Pollock’s Flight of Man and Picasso’s Head of a Woman are two diverse pieces of art when visually compared to one another. However, both pieces possess similar qualities that together convey one universal concept; humans all contain a true self and a false self. Inspired by the studies of Sigmund Freud, delving into the mind’s underlying subconscious was of high interest to both artists. False selves can be considered façades, a non-permeable membrane that separates the inside from the outside. On the other hand, true selves are often buried deep inside under inorganic layers of turmoil and deception. Sometimes, humans lose themselves in their false self, but the true self always exists within. Often to uncover one’s true self, it is necessary …show more content…
It is notable that Pollock was not only inspired by Freud but by Picasso as well. Much like Picasso’s Head of a Woman, Pollock’s Flight of Man was created during a turbulent stage of his life. Pollock had been struggling not only with alcoholism but also with depression. He began receiving Jungian psychoanalysis as a form of therapy. Jungian analysis is a psychotherapeutic approach that has the analyst and the patient work together, in hopes of discovering unconscious elements of the patient’s psyche. Thus, helping to create a more balanced relationship with their conscious …show more content…
When first viewing this piece, the viewer is confronted by a hellish image painted on a delicate porcelain bowl. It is painted in grotesque colors that could be potentially representing human anatomy, an idea of being within oneself. The scene consists of abstracted and deformed figures that appear to be exerting themselves toward demonic forms. These archaic forms were believed to have been developed from Pollock’s own haunting subconscious. Located in the center of these demons stands a small, glowing figure that appears to be surrounded by a halo of bright light. This figure could be interpreted as Pollock’s attempt to fight off his own inner demons. Naturally, the viewer’s eye is drawn to this moment first, as it is located in the center of the piece. It is a powerful moment, that leaves the viewer wondering where exactly the figure is headed in the bright
2 is otherworldly. Because the subject matter, emotion, is an entity that cannot be observed, its depiction results an equally confusing and incomprehensibility. Seen under the same light used to see the world, the image cannot be more ambiguous: it resembles nothing. But there is an artistic purpose to this madness. While Kandinsky seeks to capture music, Pollock aims to capture his changing emotional states. The incomprehensibility, however, adds another dimension to the painting. Faced with nothing familiar, the viewer is forced to question not the painting but the painter’s mind itself, leading to a deeper understanding of the depicted emotions. What could he have possibly been
Spending time looking at art is a way of trying to get into an artists’ mind and understand what he is trying to tell you through his work. The feeling is rewarding in two distinctive ways; one notices the differences in the style of painting and the common features that dominate the art world. When comparing the two paintings, The Kneeling Woman by Fernand Leger and Two Women on a Wharf by Willem de Kooning, one can see the similarities and differences in the subjects of the paintings, the use of colors, and the layout
...ve their sinful lives. It is the ground for strange and wicked displays of man, and even stranger displays of torture by demons, or ones own vices. In essence, this is the main theme of the painting; the dualistic battle between mans virtue and vice.
images in this painting, all of which have the power to symbolize to us, the viewer, of the painter’s
Pollock uses different aspects of writing to back up her thesis and to emphasis that there is more to the subject the artist use in their creation. By using a variety of resources and counter-arguing them, she is backing up her own thesis and proving that there is a stereotype in art history where art historians do not explain past the artistic influence thus does not fully explain an artist or their artworks. She makes a point that because of this, there has to be changes to art practices today in order to fully understand the meaning behind artworks.
Pioch, N. (2002, Jul 16). WebMuseum: Pollock, Jackson. Retrieved 3 30, 2014, from Pollock, Jackson: http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/pollock/
Many of us visit art galleries and wonder what an artist is trying to tell us with his paintings or sculptures. It's never easy to interpret a piece of art as everyone sees it from their own perspective. Many of the master pieces of Salvador Dali have been replicated and volumes have been written about his artwork. Two of those will be compared and analyzed in this essay ; "Apparition of Face and Fruit- dish on a Beach" and "The Persistence of Memory". One is about the inseparable fate of humanity from nature the other is about memories that we create at every step and that come back to us and keep haunting us.
Max Ernst’s work has several dimensions and characteristics, most notably the dubious character of his illustrated worlds that have contributed to the appeal of the audiences. His prime concern was to present irresolvable isolation. As his father inspired his son a penchant for challenging the authority whilst being interested in painting and sketching nature, Ernst was motivated to take up painting himself. Moreover, he studied philosophy and psychology in 1909 at the Bonn University but also later dropped out. Most notably, during the course he visited an asylum and studied the work of the insane, a study inspired by Freud’s theory of the unconsciousness. This proved to be absolutely crucial in his development as an artist and took many ideas incorporated in Freud’s work and used them in order to identify himself – like other surrealists, he used it...
Art is said to be the expression of the soul; however, quite often, one is unable to truly know the artist by his or her works alone. So is the case of the postimpressionist painter Paul Gauguin. while the paintings of Paul Gauguin do not reveal all of his life, the paintings are very much so a reflection of Gauguin’s views on life.
As I enter the Gioconda and Joseph King Gallery at the Norton Museum of Art the first thing that Caught my attention was a painting measuring approximately at 4 ft. by 10 ft. on the side wall in a well- light area. As I further examine the painting the first thing I notice is that it has super realism. It also has color, texture, implied space, stopped time, and that it is a representational piece. The foreign man sitting on the chair next to a bed has a disturbed look on his face and is deep into his own thoughts. It’s as if someone he loved dearly just experienced a tragic and untimely death. He is in early depression. I could feel the pain depicted in his eyes. A book titled The Unquiet Grave lying open on the floor by the unmade bed suggesting something is left unresolved. The scattered photos and papers by the bedside cause redintegration. The picture of Medusa’s head screaming on the headboard is a silent scream filled with anger and pain, yet it cannot be heard. I feel as if I am in the one sitting in the chair and I can feel the anger, and regret.
Sigmund Freud has been heralded as one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century. He is renowned for his discoveries about the human mind, particularly dreams, fantasies, and the role of the unconscious. Even though many of his theories were (and are) viewed as controversial, his ideas revolutionized the way people think about themselves. The potency of his notions have permeated almost every discipline, including literature, art, and medicine. This paper will examine the life, the influences, and the impact of Sigmund Freud. It will begin by discussing who he is, his personal history, and then talk about his role in the development of psychoanalysis. Next it will discuss some of the individuals who greatly inspired Freud. Finally, it will move on to talk about some of those upon whom Freud was an influence.
I have chosen to critique the art masterpiece, Autumn Rhythm. Autumn Rhythm is oil on canvas, 8' 9" x 17' 3." It is my opinion, before you can critique Autumn Rhythm; you must try to understand the artist and his/her background. Artist Jackson Pollock was from a working class family who lived and worked in Wyoming, Arizona, and southern California. He studied at two different art schools; Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles and the Art Student's League in New York, he also studied with several other great artists during his time. However the artist experienced some dark days in his life. The artist fought the demon of alcoholism, and came face to face with his addiction. Stepping forward into the unknown, Pollock allowed his parents to place him in Jungian therapy. "Jungian therapy is centered on its helpful, hopeful and unique ways of experiencing the human mind. With due consideration of religion and the spirit of individuals, it also embraces the collective history of humanity. With its emphasis on individuation, wholeness and centering, there is a focus on the healthy elements of the human mind and soul and a search for balance. Pollock did not want to converse with his therapist about his problems and addictions, so his therapist suggested that he paint a piece of art that expressed his unspoken thoughts and feelings, (psychology of Carl G. Jung)." When the therapist would ask questions, Jackson would not reply, so the therapist devised a plan to help Jackson to get his feeling out in the open. He would have Jackson to create with paints on canvas how he was feeling on the inside then the Jungian therapist would analyze the artwork that Pollock brought to h...
Thus, the transgressed boundaries between visual intertexts can be considered as a source of the uncanny, namely the ‘involuntary’ repetition (Freud 237), where the boundaries of the selfhood – the artist and the other – the viewer, of the present – 1911 and the past – 1910, of the primordial and the death are transgressed. The bulky background shrouds the figures by dark colouring, whereas Schiele distinguishes the figures on canvas through lighter and darker hues of oil. The interplay of the darker and the lighter shades reflects the function of the double – to unite the opposite notions and to transgress the boundaries. Furthermore, the importance of such an interplay is additionally unveiled by Schiele in a letter to Dr. Hermann Engel by stating that ‘Das Bild muss von sich Licht geben, die Korper haben ihr eigenes Licht, das sie beim Leben verbrauchen; sie verbrennen, sie sind unbeleuchtet’ (Nebehay, 1979, 228) that implicitly implies a lifespan from birth to death, which is a prevailing motif of Schiele’s works. The uncanniness is also suggested by fragmentation that is embodied in the portrayal of a detached hand. Furthermore, the title itself transgresses the boundaries in between The Self-Seers I (1910) and The Self-Seers II (Death and Man) (1911) through depiction of eyes. In The Self-Seers I (1910) the figures are the ‘Seers’, the observers, whereas in The Self-Seers II (Death and Man) (1911) this role is given to the intended viewer, since the brush strokes portray eyes as holes that may suggest blindness of the depicted figures, thus there is another presence of the uncanniness through which the portraits transgress the boundaries between the real and the imaginary, between the Seer and the perceived. Knafo (2012, 144) identifies a double meaning
Deep in the minds of human beings lies a vast ocean of emotions and experiences. The human mind is often misconstrued and simplified by those who possess one, but delving deeper into the mind and it’s processes you see a whole other world that is veiled beneath the surface. One of the most famous examples of the human mind is the image of an iceberg, what is on the surface is so minimal compared to the immense body that lies underneath. Sigmund Freud was the father of psychoanalysis and believed in the idea of the unconscious and subconscious that help power who we are. Through psychoanalysis Freud began to reclaim the self as an individual and stressed the importance of the external world and it’s direct role with the internal realm of an individual. Although it was originally found to be a sort of therapy for those with mental illnesses, it has an interesting and analytical and philosophical view of the self, and through this spawned new beliefs in philosophy. Through the establishment of the id, superego, and ego, and the past’s affect on the shaping the present state of the self, psychoanalysis reclaims the self for an individual and is successful in doing so.
The mind creates the emotions and ideals responsible for art. The brain is capable of imagining glorious things, and art is the physical manifestation of these ideals. These ideals are usually intense emotions with aesthetic power (Wilson, 220). Art organizes these emotions in a matter that can easily express the ideals to...