Modern Black Art

Black art has helped to define the aesthetic of modern art, which has evolved in subject matter and purpose over time. In order to view aesthetical and conceptual changes in black art over time, I will split black art into different movements. The first movement is the civil rights movement, the second is Neo-Expressionism, and the third is the New Black Aesthetic. These movements mark significant changes in how blacks thought about various issues and had great impacts on the art of their time periods, and in order to understand how the art movements came to be, you have to understand what caused the civil rights movement.

The civil rights movement was caused by the desire of blacks to be treated equally by their government. History.com says that from the time of triangle trade between the Americas, Europe, and Africa, blacks have endured various forms of racism from people of European descent. Until the American Civil War, blacks served as slaves in America. After the American Civil War, the United States abolished slavery, and blacks went through new forms of discrimination. In the late 1800s the south implemented “Jim Crow” laws to separate whites from minority groups that lived near them. Although the laws separated minorities from whites, the laws were supposed to provide equal treatment to all races, however, minority groups were not treated equally and suffered from poorer facilities and rights than whites in the South. During World War II, discrimination in the military ended and many blacks joined the military to fight against the Axis Powers. After discrimination in the military was ended, blacks found inspiration to try to end the injustices that they faced at home, and after much organizing, the civil rights movement began (History.com).

History.com goes on to say that during the civil rights movement, blacks organized themselves in order to fight the injustices of racism. Important events such as Little Rock Nine and the March on Washington lead to progress in the black community, but blacks still had to endure discrimination while attempting to change the U.S. Blacks during this time went through a process of unifying themselves and relying on other members of the black community for support while they were being discriminated against. The idea that blacks had to stick together to stand for their rights lead to what is known as the black arts movement (Joyce A. Joyce). Before the Civil Rights movement, black art was political and used to highlight integration into the U.S. During and after the Civil Rights movement, the Black Arts movement changed the focus of black art from highlighting integration to promoting black power and beauty.

Essentially, the Black Arts movement was a time when blacks looked to create something that would uplift the black community (Joyce A. Joyce). Joyce explains that the movement sought to create a space for black artists to create their art and an audience to consume that art. The movement also looked to challenge the idea that white art was better than black art and outline the importance of black people in the history of America. In order to broaden their audience, black artists borrowed the subject matter of white painters. This style is known as appropriation, and it made black art more relatable to white viewers, since the art had subject matter that was familiar to them. Other popular art forms included collage art and photo-screen printing (Tate Modern). All of the art forms were used to express the black experience in the U.S. and to highlight the importance of black people in the history of the U.S.

Benny Andrews’ No More Games Benny Andrews used both collage and painting art forms to create his piece about the loss of a certain sense of American goodness. Mari Schor, a distinguished American artist and art critique, describe the painting as being a political piece that references biblical figures. The painting shows Adam sitting down beside what is probably Eve’s  corpse underneath an American flag. In the background of the painting a tree stump is sticking through the middle of the damaged flag and a snake is coiled around the tree. Schor suggests that the No More Games is a piece that probably speaks about several things, but the major theme is that Eve has been murdered for causing Adam, who represents marginalized people, grief. Various pieces of cloth in the painting, such as Adam’s shirt, are pieces of cloth or real clothing that was attached to the canvas. The various textures of the painting help make the painting more relatable by making it three dimensional. The collage style helps viewers feel more connected to the painting, since the clothes are similar to those that might be seen while walking around in the real world, and the message of the piece is allowed to have new interpretations since the artist simply dressed normal looking people, and Schor believes that the vagueness of the symbolism allows viewers to relate the messages of No More Games to current political movements.

After the Black Arts movement, black artists began to try different styles to get their message of unity and an end to an unfair system out. In attempting to change the way that different issues were expressed, artists of all colors began to develop Neo-Expressionism. Britannica says that Neo-Expressionist art was abstract and lacked traditional composition, but included recognizable objects, like bodies. Richard Schur explains that part of the reason that black artists during this time turned to a sort of abstract art was to point out the ironies that blacks experienced after the Civil Rights movement. The art caused viewers to feel a sort of tension which reflected tensions experienced in life (Neo-Expressionism). Artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat took the art form and used it to describe various issues.

Jean-Michel Basquiat began creating Neo-Expressionist art that satirized the social injustices and racial hostilities he saw in the world. One painting that exemplifies both the Neo-Expressionist style and the issues that Basquiat dealt with is In Italian.  John Seed, an art history professor, wrote an article for the Huffington Post describing the various issues that the painting tackles.  The main figure in this painting is the blue headed man man on the right panel. The man is a representation of Christ and other symbols in the painting are possibly references to Christ’s love for the world. On the left panel, there is a quarter with the word liberty scratched out and “In God We Trust” scribbled on the surface. The quarter also has 1951 written on it, which is a date that is near the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. Seed concludes that there is no perfect way to interpret this piece without asking Basquiat himself, which is characteristic of Basquiat’s work, but one thing that the painting seems to deal with is Basquiat’s frustrations with the hypocrisy of race and religion in the U.S.

After the Neo-Expressionist Movement came various art styles and movements that celebrated black culture, but also marked when blacks began to make more artistic choices that were purely for art’s sake.  This time period stretches to present day. An article from the Huffington post by Trey Ellis describes this movement as being a time period that shows off the “New Black Aesthetic.” Artists moved from making art that focused on aspects of culture that were made purely by and for black culture, to making art that showed a wider variety of influences. Cultures like hip hop formed during this time, and more black artists began to look to other cultures in the creation of their art, blurring the lines of what was the traditional black aesthetic. Examples of art from this time period include Iona Rozeal Brown’s Untitled (after Kikugawa Eizan’s “Furyu nana Komachi” [The Modern Seven Komashi]) and Kehinde Wiley’s Equestrian Portrait of the Count Duke Olivares. In Brown’s piece, we see that she has appropriated a traditional piece of Japanese art, and has reworked the figures and objects in the piece to make it African. In Wiley’s painting, we see that he has appropriated a European painting and made it part of the New Black Aesthetic by making the figure of the piece black and dressing him in hip hop style clothing. Below is an interview where Kenhinde Wiley explains his stylistic choices and the focus of his art.

Works Cited

“About Us.” Rubell Family Collection, Rubell Family Collection Contemporary Arts Foundation, brown&catid=115.

Andrews, Benny. “No More Games.” Moma.org, Museum of Modern Art, 1970, www.moma.org/collection/works/78585.

Andrews, Benny. “The Way to the Promised Land, 1994 – Benny Andrews.” Www.wikiart.org, WikiArt, 1 Jan. 1994, www.wikiart.org/en/benny-andrews/the-way-to-the-promised-land-1994.

Basquiat, Jean-Michel. “In Italian, 1983 – Jean-Michel Basquiat.” Www.wikiart.org, 1 Jan. 1983, www.wikiart.org/en/jean-michel-basquiat/in-italian.

“Black Arts Movement – Art Term.” Edited by Tate Modern, Tate, Tate Modern, www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/b/black-arts-movement.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Neo-Expressionism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 7 Mar. 2016, www.britannica.com/art/Neo-Expressionism.

“Civil Rights Movement.” Edited by History.com, History.com, A&E Television Networks, 28Aug. 2018, www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement.

Ellis, Trey. “The New Black Aesthetic Revisited.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com,26 Nov. 2011, www.huffingtonpost.com/trey-ellis/whos-afraid-of-me_b_981005.html.

Jenkins, Laura C. “30 Americans: Kehinde Wiley.” L, 24 Nov. 2013, lauracjenkins.com/blog/2013/11/24/30-americans-kehinde-wiley.

Joyce, Joyce A. “The Black Arts Movement and the Black Aesthetic: Where Do We Go From Here?” Journal of Pan African Studies, vol. 11, no. 6, Apr. 2018, p. 149. Academic OneFile, OneFile, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A541103909/AONE?u=tel_a_clscc&sid=AONE&xid=9dfOneFile,OneFile, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A541103909/AONE?u=tel_a_clscc&sid=AONE&xid=9dfc5908. Accessed 28 Sept. 2018.

Morning, CBS Sunday, director. Kehinde Wiley Creates Paradigm Shift in the Art World. YouTube, YouTube, 1 Nov. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pwkZh8Ljug.

Robinson, Shantay. “Cultural Diversity of Museum Leadership on the Horizon.” BLACK ART IN AMERICA™, 23 Sept. 2018, AMERICA™, 23 Sept. 2018, blackartinamerica.com/index.php/2018/09/23/cultural-diversity-of-museum-leadership-on-the-horizon/.

Schor, Mari. “Nights and Days of Chris Ofili and Benny Andrews.” A Year of Positive Thinking, 23 Dec. 2014, ayearofpositivethinking.com/tag/benny-andrews/.

Schur, Richard. “Post-Soul Aesthetics in Contemporary African American Art.” African American Review, vol. 41, no. 4, 2007, p. 641. Academic OneFile, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A188739136/AONE?u=tel_a_clscc&sid=AONE&xid=51010cd3. Accessed 28 Sept. 2018.

Seed, John. “Basquiat: 80% Anger And 20% Mystery.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 7 Dec. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com/john-seed/basquiat_b_2750666.html.

“Who Are the Biggest Contemporary Black Artists ?” Widewalls, Widewalls, 27 Aug. 2016, www.widewalls.ch/black-artists/.

Avant Garde vs. Academic Art

The two artistic movements, Avant Garde and Academic art, revolutionized the way art is produced and consumed by the viewers. Avant Garde introduced creative and imaginative art that scrutinized the production of new forms of art and the realistic depiction of the subject matter.The term Avant Garde is pertinent to all kinds of artwork that explore new ideas, techniques, artistic styles, and methods. In addition, it is applicable in the portrayal of the subject matter or the display of the painter’s imagination and creativity. In contrast, Academic art is used to describe the works of art that were produced under the authority of the European Academies. Avant garde artists produced art according to their own thought process, creativity, and imagination. On the other hand, in producing Academic art, artists adhere to the societal norms and expectations of the time period. Avant Garde and Academic art differ in their approaches to the creation of art by the way they express their ideas themselves, with their use of materials, and by their rejection of or compliance to the societal norms and expectations.

There are several defining characteristics that aid in identifying Academic art. These characteristics are exemplified in the above painting. According to the French Academy, rationality is the most important characteristic of a Academic art painting (Academic Art). This rationality in artwork can be epitomized in the painting’s subject matter using religious, historical, and symbolic objects and figures and their realistic depiction. Academic art paintings, like the one above, are heavily dominated by the use of baroque landscapes to depict the subject matter in the painting. The use of baroque landscapes adds to the beauty of Academic art paintings because even the minor details of the artwork capture the viewer’s attention, along with highlighting the subject matter beautifully. Baroque landscapes capture the scenes of a natural environment, which include land, clouds, sea, and sky. Baroque artists sought to illustrate these beauties of the world by using rich colors to express emotional interaction and contrast between the light and dark areas along with these shadow effects (“The Introduction of Landscape Painting”). These beauties of baroque landscapes leave the observers speechless because they connect the viewers emotionally through the realistic use of color. These arousing emotions from the painting evoke thoughts and memories in the viewers. Furthermore, colors are used naturalistically in academic artworks. No doubt, the birth of landscape painting in Academic artwork brings everything from the natural world to life. Hence, this also makes the subject matter appear realistic; for instance, grass should be depicted green and so on.

Academic art, also referred to as Academism, originated from the French word, Académie. Generally speaking, Academic art style combined the two opposing artistic movements, Neoclassicism and Romanticism. Typically, Neoclassical paintings stressed on inspiration using dark colors and bright highlights, and Romanticism focused on the painter’s imagination of the subject matter and intense levels of emotions. Academic art began from the 16th century onwards during the Renaissance with a number of art schools in Europe. The art schools are known as academies. Eventually, Academies became widespread in the 17th century. The development of these academies with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo (Academic Art). The two official academies of fine arts are remarkably known as the French Academy and the Royal Academy. The most influential of all the academies was the French Academy, founded in 1648 under King Louis XIV and housed in the Louvre, Paris (French Academy). The French Academy financed an official exhibition each year in which artists could submit their artwork. These salons, as they were called, hosted their first exhibition in 1663 and opened to the public in 1673. After the French Revolution, the French name, Académie, was changed to Académie des Beaux-Arts (French Academy of Fine Arts). Additionally, the Royal Academy was founded in 1768.

On the other hand, Avant Garde can be characterized as the advancement and exploration of new ideas, and revolution of artistic techniques and styles that the artists employed ahead of their time period. Avant Garde, an artistic movement that began in the 1850s, is a French term which means advance guard (“Avant Garde – Art Term”). In other words, it means being more advanced than the rest of the population of the contemporary time period. Influential thinker Henry de Saint-Simon is attributed for coining the term, Avant Garde (“Avant Garde – Art Term”). Additionally, Gustave Courbet’s paintings portrayed their subject matter through Realism, which marked the beginning of the movement. This movement also gave birth to inventions and styles that were ahead of their time period. For example, impressionist landscapes began to be a part of Avant Garde paintings. Impressionist landscapes in Avant Garde paintings use vibrant colors to focus on the simplicity of the painting. Additionally, impressionist landscapes captured the movement of life and or nature, depending on the subject matter (Impressionism and the Landscape). This makes the observers feel like this movement is happening right before their eyes. Therefore, it shows that impressionist landscapes focused on naturalistic elements.

A change in color conventions was brought in by the Avant Garde artists to produce artwork in a unique way just like how color conventions in an artwork are prevalent in the contemporary world. Moreover, Avant Garde artists produced artwork that explored different themes and subject matter. According to the De Stijl Movement, another primary quality of Avant Garde paintings is that some paintings incorporate geometry. Most of the artists approached art using figures of geometry, such as the geometrically focused movement known as De Stijl (“Avant Garde – Art Term”). De Stijl is a Dutch movement, meaning style, founded in 1917 by Piet Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg, the two founding fathers of Abstract art. In Piet Mondrian’s painting Composition, he breaks with the tradition by eliminating subject matter and focusing entirely on the structure. Within the Avant Garde movement, abstraction of elements influenced the art world. Pursuing this further, Avant Garde artists used vivid colors and intense emotions to deliver their subject matter.

Both movements, Avant Garde and Academic art, changed the way artists approach the process of art making and transformed the viewer’s outlook in consuming various artworks. Avant Garde artists experimented with their own ideas and thoughts that were atypical of the time period as they were ahead of their time period. Avant Garde is applicable in producing contemporary art. Academic artists produce art, taking into account the set of rules set by the time period. All in all, both the movements portray subject matter differently and are unique in their own perspective.

Works Cited

“Academic Art Movement.” Identify This Art – Your Guide through the Art Movements, www.identifythisart.com/art-movements-styles/pre-modern-art/academic-art-movement/.

“Academic Art The Mode of Painting and Sculpture Approved by Official Academies of Fine Arts, Notably the French Academy and the Royal Academy.” Academic Art: Characteristics, History: Fine Arts Academies, www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/academic-art.htm#origins.

“De Stijl Movement, Artists and Major Works.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/movement-de-stijl.htm.

“French Academy of Fine Arts Academie Royale De Peinture Et De Sculpture.” French Academy of Fine Arts: History, Salon Controversy, www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/french-academy.htm.

“Impressionism and the Landscape.” Art History Unstuffed, arthistoryunstuffed.com/impressionism-and-the-landscape/.

Tate. “Academy – Art Term.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/a/academy.

Tate. “Avant-Garde – Art Term.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/a/avant-garde.“The Introduction of Landscape Painting in Baroque Art.” Study.com, Study.com, study.com/academy/lesson/the-introduction-of-landscape-painting-in-baroque-art.html.

Art and Science as Creative Catalysts

For many years, art and science have been deeply rooted as parallel subjects; they have given each other more inspiration leading to creativity. In today’s world, incorporating science into creating artworks has led to many changes in society, especially advancements in the field of science. Different trendsetters in the word of art, such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Susan Aldworth, and Luke Jerram, have used science like human anatomy and physiology and virology to influence the creation of their artworks.

One of the most known of these artists is a famous polymath that emerged from the Renaissance era: Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci expressed an interest in science when he was at the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova in 1508 (Isaacson 394). Leonardo met an old man who had never been ill; however, a couple hours after meeting him, the old man passed away without any signs of illness. He dissected his body, and this marked the beginning of his anatomical studies which were driven by his artistic ability (Isaacson 394). He gave shape and form to all the bones and muscles, including tendons and ligaments (Isaacson 395). During his investigation of the dead body, Da Vinci made a significant medical discovery: he explained the process that leads to arteriosclerosis, which is the hardening of the walls of arteries (Isaacson 396). Another revolutionary discovery he made was that the heart was the center of the body rather than the liver. His sketchbooks show all the arteries and veins that arise from the heart. Moreover, he uses artistic ability to detail each of them by tracing the blood vessels down to the almost invisible capillaries. He also discovered the four chambers of the heart. Da Vinci was especially known for his achievement in finding how the aortic valve in the heart functions (Isaacson 413). This discovery was inspired by his love for spiral flows. Applying this knowledge helped him to determine how the spiral flow of the blood leads to the opening and closing of the valves, thus resulting in a significant discovery. His analysis was more than six pages with twenty drawings and hundreds of notations.

Da Vinci’s anatomical studies reached their climax with his artistic representation of the beginning of one’s life (Isaacson 420). His detailed sketches of the fetus allow the viewers to imagine the life at the smallest structural and functional unit of an organism: cells (Isaacson 420). It surprises and dazzles the human brain to see such a recreation of the human body. The Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones states that “It is the most beautiful work of art he has ever seen” (Isaacson 420).

Da Vinci’s emphasis on empirical observation also helped him improve his art. He was excellent at making artistic analogies from what he saw in nature to the human body. He made connections with the flow of rivers, the movements of air, and the branching of plants (Isaacson 400). Moreover, his engineering skills allowed him to make connections between the human body and machines. He illustrated the muscles as every possible angle and layer by showing the mechanics of each joint. Da Vinci’s studies of the body, animals, motion, shadow, and light, perspective and proportion helped him make his art more perfect.

In addition to Da Vinci, contemporary artists like Susan Aldworth have also used science as an inspiration. Born in 1955, Susan Aldworth is a British artist who is passionate about how the human mind works. She is especially concerned with the field of neuroscience and how human identity is made. She was determined to pursue this route when she observed her own brain scan at the age of 15 (“Reassembling the Self”). Her inspiration was a dissection she witnessed at Brain Bank in Hammersmith Hospital. She has worked with human brain samples afflicted with Parkinson’s disease and those that are not. She thought that the samples looked like etching plates and asked if she could print from them. Aldworth’s prints are inspiring because the etchings look alive and give the viewer the feeling of what makes up their brain. The tissues from the brain are taken and placed in formaldehyde which then leaves chemical traces or marks on the metal plate (“Header”). These organic images build a strong relationship that describes the brain activity and consciousness and draws the viewer into the brain of a totally different person. She has recreated the marks of the brain even though they are heavy, fatty, slippery and cold objects (“Header”). Her perfectly done artwork is no different from scientific images. This has benefited the medical field because her aim is to raise awareness of the need for neuropathological research. Since Parkinson’s disease is incurable, she has created an artistic, persuasive medium for brain donors. Her extraordinary imagery has given the medical field a true, visual link between mind and body.  

A third artist who has influenced the field of Science, Luke Jerram, is a British artist who creates art installations and sculptures (Flannery, Maura C). Jerram’s artwork has had a profound effect on people all across the world. He started working on glass microbiology in 2004 and the inspiration behind this work is the fact that he is color blind (Glass Microbiology). His motivation behind this work is his interest in how people perceive this world and in exploring what he calls, “The Edges of Perception” (Glass Microbiology). His main goal behind this project was to make the public aware of the millions of viruses that cause diseases by bringing in a new representation. Moreover, he wants to inform the public about the difference between color that is used for scientific purposes and color used for aesthetic purposes through his recreation of the viruses.  He has found his passion in displaying these microscopic creatures that have threatened the fate of humanity in the past and those that will continue to do so in the future. His artworks are alternative to what most of the journals and textbooks perceive viruses as because in reality, viruses have no color as they are smaller than the wavelength of light. It is this perception of pathogens that Jerram wants to change through his recreation of glass versions. His glimmering glass artwork ranges from the deadliest viruses that cause Malaria, Swine Flu, and Ebola to HIV, Giardiasis, and Smallpox (Glass Microbiology.) Communication and perspective in a contemporary era are becoming increasingly important. His work has helped scientists better understand the nature and form of viruses, how they change and mutate. It has given the world a new perception of science. Jerram’s use of glass also marks a shift in the traditional art style, with a renewed interest in more craft-based art. (Flannery, Maura C). His effort would not have been as effective in traditional mediums like wood or marble (Glass Microbiology). Moreover, his artwork has had a profound effect on people to the point where they have sent him many emails. One of them reads, “Your sculpture, even as a photo, has made HIV much more real for me than any photo or illustration I’ve ever seen. It’s a very odd feeling seeing my enemy, and the eventual likely cause of my death, and finding it so beautiful” (Sterbenz, Christina). By adding a visual beauty to his artwork, he has won the hearts of many. Jerram’s exclusive work has been prevalent in numerous medical journals and textbooks because they provide detailed and accurate information about many pathogens. All in all, Jerram’s innovations presented in Glass microbiology have opened up the conversation between the arts and the sciences.

Even though science and art both benefit each other, this has led to many ethical objections (Tang, Xiyin). In case of Leonardo’s work, he has used many living organisms in his art. For example, to prove his point about the four chambers of the heart, he opened up a living pig’s heart to show how the upper atriums of the heart differ from the lower ventricles (Isaacson 415). Moreover, Leonardo da Vinci didn’t publish his work until later because he knew that his dissections were illegal (Isaacson 423). Aldworth’s work has also created a controversy even though she is not using a living person’s brain tissue (“Features”). People believe it is uncanny and strange to create portraits of people with diseases, and display it in the art galleries. The main concern about dissection is the respect to human life (Shaikh, Shaguphta T). Each individual should have the right over the disposition of his or her body; however, this continues to be ignored where bodies and organs are scarce for research and donations.

In conclusion, it can be said that “science drives art and art drives science.” Many artists have found their passion by combining science and art into the most creative manner. While science has advanced along its way, there have also been ethical objections. However, some interactions, ideas, and innovations would not have been possible had scientists and artists not worked collaboratively to create a better understanding of life around us.

Works Cited

“Features.” Review: The Portrait Anatomised at the National Portrait Gallery – Disability Arts Online, www.disabilityartsonline.org.uk/npg-portrait-anatomised.

Flannery, Maura C. “Biology & art: an intricate relationship.” The American Biology Teacher, vol. 74, no. 3, 2012, p. 194+. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com.cmsmir.clevelandstatecc.edu/apps/doc/A282821868/AONE?u=tel_a_clscc&sid=AONE&xid=8585690e. Accessed 27 Sept. 2018.

“Glass Microbiology.” Glass Microbiology – Luke Jerram, www.lukejerram.com/glass/.

“Header.” Susan Aldworth, www.bridgemanimages.com/en-GB/susan-aldworth.

Isaacson, Walter. Leonardo Da Vinci. First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition. Simon & Schuster, 2017. Print.

“Reassembling the Self: the Art of Schizophrenia.” The Mancunion, 13 Sept. 2017, mancunion.com/2015/02/25/reassembling-the-self-the-art-of-schizophrenia/.

Shaikh, Shaguphta T. “Cadaver Dissection in Anatomy: The Ethical Aspect.” OMICS International, OMICS International, 15 Sept. 2015, www.omicsonline.org/open-access/cadaver-dissection-in-anatomy-the-ethical-aspect-2161-0940-S5-007.php?aid=59899.

Sterbenz, Christina. “12 Beautiful And Terrifying Photos Of Glass-Blown Pathogens.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 30 Sept. 2013, www.businessinsider.com/luke-jerram-glass-virus-artwork-2013-9.

“Susan Aldworth.” Susan Aldworth, susanaldworth.com/.

Tang, Xiyin. “The artist as brand: toward a trademark conception of moral rights.” Yale Law Journal, Oct. 2012, p. 218+. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A307670354/AONE?u=tel_a_clscc&sid=AONE&xid=00b24153. Accessed 27 Sept. 2018.

The Evolution of Art Technology

        Ever since art has existed on Earth, the technology used to make it has changed overtime. This can be from the use of a hammer and chisel and to the use of the three-dimensional printer. The advancements of technology in the art world have allowed for drastic changes meant to create different forms of art. It has the potential to help the next generation appreciate and maybe make pieces of art themselves. It is important to know what leaps in technology helped people make amazing art and what types of machines are used to create modern day art. There is also debate on what new ideas can create new forms of technology to be incorporated in the evolution of the art world. However, to understand just how important some of the advancements in mechanical technology in the art world now and in the future, one must understand some important events in the history of technology.

        The advancement of technology in humanity’s past is responsible for where technology has come today. Advancements in technology begin with the invention of a new machine that can be used. During the Renaissance in Europe, artists would learn new techniques to findperspective in their art. They used different machines called measuring machines. These machines, such as rulers, measuring rods, mirrors, and astrolabes allowed artists to find the intended perspective they desired with more efficiency using triangulation. According to Martin Kemp in his book, “The Science of Art,” he states that “the basic techniques of surveying lengths,breadths and height were based on simple concepts of triangulation” (Kemp 168).There were many machines that were developed during the Renaissance to improve artistic output. Camera obscuras were used so that artists could paint an almost exact picture of what was outside of it. Many of these same pieces of technology are still used today to help artists create their desired works. Engraving techniques were also starting to appear during the Renaissance. Europeans used relief and intaglio forms of engraving to print their art works and sell them at lower prices. These are some of the processes to take shapearound the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries.

       There were many innovative ideas or art to come out between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. However, according to Martin Kemp, “The ambition to invent a machine or device for the ‘perfect’ imitation of nature appears to have been virtually limited to Renaissance and post-Renaissance Western art until the universal craze for photography” (Kemp 167). Photography is basically a process that makes images using light on some form of medium. It is also considered an art. Photography has gone through many changes from its early uses to modern days. It was first used efficiently by Louis Daguerre in 1839 in his experiments with photography. He used sheets of metal in a camera that were sensitive to light and mixed them with chemicals like iodine to make an image of what he desired. These were eventually called daguerreotypes. Decades later, photographers could use dry-plate photography skills with cameras that no longer needed dark surroundings to work effectively and create a nice image. This eventually led to the invention of instant photography. According to Mary Bellis from www.thoughtco.com,“Instant photography was invented by Edwin Herbert Land, an American inventor and physicist” (The History of Photography: Pinholes and Polaroids to Digital Images). He is responsible for releasing the first instant photography camera in 1948 called the Land Camera 95. It even made film easier to make. This inevitably led to the cameras progression to be used by the public in pocket-sized fashion. An example of this could be the use of cameras on smart phones. There are also many famous photos taken with various versions in their times. One of these is Lunch Atop a Skyscraper taken by Charles C. Ebbets. With all these early mechanical technologies, artists could use them to create their desired pieces with relative ease compared to before the creation of these technologies. These technologies assisted some of the most well know artists of their times and eventually inspired the development of the art technologies used in modern times.

Ebbets,Charles C. Lunch Atop a Skyscraper. 20 Sept. 1932.

       Machines in modern times are drastically more advanced than the tools used in the past by artists. However, the technology used today is just as important in the evolution of art technology as it was during the Renaissance to the twentieth century. There are some cool technologies used today that help artists create what they want. Modern day three-dimensional printers are one of these machines. According to the editor of www.techterms.com,“A 3-D printer is a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) device that creates three-dimensional objects” (3D Printer). These machines use many layers of material that stick together to make a three-dimensional figure. Modern three-dimensional printers typically use computer technology to input data that is then used to create a desired figure. These devices have mostly been used in manufacturing settings in efforts to mass produce products at cheaper rates. Despite this, artists also use 3-D printers to perform their works. For example, an artist named Joshua Harker used a 3-D printer to make a model called Objectified: Hood. This piece used 3-D printing techniques to create a beautiful figure seemingly made of human bones wearing a hood made of bones.

Harker, Joshua, Objectified: Hood, 2017.

        This is just one way artists use modern technology to create new works of art. Another piece of technology that can be used to create art is programming technology. Computer programming is basically a process of developing an efficient computer program to perform a specific duty. The process of programming uses multiple different problems with steps to create the desired program. These programs also use test codes that let computer functions work properly. These programs are also capable of making art. There are many examples of this, but a great example comes from a group of students at Hamilton College. These students were doing a project attempting to use genetic programming to make a painting on a computer. According to Julia Dupuis from Hamilton College in an article titled, “Can a Computer Paint a Picture? Using Genetic Programming to Create Art,” she states that “Using a computer program, they assigned several digital canvases “genes” based on qualities like brush velocity and edge detection. Then, they programmed the canvases to use 1500 strokes to paint a picture based off one target image” (Dupuis). On a related note, computer applications are another form of programming that allows people to create art. Simple coloring and painting applications on computers and phones are a common platform for people to make whatever they want. There are many more machines and forms of technology that modern day artists use to make their works, but there are also ideas development that could potentially assist artists in the future.

       Future ideas by artists and engineers could help artists in the future. Artificial intelligence is a form of technology that could be in the future of art making. Artificial intelligence is basically a form of intelligence that is performed by machines like robots and computers. These forms of intelligence apparently can create art. Artificial intelligence developed by humans can create paintings and other forms of art with seemingly human intelligence. A good recent example of this is from Rutgers University from which scientists created an artificial intelligence or and algorithm called AICAN. According to Suzzane LaBarre, a man working on AICAN named Ahmed Elgammal on a newsletter from www.fastcompany.com said, “At the click of a button, the machine can create an image that can then be printed. The works will often surprise us in their range, sophistication, and variation” (75 of people think this AI is a human). The article also mentioned that the AI has the capacity to create human like art pieces that can then be sold off to collectors. This has made some people believe AICAN is human. This is evident in one of AICAN’s pieces called The Birth of Venus. This form of intelligence is also able to give names to its pieces and learn the names and titles of works made in the past. Many of AICAN’s paintings can be found on its website. This is not the only form of technology that is beginning to shape the future of art. Social media platforms are also becoming a popular place to create and post art taken on smartphones or through other digital cameras. Platforms like Snapchat and Instagram allow users to manipulate and morph their subjects to create the desired photo. Artists can also do this using these social networks and present their works on the sites. Artists also use social media to attract new artists into the art world. These are all amazing new and developing ideas of using technology to improve and create art. In the future, there is no limit to what forms of technology could assist artists in creating art works for their time.

AICAN, The Birth of Venus.

       Art technology has always been evolving in some way. From the earliest days of humanity people have used tools to create new works for reasons only the artists themselves will know. Linear perspective tools and photographic cameras have stood the tests of time as significant steps in the improvement of technology. Modern times are seeing the use of 3-D printers, computer programming, computer applications, and other forms of technology to help artists make art and benefit in the making of those works. New and developing machines are being used to test what the future could mean for the art world. Artificial intelligence, social media platforms, and other possibilities are certainly things that maybe more commonly used by artists in the future. Even so, there is no denying the significance that changes in technology have not only improved art over thousands of years but will continue to do so for many more.

Bibliography

“3D Printer.” 3D Printer Definition, techterms.com/definition/3d_printer.

AICAN, The Birth of Venus.

Bellis, Mary. “A Comprehensive Look at the History of Photography.” ThoughtCo, 6 Nov. 2017, www.thoughtco.com/history-of-photography-and-the-camera-1992331.

Dupuis, Julia. “Can a Computer Paint a Picture? Using Genetic Programming to Create Art – News.” Hamilton College, www.hamilton.edu/news/story/hayoung-lim-donald-holley-computers-genetic-programming-art.

Ebbets, Charles C. Lunch Atop a Skyscraper. 20 Sept. 1932.

Harker, Joshua, Objectified: Hood, 2017.

Kemp, Martin. “The Science of Art Optical Themes in Western Art from Brunelleschi to Seurat”, Yale University Press, 1990, pp. 167–168.

LaBarre, Suzanne. “75% Of People Think This AI Artist Is Human.” Fast Company, Fast Company, 19 Oct. 2018, www.fastcompany.com/90253470/75-of-people-think-this-ai-artist-is-human?partner=feedburner.

The Waves of Feminist Art

            In the 1960s, female artists began exploring new ways to express themselves through art and using that art to question societal norms. Previously, women did not have a strong sense of belonging or change since the mid-19^th century to 1920, which is considered the first wave of feminism. Although the women’s rights movement paved the way for women having the right to vote and opportunity in the work place, women still struggled with the high expectations of what society wanted them to be. Feminist art was not completely formed until the late 1960s, but it fell into an exciting time for change in history once women came together to fight against the social norms and further equality. Along with the changes, Feminist art became a way for women to express and represent a women’s perspective that was not seen in art before. Additionally, women were not well represented in institutions, galleries, and museums, so they had to create their own. This second wave of feminism transitioned to the third wave and became a new way to protest sexism, racism, and women’s rights, and it most importantly fought for female artists in a heavily male-dominated field. Feminist art is broken down into three distinct waves that have different characteristics and attributes that changed both the trajectory of women’s rights and the art industry.

           The first wave of feminism led to the prototype of Feminist art and began in the 1920s, but it was significantly limited because of cultural superiority of male artists. One infamous first wave artist was Georgia O’Keeffe, and her career was heavily influenced by her husband’s sexualized idea of what women and their art should be like that influenced her stance on being a feminist artist and controlled her work (Broude and Garrard, 13). O’Keeffe was best known for painting flowers that caused people, especially later Feminist artists like Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro, to interpret it as a vagina (Widewalls).These Feminist artists interpreted and associated O’Keefe’s flower with taking the taboo out of vaginas and representing it as a gift to life, enlightenment, and beauty. However, O’Keefe denied this throughout her career and claimed that she really was only painting a flower, and she backed this claim up by stating any erotic thoughts stemmed from the viewers and their personal interpretation (Widewalls). Many later Feminist artists felt torn by O’Keefe’s work because some were happy to see her claiming the power, value, and enticement of the vagina, but many felt like society’s issues with the subject needed to be addressed before anything else and O’Keefe denying this to be a vagina dismantled the idea.

 This piece called Blue Flower was one of her earlier flower pieces, and it picked up an abundance of attention that was positive but mostly negative. In addition, O’Keefe nearly stopped painting abstract art because of people associating her with these misinterpretations.  However, O’Keeffe’s paintings caused people to think about how they feel about the vagina and why or why not this piece bothered them even if though that was not her approach (Widewalls).  Again, this was an extremely difficult time for female artists, and by the 1940’s, the Abstract Expressionist movement, a completely male-dominating movement, fully shut off any access for female artists in the art industry (Broude and Garrad, 13). First wave feminist artists began exploring how to represent the female body as strong, beautiful, and captivating, and this caused people to feel uncomfortable as well as giving them a new perspective.

            The second wave of feminism commenced the production of Feminist art in the late 1960s. It was an effective movement of Feminist art and successfully helped female artists in the industry and women searching for identity. The 1960’s was full of drastic changes in America such as the Vietnam War, desegregation, and the Kennedy Assassination, and now, women were beginning to question their stance in society and how they were representing themselves. There was no longer a clear understanding of what it meant to be a woman, and feminists quickly realized that it was for them to decide. They also grasped the understanding of what is called the social construction of gender, which is gender differences in society and its impact on personal identity (Broude and Garrard, 22). As women were searching for a voice, they were also making their own place in culture and art.

       In 1970, Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro,natives in Feminist art, co-founded the first class for female artists calledthe Feminist Art Program at California State University (The Art Story). Thisprogressed into a project called the Womanhouse,which was dedicated to female artists and provided programs, gallery space,and support to other female artist.  

By the early 1970’s, Chicago was in her prime and recognized predominantly as a Feminist artist best known for her large collaborative art installation pieces. One of her most profound pieces is The Dinner Party, which is an enormous, triangular-shaped table with thirty-nine unique dinner plates dedicated to women from history and mythology. Chicago painted each plate and placemat personalized to each woman that had a unique butterfly- and vulva-inspired design. She wanted to shed further light on the life-giving attributes of women rather than meals cooked by women who have been overshadowed by their society. This was powerful at the time because women in history had been overlooked and dismissed, and she gave each plate a beautiful representation of who these women were. In addition, there are 999 names of other powerful women painted on the tiles below the table (The Art Story). Chicago was displaying the amazing works and influences that women have had on history, and she made sure to make a piece that would stand out from others and remind people about these admirable women. Furthermore, Chicago put these powerful women together at a dinner table to have the conversation about women’s rights and equality. The second wave of Feminist art was the beginning of women making their own way into the art world with new programs, galleries, and support, and artist and educator Judy Chicago created pieces that embodied the start of change for women and influenced other women to reach for their identities and empowerment.

            Third wave Feminist art emerged in the 1980s and began a stronger voice in protesting against race, gender, and sexuality. “They have utilized a rich variety of media and approaches, including performance, installation, organized public disruption, guerrilla postering, billboards, video, radical forms of pedagogy, and other creative uses of public space that emphasize collaboration and coalition-building,” (Aagerstoun and Auther). Artists were finding several new ways to approach people on these issues with making ground-breaking points and stating undeniable facts about the prejudice and sexism going on in society. The goal was to expose the disadvantages placed on women, people of color, and homosexuals in a critical, positive, and progressive way and to dismantle male-dominate social perceptions. Raising awareness of these issues, feminist artists hoped to create a better world free from sexism, racism, homophobia, and violence. Although the 1960s and 1970s was an exciting time for feminism, women were still not close to equal representation. In 1985, a group called the Guerilla Girls began protesting sexism and racism while wearing guerilla masks. These women would perform at various venues and would eventually buy out spaces to place their work. Because they vigorously spoke about taboo issues and powerful institutes, they had to use pseudonyms to protect themselves and some even went under past female artists like Frida Kahlo and Alma Thomas (Brooklyn Museum). Moreover, the Guerilla Girls fought for women’s representation in the art world and revealed the truth using facts and humor through posters, billboards, and artwork. To show uneven representation, they began a “penis countdown,” which is where members would count a woman to male ratio of art shown in prestigious museums (Widewalls).

“The data gathered from the MET’s public collections in 1989 showed that in the Modern Art sections, less than 5% of the works were by female artists, while 85% of the nudes were female,” (Widewalls). The Guerilla Girls used this data to show society the social normality of objectifying women in art and in turn how the art industry discredits and turns away female artists. This piece is intensifying the data with one of the Guerilla Girls posed naked on a bed of ruffled covers mimicking a basic nude and pulling it all together with only wearing the signature guerilla mask. This affected the way society views women as people and as professionals, and it sent the powerful question of, “Am I worth more than my body?” The Guerilla Girls are still active to this day and are speaking about further issues of unequal representation of women in the art industry and other industries. The third wave of Feminist art influenced change in society on how we see and treat women, people of color, and homosexuals, and the different forms of protest and courageous acts from groups like the Guerilla Girls brought current issues to the surface.

     In conclusion, Feminist art is derived from the transition of misrepresentation of female perspective in art to Feminist artists gaining a voice in the art industry. Feminist art had an extremely slow start during the first wave of feminism because women were just beginning to obtain basic rights and had societal expectations. Although there were some female artists like Georgia O’Keeffe before the second wave, it was still extremely difficult for them to be credited as artists let alone be represented in museums and galleries. Second wave feminist artists like Judy Chicago paved the way for other female artists and gave them a fighting chance with new programs and dedicated galleries. Furthermore, second wave Feminist art gave a future for females in the art industry and opened questions of difference and identity. Third wave Feminist art created new ideas to use art and introduced several new ways to effectively protest sexism, racism, and homophobia. In addition, artists were becoming more vocal about male-dominance in the industry and how women are objectified and turned away in art museums. The Guerilla Girls heavily influenced this movement with bold, factual, and humorous billboards that directly criticized the art industry. Feminist art brought female perspective into the art industry, questioned society, and protested in hopes to create a better future, and it most importantly helped women form a strong community in the art industry.

Works Cited

Aagerstoun, Mary Jo, and Auther, Elissa.”Considering feminist activist art.” NWSA Journal, vol. 19,no. 1, 2007, p. vii+. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A161981496/AONE?u=tel_a_clscc&sid=AONE&xid=61d02a96.Accessed 28 Sept. 2018.

Broude, Norma and Garrard, Mary D. (et al. The Power of Feminist Art: theAmerican Movement of the 1970s, History and Impact. Harry N. Abrams, Inc.,1996. Pages 12-13, 20.

Kordic, Angie. “The Feminist Art Movement.” Widewalls, 8 March, 2018, www.widewalls.ch/how-art-fought-for-womens-rights-feature-2015/the-feminist-art-movement/.

“Feminist Art Movement, Artists and Major Works.” The Art Story, 2018, www.theartstory.org/movement-feminist-art-history-and-concepts.htm.

“National Museum of Women in the Arts.” Guerrilla Girls | National Museum of Women in the Arts, nmwa.org/explore/artist-profiles/guerrilla-girls.

“Unchain the Women Directors Billboard” Brooklyn Museum. https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/feminist_art_base/guerrilla-girls

O’Keefe, Georgia. “Blue Flower.” .weareorlando, www.werareorlando.co.uk/page10.php.

Chicago, Judy. “The Dinner Party.” Judy Chicago, www.judychicago.com/gallery/the-dinner-party/dp-artwork/#1.

“Do Women Have to Be Naked to Get into the Met Museum?” Guerilla Girls. https://www.guerrillagirls.com/naked-through-the-ages

“The MostSensual Georgia O’Keefe Flowers on Canvas.” Edited by Widewalls Editorial, Widewalls, 20 May 2017,www.widewalls.ch/georgia-o-keefe-flowers/.

Outsider and Folk Art

 

Outsider art andfolk art are two influential forms of art and have impacted the art community.They both have unique characteristics that make them stand out compared to classicalart. These two art forms share many similarities and differences. These makethem into separate genres. One difference that stands out between the two isfolk art uses social values and traditional forms, while outsider art standsapart from the typical society’s mainstream. These similarities and differencesrelate to the who creates these artworks, the purpose they are created, some well-knownartists from the genera, and how it has affected the art world.

Outsider art is the idea that the artist is self-taught and isn’t a part of any art institution. Many of these artists create their works based on passion and enjoyment for what they’re doing. Outsider artists don’t have any boundaries when it comes to their art and don’t normally follow any rules. This type of art is different from the rest because it is raw creativity without the opinion of society getting into the way. Folk art on the other hand is created to represent cultural and religious ideas. Unlike outsider art, this type of art is created by educated and uneducated artists. It is created by a variety of people from the lower class, to middle class, and the wealthy. This art is very decorative and incorporates beliefs and customs from the artists.

Outsider art is used in various ways by people in many different jobs and social backgrounds. One place outsider has been used at is in mental institutions. The people creating these had probably never received an art class in their life, but their work is original and spontaneous. Their artwork was created as a type of therapy art used to express their feelings and thoughts. What made these artworks so uncommon was they didn’t have the influence of other art and culture on it. According to the Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture, these works have not only come from mental patients, but from people of all ways of life like housewives, cooks, and people who don’t even have jobs. Outsider art can be created by anyone no matter their ethnicity, background, or education level.

Similar to outsider art,folk art didn’t follow the common rules of art. Anyone could create folk art nomatter how educated you were, where you were from, or what you believed. Mostof the art is made by hand or was learned from watching people around them.Folk art can be many things like pottery, painting, quits, or metal work. Onecharacteristic that makes folk art stand out is some of the differenttechniques that’s used to make it and the materials they use. Many of thematerials used were natural things like clay, wood, and straw.

Outsider art has a deeper meaning than most everyday art. It isn’t meant to be pretty or to please anyone. This type of art shows people’s desires and holds their secrets. What makes this art different from others is most aren’t viewed by audiences or exhibited in galleries. One of the most popular outsider artists from Scotland is Scottie Wilson. He started off by just doodling around until an art seller noticed some of his work. His career started at age 44 and one of his most known art works is titled, Spring. Something he was known for was challenging people to search for a piece similar to his. He told people that his art was so unordinary that there was none like his.

Traditional folk art can change over time and reflects shared cultural and social issues of a community. Folk art is very decorative and detailed with colors or designs. Folk art styles can vary depending on where they are from. According to Barbara Gordon, a collector, “Folk art really is something that’s in the eye of the beholder.” A major factor that separates folk art from outsider art is that community and tradition plays an important role. One well known folk artist is Anna Mary Robertson Moses, nicknamed Grandma Moses, who started painting later on in her life at the age of seventy-eight. Many of her paintings are used in greeting cards or are in museums. One of her most famous paintings is called Sugaring Off.

Sugaring Off

Grandma Moses

Date: 1943

Style: Naïve Art (Primitivism)

Series: Sugaring Off

Genre: genre painting

At first, the art world wasn’t as accepting of outsider art as it is now. Artists had always taken classes or shadowed another artist to learn. Now, people were going against that way and were starting to do things their own way. As people has continued to learn about and see works of outsider art it has become more accepted by the art world. Today, many art collectors are gallery owners are expanding their art choices from modern and contemporary to the unique and self-taught.

Some folk art can be seen as controversial depending on the ethnic, religious, or cultural meaning. It can even show the location it was created, and the economic status based on the materials that were used. Folk art is important because, art and culture work off of and influence each other. Because folk art is made to be personal, it makes it easier for people to make a connection to it. Anyone can create this art work because it doesn’t require any prior art training.
            Outsider art makes the art world question the need for art education. With many talented artists rising up with no prior art education, it questions if it’s actually needed to be successful. If art classes are teaching students what art is supposed to look like, it could be enabling them to be creative and make their art work unique from others. Creativity can’t be taught, it is something someone already has but can be developed more. Outsider art shows the art world that technique isn’t always necessary to be successful and create work.

Outsider art and folk art are two influential forms of art and have impacted the art community. These art forms have made it more normal for untrained artists to be successful. They both have unique characteristics that separate them from other art forms. Both of these art forms can change for various reasons depending on a person’s emotions, background, or culture. These art forms have similarities and differences that relate to the who creates these art works, the purpose they are created, some well-known artists from the genre, and how it has affected the art world.

Works Cited

Edelson, Rae Temkin. Outsider Art, The Studio Art Movement and Gateway Arts . education.kennedy-center.org/education/vsa/resources/Edelson_Gateway_Arts.pdf.

Egan, Martha J. “Folk Art.” Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture, edited by Jay Kinsbruner and Erick D. Langer, 2nd ed., vol. 1, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2008, pp. 362-364. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com.cmsmir.clevelandstatecc.edu/apps/doc/CX3078900421/GVRL?u=tel_a_clscc&sid=GVRL&xid=ce787586. Accessed 2 Nov. 2018.

       “Folk Art.” Encyclopedia of Modern China, edited by David Pong, vol. 2, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2009, pp. 58-60. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com.cmsmir.clevelandstatecc.edu/apps/doc/CX1837900191/GVRL?u=tel_a_clscc&sid=GVRL&xid=d50e458a. Accessed 2 Nov. 2018.

       Girardot, Norman J. “Visual Culture and Religion: Outsider Art.” Encyclopedia of Religion, edited by Lindsay Jones, 2nd ed., vol. 14, Macmillan Reference USA, 2005, pp. 9624-9627. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com.cmsmir.clevelandstatecc.edu/apps/doc/CX3424503280/GVRL?u=tel_a_clscc&sid=GVRL&xid=030ffa5d. Accessed 2 Nov. 2018.

       Rhodes, Colin. “Outsider Art.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2 Aug. 2013, www.britannica.com/art/outsider-art.

       “What Is Folk Art?” Museum of International Folk Art, internationalfolkart.org/learn/what-is-folk-art.html.

       Magnusson. “Your Introduction to Folk and Outsider Art.” Magnusson Group, Magnusson Group, 15 Aug. 2018, themagnussongroup.com/nws/your-introduction-to-folk-and-outsider-art/.

Moses, Grandma. “Sugaring Off, 1943 – Grandma Moses.” Www.wikiart.org, 1 Jan. 1970, www.wikiart.org/en/grandma-moses/sugaring-off-1943

Art, Science, and Animals

The relationship between art and science might seem to be distant; however, they might be closer than people think. The connection these topics share is ethics. From Leonardo Da Vinci to the modern artists, the use of lifeform to create art has created a controversial conversation about the role of science in the fine arts. The primary concern that comes from art is ethics because it uses flesh for artwork. Leonardo’s fascination with the anatomy of the human body created some of the most detailed drawings of his time; however, one must wonder where he found the dead bodies to sketch. Damien Hirst, the modern artist from the United Kingdom, displays dead animals in formaldehyde for his art. Miru Kim used live pigs for her art exhibit in a makeshift pen in the Art Basel in Miami. The famous, but unknown, Banksy and his elephant created the issue behind using paint on an animal. Ethics connects art and science, and these artists show how they use or used lifeforms for their artworks; moreover, whether those choices were necessary for artistic expression.

Art and science are more closely related to each other than people might think. For example, the Renaissance period was about revisiting Greek and Roman ideas in a new light. As a more detailed study of medicine became acceptable, more doctors wanted to know how the human body works; however, they needed a way to record their findings visually. That is when an artist would come to the auditorium and sketch the human corpses. Doctors would be surrounded by the dead body on the lower level of the auditorium, while the artists drew the internal organs, muscles, bones, and so forth. It makes sense why Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook contained multiple sketches of the human body (Leonardo Da Vinci’s Notebook). Even though it would be morally wrong to sketch over a dead body in the present, they did not have photography in the Renaissance period, and this was the only way to record information. Thanks to that contribution, according to Tharpe’s editorial of the Walker Percy: Art and Ethics, the essay portion by Michael Pearson mentioned in the text, “Science tells us how we are like other organisms or how we resemble other individuals, but it does not deal with the uniqueness of symbolization” (56). Science made people think realistically; however, art made people feel. Leonardo’s sketches were one of the first recorded encounters that the artist would create a work inspired by a lifeform. However, the main concern for modern times is the issue of using dead and live animals to create art.

Damien Hirst, an artist from the United Kingdom, is famous for his artwork with animals. The controversial issue is that he killed all of his animals for the production of art (Callaway). One of his famous pieces is a 4-meter-long tiger shark in the tank; the formaldehyde-fixed shark is no longer alive. Hirst calls that piece The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (Callaway). The artist’s point is to show the real version of death and how inevitable it is. The other known piece of Damien Hirst’s is Doorways to the Kingdom of Heaven. The piece represents a cathedral stain glass window all made out of butterflies (Callaway). The piece is a beautiful display; however, at the expense of thousands of butterflies. To repay for the dead insects, Hirst made an installation in an enclosed room full of living butterflies (Barkham). Now, thousands of butterflies are captive in a white, windowless room. The humid room might represent their climate, but the tourist traffic and close quarters are not a suitable space for those insects. According to Caroline Goldstein, from Artnet News website, she counts up how many animals Hirst killed, and the total is 913,450 animals (par. 9). The number should raise concerns about using animals to produce art.

The next artist did not kill her animals for art. Moreover, she provided suitable conditions for them not to get hurt after her exhibition. Miru Kim did a live performance during Art Basel Miami Beach. Her piece I Like Pigs And Pigs Like Me got much-mixed attention. According to Amanda McCorquodale from the Huffington Post website, “Kim spent 104 consecutive hours naked in a makeshift pen with two pigs in Primary Projects’ window” (par. 1). The pigs were rescued from a slaughterhouse and brought for the performance, but a lot of animal rights activists protested that the pigs got sick after the exhibition. Miru Kim told the Huffington Post, “They were definitely already sick at the slaughterhouse because they were coughing when the slaughterhouse worker picked them out. I was there.” (par. 5). Additionally, she made sure that the animals got to be taken as pets or to a farm after the show. Miru Kim shows how animals can be used in the art ethically and therefore, not at the expense of the animals.

Another artist that used a live animal for his art was Banksy. The British street artist with an unknown identity, Banksy usually spends most of his time showing off his skill on the streets where his art cannot be bought. Some officials do get mad at his tagging exercises; moreover, they found something else that got much negative attention. According to Mark Oliver, from The Guardian website, Banksy’s first exhibition in the United States consisted of a painted elephant that blended in a set-up of a living room (par. 1). Animal Services Department (ASD) did permit the artist to use the elephant in his show, but they reported that they regretted their decision. Even though Banksy intended to send a message about the problem of world poverty, mostly the discussion was about the well-being of the elephant. Tai, the elephant, was ordered to be scrubbed down and repainted with child-safe paint (Oliver). The issue could have been handled differently regarding the paint; moreover, the artist could have decided to use proper medium, to begin with, so Tai would not need to go through the stress of having to berepainted. Situations like these should be carefully taken into consideration to ensure that the animal’s health is a priority, and the message is heard without the protests.

Art and science might seem to be the opposites; however, they are more intertwined than ever before. Leonardo da Vinci used his artistic abilities to sketch the corpses that were helpful educationally and medically. The encounter is one of the firsts that questioned how art and science could go together. The artists of modern times are pushing the limits of expression by using animals to do so. Damien Hirst’s idea of killing the animals is not quite popular, and the animal rights activists did not support his formaldehyde and pinned down organisms. Miru Kim provided suitable conditions for her pigs and made sure that they would be well after the show. Lastly, Banksy’s elephant disrupted some waters between the crowds and put the animal through the stress of being repainted. The crucial time in the society is to question whether or not those artists are doing the right thing by using animals in their artwork. Those innocent creatures are vulnerable to harm and poor judgment. If addressed correctly, the artists can continue to express their ideas to the world, while keeping the animals alive, safe and happy.

Works Cited

Barkham, Patrick. “Damien Hirst’s Butterflies: Distressing but Weirdly Uplifting.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 18 Apr. 2012,   www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/apr/18/damien-hirst-butterflies-weirdly-uplifting.

Callaway, Ewen. “Flayed, Pickled, Plastinated: Ewen Callaway Discovers Compelling Cross-Currents in Two Very Different Displays of Dead Animals Exhibited Just a Few Kilometers Apart.” Nature, vol. 488, no. 7412, 2012, p. 456. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com.cmsmir.clevelandstatecc.edu/apps/doc/A301776567/AONE?u=tel_a_clscc&sid=AONE&xid=9ff3a02a.

Goldstein, Caroline. “How Many Animals Have Died for Damien Hirst’s Art to Live? We Counted.” Artnet News, Artnet News, 16 Aug. 2017, news.artnet.com/art-world/damien-whats-your-beef-916097.

“Leonardo Da Vinci’s Notebook.” The British Library, The British Library, 20 Jan. 2015, www.bl.uk/collection-items/leonardo-da-vinci-notebook.

McCorquodale, Amanda. “Miru Kim On How Pigs Used In Her Art Basel Project Got Sick.” The Huffington Post, HuffPost News, 6 Jan. 2012, www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/05/miru-kim-pigs-art-basel_n_1187119.html.

Oliver, Mark. “Banksy’s Painted Elephant Is Illegal, Say Officials.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 18 Sept. 2006, www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/sep/18/arts.artsnews.

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John Baldessari was born in was born on June 17, 1931. He is an American Conceptual artist that emerged in the 1960’s. Baldessari became one of the leading figures in the art world at the time He is known for his method of blending multiple mediums together to create his art. He combines text, painting, photography, and usually an appropriate image with the work. Baldessari has described himself as, “A frustrated writer.”

In the 1970’s he taught at the California Institute of the Arts. His early work consisted of painting words on canvas or “phototext canvas”.

During this time he would do other unusual pieces such as singing other artists paintings. He also did a piece where he taught a plant the alphabet.  His most famous works consisted of rearranging images, film stills and other pictures with sentence fragments to make the viewer rethink what they were looking at. Another one of his unique works is putting a colored image over a person ‘s face to force the viewer to examine the other elements in the image. In the 21st Century he created a series of works called “Noses, Ears, Etc.” where he painted over the rest of the figures with the bright colors to isolate the specific parts of the human body. He eventually added other parts of the body like hands and feet. His works are some of the more unique ones ever produced during his time in the art world. Baldessari has been awarded many honors such as the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2009 and the National Medal of the Arts that was presented to him by Barack Obama in 2015. Baldessari has had many works exhibited in many solo exhibitions in his lifetime as well.

Robert Ryman was born in Nashville in 1930. Ryman’s life has not always been centered around his unusual yet unique art. Ryman, as no surprise to native Tennesseans, pursued music for a portion of his life. Though he pursued music, Ryman joined the army and served from 1950 to 1952. Moving further into his life Ryman, after his service in the army and pursuit of music, eventually took a job as a security guard at the Museum of Modern Art and the rest can be called history. Ryman would go on to dedicate his life to art and the world would be introduced to his artwork of choice. Most of Ryman’s work today if not all of his work incorporates one thing and that is the color white. Ryman is a minimalistic artist and his work definitely speaks to his style of choice. Ryman does not focus so much on creating extravagant pieces of art but instead he pushes toward ideas such as the process and form and how the piece of art works within the space it is in. He focuses on the art and how it works within its space, for example, Ryman speaks on some of his art and the light he uses to illuminate it. He talks on how the light matters in presenting his art, the quality of the light makes the difference in presenting the art in the space it is in. Ryman himself says that he has never really considered white a color and he believes white can do things that other colors cannot do. To add on to his minimalistic style, a lot of Ryman’s work is on perfectly square material. Looking into his reasoning, Ryman himself has said that when he started painting and his artistic career he did not care to be an entertainer. Ryman is more focused on his own interests and pursuits versus trying to create pieces of art for people and their entertainment. Ryman simply believes that if people want to come and see his work then they will come, this is an idea and belief that he brings from his musical pursuit earlier in his life. The piece below is a perfect example of Ryman’s very minimalistic approach to art. The piece is no more than a square canvas covered in white paint. As stated before, Ryman’s interest is in the piece and how it can be viewed within the space it is in. White does things other colors cannot, as he stated, and within this piece we see the white within the space cast shadows and take on its space and surrounding in a way that other colors cannot.

Robert Ryman. Series #17 (White), 2003. Oil on canvas; 24 × 24 inches.. Private Collection, France. Courtesy of Pace Gallery, New York.

Though Ryman works with the color white quite a bit he does not only bind himself to the color or the lack thereof. In the piece below Ryman uses more than just white to create the work. Looking at Ryman’s work, one might think he is untalented and unsuccessful but he has much success in his art career. To just name a few of his achievements Ryman has accomplished he received the Skowhegan medal in 1985, he received a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation in 1972, he has had major exhibitions in the Museum of Modern Art, and the list goes on in his art achievements. Ryman is a minimalistic artist but he does what he is interested in and does not focus on pleasing an audience.

Robert Ryman. Untitled, 1962. Oil on linen; 63 × 63 inches. Photo by: Gordon Riley Christmas. Courtesy of Pace Gallery, New York.

Robert Ryman. Initial, 1989. Oil on gator board with wood; 23 3/4 × 23 inches. Private Collection, New York. Courtesy of Pace Gallery, New York.

Robert Ryman 1972 Untitled

Robert Ryman Ledger 1982

Robert Ryman Untitled 1972