2.2 Seurat And Cerebral Art

Impressionism, in contrast, strove not to capture the toils of society in a moralistic setting like Realism did, but to evoke a general mood in the viewer. Painting was transformed from the idea of capturing a moment on canvas to creating a moment on canvas; painting was reduced to its own surface, “no longer transparent means but opaque ends” (Schneider 43). This was exemplified by Manet’s own ideas of painting not as “sight” but as “insight” into the human condition, driven by an artist’s intuition. Manet and the impressionists began painting en plein air, outdoors in the fresh air where they were closer to their subjects and captured the light of fleeting moments like sunrises and sunsets with quick brushstrokes intended to evoke general mood in the viewer based on the capture of light and tones in the painting, leading to the namesake “impression” left by the movement.

The photograph is a very powerful medium. The French painter Paul Delaroche exclaimed upon seeing an early photograph “from now on, painting is dead!” (Sayre, 2000). Many critics did not take photography seriously as a legitimate art form until the 20th century. With the

As this century fades into the past it is worth remembering that its course--in contrast to earlier times--has been chronicled by a visual narrative that relies on the attraction of photographs as means of storing

Between the use of film or digital photography, film is the more effective method when looking for originality and creativity. With the adoption of digital photography, the younger generations, as well as the older and more current photographers are becoming lazy. These groups must recognize that the art of the photograph is being jeopardized by the digital camera and the camera phone. For the current photographers as well as amateur photographers, this essay will serve as testimony to film as well as other chemical methods, and how they shouldn’t be ignored, but preferred. The digital era has had a massive impact on the art world and all of its mediums, but for photography this impact has resulted in the removal of the human from the photograph making process. This intimate process is what makes it an art form. All of films imperfections and unique qualities, as well as its monetary value and scarcity are just a few factors that have made it so precious. To replace this entire process with a microchip is offensive and undermines the importance of the process that is needed to make a photograph. Anyone can take a picture but you must make a photograph, and this skill is being simplified to a digital camera. The impact of the digital era on photography has hindered the process of making a photograph; painting the art form obsolete in today’s society.

George Seurat was born on December 2, 1859 in Paris. He was one of the three children of Chrysostome-Antoine Seurat and Ernestine Faivre. This also means that George comes from a prosperous family that made several sculptors. Unfortunately, he lived with his mother and two siblings which had to be temporarily relocated to Fontainebleau, where they stayed during the Franco-Prussian War and the subsequent Paris Commune rebellion in 1870. However, George’s interest in art was encouraged by his uncle, Paul Haumonté, a textile dealer and amateur painter.

Famous French-American artist-cum-chess player Marcel Duchamp once said, “The individual, man as a man, man as a brain, if you like, interests me more than what he makes, because I've noticed that most artists only repeat themselves.” Duchamp, a highly unorthodox artist of his time, was often hailed as being the Father of Contemporary Art. He detested the so-called “retinal” art of his peers, and strove to make it something deeper—something that manifested its meaning through the lens of the viewer’s mind rather than through the retinas of their eyes. Duchamp believed that over the years, artists and society in general had grown accustomed to what their ancestors have created before them. He believed that art came from within, and was an idea

Van Gogh stares at guests with such solemn eyes that seem to be all colors at once. Claude Monet takes you to the French country side that are covered in swaying pastures of yellow wildflowers and haystacks. The relaxed posed of Renoir’s nude female models shows the realistic ideas the impressionism artists had for the future of art. They painted the true colors of the world around them and present them to us as we pass through the hallways. There is a muffled quietness in the exhibit as everyone observes the sound the paintings reflect as though trying to here the gentle breeze in Monet’s painting of water lilies. Everyone gathers to gaze at George Seurat’s meticulous work that covers an expansive wall which barely contains the impressive effort. Cameras flash trying to capture the unique and awe-inspiring talent and dedication that made Seurat famous but none are able. No one can truly capture the detail and dedication that all artists put into their work through photos, you have to stand right in front of it to come

Georges Seurat was born in Paris, France on December 2, 1859, into a rich Parisian family. His formal art education began in 1875 under sculptor Justin Lequien. Seurat then enrolled in École des Beaux-Arts, a famous art school in France, in 1878, where he studied under Henri Lehmann. However, he left shortly after to study on his own, disgruntled by the school’s policies. He became inspired by the Impressionists works by Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro. Seurat began studying the science of color, line, perception, atmosphere, and light. In 1883, Seurat exhibited one of his drawings for the first time. He was rejected by the same show in the following year. Seurat’s style developed into what is called “Pointillism” or “Divisionism” today. Seurat died on March 29, 1891, due to illness.

Alberti makes it clear that he is not concerned with painting’s origins, even though he briefly discusses them. Subsequently, the author uses old writings as reference to strengthen his point of view on how highly painting is esteemed above other “crafts” history. It is therefore clear that the author believes painting to be somewhat in metaphysical nature, something beyond the ordinary.

Post-impressionist paintings under the “IT’ theory alone were not considered art. To be able to accept post-impressionist paintings as art then required, “a revolution in taste.” The artworld, as Danto would agree needed to bring a new theory in order to

'It quickly emerged that the proper and unique area of competence of each art coincided with all that was unique to the nature of its medium. The task of self-criticism became to eliminate from the effects of each art any and every effect that might conceivably be borrowed from or by the medium of any other art. Thereby each art would be rendered 'pure', and in its 'purify' find the guarantee of its standards of quality as well as of its independence. 'Purity' meant self-definition, and the enterprise of self-criticism in the arts became one of self-definition, with a vengeance.'

Beyond the simple fact that one (post-impressionism) cannot have existed without the other (impressionism) the revolutionary technique shared by both movements; small, generally circular or curved strokes, brilliant colors, use of light, and subject matter that reached beyond the traditional scope ties them together in a unique and easily identifiable manner. One cannot view Monet’s Impressions: soleil levant and Van Gogh’s Starry Night without instantly seeing the undeniable similarities; both artists’ use of light and deliberate brush strokes leave the viewer with little doubt about the artistic movements from which they came.

Marcel Duchamp’s [1887-1968] influence on the modern art world is universally recognized. His legacy remains even today unparalleled; th

“Painting today is pure intuition and luck and taking advantage of what happens when you splash the stuff down. “- Francis Bacon. However when I learnt more about history of art and the way each movement and happenings in the world inspired artist to make new works, I was able to see much more than just a canvas with random paints and sketches. The interesting part about this concept is that each piece of art could be interpreted in many different ways. In contemporary art there isn’t right and wrong, each of us view and find different meanings and connections with artworks.

“Modern painting, breaking through old conversation, has released countless suggestions which are still waiting to be used by the practical world.”(Gropius) The birth of modernism and modern art goes back to the Industrial Revolution, a period that lasted from the 18th to the 19th century, in which rapid changes in manufacturing, transportation, and technology profoundly affected the social, economic, and cultural conditions of life in Western Europe, North America, and eventually the world. Before the 19th century, artists created art pieces for wealthy people and institution places like the church where they can create art works about storytelling of religious or mythological scenes . These arts were there to instruct the viewers.However, this changed when during the 19th century many artists began to create works that were about people, places, or ideas that interested them, and of which they had direct experience. With the popularization of the idea of a subconscious mind, many artists began exploring dreams, symbolism, and personal iconography as avenues for the depiction of their subjective experiences.Challenging the notion that art must realistically depict the world, some artists experimented with the expressive use of color, non-traditional materials, and new techniques and mediums.