When on holiday in any city, the visitor inevitably snaps photographs of the iconic public statuary and buildings in an effort to identify a location through association with landmarks and architecture. It is allowed freely without intrusion of private indoor spaces and confirms the identity of the place visited. The relationship of the art to the environment is illustrated and the fact that one is “being there” is documented. When at home in any city, the citizen approves or disapproves of what is presented in the form of urban public art as part of his or her own cultural identity. A sense of ownership and contribution confirms that one “belongs there”. From time to time what doesn’t belong, in the view of the citizen, is the art. There is no question that urban public art has value. Visitor and citizen benefit from the safe, politically correct selections of well-formed art committees that portray history, fame, or simply artistic caprice. This paper will discuss three specific examples of modern sculpture in Canada, all of which at one time have been considered contentious and controversial. The fourth example is of art that was never created. In each case, the specific relevance and importance of the pieces to the associated environment have been determined according to prevailing local civic attitudes.
The service of urban public art to the civilized population is as old as civilization itself. Ancient monuments, architecture, and sculpture of almost every continent and every era are important facets of historic cultures. Exceptional figures and events have been immortalized through art. Religions have been fostered through worship of inanimate representations of divine symbols. The dead have been memo...
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... and the artist are not on common ground in some cases. Art appreciation and art itself is constantly changing and the public forum is important not only for open expression, but also for open appreciation and freedom to express opinions. Even the incredible Gothic style of architecture was criticized in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries as opus modernum, or modern art (Gardner, 1959, 243) as if it were inferior to the traditional and known. The three sculptural pieces mentioned caused similar discussion about misfit in three different decades but also found a societal best-fit in the end. All have supporters and detractors which illustrate the relationship between art and community is alive—not that one kind of urban public art is favoured over another—rather that we all have opinions and we all care about who and what “belongs there”.
Art is trapped in the cage of society, constantly being judged and interpreted regardless of the artist’s intent. There is no escaping it, however, there are ways to manage and manipulate the cage. Two such examples are Kandinsky 's Little Pleasures, and Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain. Both pieces were very controversial and judged for being so different in their time, but they also had very specific ways of handling the criticism and even used it to their advantage. We will be looking at the motivations for each artwork, what made the art so outrageous, and the public’s reaction to the pieces.
With works in every known medium, from every part of the world, throughout all points in history, exploring the vast collection of the Museum of Modern Art was an overwhelming experience. The objects in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts are an important historical collection, reflecting the development of a number of art forms in Western Europe. The department's holdings covered sculpture in many sizes, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, jewelry, and tapestries. The gallery attracted my appreciation of the realistic qualities of the human body often portrayed in sculpture.
With the different styles of artists’ works planned to be showcased in this exhibition I hope viewers will be able to see what sorts of artworks were being done during the Renaissance that do not consist of works done by Michelangelo, da Vinci, Donatello, or Raphael. With a topic not usually covered when studying about Renaissance artist, I hope viewers will be able to not only learn about the interesting stories of famous Martyrdoms, but also learn about some of the lesser known Renaissance artists and their styles. Paintings of angles and landscapes from the Renaissance may look pretty but with these different and shocking pieces I hope to create an exhibition that will not soon fade away from visitor’s memories after they leave the National Gallery.
In Gaut’s essay, “The Ethical Criticism of Art”, he addresses the relevance of an art piece’s ethical value when making an aesthetic evaluation. His key argument revolves around the attitudes that works of art manifest such that he presents the following summary “If a work manifests ethically reprehensible attitudes, it is to that extent aesthetically defective, and if a work manifests ethically commendable attitudes, it is to that extent aesthetically meritorious”. In direct contrast with formalists, who divine a work’s merit through an assessment of its style and compositional aspects, Gaut states that any art piece’s value requires a pro tanto judgement. This pro tanto position allows for pieces considered stylistic masterpieces, to be
People can have many different opinions depending on a topic, but what is truly difficult is getting a complete level of understanding from every opinion, or understanding the point of view of each opinion. Even accepting the points of view can be difficult for some people, who believe that their opinions are right. Luckily, people can learn about the other person’s frame of reference, and at the very least understand the topic or the person a little better. This particular topic is art, which is known for its multiple possible perceptions or its many different messages that it can send a person or group of people. In this way, people can learn more about the thought processes and feelings of others. Unfortunately, with differing opinions,
The subject of artist-patron relations has been a touchy one since the beginning of the phenomenon. Nowadays it does not take such great precedence, as the artist leans more toward a personal, individual type of art typical of freelance. Serious commissions exist only in public art and architecture, where the needs and feelings of a large group are considered. Artist and patron must work out a compromise as to what is acceptable and also respects the aims of the artist. The patron in this case generally has the last word, as demonstrated by Richard Serra’s “Tilted Arc” controversy in the mid-80s where the artist’s piece was actually removed from its site because of public objection. However, nowadays the artist is insured against such damages, which was not the case in the beginning of the Renaissance, when artists were just starting to make a name for themselves. At this time, artists still depended greatly on patronage for a living and fought to distinguish themselves from the guild system. They still succumbed to religious guidelines and subject matter which generally limited their exploration of more personal means of expression, but with the rise of secular art collectors such as the Medici, we see a more modern artist-patron relationship emerging. By so distinguishing themselves in their field, patrons gave them certain leeway in commissions. Patrons and artists worked together, the patron outlining material, size, and general subject matter, but leaving aesthetic decisions concerning composition up to the best judgment of the artist--- the master--- himself.
When beginning my sketch, I took a moment to analyze the work of art and found that the statue illuminated a sense of serenity. Like most viewers my initial reaction was to explore the statue from head to toe as I sought out the different elements and principles of art. The statue was close to life-size and just about my height, so looking straightforward we were eye to eye. I noticed the softness gathered about the facial structure, but all the same time the depth and complexity that was engulfed around the muscularity of the body. The rigorous symmetry was accounte...
Brisbane is a city that embraces the idea of public sculptures in the streets, which can be inspiring to fellow artists and people of Brisbane. Specifically, 'George V' and 'The Guardian' are to be compared and contrasted in their successes of enriching the community of Brisbane and influencing the people. Supporters and people of the city claim that both public arts enhance the streets although in very different ways. While both 'George V' and 'The Guardian' portrays a figure of some kind, 'George V' is more concerned with history while 'The Guardian' focuses on its symbolisms and objects that are shown.
In existential thought it is often questioned who decides what is right and what is wrong. Our everyday beliefs based on the assumption that not everything we are told may be true. This questioning has given light to the subjective perspective. This means that there is a lack of a singular view that is entirely devoid of predetermined values. These predetermined values are instilled upon society by various sources such as family to the media. On a societal level this has given rise to the philosophy of social hype. The idea of hype lies in society as the valuation of something purely off someone or some group of people valuing it. Hype has become one of the main driving forces behind what society considers to be good art and how successful artists can become while being the main component that leads to a wide spread belief, followed by its integration into subjective views. Its presence in the art world propagates trends, fads, and limits what we find to be good art. Our subjective outlook on art is powered by society’s feedback upon itself. The art world, high and low, is exploited by this social construction. Even when objective critique is the goal subjective remnants can still seep through and influence an opinion. Subjective thought in the art world has been self perpetuated through regulated museums, idolization of the author, and general social construction because of hype.
Recent events in Canadian politics have shocked the artistic sector in Canada. The conservative party of Stephen Harper attacked the arts and culture sector by cutting funds to some major art programs in the country. Art has played an important role in the development of societies around the world. Everything from social structure and religion to politics and military was reflected in various forms of art; from painting and sculpture to theatre and dance. Ancient Egyptians build pyramids and had symbolic depictions of deities. Ancient Greeks, the fathers of democracy, were the masters of pottery, sculpture as well as architecture and painting. In ancient times art was not isolated from science, philosophy and of course politics. Everyday political, social, military and economical affairs were reflected in the arts, and vice versa. Artists were the thinkers, and thought provokers of the culture. In the Renaissance artists were synonymous with progress, invention and liberalism. They were the builders and reinforcers of cultural value and tradition. Modern day is seeing a variety of art forms that reveal the culture that art is produced within. Canada is a country rich in history, traditions and multiculturalism. It is important to sustain and develop the art sector in Canada in order to maintain and “voice” Canadian culture and identity. Moreover, the art industry in Canada not only improves the cultural fabric of the country, it also showing significant revenue to the government. The Harper Government funding cuts to the arts and culture sector is an unjustified act of censorship. Underfunding of Arts in Canada will hinder the development of values and unity in Canadian culture and Identity as well as hinder freedom of exp...
...troversy as all countries have lost, to a great or lesser extent, treasures of national renown and significance over time. Wars, theft, treasure seeking, changing boundaries and migration have all in some way contributed to this diaspora of art. There is clear evidence that the historic placing of objects in locations remote from their origin has on occasion afforded protection and preservation, The Elgin Marbles in The British Museum being a case in point. However, given the overarching principle of self determination it is difficult to argue that serendipitous historic placement is sufficient reason for items of true national heritage to be kept indefinitely. A world-wide system of touring exhibitions and cultural exchange, with context being provided by the originating society may provide the natural progression to the accessible widening of people’s experiences.
In the article “Conditions of Trade,” Michael Baxandall explains the interaction serving of both fifteenth- century Italian painting and text on how the interpretation of social history from the style of pictures in a historical period, pre-eminently examine the early Renaissance painting. Baxandall looks not only on the explanation of how the style of painting is reflected in a society, but also engages in the visual skills and habits that develop out of daily life. The author examines the central focus on markets, material visual practices, and the concept of the Renaissance period overlooking art as an institution. He observes a Renaissance painting, which relate the experience of activities such as preaching, dancing, and assessing. The author considers discussions of a wide variety of artistic painters, for instance, Filippo Lippi, Fra Angelico, Stefano di Giovanni, Sandro Botticelli, Luca Signorelli, and numerous others. He defines and exemplifies concepts used in contemporary critic of the painting, and in the assembled basic equipment needed to discover the fifteenth- century art. Therefore this introductory to the fifteenth- century Italian painting and arise behind the social history, argues that the two are interconnected and that the conditions of the time helped shape the distinctive elements in the artists painting style. Through the institutional authorization Baxandall looks at integration in social, cultural and visual evaluation in a way that shows not only the visual art in social construction, but how it plays a major role in social orders in many ways, from interaction to larger social structural orders.
Art is all around us. The architectural design of buildings to the ornamentation of jewelry and art is in almost everything. To those who have little prior knowledge of certain architecture styles and or influences, a building can appear, as just a building and a piece of jewelry can appear as just that. With the idea that art is everywhere there are two art styles that have heavily influenced the architecture seen in todays communities, those being Art Deco and Bauhaus. These styles represent so much more than architecture, they represent a time period and a cultural and political reform. The purpose of this paper is that one will be able to understand
The artworks of Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, the Aegean cultures, and Ancient Greece have similarities that not only reflect objects and images, but also the media, style and representation. These countries were not always wealthy, clever, creative and powerful enough to gain supplies, but they all find a way to create art with what they had. They have all influenced on each other’s cultures and belief through their artistic values and ways, ranging from the materials and tools they use, position and representation of their monuments and their religious intent.
“In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay. Moreover, unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable. And help to change it.” This quote by Ernst Fischer, a German composer, means that truth in art exposes the parts of society, and of life, that no one wants to see. In order for art to change society, it must first reflect the fears and failures of its people. The artist can change how people think of themselves and the world by using less conventional methods of creating art. The artist, in doing this, introduces new ideas of human placement in time and space, new frontiers of thought, that are furthered by the disciplines of science and philosophy. The artist works to introduces unique- and sometimes offensive- ideas so that society will be exposed to new ways of thinking and understanding the world. The artist does this through experimentation with color, style, and form. Therefore, the purpose of the artist should be to challenge how individuals perceive themselves and the offensive aspects of society reflected in art to bring about innovations in the greater society.