in 1889, held in celebration of the French Revolution in 1789." (http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/eiffeltower.htm )

" it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world." "Today, there is no such aversion anymore among the Parisians, and one could not imagine Paris without the Eiffel Tower, in fact it has become the symbol of the City of Light" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower)

Eiffel tower was the tallest building in the world from 1889 to 1930, but yet, it is still the tallest building in Paris and the most visited paid monument in the world.

This structure had three hundred workers working together with 18,038 pieces of puddled iron , using two and a half million of rivets, in a structural design by Maurice Koechlin to create this beautiful structure which we all recognize today around the world.

" The pig iron structure of the Eiffel Tower weighs 7,300 tonnes while the entire structure, including non-metal components, is approximately 10,000 tonnes. As a demonstration of the economy of design, if the 7,300 tonnes of the metal structure were melted down it would fill the 125 metre square base to a depth of only 6 cm (2.36 in), assuming the density of the metal to be 7.8 tonnes per cubic metre. Depending on the ambient temperature, the top of the tower may shift away from the sun by up to 18 cm (7.1 in) because of thermal expansion of the metal on the side facing the sun."  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower)

The French designer of this amazing structure is Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, he was well known after he designed the world famou eiffel tower for the 1889 universal exposition in paris ; and the name eiffel tower was named after him, which made became very well known throughout the globe.

According to (http://www.drloriv.com/lectures/tower.htm) ; When the eiffel tower was first build, it has no practical functions and was simply constructed as an attraction for Pairs; But today, from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower), using the eiffel tower as an antenna, both radio and television stations broadcast their signals from the top of the eiffel tower.

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

According to (http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/secciones/el_museo/el_edificio.php?idioma=en)

This structure is a magnificent most groundbreaking architecture to have come out of the 20th century. the creator of this architecture is a American architect Frank O. Gehry, with his design to this museum, it is clearly recognisable for its twisted, curing lines and series of interconnecting volumes, most of it is made out of a more organic volumetry are clad in a metallic titanium skin, and some are made from limestone-coated orthogonal shapes, all of these volumes are linked by glass curtain walls, with this installed, Frank wants to show the remarkable transparency throughout the whole building.

With the advance technology that we have today in the 20th century, the construction of this architect can expand a much further of material used compared to other buildings we see in this world; things such as the glass walls, it is mounted on complex metal structures, the making of this successfully was all thanks to the technological advances.

"The glass used in the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is treated to protect the interior against heat and radiation while letting light stream into the entire building; The titanium panels hugging large part of the building like "fish scales" are half-a-millimetre thick. The attractive rough finish is an effect sought by the architect for a more tactile, beautiful aspect."

" The true heart of the museum is the atrium, measuring over 50 metres in height, flooded with light thanks to its enormous windows, and serving as a place of arrival, orientation and relaxation for the visitors. "

Frank O.Gehry, is considered to be one of the most important and influential architects from 1970s till today, he is internationally recognised for his unmistakeable architecture based on using new forms and materials, such as copper, stainless steel, zinc or titanium.

His work also includes houses, museums, libraries, shops, auditoriums, and more, all of his projects are spreaded over world such as in Europe, Japan and the USA.

Now with this well known museum, it became a popular tourist attraction, drawing visitors around the globe; it is not just a museum, but it also has an auditorium which can fit approximately 300 people, resturants, cafes, bookshop and stores, this brings to the people the function as an active part of city life within this architecture.

Both of these architecture, the Eiffel tower, and the Guggenheim museum, are very well known throughout the world, something which cannot be miss.

Eiffel towers structure are base on accurate sharp measurement design, but on the other hand, with the Guggenheim museum, it contains random curves, huge see through glass walls which brings curious perspective towards viewers.

Today, these two successful architectures popularity still stands firm within the 20th century, and this brings a great influence towards people around the world's economy, and the way how artist nowadays design their artwork.

Week 6-Landscape and the Sublime

 'Wanderer in the mists' (1818) Caspar David Friedrich

 'Untitled #2" (2002) Richard Misrach

 'Untitled # 394-03' (2003) Richard Misrach

Richard Misrach's photography reflects the concept of the Sublime, from the Enlightenment.

Research Misrach's work by reading about his intentions, and also by looking at the work. Then answer the following questions;

1. What and when was the Enlightenment?

The Enlightenment is the era in western philosophy, intellectual, scientific and cultural life, centred upon the 18th century, in which reason was advocated as the primary source for legitimacy and authority. Some scholars simply use the beginning of the 18th century or the middle of the 18th century as a default date

2. Define the concept of the Sublime.

The concept of the sublime is defined as the quality of greatness, whether is physical, moral intellectual, or spiritual. It is used to refers to things which nothing else can be compared with because of its greatness.
3. How did the concept of the Sublime come out of the Enlightenment thought?

The Enlightenment is held to be the source of critical ideas, such as the centrality of freedom, democracy, and reason as primary values of society. Which this starts to create the concept of sublime, people in the society starts to think things such as appeal and freedom is very important to them, so therefore the way how people think start to develop, and becomes sensitive to what they want, and their status.

4. Discuss the subject matter, and aesthetic (look) of Misrach's work to identify the Sublime in his work. Add some more images of his work.

Misrach’s work has a very unique way of taking photos; specially some of his photos are taken in a wide perspective and from a great height. His art work gives a very calm and still feeling towards viewers, making the image is very approachable to everyone.

 

 

Richard Misrach
Untitled 1132-04 [Flippers], 2004
chromogenic print

When I saw this artwork, it gives me the feeling which refers back the concept of sublime, making myself to blend into the image as being superior lifted up high as I was looking down on to the ground from a great height, making objects/humans in the photo looks tiny.

 

Pyramid Lake (at night), (2004) Richard Misrach

 

5. Identify some other artists or designers that work with ideas around the Sublime, from the Enlightenment era as well as contemporary artists.

 

Somewhere in My Surreal Dreams : A Sus Pies, 2009

By: Luis Beltran

Luis Beltran is a Spanish digital photographer artist, he’s not only a photographer, but also a video artist; he created this artwork captured my attention once I had a glance on this image. This image gives a fantasy and a dream world feeling when I saw it, and also the idea of sublime as well, being on top of the city with the feeling of freedom. Especially the glowing flare in the middle of the girl, which gives me the idea of the girl, is the king/ the ruler of the world.

6. How does Misrach's photography make you feel? Does it appeal to your imagination?

His photography expresses to me as there are no end towards nature with his wide perspective photo images, just like referring to imagination, tells me that imagination are limitless,

7. Add a Sublime image of your choice to your blog, which can be Art or just a Sublime photograph.

8. Reference your sources (books and websites).

http://www.amerindianarts.us/articles/concept_of_the_sublime_as_an_aesthetic_quality.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublime_%28philosophy%29

http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2008/misrach/misrachinfo_fs.shtm

http://www.edelmangallery.com/misrach.htm

http://iconolo.gy/archive/somewhere-my-surreal-dreams-luis-beltr%C3%A1n/1411

http://luisbeltran.megashot.net/photostream/p/0#photo_1705

Week 4- The social status of the artist.

Self Portrait in Fur Coat (1500)

Albrecht Durer

Knob (1997) Gavin Turk

Damien Hirst and Maia Norman (1995)

Albrecht Durer's 'Self-Portrait in Fur Coat' (1500) shows a significant change in the way that the artist views and portrays himself.Research the paintings by Albrecht Durer, Gavin Turk and Damien Hirst in order to answer

the following questions;

1. Identify aspects of Durer's self portrait that show a changing view of the artist's view of himself as an individual.

Durer is the first artist who is as the first to make self-portraiture a major part of his work. and in this self portrait painting, it has an idea combining of christ-like pose, and himself in the age of 28.

2. Explain how the artist's social status increased during the Renaissance period. Briefly explain why this happened.

He is not just a painter, but he also made numerous of other work with other media such as copper engraving and woodcuts. when he's in his twenties, his art work established his reputation over across Europe, and became the greatest artist of the northern renaissance ever since.

3. Comment on Gavin Turk's work in relation to individualism, status of the artist and egotism.

Gavin Turk created success during the 1990s, he became as one of britian’s infamous “ young British Artist “ and was included in the influential sensation exhibition in 1997.

During the period of 1990, he uses his signature and turns it into an artwork, which this idea has relation with individualism and egotism. I think that he uses his own signature has shown he has a really strong sense within himself, which makes him using his personal belonging as an artwork.

4. Comment on Damien Hirst's use of his work and the media for self promotion.

DamientHirst uses varieties of media in his artwork, one of them are by using dead animals as artwork which brings him to be recognized and became famous during the 1990s.

Since he has a really successful career in the art industry, he became really wealthy; during June 2007,

He made a very expensive piece of art work titled “for the love of god“, which was a human skull recreated in platinum and adorned with many diamonds. This brings a self-promotion by just having this artwork to be sold.

5. Find 2 images of work by artists or designers that reflects some of the ideas of individualism,self-promotion or egotism that have been discussed on this blog. Upload images to your blog, title and date the work, identify the artist/designer and comment on the work in relation to the question.

 Kenith Arnatt, 1972

I’M A REAL ARTIST

I think this black and white photograph has a very straight forward message towards viewers, it also has the ideas of egotism within this image; this is because the sandwich board which he is holding with the bold text " I'm a real artist " shows a very important part within himself, and also the word pronoun "I'm" is a really effective word to use to affect viewers and catches their attention.

self-portrait by Andy Warhol (1967)

This art work is a self portrait of Andy Warhol is a red and white silkscreen ink on canvas, it shows his hands holding near his chin, which gives a iconic image of the success towards viewers.

this image was created during 1967, which was at the height of Andy's career as the most important figure in American pop art. I think that this image shows Andy's individualism, this is because the whole images idea is base on himself, this artwork also shows self promotion with his face emotion in a simple and clean red and white colour gradient.

6. How do you think artists and designers are viewed in Western society today?

The designers and artist now are very individual in my opinion within the western society, what they tend to design now is to add in their own elements into the design which express egotism within their artwork.

Rather than to think what the world actually really need, individual design as such could only be just kept on changing the world, than to think back what the world use to look like.

Designer’s social status still plays a huge role in today’s world, I think the majority of people buying artwork would put the popularity of the artist in the front, art work comes second.

Nowadays artist doesn’t show much story towards each painting they paint, most of them are more into the visual art category in my point of view, not like the renaissance period where the artist shows a very depth story behind each painting.

Reference : 

Albrecht Durer : http://www.albrecht-durer.org/

Gavin Turk : http://gavinturk.com/biography/

Keith Arnatt : http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-177831123.html

http://radicalart.info/ego/statements/index.html

Andy Warhol : http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_new=45033&int_sec=2

Barbara Kruger & Mercantillism

1. Describe the 'style' that Kruger has used in the two presented works.

1st image :

according to (Lilith Gallery, n.d.),

"During the early 1980s Barbara Kruger perfected a signature agitprop style, using cropped, large-scale, black-and-white photographic images juxtaposed with raucous, pithy, and often ironic aphorisms, printed in Futura Bold typeface against black, white, or deep red text bars. The inclusion of personal pronouns in works like Untitled (Your Gaze Hits the Side of My Face) (1981) and Untitled (I Shop Therefore I Am) (1987) implicates viewers by confounding any clear notion of who is speaking." (para. 8)

Her work shows the agitprop style in this art work, which has a sense of evilness, and it is often used in political arts these days.

i think that the black and white photographic image as a background which could bring the red text behind a white blank space a stand out effect.

2nd image :

The style of this image are also the agitprop, the black and white photography, but this time with black text on a white background.

according to (Lilth Gallery, n.d.)

"Much of her text questions the viewer about feminism, classicism, consumerism, and individual autonomy and desire" ( her style, para.1 )

which shows this art work is not just the component of social, but also with humans desire towards expensive garments; i think she also wanted to present this work to the others and show life is not just full of money and luxurious garments, but other things in life which are far moreh exciting and wonderful.

2. What are some of the concepts and messages that Kruger is communicating in them?

She is trying to express the humans desire towards wealth, and the way how wealth people think towards shopping. also she is trying to say luxurious garment is only a clothing, it does not have the power to make someone rich or beautiful.

3. Do these images communicate these ideas effectively? Explain your answer.

the way she uses the pronouns, " I " "you", these words are really strong towards viewers when they look at the images. these will automatically catches the viewers attention. with the bold lettering in the images, it also enhances the image's simplicity and clarity towards viewers. The words "Face it", really have a strong power which gives the image a much more powerful effects to the views, which shows a straight forward message to viewers about not to crave for wealth only.

4. Define the concept of Mercantilism and explain how these two examples can connect with the concept.

Mercantilism is a political and economic system that showed up in the 17th and 18th centuries, the concept of this idea is that in order to remain economically and politically viable a country must export more than it imports, with such ways, the country will be able to increase its economical state.
With these 2 pictures, I think that they do connect with the concept of mercantilism; this is because in my point of view, the image shows people are willing to spend their money into expensive clothing or other shopping, this reminds me back to the concept of mercantilism where to export more than it imports. so therefore, the more people spend on luxurious garments, the more better the country's economical state will get.

5. Upload a more recent example of Kruger's work where she has used a new medium, that is not graphic design. Title your image of the chosen work and comment on your response to the work.

How do you think the audience would experience this work?

we don't need another hero

Barbara Kruger

Untitled
(We don't need another hero)
90" by 117"
photographic silkscreen/vinyl
1987

This art work done by Barbara shows a lady pointing her finger towards the boys muscles, this implies very well along with the text " We Don't Need Another Hero " highlighted with the red block as background with the red strips boarder; I think that this picture shows the two of them are in one family, the kid will protect his mum with all his strength which he will take the responsibility to become the person who will be in charge.

References:

(Lilith Gallery, n.d.) Retrieved March 12, 2011
from http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/feminist/Barbara-Kruger.html