Art in 18th century

As you remember, The Declaration of Independence took place in 1776. The U.S. began creating their own history and national identity, a part of which, of course, expressed through art. So today we will be looking at some history paintings which means a lot of portaits. 

I will focus on only two artists as all the charateristics can be seen in the work of these two major ones of the period Both born in 1738, John Singleton Copley and Benjamin West. They extended the range of subject matter in American painting to include historical, mythological and landscape subjects as well as the traditional portrait. Copley's aspirations and attitude to the role of the painter in the colonies and 'young' America can be seen in his own remark:

 "was it not for preserving the resemblance of particular persons, painting would not be known in the place. The people regard it as no more than any other useful trade ... like that of a carpenter, tailor, or shoemaker, not as one of the most noble arts in the world".

  Take a look at some work from the two gentlemen

B. West Charles Wilson Peale (1769)

B. West Harvesting at Windsor (1795)

What else can you say about the style after seeing the pictures?

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Abstract expressionism

In the 1940s New York became the centre of the western art world, a role normally attached to Paris. All thanks to post World War II art movement in American painting called Abstract Expressionism. 

 The term describes  a variety of artists and works which have a few features in common.
It is around 1950, do you remember what the U.S. has been going through during the last two decades? Not really pleasant  period with The Great Depression and then WWII.
Abstract expressionisms  is an expressive art of profound emotion and universal themes, most  shaped by the legacy of Surrealism, a movement that they translated into a new style fitted to the post-war mood of anxiety and trauma. 

Autumn Rhythm No. 30 Jackson Pollock (1950)

Pollock painted through "actions": an energetic technique of dripping and pouring paint on a canvas that is placed directly on the floor.



In Abstract art  paintings are the most popular, however, the milieu of Abstract Expressionism united also sculptors as well as photographers.
Having matured as artists at a time when America suffered economically and felt culturally isolated and provincial, the Abstract Expressionists were later welcomed as the first authentically American avant-garde. Their art was championed for being emphatically American in spirit - monumental in scale, romantic in mood, and expressive in individual's freedom and experience. 
A painting itself was seen as a struggle between self-expression and the chaos of the unconscious. Although it is true that spontaneity or the impression of spontaneity characterized many of the abstract expressionists works, most of these paintings involved careful planning due to its large size.

Woman V Willem de Kooning (1952)

Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 110 Robert Motherwell (1971)

Onement 1 Barnett Newman (1948)

Newman was most well known for his colour field paintings and use of "zips." Zips are the strips of colour running vertically on his painting and were made with a variety of techniques using tape to block off parts of the painting to make the stripes.














Task
Find out what is the other name of Abstract Expressionism and why Pollock's works are so recognizable and appreciated

You can find the answers here :)

Pop art

Today I'll be writing about something we all know, as pop art is still popular in western and global culture. 
We can easily distinguish it from different art movements. Let's look deeper into the origins, artist and characteristics that make it stand out. 

Andy Warhol Campbells Soup Cans

American pop art flourished during the 60s,a bit later than its British brother. One of the first exhibitions took place in late 1950s in New York, and then in Los Angeles where the famous Andy Warhol's soup can painting was sold.

Pop art in the U.S. had more serious tone than the British movement. It was a response to the world of advertising and commersialism in which America sank after World War II .
It also aimed to blur the boundaries between "high" art and "low" culture and to show that there is no hierarchy of culture and that art may borrow from any source.




 Artists were inspired also by comics, a lot of works looks as if it was a comic scene.Roy Lichtenstein  was well known because of that as his work borrowed heavily from the art in American comic books. He used  parody in a soft manner to show the modern world. His work features thick outlines, bold colors dots to represent certain colors, as if created by photographic reproduction.His greatest works were made with the use of oil and Magna paint (acrylic paint).

Here's some puzzle for you 45 Mural

Hudson River School

Hudson River School is famous for being the first native school of painting in the United States. It is represented by several generations of painters who worked between 1825 to 1870.

So, firstly, the origins of the name.  It is thought to have originated from a picturesque region north from the New York City, through which Hudson river flows, and which inspired some of the first members of the school.
However, the huge amount of Hudson River School painters share something more than the geographic location. Let's take a look at the art's characteristics :)
As the outgrowth of Romantic movement, the artists perceived nature as manifestation of God's power and mercy. One more reason they focused on the beauty of nature is to adore the American landscapes- the aim was simple nationalistic; to become independent of British influence, to create something entirely devoted to American loveliness.

They often show how people coexist with nature peacefully, in a perfect harmony. Landscapes are very  realistic with all the details. The art refers to three main themes of  19th century America: discovery, exploration and settlement.
Painters were fascinated by the beauty of landscapes, the possibility of discovering and using them.

 The artist said to be the "father" of Hudson River School is, an English born emigrant, Thomas Cole. He moved to New York in 1825 and quickly interested other artist with his romantic portrayals of American wilderness. The story goes that in late 1825 Cole sailed along the banks of the Hudson river, making sketches. He produced a series of paintings that, when spotted in a bookstore window by three influential artists, gained him widespread commissions and almost instant fame.

Distant View of Niagara Falls (1830)

You can find one of the School's collection in Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Luminism or impressionism?

Luminism is an American style of landscape painting most present in 1850s-1870s, influenced highly by Hudson River School. The term was introduced in mid 20th century by art historians. Artists wanted to admire the US nature beauty.

Look at the most famous paintings from that period and try to guess the characteristics of luminism!

How is it going? Any ideas?
You have probably  noticed the calmness and tranquility. The whole scene is modeled by rays of light, using aerial perspective (this is how atmospheric conditions influence our perception of objects in the distance). The sky usually occupies about one-half of the composition, which is often in the format of a long rectangle.

Does it somehow makes you think of impressionism? The both share an emphasis on the effect of light, but luminism, opposed to impressionism, is also characterised by attention to detail and the hiding od brushstrokes.

Have one of impressionistic works for comparisement :)

Can you find at least two names of the most famous luminism painters?
What did appear first in American painting? Luminism or impressionism?

Broadway dreams

Every child who has decided to become a professional dancer, dreams about Broadway scene. Take lessons from the best professionals in the most famous school Broadway Dance Center and become a star!
The school was founded in 1984 and now you can choose from over 200 classes a week in various styles- Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Theather and even Belly Dancing or Yoga!
Students are divided into groups, depending on which level they are. From Basic(0-2 years of practise) to advance (10+ years of practise). It is open everyday and the cost of one lesson is around 17$. So. maybe if you have never thought about dancing it is time to give it a chance and discover a new talent ;)

And when you become one of the greatest Broadway theatre awaits you. To be exact, 41 theatres with at least 500 seats in each. Thanks to all famous musicals and plays, New York is considered to be cultural capital of the nation.
Its history dates back to 1750 when the first theatre, holding 280 people, was created. It presented Shakespearean plays and ballad operas. In 1873 the first musical, The Black Crook, was a record-breaking success with 474 performances!
Now, millions of people come from all around the world to see amazing spectacles of more or less knows stories, despite the fact that tickets are said to be fairly expensive. For example, a ticket for The Lion King musical is worth around $200 (the musical is two hours and thirty minutes long). To date, The Lion King’s on Broadway performance has accumulated an incredible amount of money: $1.09 billion.

Gareth Saxe as Scar in The Lion King

The theatre equivalent of the Oscars is the Tony Awards. They were first held back in 1947. Originally, they didn’t hand out statues, and the prize was a cigarette lighter (for men) and a compact (for women). Prizes are awarded for both musicals and plays.
Broadway Street is definetely a must-see while visiting New York. Every performance is a unforgettable show with breath-taking scenography and flawless acting.

How about you? Would you rather take part in a performarce as audience or an actor?

The famous HOLLYWOOD SIGN

Last time I mentioned one of the most famous buildings on the East Coast, but today we are moving to a completely different place - to the West Coast of the U.S.A, to Los Angeles in California.

From the hills located in the northern part of Los Angeles one can get a spectacular view on the whole city. It is also where the famous "Hollywood" sign is located.

It is located on a steep south hillside of Mount Lee in Griffith Park. The height at which it is places is 481 m above sea level. Each of the letters is 15 m high and they are perfectly visible from almost every single spot near Sunset Boulevard. It became the symbol of show biz and almost everyone associates it with the sunny Los Angeles.
You all probably know this sign, but what about its history?

The history of this sign reaches over 90 years. It was first designed and mounted in 1923, however it was supposed to be 'exhibited' for only 18 months. It was made out of wooden roofings and telegraph poles. The cost reached 21.000$. What is interesting, the sign back then did not look as it does today - the letters created the name "HOLLYWOODLAND". Its construction was initiated by the developer and its major purpose was to encourage people to buy houses in the luxurious LA neighborhood in the area of the sign.

People soon started to buy houses in this area, however not really because of this sign. Nonetheless, after the great success, the developer refused to dismount the sign, which had already gained the title of the city's symbol by then. It was associated with success and splendor of the great city and its movie-industry. Many people started to consider it as an embodiment of an American Dream. They associated the sign with liberty, hope, happiness, beauty and dreams fulfillment.

However beautiful and eye-catching, the HOLLYWOODLAND sign began to deteriorate. It was caused by years passing by and weather factors: wind, sun and rain.  The metal construction became rusty and wooden elements rotted. Moreover, in 1940 one man lost control over his car and bumped into the first letter of the sign "H", which partially tilted and collapsed.

In 1949 the city bought the sign from the developer and renewed it. The first letter was repaired and the last fours letters were deleted. From then on the sign's aim was to represent the whole city, not just the local developer.

The sign today:

The view from behind the sign: 

Interesting fact is that many cities wanted to imitate this famous sign and created different versions of the sign and then also mounted them in mountain areas. One of the examples may be the Romanian city of Brasov. 

Task: find other examples of the Hollywood sign imitations and write where are they located. :)

The greatest art museums

For some people museums equals boredom. Walking around quietly and looking at pictures. And yet, the best art museums in the US are highly visited by people all around the world. So what is the fuss about? Do you have to be passionate about art to truly enjoy the visit? Let's focus on two most famous places.
First one is Art Institute of Chicago. It hosts approximately 1.5 million guests annually and its collection size is 300,000 works! Including iconic pictures by Pablo Picasso or Edward Hopper. You can notice how the style of painting has changed through the centuries and how it differ in American, Asian and European art. But it's not only about paintings, the place also has one of the largest art history and architecture libraries in the country. The museum is open every day till 5pm and the recommended length of a visit is 2-3 hours. One ticket for a student costs around 20$. You can get an audiobook or download an app before going, that will allow you to easily get the information about works.

the inside view of the museum

Pablo Picasso The Old Guitarist, 1903

Edward Hopper Nighthawks, 1942

Now, moving to New York City, second museum I'd like to talk about is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2010 it was visited by 5.24 million people (ranked 4th globally)! Pretty impressive, isn't it? It holds over two million works, divided in seventeen departments: from classical antiquity and ancient Egypt to extensive collection of American and modern art. Works from every corner of the world collected in this one place; armours, sculptures, paintings, photographs. I guess that everybody can find something to admire. Students can enter the museum for only 12$.

The Great Hall

Mummy

Which of the two would you like to visit and why? :)