Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Artist of the Beautiful, Barbara Pollack's Stitches in Time, and Car Jung's The Spirit Man, Art and Literature
The artist has been a mystery to many of us: unexplainably driven in his work; seemingly unconcerned with any other aspects of his life; often oblivious to the world around him. The artists in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Artist of the Beautiful," Barbara Pollack's "Stitches in time," and Carl Jung's "The Spirit in Man, Art, and Literature" represent some or all of these characteristics. I decided to base this paper on these readings because I found the ideas presented in them interesting and worth exploring.
Jung writes a very interesting piece that examines the artist's source of creativity.
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Because these women and their families live in poverty there are no materials set aside for quilting. They use mainly worn-out work clothes and produce many ingenious patterns and styles. Unlike Warland they do not have to prove themselves to anyone and work without pressure, willingly and happily on their quilts. This does not mean, of course, that Warland viewed his art as a chore. By no means! It was time consuming and intense work but something he was determined to pursue and accomplish.
It is important to note the distinctions between the artists. Hawthorne's and Jung's artists fit perfectly the perceptions presented in the introduction while the women of Gee's Bend are the exact opposite. For the women, art fits into their day; for Hawthorne's and Jung's artists, life has to fit into their art.
Jung states that "an artist [he] is nothing but his work, and not a human being (para 156)." For Warland this is true. He fluctuates between periods of intense activity working on his creation and periods of deep brooding and greatly diminished drive and zeal. He often needs a reminder to rekindle his interest in making his "beautiful." Whenever Warland was involved in his work he became the epitome of Jung's artist: his art seizes him and makes him his instrument (para 157) and he pays dearly for his
"divine gift of creative fire (paral58)" through his diminishing health and the frustrations he
The both stories give you a clear understanding of what the characters think about the quilts and why they're so important.The main idea behind the quilts is to let the reader know what the characters have been through and what memories were formed in their lives.In “Everyday Use”, The quilt was made from their grandma's old dress and the grandpa army uniform. In “My Mother Pieced Quilts”, the mom used old dresses and nightgowns.The Daughter reflects on her mother's memories when she runs down and up of the quilt.There are sculptures of their family and in the quilt, there's death and life, love.The quilt becomes a
In Andy Warhol we see a sense of shame, but also acceptance and contentment by the light clasp of his hands, and the slight straining of his shoulders. His eyes are closed, which could either be out of fear of being seen, or a sense of peace at finally being seen. His lips are delicately pursed, which, again, shows that he could either be fighting the urge to cower and hide, or his own frustration with this desire, and his determination to continue. In addition to these many subtle expressions of emotion, we know that the actual man was known for his cool and confident attitude, which tells us just how much of a big deal his utter vulnerability truly is. Neel has stripped all outside masks, and has unearthed the frightened, old man beneath Warhol’s suave persona. Conversely, we see nothing but aloofness and an impassioned gaze within Schiele’s Self-Portrait with Chinese Lantern. Schiele has drawn himself looking at the viewer with his chin held up and his shoulders tilted back, an aura of complete confidence and self-importance all but oozing out of him. His face seems to ask, “Is that all that you’ve got?”. The placement of his arms belies his face though, for they’re tightly bound around his front, near his waist, showing that he may not be as self-assured as he
While the painters after the Impressionism period were collectively called the “Post-Impressionists,” the label is quite reductive. Each artist had their own unique style, from Seurat’s pointillism to Signac’s mosaic-like divisionism, Cezanne, Émile Bernard, and others. These artists were all connected in that they were reacting to the aesthetics of Impressionism. Two of the more influential painters from this movement were Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, who aimed to connect with viewers on a deeper level by access Nature’s mystery and meaning beyond its superficial, observable level. However, each artist’s approach to achieving this goal was different. In close examination of Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait (Dedicated to Paul Gauguin) and Paul Gauguin’s Self-Portrait with Portrait of Émile Bernard (Les misérables), one may clearly see the two artists’ contrasting styles on display.
A review of the world’s great artists conjures familiar images: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel; Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night; Pablo Picasso’s The Tragedy. There are many more, of course: Monet, Moya, Warhol, Rembrandt, Kandinsky. What is immediately noticeable, however, upon any brief study of art, is the significant absence of women as heralded artists—not only in our ancient pasts, but even today, amongst valiant efforts for gender equality.
On viewing her work, I am reminded of the traditional art of quilt making, an art once dismissed as “women’s work” but reevaluated by the Pattern and Decoration movement during the second wave of feminism during the 1970’s. Historically quilt makers have used its qualities to communicate political and social messages. For example, the Abolition quilts made during the US Civil war era were inscribed with messages decrying the evils of slavery. However, Gower uses the repetitions of the motifs and tessellations of quilt making practice to draw attention to the excesses of mass
physically and mentally, quilting has acted as an art that transcends racial barriers and to bring
Their individual perspectives in life ultimately shaped their education, experiences and overall point of view. This essay will outline the similarities and differences in subject matter, tone and imagery of these two artists’ bodies of work.
An important part in every person’s life is the search for personal identity and self-knowledge. This struggle involves working out a concept of oneself as a unique individual and embracing an ideology or system of values that provide a sense of direction, as stated in Weiten’s Psychology: Themes and Variations. Similarly, in Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, Griet grapples with her identity as a maid, and entertains the idea that she can choose a path not set out for her. Her journey of self-discovery leads to a deeper understanding of her role in Vermeer’s paintings, and what it means for her own life. The Vermeer’s influence on Griet affects her transition from adolescence into adulthood, thus affecting the choices she makes. These choices define Griet as a person even when she feels she no longer has any trace of her old self left. Although Griet does not completely sever her ties to her old life, Griet does fit the archetype of a hero on a hero’s quest because of the challenges crucial to her journey and through the redemption of her personal values.
Quilting can also be used for expression of oneself or for social commentary. Back in the 1800’s when there were many wars women would usually make quilts because they were what was needed in those times and the fabric was often hard to come by and it was usually saved for clothes making.” It was a means to escape from the isolation of their lifestyle and it allowed them the artistic freedom to express themselves. The quilts produced by our ancestors told stories about their lifestyles that could not be captured by pen and paper. Every quilt we see today, regardless of when the quilt was made, relates a story. The types of fabrics, the design of the quilt, the signature of the quilter, all reveal an intimate story of the woman or man who made the quilt.” (Meeske,Quilt Me a Story) They used quilting to get out of the bleakness and horrible things that were going on in their lives at the moment and put how they felt in the quilts. Around the mid-1800’s women quilted a lot more to show artistic talent, political views, and even their emotions. “Prior to a woman’s ability to vote, some women used their artistic talents and expressed their political views through a quilt. The issue of slavery in the United States in the mid-1800s led to quilt patterns called Slave Chain
| a celebration of the genius that enabled certain people to convey profound insights through art.
First I would like to explain some images and symbols in my quilt which will help with the comparison of the community quilt made for the Strive Smart Preparatory School. My quilt has the central figures of my daughter and I, whom I hold dearly and is the most important person in my life. The surrounding images are my love of travel, seeing parts of the world that I always dreamed about and my curiosity of other cultures. The image of a chameleon is a trait of my personality and the ability to adapt to different environments and challenges. The dragon slayer is an ultra-ego figure that I envision myself as being courageous; there are two figures in the image, which I see my daughter (Chelsea) as being with the aid of her mother. The two images of a hutch back and graphic of China devouring the world is my artwork, created to express opinions of environmental destruction, which is further convey by the Apple symbol at the top with the green leaves budding from the earth.
Why do I wish to encourage you to forge ahead in your efforts to get started (or continue) at basic quilting? One reason is that the art of quilting is rich in historical significance. This craft was introduced to Europeans as far back as the 12th century. Quilting gave women a means of social interaction while remaining productive. Today, both women and men of all ages may enjoy quilting alone and in groups – and so, the tradition continues.
Culturally, the symbolism of a quilt is understood to be an heirloom piece that is closely guarded and highly prized. The ownership of the quilt and the generational lines it passes down is known before the piecing is begun. Stitching the pieces together is done by groups of women. The tiny bits of cloth each carry a memory, one from grandpa's shirt, one square from an aunt's Christmas dress, a piece from the flannel nightgown a mother wore as she pulled her sick child close to her bosom. The pieces are carefully and artistically pieced together into a collage of
The people back in the 19th century really didn’t accept Van Gaogh’s truthful and emotionally morbid way of expressing the way of art is to himself. It finally was seen as art through the people’s eyes. This set a stage of art that is now known as Expressionism. It is best characterized by the use of symbols and a style that expresses the artist’s inner feelings about his subject. His style of painting is exemplified by a projection of the painter’s inner experience onto the canvas he paints on. Van Gogh’s paintings are done with his feelings that goes on in his life. (Mark Harden’s Artchive)
James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man presents an account of the formative years of aspiring author Stephen Dedalus. "The very title of the novel suggests that Joyce's focus throughout will be those aspects of the young man's life that are key to his artistic development" (Drew 276). Each event in Stephen's life -- from the opening story of the moocow to his experiences with religion and the university -- contributes to his growth as an artist. Central to the experiences of Stephen's life are, of course, the people with whom he interacts, and of primary importance among these people are women, who, as his story progresses, prove to be a driving force behind Stephen's art.