Two phases of Cubism

Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement. It is sometimes regarded as having two phases - the Analytic phase and the Synthetic phase.

Analytic Phase (1907-1912)

Analytic phase attempted to show objects as the mind, not the eye, perceives them. It is termed as analytic because the structure of the subject has been separated into sections, view point by view point, resulting in a fragmentary image of multiple view points and over lapping planes. Other distinguishing features of analytical cubism were a simplified palette of colors, so that the views would not by distracted by its fragmentary forms.

Analytic Cubism was developed by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.  Picasso's 1907 painting Les Demoiselles d'Avignon has often been considered to be a major step towards the founding of the Cubist movement.  In this period, Picasso’s painting were mainly using monochrome brownish and neutral colors.

 

                                       

                                                                      

Braque's paintings of 1908–1913 reflected his new interest in geometry and simultaneous perspective. He frequently reduced an architectural structure to a geometric form approximating a cube, yet rendered its shading so that it looked both flat and three-dimensional by fragmenting the image.

At this time, Pablo Picasso was influenced by Gauguin, Cézanne, African masks and Iberian sculpture while Braque was interested mainly in developing Cézanne's ideas of multiple perspectives. Braque’s essential subject is the ordinary objects he has known practically forever.

Synthetic phase (1912-1919)

The Synthetic phase featured works that were composed of fewer and simpler forms, in brighter colors.

Picasso and Braque discovered that through the repetition of "analytic" signs their work became more generalized, more geometrically simplified and flatter. Overlapping planes sometimes shared one color.  Real pieces of paper replaced painted flat depictions of paper. Fragments of newspaper, playing cards, cigarette packs, and advertisements that were either real or painted interacted on the flat plane of the canvas as the artists tried to achieve a total interpenetration of life and art.The invention of collage, which integrated signs and fragments of real things, is one aspect of "Synthetic Cubism.

              

Cubism has been considered the most influential art movement of the 20th century. It revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture.

Tom Davison

Tom Davidson is a local artist based in Earlston. He uses lino cuts as his preferred media. I was quite excited knowing an artist stays so close by. Had a look through his work on his website, first reaction was I could not believe they were done by lino cuts. There are so many colors and they are so detailed. All the images can not be copied from his website, so can not show any image here. I really like the Bridge one. I think they are the two bridges in Edinburgh. This one probably is the simplest one in color. I looked at it for quite a while, still could not figure out how he did it. 

On his website, it says that all his lino-cuts are produced from one single linoleum, using a reduction process, printing each color on top of the previous color, working from light to dark. It sounds very clear, but I am sure the whole process is very complicated. I tried to imagine step by step, but I could not even find out where is the first step! 

Maybe because I did not see the real prints, from only a small image on computer, we could not really tell much the difference of his prints from paintings. I am sure there must be something that painting would not do, otherwise, why not just paint rather than using such a complicated method. 

Looking forward to see the real prints!

Kusama and Jack Vittrian

Looked at some information and short videos about Jack Vettriano and the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.

When looking at the pictures of  Kusama's work, I remembered I had seen the window display of Louis Vuitton store in Edinburgh.

Of course I knew nothing about Yayoi Kusama at that time. I felt it was very appealing and interesting. But of course because it is a Louis Vuitton window display, you automatically know it is highly fashionable even if you know nothing about fashion. It is the name, the label, the already established reputation.' At the same year of  2012 that Louis Vuitton cooperated with Kusams, Kusama had her exhibition in Tate Modern and Whitney Museum of American Art. Those polka dots became even more popular. This could not been done by herself. At 1973, she checked herself into a mental hospital and stayed there since then. At the age of 83 with illness, she would not have the ability to do any of these.

So who was behind it? I don't know. Noting is isolated in this word, everything is connected. No exception for art too. How can you make yourself popular? It does not matter in which field, they all the same. You have the talent is essential,  but this is not equal you can success. When Kusama was in New York, she knew how to "sell" herself. 18 months after she arrived New York, as a foreigner, she gained vast popularity. She was neighbors and friends with many well known artists. Her work was compared with Jackson Pollock, Mart Rothko and Barnett Newman. Wikipedia says that in the 1960s, Beatrice Perry's Gres Gallery played an important role in establishing Kusama's career in the United States. So there we go, the gallery, the marketing, the big investors, they are all behind her. But even so, nobody will come to knock your door if you don't open your door first and promote yourself first. So I guess, in art world, upon your talent, you also need a business man's brain.!

At this moment of life, what attract me by art is its purity. But the world out there is full of reality. Everybody needs money, at least for living. Jack Vettiano, the most popular Scottish artist. His easel painting cost between £48,000 and £195000 new, he earns £500,000 a year in print royalties, his original The Singing Butler sold at auction in 2004 for £744,500 which had been rejected by Royal Academy summer exhibition in 1992. There are a lot of criticism about him. The director of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art said:" I'd be more than happy to say that we think him an indifferent painter and that he is very low down our list of priorities(whether or not we can afford his work, which at the moment we obviously can't). his "popularity" rests on cheap commercial reproductions of his paintings."

Again, somebody are behind him, the market is there. From the video, I can feel that he is very nuch care about the recognition from the art establishment. But obviously, he chose his way and this way brings him big money and success. I tried his so called "color in" style, it is not easy for me, but I am sure lots of artists can easily do it. He is not just copy from a photograph, the photographs obviously come from his ideas, how to pose, what color, what kind of surroundings, the composition. But is it enough for an artist?

I am reading a book about Edward Hooper. If you do not know any of them and their work, by just looking, you may think their work are quite similar.

They are completely different. And it is this difference makes Edward Hopper such an important figure in American art history which Jack Vettiano's work could not  be in Tate. There is deep philosophy in Edward Hooper's work, the use of light, the composition, the silence, the study and influence from other famous artists, you can see none of these in Jack Vettiano's work. What they see the world is different, what they see themselves is different and this makes the difference of the outcome of their work. 

Anyway, you can gain a success in either way depends on how you define success in your heart. You get something, you loose some other things at the same time, only you yourself know which way you want to go and what is more important to you!

Richard Hamilton

Richard Hamilton (1912-2011), one of the most influential British artist of the 20th century, is widely regarded as a founding figure of  pop art. He has had a long career as a print maker. He used different method of print making, such as etching, aquatint, dry point, mezzotint. I only know etching, had a look through his work of different method of print making. I found it is very interesting. Some of them just used very simply lines to define a picture. Some of them use marks and has soft edges.

This is his self portrait, created in 1951, used etching and aquatint together. It is so simple, just a few lines and a few marks, created a great image. We did self portrait last week using etching. I did 4 plates and fairly happy with the final result. Last year, I could not really understand how it work and could not get a good image. Now I think I understand it a bit better and started to like it. 

I really like this one, done is 1983, media is etching, engraving and aquatint on paper.The tone worked really well, not very much, left the image very clean and tidy. From the simple line and tone, we can see the light, we can the quality of his suit, we can see the small details such as the chain which go through his waistcoat, the ring on his left hand, the small buttons and even the handkerchief in his pocket.  It is just so perfect. Only thing I don't quite understand is his left leg, everywhere is so perfect,, makes the left let feels quite funny. 

Samuel Palmer

Samuel Palmer (1805-1881), British landscape painter, etcher and print maker. Had a quick look of his paintings. I think I quick like his style.

His etching work is quite different from Rembrandt's I looked last week. Both of their works have landscape and figures, I think Samuel Palmer's work feels more exciting. Maybe because he was in the Romanticism period, much later than Rembrandt was.

Here is his The Sleeping Shepherd- Early Morning

A very pleasant image to me, a boy sitting on the ground, half leaning on something like hay in a shelter with vines around, falling asleep in the sunshine in the early morning( according to the title). A walking stick maybe using for rounding the sheep, a book maybe a Bible lying in front of him. A blanket hanging on a wall. Sheep are gathering near him. Not very far away, up the hill, a man with two cows working in the field. Birds are flying in the sky. The warm sunshine shine through the field, shine into the shelter. 

I like the details of the vines and leaves. I like the light effect, make the whole image very warm. Etching is black and white, the bright light can make the whole image very exciting. 

Here is a very detailed image of the boy.

I really like the way how Samuel used white dots through out to form the person, even the sheep and trees. The size of the etching is 500cm*602cm, I am guessing , when you standing in front of the real work, all these white dots must make the whole image brighter. They are also defined the sunlight fall onto the boy and the ground through the top of the shelter.

  

Rembrandt The Three Trees

Rembrandt (1606-1669) is a Dutch painter and etcher. The print I am looking at today is his famous The Three Trees. It is a landscape etching.

When I first saw this image I knew I liked it. Because the image is quite small, it was hard to see all the details. Before I read any information about this work. I actually felt quite calm when I saw it. I felt that it is so amazing the the etching can create such an image.

I search around the internet, and found some images which part of the whole work showing more details.

First of all, the trees. They are the title, the main character of this work. By composition they are in the eye catching place in the whole work. They are really stand out from the light background.They are the first thing you see when you just look at the image. When you focus to see the trees,you see all the little tiny scratches which made out the tree trunks and all the leaves. You see lights and you see shadows. It is black and white but it feels like the trees are alive. I do not know much about the techniques of etching. I just feel it is really amazing that print can do. 

Now behind the trees, there is horse wagon with quite a few people on going up hill. There is also a person with something in his hand. On the hill, a man wearing a hat sitting there. The information about this work said that this is an artist sitting on the hill sketching. 

Surprisingly, there is a cottage behind the tree, down the hill which maybe the artist's house! 

Move to the left of trees, we see field. There are horses, people working in the field. There is also something there looks like a windmill. 

This is the left corner.  A man is fishing beside the river.You can clearly see his fishing pole, his hands, his face and even his eyes. A woman might be his wife sitting on the river bank. 

Here is the weather.  when I first looked at it, I felt it was a bad weather, but somehow I still felt calm..I guess that is maybe the power of nature. I did not understand the straight lines.By reading the information, they are maybe rain.  Look back the whole image, I can see the cloud moving fast, see light come through! 

There are also some birds flying in the sky!

Such great details. I am speechless with what etching can do.