Magic Realism: Post-Expressionists' Return to Realism - by Annette Labedzki

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Magic Realism: Post-Expressionists' Return to Realism

Magic Realism – The Concept

In the art genre Magic Realism, actual scenarios are interwoven with fascinating and dreamy elements in sharp details, all blended in a 'Realist' flavor. The fictitious fragments are often derived from myth or fairy tales associated with an artist's culture. Such works reveal the sophisticated fantasy world, a painter perceives outside the objective mainstream of a common person. In effect, Magic Realism is a tool to explore the miraculous world from the respective artist's view.

The History

Franz Roh (1890-1965) a German historian, photographer, and art critic first used the term 'Magic Realism' in 1925 in his book 'After Expressionism: Magic Realism: Problems of the newest European paintings.' Through this Roh aimed an art style 'New Objectivity' to describe an emerging Post-Expressionist form in the Western Art. It tried emphasizing the 'magic,' everyday objects carry in the form of their strange appearances. During 1940-50, Magic Realism hinted at the fantastic artworks of the American Post-Expressionists. However, the term soon got associated with the 'metafictional' work of writers, such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Columbia, 1927), Gunter Grass (Germany, 1927), and John Fowles (England, 1926-2005). Thereafter, apart from art this term is also employed for literature and films, amalgamating reality and fantasy.

The Artworks

• 'The Door' (1941), 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' (1944), 'Portrait of Mary Block' (1957), and 'The Window' (1963) by Ivan Albright (America, 1897-1983)
• 'The Fleet's In!' (1934), 'Herrin Massacre' (1940), 'The Seven Deadly Sins' (1949), and 'Male Nude' (1966) by Paul Cadmus (America, 1904-1999)
• 'Subway' (1950), 'Government Bureau' (1956), and 'Lunch' (1964) by George Tooker (America, 1920)
• 'Richmond Bridge' (1948), 'Boy with a Donkey' (1948), and 'Portrait with a Rose' (1955) by Bettina Shaw-Lawrence (England, 1921)
• 'The Story of Richmond Hill' (1937) and 'Cotton from Field to Mill' (1938) by Philip Evergood (America, 1901-1973)
• 'Christina's World' (1948), 'In the Orchard' (1974), and 'Gone' (2002) by Andrew Wyeth (America, 1917-2009)
• 'Iconography of Myths and Legends of Chile' (2002) by Marcela Donoso (America, 1961)
• 'Car' (1973) and 'Self-Portrait' (1979) by Gregory Gillespie (America, 1936-2000)

Conclusion

Even in the Contemporary Art scene, the term 'Magic Realism' encompasses both, 'magic in everyday reality' and 'fantasy overtones in the real world.' Many artists continue to derive inspiration from Roh's ideals of faithfully rendering reality to reveal the inherent magic in ordinary objects. Another close genre of artists creates overly fantastic work quite similar to the Latin American literary Magic Realism. Exploited optimally in literature in Visual Arts, the Magic Realist depictions are ironically hardcore routine and real! Bordering on the line of Post-Expressionism and often even used interchangeably, Magic Realism has been a 'mundane' art frontier. The 'regular' and 'provided' themes are covered with an approach to explore the obvious intrinsically. The contradictory definitions of the art style however has debased the term over the years.

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His Most Famous Painting (Madame Pompadour-Portrait of Beatrice Hastings) � Amedeo Modigliani - by Annette Labedzki

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His Most Famous Painting (Madame Pompadour-Portrait of Beatrice Hastings) – Amedeo Modigliani

Amedeo Clemente Modigliani was one of the most unique and innovative Italian artists, who always rendered an idiosyncratic and distinctive painting style. Controversies however, surrounded his destitute life and was therefore, never famous among his contemporaries. Modigliani adopted the ‘Expressionist’ style of painting, where the depiction of emotions was primary. The painter blended this emotional high with twisted reality for a distinct expression in his portraits, including his masterpiece “Madame Pompadour – Portrait of Beatrice Hastings.”

Modigliani was a very handsome and attractive man, well capable of luring women easily. In 1914, he met a very eccentric English poet, Beatrice Hastings, who later became his mistress. During this time, Modigliani lived a very Bohemian lifestyle, heavily addicted to drugs & alcohol. Beatrice Hastings even quoted, “A complex character. A swine and a pearl. Met him in 1914 at a crémerie. I sat opposite him. Hashish and brandy. Not at all impressed. Didn’t know who he was. He looked ugly, ferocious and greedy. Met him again at the Café Rotonde. He was shaved and charming. Raised his cap with a pretty gesture, blushed and asked me to come and see his work. And I went. He always had a book in his pocket. Lau Tremont’s Maldoror. The first oil painting was of Kisling. He had no respect for anyone except Picasso and Max Jacob. Detested Cocteau. Never completed anything good under the influence of hashish.”

Beatrice Hastings was a very pompous and haughty woman, who was an unfortunate victim of Amedeo’s drunken rage. She was the model for many of his paintings, which eventually resulted in a famous fourteen portraits series, in 1915, entitled “Madame Pompadour – Portrait of Beatrice Hastings,” of which only three were exhibited. Beatrice Hastings was a very proud writer, literary critic, and a vocal feminist. Her nature at times was a complete contrast to that of Modigliani’s. Due to her haughtiness, he nicknamed her Madame or madam Pompadour and created her portraits. The portraits were famous for their ability to portray the existing close relationship between Modigliani and Beatrice. Modigliani always gave key attention to the facial features of the subjects. Since he also adopted the style of ‘Cubism,’ his portraits were sharp and projected in manner.

Due to Beatrice’s nature, Amedeo depicted her as an aristocratic ‘English Madame.’ The portrait, through its title subtlety, depicted the relationship between King Louis V & his mistress, which ironically manifested his relationship with Beatrice Hastings. Amedeo and Hastings’ relationship lasted for two years, which died an unfortunate death, due to their contrasting attitudes.

In the “Madame Pompadour – Portrait of Beatrice Hastings,” Modigliani rendered ‘Cubism’ by simultaneously depicting the sides of the face through different viewpoints, as well as having a collage effect with the writings on stonewall. The ‘Expressionist’ style was evident through the distortion of the face and the depiction of Modigliani’s personal interpretation of Beatrice Hastings. The misspelled graffiti written on the painting as well as its backdrop of a stonewall reflect the deviation from reality.

Modigliani died on January 24, 1920, at the young age of 35, due to tuberculosis and overdose of drugs and alcohol. His artistic innovations and idiosyncrasies will always be fondly remembered among art lovers. His “Madame Pompadour – Portrait of Beatrice Hastings” will stand as a testament of his talent and an innovation in art.

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His Most Famous Painting (The Four Seasons: Spring, summer, autumn, and Winter) - CY Twombly - by Annette Labedzki

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His Most Famous Painting (The Four Seasons: Spring, summer, autumn, and Winter) - CY Twombly

"The Four Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter (Quattro Stagioni)" is the series created by CY Twombly, an American, calligraphic style Graffiti painter (born 1928) from Lexington, Virginia, in the year 1993-94. Twombly studied art in Boston, New York, and at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. As the name suggests, the painting is comprised of four parts, representing "Quattro Stagioni (Four Seasons)." Twombly used synthetic polymer paint, oil, house paint, pencil, and crayon to create the four canvases. Of the four, the canvas of "Spring" measures 10' 3 1/8" x 6' 2 7/8" (312.5 cm x 190 cm), "Summer" 10' 3 3/4" x 6' 7 1/8" (314.5 cm x 201 cm), "Autumn" 10' 3 1/2" x 6' 2 3/4" (313.7 x 189.9 cm), and "Winter" is 10' 3 1/4" x 6' 2 7/8" (313 x 190.1 cm) in size.

In "The Four Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter (Quattro Stagioni)," CY Twombly portrays the changing color of the countryside scenery of four seasons. The four series painting also seems to build a resemblance to the human life cycle. "The Four Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter (Quattro Stagioni)" conveys the philosophy of 'life goes on.' It seems to emphasize that every ending thing starts again. That is, rebirth follows death, just like spring (rebirth) follows winter (death).

With different phases, the feel is different. Where winter is cold and deceasing, spring evokes the happy expression of life with new fruits and flowers blooming all over again, as is excellently reflected in the forest of Botticelli's Primavera (Italian word for Spring). In "The Four Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter (Quattro Stagioni)," CY Twombly too has perfected the feel with the use of his brilliant color scheme that goes on to strike the right connotations, associated with each of the four canvasses. In fact, the classic color palette has added entirety to "The Four Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter (Quattro Stagioni)."

For "Spring," Twombly used vibrant red curves, with bright yellow splashes on them. The red curves look similar to ancient Egyptian boats, which is a common sight in several of Twombly's creations. "Estate (summer)" goes warm in yellow, with predominant colors expressing the state of youth and pleasure. The use of white denotes love melting in mad heat. "Autunno (autumn)" relates to the season of harvesting and the famous wine festival of Bassano. A few coats of red and the phrase such as "Your Blood" imply the rise of Bacchus, the mythological god of wine. Finally, "Inverno (winter)," is the most thinly scattered amongst all of Twombly's 4 seasons canvasses. In this artwork, the words are mysteriously disappearing beneath the transparent white mist. A competent blend of yellow and green create the much-required hued depth, to reflect its deadly cold property.

One of brilliant sparks of CY Twombly, "The Four Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter (Quattro Stagioni)" is currently displayed at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

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What Happens to Art/Artists/Art Community in a Bad Economy � A Brief Overview and Some Survival Tips - by Annette Labedzki

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What Happens to Art/Artists/Art Community in a Bad Economy – A Brief Overview and Some Survival Tips

The economic graph is hardly ever stable. The only difference in various economic scenarios is the speed with which the turns happen and their duration of stay. Over time, market trends evolve, government policies change, and monetary values fluctuate. These factors of course directly affect different industries, including the art one. A long recession, just like the one prevailing presently, can very well crash the art market. The ensuing discussion deals with some key impacts of economic downturn on the art community.

Economic Shocks for the Art Industry

• Lowered Sale. Just like any other business, the salability of art works declines too. Though, art circles mostly comprise of the ‘elite’ class of a society, but even they may go thrifty, if the economic scene is depressing and sustains.
• Lowered Profitability. The selling price may have to be lowered per unit, in order to keep the business running or to recover the production costs. As a result, the profits may slide down drastically. This in turn means increased efforts and lowered margins.
• Expensive Raw Material. Bad economy hits from all ends. While the finished products may slide down in price, the prices of raw materials usually soar. Even if they do not rise, lowered margins may make them seem expensive. This may affect the output and even the quality of artwork, as the artists may go for cheaper mediums, which may deliver a compromised quality product.
• Artistic Frustrations. An artist may face crisis on all fronts, expensive raw materials, dipping profitability on each effort, and less buyers. Creativity takes a downturn, when there are no or reduced takers for it. With a sullen mood, definitely the production quality and the innovation levels decline.

Survival Tips for the Art Community during Economic Downturn. With money going on a low, the different sections of art industry may do the following to cope:

• Auctioneers and Galleries
  • Strong Market Hold – During trying times, its literally the survival of the fittest that stands. Huge auctioneers and old galleries, which are well established and have survived financial meltdowns in the past, may be able to handle themselves. A strong and a loyal client base, great if at a global level, is a definite plus.
  • Focused Sales - Open auctions are discouraged during tough times. Exhibits for sales should be carried out largely through invitation only or with the regular set of clients. This helps control inventory buildup, thereby leveraging monetary losses.
  • Trimmed Rates - Its imperative that when the pockets are tight, price advantage is the obvious course to increase sales. Galleries and auctioneers need to quote a modest price to attract clients.

• For Collectors
  • Be smart - Economic slowdown is a good time for getting good bargains, as most galleries and dealers would like to pass on the risk of selling artworks onto collectors. At the same time, it’s probably the worst phase to be neck deep in debts.
  • Have the Eye - Collectors may explore and invest into modestly priced artworks of the emerging promising artists. Also investing in ‘Contemporary Art’ is considered a best investment at any time.

• For Artists
  • Networking - Established artists with a strong and loyal client base are likely to survive through a recessionary phase. Therefore, intense networking, direct selling, and displaying art online, helps increase visibility.
  • Be Flexible - Artists can be flexible enough to keep easy payment plans for reliable clients. Pricing art reasonably will also attract collectors.
  • Gallery Representation - Artists should try choosing the galleries of repute to display their works. In addition, renting work for international exhibits may help expand the market base at a global level.
  • Quality Art - Artists should go optimally creative and should work on the subjects of common interests, such as social issues. It is also advisable for the artists to not use watercolor paintings, since they are difficult to maintain and are prone to easy damage.

 

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Black and White Photography - by Annette Labedzki

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