REMINDER: post one "character's" reaction to the Grosz painting here.
REMINDER: Midterm exam Friday, regular class time & place.
Please email me any questions/concerns about the midterm, and use the blog & listserv to get some discussions going (see midterm tip #3).
Like I said, I would prefer if you brought a bluebook. I like the small ones for some reason.
ANNOUNCEMENT: If you recall, I mentioned the Inauguration (Jan. 20), the Grammys (Feb. 8), and the Oscars (Feb. 22) as opportunities for extra credit. I am going back on this promise... these are now regular homework. You have to do one of the three of them, so if you already did the Inauguration rhetorical analysis, you're in the clear. You can get extra credit for doing a second one. You can do the third one, but it would be just for fun. (Yes, fun!) The Grammy & Oscar assignment is to identify and analyze at least one stated or implied theory of aesthetics presented during the show.
MORE ON THE BALE CONTROVERSY: Requiem for a Dream / The Wrestler director Darren Aronovsky weighs in
Reaction to Grosz's painting:
ReplyDeleteAlbert would dislike this artwork because the humans' bodies and body parts are not proportional. Also, there is no color besides black and white, and Alberti says there should be be too much of either--there should be a balance, a median. The skeleton in the middle is a disturbing image and should not be there. there is an istoria, but it is difficult to find because the facial expressions are not clear. This cartoon is unacceptable to Alberti altogether.
Some may argue that this painting represents a story, making the art significant, but Alberti would not like this painting, nonetheless. This painting does not show perspective, has an extreme usage of white and blue, and has unrealistic features. The perspective in the painting is out of proportion as it does not have one vanishing point in the middle. Although the people in the painting are noticebly smaller as it gets deeper into the painting, it does not show this realistically. There is also no color in this painting, using both the most extreme of whites and blacks. Like mentioned earlier, there is a story depicted in the painting, and Alberti may see the istoria from the painting. Overall, Alberti will not enjoy this painting and will see it as an unacceptable art.
ReplyDeleteReaction to Grosz' painting
ReplyDeleteAristotle would not like this painting to a certain extent, meaning that there are still some aspects that he would consider useful. The fact that there is somewhat a political message shows that there is still some purpose to the picture and that not all of its didactic qualities are lost. On the other hand, its still very cartoon-like and the type of art that Aristotle would consider art would be a mixture of something philosophical and artistic.
Oskar Kokoschka would not like this painting mainly because he favored expressionist paintings. This image is more of a cartoon. Also, he would not like the lack of color in the painting (if you can call it that). Because he did not really have a political stance, he would be indifferent about the message that this piece of "art" is trying to portray. If it were in his power, he would keep politics and art separate.
ReplyDeleteAlberti would deem this painting ridiculous for a few reasons. Firstly, according to Alberti's rules, a painting should always use moderation inj color but also must not have excessive amounts of black and white. This image directly breaks this rule. Futhermore, there should be differing facial expressions and a variety in bodily movement. The faces here seem indistinctly similar, as are the movements.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Alberti would argue there are some positives in this painting. For one, there seems to be some istoria although relatively unclear to me. It seems somewhat satirical to those sitting (who seem to be in charge) in that they are examining a dead body instead of a live one.
If Alberti could understand the istoria of this painting, he might think better of it. However for the most part, Alberti would not consider this art.
Alberti would not like this picture. Alberti would analize this painting based on a number of things, but mostly his dislike would stem from the anatomically incorrect bodies and faces, the incorrect use of color, and the geographical spacing of the objects being painted on the page. He would like the fact that the painting has an "istoria" but then again most paintings at Grosz's time were meant to tell a story or declare a fact. Alberti would not like the faces because they are not real. the noses are placed n really wierd places and the eyes are crooked. Alberti also abhors the use of white and black. and this painting is all white and black. To alberti it would seem that there was no planning, which he thought was vital, because the table seems to jut into the faces of the characters and the wall seems to smash up against the frame on the right side.
ReplyDeleteDo we have to use the terms that alberti would have used? like he uses three C words to describe the things he deems vital for a painting.
Leon Bautista Alberti would not like this art. In the image, there is no realistic color, and the figures are not lifelike; they are simply cartoons. This "art" is something someone could create without the help from a professional instructor at an academy, and Alberti believed that art students need direction and education before being a successful painter. Also, Alberti would not appreciate the facial expressions on all of the men as they appear to be very similar. Though many aspects of this painting do not seem to flow with Alberti's painting preference, he would like the fact that there is a main focus of the image that is being pointed out by several other figures.
ReplyDeleteAlberti would not appreciate Grosz' image because it lacks the color scheme that Albert desires in an artwork. Alberti believes that colors should be used moderately and with a purpose. Also, the people in the image are not portrayed realistically. Their bodies and heads are misshapen. However, Alberti would appreciate the demonstration of veil-use. Grosz has displayed the scheme in which objects farther seem to appear smaller. And the desk seems to slant towards the middle to give a sense of depth. There is definitely an istoria, which Alberti believes a painting should have. Although the bodies of the men seem too cartoon-like, there is a variation of expressions amongst the faces. In spite of the istoria and different facial expressions, Alberti would overall, dislike this image because of it's lack of color, cartoon-style, and grotesque display of a skeleton.
ReplyDeleteKokoschka:
ReplyDeleteHe wouldn't like this painting because it lacks an emotional element; the drawing-like painting is in black and white and shows Communists (sorry if I'm wrong on this) standing around watching a scientist poke fun of a skeleton. Also, he doesn't believe that art serves a political purpose, they should be separate from each other. This point was clear when we read the letter from him in our Reader.
Aristotle would believe this image to be a representation of ideas. His theory of aesthetics pertains to using art as a medium through which one can express ideas. George Grosz was one of the major communist artists of his time who expressed their political beliefs through painting. Aristotle would approve of this intent to convey thought.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to practice some of the questions Aaron gave us, and while writing letter C. I spent my time discussing only the Weimar Republic and ran out of time, do you think it's okay to leave out other times and places?
ReplyDeleteMartha... I believe I said the "other times and places" was more of a thinking/study aid than something you needed to include in your exam answer.
ReplyDeletePlato would thinkt hat while the idea of this drawing is good, the fact that is is drawn out on paper makes it less dramatic. The pure idea would be that he German's are drafting soldiers that are pretty much dead and have no real loyalty to the army. (? i'm not sure if that is right ?)
ReplyDeleteWalter Gropius would probably be okay with this piece of work by Grosz for several reasons. To begin with, Gropius developed the Bauhaus school in order to make art functional and available to the working class. He believed that previous forms of art had no use for the working class and wanted to develop something that would combine arts and crafts (ex. art and architecture) in such a way that everyday workers could appreciate the result. That being said, this image is functional in that it is a fairly effective (depending on the viewer) form of propaganda art. In addition, since it is done in black and white without a lot of detail, it could probably be mass produced and therefore would be readily available to the working class. Finally, the Bauhaus also seemed to pursue simplicity and order in their work. In view of that, Gropius would probably like this work because it isn't cluttered, but still serves its function.
ReplyDeleteTheseus would probably hold the same ideology as plato. He would think that art leads people away from truth but that art can produce real effects and emotions. Propaganda is an example of this as it is meant to lead people to view certain ideas in a specific way, even though those ideas may not be true. This work of art by Grosz is an example of that as it has a political meaning behind it. Theseus would think that it could produce real effects within people and that is why art is dangerous.
ReplyDeleteA follow Dadaist alongside George Grosz, Hannah Hoch may appreciate this art for its humorous attack on the Weimar government. Though it follows some sort of aesthetics--the skeleton looks like a skeleton, the people look like people but in cartoon form--the artwork portrays the incompetency of the leaders of Weimar or the incompetency of men as leaders and doctors (or both), a message that a feminist such as Hoch may enjoy.
ReplyDeleteAlberti would not like this particular picture, as the human figure is distorted and rendered cartoon-like. There is no motion amongst the figures, inanimate and animate. Proportionally, the size of the heads are too large for the bodies, and dimensionally, there is no scaling to distinguish a 3D plane from a 2D plane.
ReplyDelete