2012年5月3日星期四

Week 5 - The Social Status of the artist - The Renaissance and now.

Self Portrait in Fur Coat (1500)
Albrecht Durer

Knob (1997) Gavin Turk

Damien Hirst and Maia Norman (1995)

Albrecht Durer's 'Self-Portrait in Fur Coat' (1500) shows a significant change in the way that the artist views and portrays himself. Research the paintings by Albrecht Durer, Gavin Turk and Damien Hirst in order to answer
the following questions;
 
 
1. Identify aspects of Durer's self portrait that show a changing view of the artist's view of himself as an individual.

Duerer was very much an innovator. He is, for example, the first artist who is known to have painted a self-portrait and to have done a landscape painting of a specific scene. He is amazing because he painted himself with incredible colors at the age of twenty-eight years. Also he was the first Northern artist to be directly influenced by first-hand contact with the Italian Renaissance. As an individual, Durer's self portrait displays the arrogance and confidence of an artist at the height of his power. 

http://www.italian-renaissance-art.com/Durer.html
 
 



2. Explain how the artist's social status increased during the Renaissance period. Briefly explain why this happened.
 
 the Renaissance focus on two periods as an observer to analyze the situation and the social status of visual Artists, the formation of the reasons for focusing on aspects of Art theory from the contribution shows the status of the Artist to change their determination and tireless efforts, and to painting, sculpture artist from the artisan class was a gradual growth process, indicating progress in art history, artists, social status changes that have an important role in the landmark. However, in keeping with its aim of producing thoughtful, classical art, the Europe Renaissance raised the professions of painting and sculpture so the artist's social status increased during that time.
 
http://www.mrdowling.com/704renaissance.html
 
 
 
 
 
3. Comment on Gavin Turk's work in relation to individualism, status of the artist and egotism. 
 
 He often uses his own image in life-size sculptures of famous people. Turk pieces often involves his own image disguised as that of a more famous person. Turk made a number of works based on his own signature that comment on the value that the artist’s name can confer onto a work. He has also made a number of photographic and sculptural self-portraits that often involve some degree of disguise. 
 
http://www.thecatstreetgallery.com/artist/GavinTurk/biography/





4. Comment on Damien Hirst's use of his work and the media for self promotion.
 
 Hirst's work is an examination of the processes of life and death: the ironies, falsehoods and desires that we mobilise to negotiate our own alienation and mortality. He used different media and things such as animal: cows, sheep or the shark. Damien Hirst became a media icon and household name. He has since been imitated, parodied, reproached and exalted by the media and public alike.
 


http://www.artchive.com/artchive/H/hirst.html







5. Find 2 images of work by any artist or designer that reflect some of the ideas of individualism, self promotion or egotism that have been discussed on this blog. Upload images to your blog, title and date the work, identify the artist/designer and comment on the work in relation to the question.
 
 
 
Contemporary art is highly individualistic. It is about freedom of expression, the chance to make one's mark and to speak with a distinctive voice - all characteristics of the right, rather than the left. Contemporary artists are entrepreneurs in every sense of the word. 

First Artist is Damian Hirst.
His amazing Skull reflect the ideas of individualism that the thought more open, and the skull so expensive. 
                                            For the love of God(2007)


The second artist is

Charles Rohlfs





artistic furniture(2008)

 
Charles Rohlfs was making what he considered "artistic furniture" with a highly individualistic style. He ranked among the most innovative furniture makers at the turn of the twentieth century. Praised by the international press and exhibited throughout the United States and Europe, his beautiful works grew out of an interesting mix of styles that included Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and proto-modernism. This book presents the first major study of this important American designer and craftsman, drawing upon new photographs and fresh sources of information.
 
 
 
 
 
 6. How do you think artists and designers are viewed in Western society today?
 
Most are viewed differently depending on how the media portray them. Like all artists and designers, their work and the acknowledgment of their work all depend on the media and how they portray it. Nowadays artist and designers more different, they think wildly and more interesting that eye-catching up viewers. They developed art into different ways such as music and movie therefore their social status increasing easily than Renaissance artist. That is what I think artists and designers are viewed in Western society today.
 
 
7. Comment on the blogs of other students.
8. Reference the websites and/or books you have used, at the end of your blog.
 
 

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/durer/self/
http://radicalart.info/ego/statements/index.html
http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG7733481/Maia-Norman-Damien-Hirsts-Californian-girl.html

 
 

5 条评论:

  1. I agree that most artists and designers are viewed differently depending on how the media portray them. In my opinion, I think artists are less valued today than they were in the olden days. I think people have started to take abstract art to the extreme that it has become ridiculous and less valued. People these days say that 'art will get you nowhere', it seems like art was taken more seriously in the olden days.

    I think the only people that can make a living off artwork have to lie about it to make it seem meaningful to convince people that it's so amazing, or because of their social status. If some mega rich person bought their work, then
    other people will think their work is great too since someone else bought it for a lot of money.

    On the other hand, I also think artists and designers today have a lot of creative potential to create great things, like you said, music and movies, as well as nice spaces, buildings and products. Popular people on youtube make
    a lot of money from their videos and now that I think about it, they are the creative people that make movies, music etc.. and can
    make as much money as doctors, engineers etc..

    There's also designer clothing and handbags. Some people view those highly since celebrities wear them and people are obsessed with expensive material possessions that give them a sense of high status.

    So I think designers are valued more today as well in the entertainment, advertisting and fasion industry, but for artists, I think people think they are just bums that make ridiculous paintings that noone buys, hence the term
    starving artist.

    "Noone would by my paintings, so I had to eat them"- Squidward- from SpongeBobSquarePants
    I think this is the view of a typical artist.

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  2. Although it is arguable that Artists are being increasingly critiqued as are politicians, celebrities and other groups in the media, however, i think there is still a need and curiosity for artists. In the modern world, so many people live 9-5 lives, and an artist doesn't work like that. Art galleries make a lot of business and are main attractions for many tourists all over the world. Art is still highly valuable, no matter how cooky some may think it be.

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  3. I also agree with your view on how artists are seen in today's society is mainly based on the way the media portrays them. However, whether this may be the case or not, I don't believe that art nowadays is appreciated as much as it use to be back in the Renaissance. The way in which anything can become art, if it just causes you to think/have some sort of reaction towards it, seems as if the beauty and skill of art has been taken away. I guess it also depends of what it is, but the value is not as high as it use to be.

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  4. It is very interesting about the self portrait, and someon says "He did not paint himself as he was but as he wanted to be(Wolfflin, 1971, p154).

    I agree self portrait cannot be like photo that shows the exact object you, however, it is interesing to know how a person seening themselves. He painted himself as what he wanted to be, but it is probably how he really seeing himself. Due to the physical and mind process, it is very possible that he really see himslef that way. Through different people's eye, even the same number of color may reflect differently in their brain. The world for dog and cat is grey scale but for human is coloful, but the animal can hear the voice that we cannot even sence it. So probably, people thik Durer's painting is not close to reality but who knows that is now how he see himself?

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  5. Hey Siying,
    I like the way how you've explained your answers very understandably and I agree on how you said that the artists work and the acknowledgment of their work all depend on the media and how they portray it. When you compare the art back in the renaissance it's more about the backgroup theory, not on how you use media etc, it needs to have some kind of background but in now days contemporary art is more about abstract kind of way.

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