Youtube Art History

While carrying out my research as a little refresher into what inspired and contributed to both modernism and post-modernism I came across this really useful Youtube channel called "Little Art Talks". If you want a quick brief reminder on a certain art topic such as colour theory or a movement such as Dada then this channel is for you. I find the videos to be short, concise and have useful keywords and Karin Yuen who produces the videos mentions key artist and designers, which can then lead you onto further research and insight into the movements.

Please see the link below if you too would like to view her videos.

Little Art Talks

Glossary of Terms

Within one of our theory seminars we were advised to create our own glossary of terms used within art and design, in regards to technicalities and/or descriptions. I had already been starting to build one of these up in my own time as I studied and this suggestion reinforced the idea of the positive effects which doing so can create. The positive effects creating your own glossary can have on your academic knowledge is that of seeking out the definition of the word(though I do so with any I don't understand anyway and is of course something everyone should do as to properly understand a document) and then recreating this word's description into my own way of talking. This helps to get you to think about how you would describe the word's meaning to someone else and therefore requires you to understand the term to the best of your ability.

In order to be able to access my glossary quickly and with ease I have ordered the terms by alphabetical order(though only in regards to the initial or the word so far).

Below are the glossary terms I have currently collected.

Glossary

A

• Abstract - Condensed version of a piece of writing/summery, a theoretical idea, using shape colour and texture in an unconventional way to represent a subject visually.
• Audiencing – the target audience to which work is displayed.
• Antecedents – prior event, a historical movement – which developed to the present movement.
• Arbitrary – based on a random choice or personal opinion.
• Anagogic – the unconscious’s set of ideals and morals
• Argumentation - reasoning an opinion, theory or statement within an essay for example.
• Adumbrate – to outline and address a point of discussion briefly and/or subtly.

C

• Conflation – the combination of two elements, i.e. two themes.
• Concomitant – accompanying/co-existing.
• Contention - heated debate, disagreement, statement of a view used within an argumentation.
• Capitalism – a production based culture where the companies are in control of the overall profit margins.
• Constitutive – giving existence and power to something.

D

• Divergent – being able to see multiple solutions to a problem, having a range of ideas.
• Determinism – the idea that all actions and events are dictated to by previous events and/or “natural” laws.
• Divesting – taking away/ taking something off someone.
• Dichotomy – two contrasting and opposing ideas, the difference between them.
• Discordant - opposing views, unfitting or lack of harmony between two elements.

E

• Exacerbation – When something worsens.
• Empiricism – the theory that all knowledge is required from the sensory experience we have. The idea that until we gain this experience the knowledge is unknown to us.
• Exegesis – critical analysis and interpretation of a text.
• Emancipated – free from restrictions, liberated.
• Ethereal – dainty, elegant, seemingly not of this world.
• Extrapolated - Predicting a situation by examining past tendencies and/or trends.

H

• Hypotheses – an explanation based on limited research – not to be assumed as truth. An opening up to possible further study and deliberation.
• Homogenizing – uniform.
• Homologies - having a similar relation.
• Heterogeneity - diverse range - incomparable.

I

• Interactionism – the theory that experiences and reactions from the mind also effect the body and vice versa.
• Ineffable – indescribable / so highly regarded that it would be a crime to speak of.
• Ineluctably – Unavoidable.
• Ideology – a set of opinions and/or beliefs by a group or individual.

M

• Metaphysical – abstract theories relating to that of time and being. Relating to the first questions.
• Metapsychology – relating to the connection between the mental health, mind and body of a person. Concerning theories that cannot be tested experimentally.

N

• Nub - central point of a matter.

O

• Ocularcentrism - the hierarchy of sight above all other senses.
• Oblique - neither parallel nor at a right angle, not direct.

R

• Representation – a model for which a subject is being reflected from as to communicate that models image.
• Reflexivity – something that is both a cause and an effect.
• Reification – when something becomes real – concreate.
• Realism – the theory that everything and everyone has a “purpose”.
• Roadmap - Plans, essentially a more planned out Mindmap.
• Rhetoric - Effective or persuasive writing.

P

• PDP - Personal Development Plan
• Postulation – to claim and assign an assumed truth – especially within argumentative texts.
• Permeate – spread throughout – infiltrate.
• Prestigious – respected and admirable.                                                        
• Protozoa – A parasite/organism that can multiply from itself without needing another cell, though it does require a host.
• Polysemic – holding multiple meanings.
• Pataphysics – this deals with imaginary realms/imaginary solutions – extended onto metaphysics.
• Patriarchy – World/society dominated by men.
• Psychical – regarding the human mind and/or soul.
• Physiological - Organism's normal or healthy functioning, an additive primary colour

R

• Reification – when something becomes real – concreate.

S

• Semiotics – language through the use of symbols, the theory of signs and symbols.
• Segregation - split between social variations/groups, to separate elements of a concept.
• Simulacrum – when a piece is imitating that of something else.
• Structuralism – based around Anthropology, this is an area of theoretical debate in which they structure their argumentation around a set of points, or structures. Looking at a subject’s visual and physical structure.
• Signification – to represent and convey a meaning, to indicate towards something else.
• Sign-value – to bring value to a product. Expression/mark of style, an indication of identity among the buyers.
• Subsistent – The minimal substances needed to survive or exist.
• Structuralist – analysis of human behavior based on varied experiences.
• Supposition – a presumption to what the truth/answer is. A proposed/supposed assumption.

T

• Tripartite – a group of three.

U

• Ubiquitous - Seen everywhere, commonplace.

V

• Vicissitudes – Change of events/alterations.
• Vitrified – Convert into glass or a glass-like substance.
• Voyeurism – a way of seeing which distances and objectifies its subject.

Dada

It’s name has been debated on as to how it came about, some saying it was selected at random by stabbing a knife into a book, which would display Dada’s protest against reasoning. Another suggestion is that due to its multitude of varying meanings, including that of “hobbyhorse” it was chosen and this would have demonstrated Dada’s rejection on objectivity and rather viewing art as subjective to the individual.

Dada was against the traditional preconceptions of how art should be and who should create it. They believed anyone could create art and rather then please the eye they aimed to create eyesores in a way. They did this through their eclectic use of form and medium in such a way that was almost disorganised. They shocked by introducing items such as urinals as pieces of art, all in the name to shock and question what is preserved as art. Not only were they protesting against the general assumption of how art should be but also of the social standings and viewpoints of the time. They disagreed with the brutality and violence that pursued during World War One.

Tristan Tzara founded the movement and wrote their manifesto in 1918. However, from reading his Dada manifesto it can be seen that as much as this is a document of aims for the movement, it is at the same time against such set out aims and therefore contradicts itself. But in the spirit of Dada this is irrelevant, it doesn’t aim for common sense or rule abiding strategies but aims to break out against such and encourage individuality overall. Tzara states that he detests “greasy objectivity” and therefore claims he is opposed to the idea of a one for all system, a one for all appeal to art.

Hannah Hoch -1919 - Da Dandy 

Hannah Hoch creates a mockery of mass media and regurgitates it into this collaged form using a mixture of pre-existing imagery and publications. The name for this piece “Da Dandy” is a play on the name of “Dada”. This could possible be her stating that the piece reflects “dandy” dress sense and therefore she has taken such imagery and made out of them this collaged mess. 

Kurt Schwitters and Merz painting - although he hadn’t considered himself a Dadaist he was deemed one due to his revolutionary use of mixed materials within painting. With the aim of enriching his collaged “paintings” he used a mixture of new and older materials including that of rubbish. This idea of enriching the paintings in such a way coincided with the Dada's ideas that anyone can create art and that it isn’t limited to a certain set of materials. Another example of dada ideas taking place is that within Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain”.

Marcel Duchamp - 1917 - Fountain

Here the idea of art being beautiful and something that must be attained is being ridiculed and this is displayed in Duchamp’s use of this urinal in which is essentially a place to leave your waste. You could perhaps say he is taking the “piss-take” with the use of such an object.

You can read Dada's Manifesto by clicking onto the following link: Dada Manifesto

Why Do We Need To Understand Theory?

Theory is important as it can underpin a design and without a theory your art or design may look good but then fall short under inspection. What I mean by this is if you chose for example a cubist style of painting and you were then asked to explain the thought process behind such. With having knowledge of theories you can build you painting up around your knowledge of such and can be a useful aid in successfully emulating a style. Each movement through art and design history has in some form or another dissolved into the next whether this be as an influence or taken away through rejection of a style. One example of an art movement which can be quite difficult to determine is that of Modernism as although throughout the period in which it existed and was influential there were other smaller notions in play which co-existed which includes, but by no means is limited to Russian constructivism, futurism, Vorticism, surrealism and Dada. I find movements such as these can be better thought of as a period of shared theoretical standing though some movements such as Art deco and Art nouveau counter this idea. Dada is one of those movements in which is difficult to determine under modernism, this is because it lived throughout the modernist period though with a post-modernist apparel. However their ideas regarding the abandonment of what is considered to be art and the anti-establishment views mirrored that of modernist designers in the way of revolution and change.

Q and A with Linn Setane

As part of my visual narrative essay I decided to incorporate the talking points within such, to that of this surreal piece(as seen below). This is because for my own practise I am planning on creating a final piece which will also be surreal. However, I couldn't find any interviews or detailed information on the ideas behind the artist's work, in which case I decided to send her a message as to find this information out. You can see the question and the reply below.

"Self" - Linn Setane - May 2014

Question:

Dear Linn,

I came across your work on Facebook and found the mixture of connotations and symbols within your Self Portrait posted on the 16th of May interesting and would like to know what inspires your work and what general ideas you had around either that piece or your work in general?

Answer:

Hi! The self-portrait is sort of a visualization of what inspires my work. I split my face into triangles to represent the different sides to my personality, the branches and skulls represent nature, and the third eye is how I picture the creative process. Not really sure how to explain it, but I'll give it a try: I usually get my best ideas in the middle of the night, when my mind's all fuzzy and doesn't make a lot of sense, and the third eye represent the creative process that's happening when I'm in that state of mind. I have no clue where I get the ideas from, they just pop up like an image, or a fragment of an image, kind of like a third eye seeing into some different reality.

Bradford Animation Festival - 21st Nov

Michel Ocelot in conversation with Paul Wells

French Animator Ocelot both writes and animates fairytale stories using mainly traditional methods alone. The methods of animation that Ocelot uses are typically stop-frame silhouetting and cut-out as he feels these are much richer in terms of visual attraction. He has always and still does research into different artists whom have practised traditional techniques such as pen and ink drawing and that of Japanese printing. He says that his work isn’t inspired from any particular artists as he is inspired not by a few artists, but everything he sees and so his work is a reflection upon the work and techniques he is fond of. However, his journey as a freelance animator took time to become profitable and so his film “The Three Inventors” in 1979 was a project created while working on a very tight budget and required a lot of patience. It was not until his film “Kirikou and the Sorceress” was produced in 1998, that his work became appreciated.

The 3 Inventors - The Locomobile
 © Ocelot · Studio O

For his film “The Three Inventors” he had seen some cakes that were sat on doilies, it was these doilies that inspired his intricate design and stylising. This worked well with the French Renaissance feel to the piece due to the high level of ornate decoration featured within the Renaissance period. Ocelot decided he would purposely use paper cut-out alone and chose to use white paper as to make obvious the method used. This was partly to show those within the industry who had criticised him for using such methods, what he could achieve by using such.

The piece of music set to the animation has a relaxed but sometimes energetic feel due to the tempo and choice of string instruments used. The composer to the music Christian Maire, set up the microphone inside the instruments as to allow the mechanical structure of the sounds to be heard. The decision to do so has been aptly chosen as the film itself is about the invention of mechanical machines, while being constructed itself with a very non-mechanical medium of paper.