Andy Warhol uses a unique and whimsical style when he creates one of his iconic pieces. Between the blotted lines and rubber stamps he uses to create his work, he also uses aggressive and bold gestures of paint that set his work apart from other artists of his time. He casts a cool and ironic light on the extensiveness of commercial culture and contemporary celebrity worship. Early in his career, he began to utilize the silkscreen process to transfer photographic images to canvas; images of mass-produced consumer products and Hollywood film stars are among his most recognizable subjects. The compilation of paintings was conceived after President Nixon’s historic trip to China in 1972. “This series announced Warhol’s return to painting with …show more content…
The one that was shown in the UMMA in Ann Arbor was a smaller canvas, which was very different than that seen elsewhere. Some of Warhol’s reproductions were as high has 14 feet tall. Between the use of synthetic polymer paint and silkscreen ink on the canvas it creates a visual eye catching work of art. Warhol used ferocious paint strokes over the Great Helmsman’s face, and used almost a full pastel color scheme throughout. With a strong pastel blue background, and a pastel turquoise shirt painted over the Mao print, you can see the variation in strokes and thought put into the whole painting. Both the background and the shirt are opaque however the layers that covers the face that was made with tints of red and some orange were more translucent and had a harsher stroke to them rather than an even smooth layering that was a distinct dimension. Since there are elements of layering between the opaque, translucent and silkscreen top layer the viewer is able to get some depth out of it when viewing the work from a distance. This depth and levels of transparency create such flow and movement through the piece and cause your eye to flow freely throughout it, just mesmerized by its execution. There is an incorporated texture with the print of Mao, which is black, and that adds another element to make the piece bolder. This element of brings your eye directly to the piece rather than wandering the room to glimpse at the other great works found at
In the late 1950’s, Warhol began to have the interest in painting. He painted his first well-known paintings, which was based on comics, and ads he found in 1961. The next year the big spots lights came on and he had his big introduction on the Campbell’s Soup Can series, which changed him completely. Shortly after, Warhol got the inspiration and started working on a large variety of movie star portraits, including Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, and the biggest of all Marilyn Monroe. Using screen-printing process, and knowing that Marilyn was one of the biggest deaths in a while, he decided to take that for granted and come up with this marvilent idea to make him go viral.
The sixties were a time of social and political change in America, and the art world was not left untouched. Early in the decade a new movement focused on popular culture and national icons began to develop. It was aptly named Pop art. "Many critics were alarmed by Pop, uncertain whether it was embracing or parodying popular culture and fearful that it threatened the survival of both modernist art and high culture..." (Stokstad 1101) Pop artists were not the first to make cultural statements with their work, however controversial art always draws criticism and attention. One of the most well known artists of the Pop movement was Andy Warhol, a young commerial illustrator from manhattan. Warhol's use of popular icons and brands as the focus
The Vietnam War was a period painted by immense social conflict alongside the physical conflict in Vietnam. Specifically in America, the war raised not only the problem of whether or not it was moral, but raised the question of how informed citizens were of the actions of their country. Art of all forms became a gateway for Americans to not only learn about what was happening overseas in the war, but also became a tool for them to express their own opinions toward the war. Art during the Vietnam War served to educate America and to drive protests for and against the war.
I was looking at a bunch of Warhol’s paintings and I was confused. I was just staring at them and I’m thinking “why don’t you look like a Warhol?’ Then I realize that these paintings are from when he was younger. This was before he defined his aesthetic. I believe this was his discovering phase then he goes into his silk screening phase. Andy Warhol used current icons from the world for his work. One of the famous icons was the Campbell’s soup can. In 1962 Warhol displayed his Campbell's soup piece, one canvas for each 32 types of Campbell's soup. In 1960, Warhol began producing his first canvases, which he based on comic strip subjects. In 1961, he started using the method of silk screening. Silk screening starts with a stencil drawing then transferred with glue onto silk. Warhol's first silkscreen was Campbell’s Soup cans. Campbell’s Soup was an icon in the 1960s that gave you a sense of comfort. In spite of that, Warhol’s Soup Can paintings were to provoke concern about value. At first glance it may seem like a joke but it’s actually a sophisticated and thought-provoking artistic statement. In the 1960s Andy Warhol made a sculpture that was extension of what Warhol had done with the Campbell's Soup Cans, Brillo Boxes. The Brillo Boxes were made out of wood but made to look accurately like the boxes found in the
If people were asked to make a mental picture of a painter working on his work of art, most of them would describe it as a person with a big canvas on a stand in front of them painting the subject which they are looking at. There were two major differences in Pollock's approach to his art compared to other artists. The first major difference was that Jackson painted on the floor. The second difference was that he used a stick instead of a brush. They would say that because they are all not exposed to different types and styles of painting. For those people who do not know much about art wouldn't know the meaning of the painting or how it was created. In some instances people say to themselves, "you call this art, my little brother could
Religious imagery is something that can be found in artwork all through the centuries. An anonymous world-renowned graffiti artist who goes by ‘Banksy’ places traditional paintings in public places altered to send an iconoclastic message about society and government. In this image he depicts a traditional figure of Jesus dying on the cross, but in his hands can be found shopping bags full of presents and candy. Jesus, an iconic figure in religious history, has been turned into a puppet to fit the mold of our consumer driven society. The rhetor presents an iconoclastic view that the integral commemoration of Jesus’ death and the religious aspects
The first superstar of American art, Andy Warhol was obsessed with fame, glamour, and money. He is best known for his images of stars and celebrities and for his reproductions of symbols of the American society.
Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on March 30th 1853, in Zundert, The Netherlands. Van Gogh spent his teenage year’s working for a firm of art dealers; however, he did not embark upon his art career until 1880. Originally, he worked only with dark and gloomy colors, until he came across the art movements developed in Paris known as, Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism (Meier-Graefe 4). Van Gogh than included their brighter colors and unique style of painting into his very own creations. He produced more than 2,000 works, including around 900 paintings and 1,100 drawings and sketches, during the last ten years of his life (Meier-Graefe 10). However, most of his best-known works were produced in his last
Every artist has his or her own style of painting. Each painting tells some sort of story or has some type of personal meaning to the artist. One of the most important figures in modern art is Pablo Picasso. Not only was Pablo Picasso a genius in the field of abstract art, but he also experimented with sculpting and ceramics. Pablo Picasso has taken the world to many places with his unique style of work which is why I believe he is considered to be a genius of the 20th century.
Pablo Picasso - His Life and His Art Pablo Ruiz y Picasso, painter, sculptor, and printmaker, was born in Malaga Spain on October 25, 1881 and died on April 8, 1973.Today he is considered to be one of the most influential and successful artists in history. Picasso contributed many things to 19th century and modern day art and his name is familiar to all those involved in the many different fields of art. Throughout the seven decades that Picasso produced artwork he used many different types of media. In each piece of art he produced he searched for new possibilities, invented images in them, and reflected events that were occurring in his world through his artwork. Picasso had many artistic influences in his life, including Cézanne,
Modernism is an art movement that is characterized by a deliberate departure from tradition to a more expressive form that distinguishes many styles in the arts and literature of the late nineteenth and twentieth century. Emile Bernard was part of this modern art movement as can be seen in his painting, "Breton Woman and Haystacks", painted around 1888. Impressionists were modern artists who tended to paint outside landscapes and street scenes and were concerned with the effects of light. Bernard was a Post-Impressionist artist who considered Impressionism too casual or too naturalistic, and sought a means of exploring emotion in paint. Bernard's work, "Breton Woman and Haystacks", depicts a woman in
Rathnasambhava, the Transcendent Buddha of the South and Madonna Enthroned are very similar images that were produced by very different cultures. Both images were produced during the 13th Century. The image of Rathnasambhava, the Transcendent Buddha of the South was produced in Tibet during an interesting period of the country’s religious history. The branch of Tibetan Buddhism is led by a religious and sometimes political leader called the Dalai Lama. It was during the 13th Century during the reign of Kublai Khan, around the time of the production of this painting, that Tibet experienced the first incarnation of the Dalai Lama. One has to wonder if this painting is somehow related to that occurrence. According to
Case Study: The use of assemblage and the found object in historical and contemporary art practice.
Racial tension is one of the major issues in the U.S. today. Since many centuries ago, this has been an internal problem in this country and this has caused racial strife and disunity among people. There are many who believe that racism is a thing of the past. However, racial tensions are still rampant in this nation and many others. These kinds of problems affect all of us, especially the minorities. If the problems of racial discrimination and tension are not being solved, minorities are likely to feel that they are treated differently. The crucial thing is not to overlook the different races and cultures that are in the community, but to embrace our differences and have mutual respect among races in order to live in harmony. As
The history of art dates back to ancient times. Artwork can be, and was, found around the world. What makes art interesting is that it can be created in any way, shape or form with any materials. It seems that the artwork can also tell us a lot about the artist. Art seems to be simply, a direct, visual reflection of the artist’s life. Therefore, one can assume that an artist’s life experiences and beliefs directly influence their art. If we look at examples from different periods of art we will be able to see the connection between the artist and the art.