Xu Wei was a Chinese painter, calligrapher, poet and playwright during the Ming Dynasty. He lived a very miserable and unsuccessful life. He was also mentally ill, attempting to suicide nine times. He also murdered his second wife and attempted to murder his third wife because he was suspicious of them cheating. After spending seven years in jail for his offenses, he spent the rest of his life painting. His misery was the driving force of his success as an artist. His work started to gain popularity 20-years after he died. Yuan Hongdao, leader of the Gong’an School, was determined to collect Xu’s work and research more about him. Yuan then made a biography for Xu. After the biography was created, a lot of Xu fans started to surface, which included many famous Chinese painters.
"Chrysanthemums and Bamboos" by Xu Wei, created during Ming Dynasty
Chrysanthemums and Bamboos, made during the Ming Dynasty, is one of his well-known pieces. I like this painting because of its smooth brush strokes and the use of dark and light grays to contrast the subject. It is very common to see calligraphy in Chinese art. It can mean anything from a poem, thoughts from the artist about the painting, or what the artist is feeling. Xu was very good at calligraphy. I believed that his painting techniques rubbed off his calligraphy skills. If you look closely at the painting and compare it to his calligraphy, you can see the resemblance in technique. It is also ironic to see he creates beautiful art for being a troubled man.
Fernando Botero was born in Columbia in 1932. At the age of 19, he had his first solo exhibit in Bogota. He had a difficult time letting go of his work, which made him a big collector of his own work. He was offered huge sums of money from fans and collectors but he refused to give up his work. Botero was known for his robust and inflated subjects matters. These rounded images were made to represent sarcasm and humor. His paintings show political and social commentary and symbolizes power and authority. Most of his paintings portrayed scenes from his hometown, Columbia.
"Dancing in Columbia" by Fernando Botero, 1983
In this painting, Dancing in Columbia, depicts a late-night dance scene at a club. Again, all of his subject matters are rounded and chubby, even the instruments. I like this painting because of its details and the symbols that were not communicated. The room that they are in is small and crowded with musicians, dancers and a jukebox, which means its hot or maybe even sweaty and the music is loud. The floor is covered in cigarettes and fruits and the light bulbs are lighted, which must have meant that it was long night for all of them.
Carl Warner He was born in Liverpool, England in 1963. At a small age, he was very fond of art. As an only child, he spent his days drawing from his imagination and was inspired by many artists. When his career began, he started as a still life photographer. He then expanded his knowledge to advertising and worked with models and landscaping, shooting a variety of products and brands. His most famous work is making landscape with food. It started a revolution for his career and was soon commissioned by many advertising agencies to create his foodscapes for the food industry. Warner became the biggest name in advertising, photography, and food.
"Garlicshire" by Carl Warner, 2009
Garlicshire was made solely for all garlic lovers in the world and for his book, Foodscapes. This photograph was inspired by Tolkein’s novel, The Hobbit. This is a depiction of Bilbo Baggins home village. This artwork fits into my theme because he used food as the subject. I was very amazed when I first saw this photograph. First thing I thought about was The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings; and I didn’t know that was his intent. I like how the photo looks very dreamy. And I liked how he incorporated Garlic to make little houses and a clove for the moon.
"Salami Road" by Carl Warner, 2008
Salami Road is made up of all meat and sausages. From the sky, to the trees and the road, everything you see in this photo is made entirely up of meat. Doesn’t it make you hungry? This particular photo was created to advertise Negroni, one of the finest italian producers of cold cuts. It is also the eleventh photo of his meat series. Again, he incorporated food, particularly meat, which fits in with my theme. One thing I like about this photo is that it makes me hungry. Which may be the reaction others might have on it. He has such a great mind of creativity and I am amazed at his work.
"London Skyline" by Carl Warner, 2010
London Skyline consists of London’s memorable sites. There is the London Eye made of green beans and cherry tomatoes; St. Paul’s Cathedral is made up of carrots, yellow and green courgettes, baby leeks, baby sweet corn, watermelon; Big Ben features slices of lemon, asparagus, sweet corn; and Houses of Parliament is made up of green and runner beans. Food is once again utilized relates to my theme. This photo appeals to me because he managed to construct this model with only fruits and vegetables. I know for sure that fruits and vegetables does not look that good in real life. Also, the colors are so vibrant and it looks so realistic.
Jason Baalman
This Houston native has not received any formal training on art beside extracurricular art classes that his parents put him through when he was a child. Art just turned into a hobby for him. He majored in bioengineering at the University of Southern California but dropped out in 2001. His parents owned a business in Colorado so he moved there to help them out. After years of being a chocolatier, he began to purse art professionally and his brand, Eclectic Asylum was born. He developed a website for his portfolio and he received many contacts asking him to sketch portraits of them from a picture they have given him. He got tired of pencil and charcoal portraits so he started to use food as his art tool. He has used ketchup, barbecue sauce, chocolate syrup, Cheetos and many more. His works attracted the general public and his business sky-rocketed.
Speed Painting with Ketcup and Fries by Jason Baalman, 2007 In this painting, his tool of choice is ten packets of ketchup as paint and a fresh batch of Mcdonald’s French Fries as his paint brush. This painting originally took 50-minutes but speed painting plays for 4-minutes. This painting goes along with my theme because food is used to create art. I like this painting because of its creativity and his art tool. He makes use of what he has and managed to create a delicious masterpiece.
Vegemite on Toast Speed Painting: TheHills88 Portrait by Jason Baalman, 2007 Nine pieces of toast, a butter knife, and Vegemite, which is a spread made up of leftovers of brewed beer, was used to create this portrait. Vegemite is banned from the United States so he had to buy it online. It took One-hour and thirty-minutes to create this toasted portrait. Food art being my theme, this matches perfectly. Again, I like that he used unique art tools. The canvas is pieces of toast, which makes the portrait difficult to create because its like a puzzle and he used a lot of trial and error.
Conan’s Cheetos Portrait – Cheesy Art – Conan O’Brien by Jason Baalman, 2010 This artwork was made with over 50 bags of Cheetos and with four different flavors to give it color. Almost 2,000 individual Cheetos and a good amount of glue and varnish was used to create this portrait of Conan O’Brien. This portrait fits my theme because of his use of food. I like this portrait because he once again proves that food can be art too. I like his use of different types of Cheetos, which make this portrait more detailed. It also very interesting that he used Cheetos to create this.
Child on Porch by Eudora Welty, Hinds County, Mississippi, 1936
The Great Depression started in the United States and spread worldwide. It was an economic crash that affected many men, women and children. Life during the depression was hard. Many people were unemployed, it was difficult to put food on the table, and homelessness wasn’t an option anymore; it was a must. Children played in the dirt and harsh living conditions was unsanitary for them.
Eudora Welty was a writer and photographer and had lived through the Great Depression. She is widely known for her documented photos of the American South taken during that time. Her photos were mostly of ordinary people struggling with daily living conditions during the Depression. And of course, there were no digital cameras at the time so photos were taken on film and were black and white.
Child on Porch, taken in 1936, was one of her famous photos. The photo depicts a young girl sitting on the rails of a porch. She is pictured dirty and tired. Children of the time could not afford toys so they would play on the streets, in the dirt, the gutters, or where ever they could to keep themselves entertained. The girl in this photo looks very tired and bored at the same time.
Welty’s photo appealed to me because she captured not only a moment, but an emotion of what children actually went through during the Depression. This photograph reflects the personal hardship of a child. Welty manages to show her compassion and love for capturing America’s bravery during hardship.
I can now say that impressionism is my favorite style of art. The technique of loose and quick brush strokes with the mixture of dabbing colors together creates images far beyond imagination.
Renoir’s Dance at Bougival (1883, Montmartre, France)
Dance at Bougival by Pierre-Auguste Renoir is a good example of impressionism. I like the technique of not using harsh lines to distinguish the subjects in the painting. In this painting, it is obvious that the main subject is the dancing couple. Without bold lines to outline the subject, he managed to exaggerate the couple even though there are many subjects in the background. I love how the colors flow together to make this dreamy effect. Although, there is no articulation in details, it is quite eye-catching and astonishing.
There are some that don’t agree with this style of painting and would like to see bold lines and concentrate more on the intricate details.
For example, Scene de Carnaval ou Le Menuet, by Classical painter, Giandomenico Tiepolo, is a painting which depicts dancing as well. The details here are so eloquent and there are many subjects in the painting. The painting looks too distracting and it is hard to concentrate on one thing or the main subject; whatever it is. It makes you want to study the image because there is so much going on.
Teipolo's Scene de Carnaval ou Le Menuet (1750, Musée du Louvre, Paris)
Impressionist painting gives you the chance to see through the eyes of the artist. It helps you to focus on what the artist’s goal is in the painting; whether it be their feelings, emotions, or life experience. Kind of makes you wonder what was going through their minds while they were painting.
At the beginning of the Classical era, music was composed mainly for private concerts for the Aristocratic patrons. At the end of the era, composers continued to work as freelancers, composing music for the wealthy as well as public concert halls and opera houses. Now that music was being performed publicly, there was changed in audience. The middle class now had the privilege to attend musical performances and concerts and grew interested in classical music. With the change in audience, came the change in music. Music was melody driven. The homophonic texture in music was favored over the polyphonic texture and music became more understandable and organized. The importance of music became a part of middle class life and demanded more of this style of music This was a great time for composers because the music market was blooming. This led to the creation of the Symphony and the Sonata. Ludwig Van Beethoven, who was and still is a well-known composer, contributed to these styles of music. One of his popular sonatas and my all time favorite piece is the Moonlight Sonata.
Beethoven was a German composer and a pianist. He studied music under his father and Joseph Haydn. Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# minor, popularly known as Moonlight Sonata, was completed in 1801 in Hungary. It was dedicated to 17-year old Countess Giulietta Guicciardi, who Beethoven had been or was in love with. I like this Sonata because of its soothing but strong piano melody. It is played throughout the song with a few modifications. I also liked how the beginning of the song is played delicately and soft as the melody slowly develops louder and profound. The end of the song is very heavy and intense, which is what Beethoven is known for. Throughout the song, there is a soft instrument accompaniment, which brings out the melody. Although composed solely for his young pupil, it has a broader appeal to audiences because of its leading melody and homophonic style. It is definitely worth listening to. Enjoy!
During the Baroque era, the Catholic Church wanted to reinvent Rome just as they did during the Renaissance era. Popes became huge supporters of art and architecture. They used art to guard the reputation of the Catholic Church. They created the Council of Trent to counter the Reformation and to do away with the Mannerist style of art. They wanted faithful believers to be inspired by the message of the church through art and understand art easily. The Italian artist, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, knew exactly how to portray all that.
"Ecstasy of St. Theresa" (1647 - 1652) by Bernini
Bernini was a supporter of the Counter Reformation in Rome. He is mostly known for this sculpture work. One of the popular sculptures he created was the Ecstasy of St. Theresa, which resides in the Santa Maria Della Vittoria, Rome. He started this piece in 1647 and finished it in 1652. The statue shows a smiling angel holding a golden arrow getting ready to plunge it into St. Theresa heart, while St. Theresa is in awe of the moment. There are many assumptions on what the statue may mean. Some say that it is Bernini’s portrayal of blending spiritual and sensual pleasure. Others say its the point of contact between heaven and earth or matter and spirit. And many critics depict the statue portrayed a moment of sexual orgasm because of way her mouth is opened and how her boy is positioned. Although these assumptions may sound correct, it is not the depiction Bernini was going for. Bernini was a very religious man and he wouldn’t create a sculpture that would go against the church. His depiction of the Ecstacy of St. Theresa describes the facial and body expression of divine joy. Basically, St. Theresa is pictured overwhelmed by the miraculous vision.
I like this sculpture because the details are amazing. The expression of their face and body language shows the emotions of that very moment. I’m also amazed on how the statue is positioned. The statue is recessed into the wall so you can only see the front of it. It is placed between two marble columns. Behind the statue are some imitated sunlight along with natural sunlight coming from the window above it. And although you can’t see the floor in the picture, the statue is placed above a marbled tile design that represents death. Bernini’s style is very creative and unique. Although there were some criticism on the sculpture because of its sexual views, it is one of Bernini’s successful works.
"Assumption of the Virgin (Assunta)" (1516-1518) by Titian
The Reinvention of Rome changed everything during the Renaissance. It was the rise of the christian church and the boom of biblical art. During this time, the church supported the arts. Most of their money was used to purchase paintings, sculptures and monuments in dedication to their one true God. In fact, great artists of the era created many christian monuments that still stand today. Some of the more renown monuments you may have heard of are the Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, the Patheon, and the Sistine Chapel. All these monuments were admired on the outside, but it was the work on the inside that fascinated people. One painting that caught my attention was created about 500 years ago and can be seen today in the Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice, Italy. It is the Assumption of the Virgin by Titian.
Titian's original artwork the "Assunta" stands 23 ft. tall above the altar of St. Frari.
Titian was born around 1488. He was just ten years old when his parents sent him and his elder brother to Venice to be trained as painters. He studied under one of the greatest artist of their time, Giovanni Bellini. As he got older, he established himself as a painter in Venice and was asked to do many church pieces. In 1516, he was asked to do an altarpiece for St. Frari. It was called the Assumption of the Virgin or Assunta. In his painting, you can feel the emotions and personality of each person during that moment. The Virgin Mary is pictured as a beautiful, powerful yet humble woman. The disciples who witnessed her levitation are understandably shocked and amazed. And God and the angels are pleased as they receive her. Not only has Titian truly captured the essence of the story, but his use of color and light is amazing. I love the color of the vertical gradient. You can tell the difference between heaven and earth because of his choice of colors. Heaven is bright and beautiful with a burst of sunshine while earth is gray and dull. His style and technique named him one of the finest painters in Italy. He finally finished the painting in 1518.
Although it took Titian two years to complete this oil painting, it is evident that he dedicated his heart and time into it. His attention to detail is astonishing and he really captured such a dramatic moment without it being too melodramatic. I like his style of painting and I admire his work. I’m very happy that they managed to preserve his painting and I hope to see it in person one day.
