A Rare Wanderlust

This week I am vacationing in Cape Cod, so I have travel on my mind. I love seeing new places, but I'm a homebody at heart. I know that art looks different in person, and even though there is so much more historical art to be seen outside of North America, not much pushes me to travel overseas. But, the first time I saw pictures of the Apennine Colossus by Giambologna (Giovanni da Bologna), I knew I had to see it for myself. 

Image by lapsy

Built during the Mannerist era, this sculpture shows the combination of sculpture and landscape into a whimsical, new art form. Inspired by the Apennine mountain range, the figure personifies the rocky landscape as a man emerging from his earthly origins. The sculpture was built in a park to be enjoyed as a picnic area. 

The sculpture could be further explored because the rock giant was actually a grotto - an artificial cave meant for human use. Check out this article to see pictures of the interior chambers.  

Image by Raymundo Jiménez

Just looking at pictures of this massive sculpture are impressive, so I can only imagine what actually standing next to this work of art must be like. If I ever venture to Italy, this will definitely be my first stop. 

Image via Provincia di Firenze

Click here to read more about the artist and his artwork.

Don’t Send Me Flowers

I was never really big on receiving flowers for birthdays or holidays. Although I appreciate them visually now, I am still under the impression that they’re just going to die, so they’re not really an uplifting symbol of unending love. And to be honest, I’ve never been too fond of floral scents – you’ll never see me stopping to smell the roses. While I’m sure part of my original aversion to flowers was just teen angst, I have to say that I was pretty smug to learn that my excuse that “flowers just die” actually has historical backing.

Shortly after the Reformation, Calvinism became the official religion of the Dutch Republic. This threw the function of religious art into chaos because depictions of religious figures were considered idols, and thus forbidden. Meanwhile, Amsterdam and Antwerp were becoming centers of trade and a new, wealthy middle class was growing. These rich and religious people needed something to spend their money on, and artists met that need with flower still life paintings.

Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (Dutch, 1573 - 1621) Flower Still Life, 1614, Oil on copper. 30.5 x38.9 cm (12 x 15 5/16 in.) The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Individual artists specialized in specific genres of paintings. Flower still life painters developed a simple formula to quickly churn out paintings to meet the demands of the market. The first step was to simplify the background. Most flower still lifes are set on a simple stone ledge with a dark, ambiguous background. The Dutch people wanted perfect, glass-like surfaces on their paintings. Although the Dutch painters achieved visual naturalism, these are not realistic flower arrangements. The flowers come from all different regions and different seasons, so they could never be found together in a live arrangement. The pictured vases could also never hold such a surplus of flowers without tipping over. In reality, artists collected sketches and paintings of flowers from all different angles in a self-made “pattern book.” They would then pick and choose from their pattern books to create flower arrangements, saving the time and money of needing a live arrangement as reference for every painting.

Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (Dutch, 1573 - 1621) Flower Still Life in a Wan-Li Vase, 1609-1610. The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London

Paintings of flowers served many purposes during the Dutch Baroque era (1600 – 1700).

• A painting of flowers was much cheaper than buying flowers, so the middle class could afford to plaster their walls with paintings even if they couldn’t fill their houses with flowers.
• The more luxury items in the painting, the more expensive it was – but it would still be cheaper than owning those items.
• The paintings were filled with religious symbolism since blatantly religious paintings were now forbidden.
• Cut flowers are a momento mori – once the stem is cut, they are dying and their beauty will fade (aka “flowers just die”)
• However, the variety of flowers are a celebration of the abundance and creativity of God
• Seashells and other small treasures are reminders of material goods that are meaningless after life
• Caterpillars and butterflies are symbols of Jesus’ three days in the tomb and his resurrection from death

Rachel Ruysch, Roses, Convolvulus, Poppies and Other Flowers in an Urn on a Stone Ledge, ca. 1680s. National Museum of Women Artists, Washington D.C.

One notable flower still life painter is Rachel Ruysch. As a rare woman painter, she was considered a “curiosity” and her paintings were collected by kings and queens across Europe. Her father was a botanist so she had been studying and sketching plants from a young age. Since her father was wealthy, she had the privilege of a private painting tutor – still life specialist Van Aelst. Ruysch’s paintings adhere to a certain recognizable trademark. You can spot a Ruysch painting by its larger than average size, black background, and her center spotlight. Almost every Ruysch painting starts with dark edges that encompass a white flower so bright that it seems to emanating the light itself. The pattern is easy to see when looking at a mass amount of images like in this Google image search. 

The Dutch knew that flowers don't last forever, but this didn't make them cast them aside like I did. Instead, they embraced flowers as symbols of their religion after their visual vocabulary was wiped out by Calvinism. 

Resources:
Doot Bokelman, "Art History Survey II" (lecture, Nazareth College, Rochester, NY, Spring 2012).
Doot Bokelman, "18th and 19th Century Europe" (lecture, Nazareth College, Rochester, NY, Fall 2014).

David Altmejd at AGO

Around this time last year, I took a day trip with some gallery colleagues to Toronto for a whirlwind tour of the galleries and museums there. Now, I’m longing to go back, and the top attraction on my list is the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), which is actually an art museum with artworks as old as 100 A.D. I love visiting museums because there is an exclusive nature to historical art. You will almost never see an artist’s full collection at a single museum, so you have to travel to see the works of a favorite artist. Any art history nerd will agree that there is an amazing difference between seeing an image of an artwork and seeing it in person (which is probably why I tear up almost every time I am faced with the enormous scale of a tapestry.)

The AGO’s European collection holds master artists including Anthony van Dyck, Auguste Rodin, Peter Paul Rubens, Edgar Degas, and Claude Monet. Since I was on a research trip for a contemporary gallery, my rushed visit did not include much of the historical collections. But, what I did see stopped me dead in my tracks.

A walk up the newly added Baroque staircase leads you to the centre for contemporary art – and that’s where I first saw the work of David Altmejd, Canadian-born sculptor and installation artist. I was immediately captured by his installation, The Index, and I spent the majority of my time allotment exploring the mirrored caverns and gawking at the crystallized taxidermy of his imagination. Of course, pictures will never do justice to the way this installation made my heart skip a beat and my breath catch in my throat. 

According to my blurry cellphone picture, the gallery label reads:

Human, animal and plant forms collide and intersect in this complex installation. Stuffed birds, squirrels, and werewolves in mirrored crates are [unreadable] alongside quartz, glitter, mushrooms, pine needles, moss, flowering plants and bird-like figures in suits. The title of the work, The Index, suggests collecting and diversity, though Altmejd deviates from the neat and orderly structure we usually associate with indexes. Here he considers the relationship among all living things, exploring issues such as identity, sexuality, community, and the cloning and mutation of species. Architecture and mirrors draw us into the maze-like work, inviting us to create our own narrative and implicating us in the biodiverse hybrid world and the natural cycle of life and death.

Altmejd has quickly made a name for himself in the contemporary art world. He received a BFA from the Université du Québec à Montréal in 1998 and an MFA from Columbia University in 2001. The Index was a pivotal work for Altmejd. The installation was first exhibited in 2007 at the Venice Biennale – making him the youngest artist to represent Canada in this prestigious exhibit. The work was then promptly purchased by AGO. There are already published monographs on this young artist – including a book completely dedicated to The Index. You can also read more about David Altmejd here, here, and here.

If I hope to see The Index again soon, I’ll have to return to AGO before October, which I fully intend to do. For that visit I will be able to go at my own pace and promise to report back to you on the historical art collections of this museum. 

Artist Spotlight: Anonymous

In my last post I mentioned how much I love recognizing art history references in movies and TV shows. Well, I also love spotting art history in real life! One of my favorite places to test my eye is at Rochester Contemporary Art Center's (RoCo) 6x6 exhibition. 

photo by Gerry Szymanski

6x6x2015 is the 8th year of this amazing exhibition. Every year, thousands of individuals from all around the world submit their artwork to cover the walls of RoCo. The artworks are then sold for $20 each as part of RoCo's only fundraiser. Participants range from professional artists, to hobbyists, students, and children of all ages. All the artworks are hung anonymously and the artist's name is revealed to the buyer upon purchase.

6x6 is a really great concept because you are paying $20 whether your piece is by Nancy Jurs or Nancy from down the street – and you won’t know until you have already committed to the purchase. I love looking at all the sold stickers on the walls because it shows the diversity in how people value their $20. Sometimes people try to guess the professional artists, others make their decisions purely on personal taste, and others still are parents paying $20 for a crayon drawing by their own child because they know their money is ultimately a donation to an important not-for-profit art center in their community.

With such an abundance of contributing artists, it is inevitable that you will have a wide range of artistic visions and use of media. Cats and dogs are always a popular theme, but you are also guaranteed to find at least one recreation of a historic artwork. This year I spotted several art history references – can you name them all?

ANSWERS:

1. Indonesian Shadow Puppet (Wayang Kulit) (Similar)

2. American Gothic by Grant Wood (Art Institute of Chicago)

3. Venus of Willendorf (Woman of Willendorf) (in the collection of Vienna’s Natural History Museum)

4. Another American Gothic

5. The Son of Man by Magritte (private collection)  

6x6x2015 is coming up on its FINAL WEEKEND so you have to visit. . . like. . . NOW! On Saturday, July 11^th, RoCo is hosting a closing party from 6-9pm during which you can buy your artwork and take it home with you right then and there. The "Buy it now take it with you" campaign continues through the pick-up dates ending July 15th. Can’t make it to town? No worries! You can make purchases online and have them shipped right to you. You can even buy artworks from past 6x6 exhibitions! 

Helpful hint: The gallery automatically defaults to showing “For Sale” artworks, so if you want to see the entire collection, toggle to “All.”

Interested in participating next year? It's never too early to send in your entries for 6x6x2016, just scroll through the FAQ to learn how.

HEY ARTISTS! Are you influenced or inspired by historic art? Do you want your own Artist Spotlight? Send a proposal with examples of your work and your influences to boiledbunnies@gmail.com and you could be featured on the blog!

Art History Spotting: 3rd Rock from the Sun

Simbi Khali in Season 2, Episode 5 Much ado about Dick

If you’ve read my About page, you’ll know that I hated not knowing anything about art in High School. Even after one college class, I felt so much more knowledgeable than I was before. One of my favorite benefits of my art history education is recognizing historic art in movies and spotting art history references in music videos.

Ever since 3^rd Rock from the Sun made its Netflix debut back in March, I have been casually watching the 90s sitcom on my free nights. In the show, Jane Curtin plays Dr. Mary Albright, an Anthropology professor whom shares an office with Dick Solomon (John Lithgow.) The show focuses on Dick and his “family” (actually aliens disguising themselves as humans to study Earth,) so the shared office space is a common setting. There are lots of artifacts in the office, but I’m not going to talk about those today.

Jane Curtin in Season 1, Episode 14 The Dicks, They are a Changin’

Because Dr. Albright is Dick’s love interest, we occasionally get to see inside her home. The first time I saw the artifact by Dr. Albright’s front door, I nearly leaped off the couch with excitement. You see, what we have here is a Chi Wara (Ci Wara) headdress by the Bamana people of Mali, Africa– which also happened to be the subject of my very first art history research paper. Five years ago I would have glazed right over this prop choice, but now I have background information that helps me understand the decisions of a set designer creating an Anthropology professor’s home.

Chi Wara headdresses are used in dance rituals that are still preformed today, so they are plentiful enough for Dr. Albright to have one in her home. Since they are so common, they can be found in museums as large as the Met, and museums as small as Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery. Here are several examples from just these two collections - click through each of the images to read their catalogue entries.

In my independent research, I was most interested in the duality of the male and female headdresses. The male antelope is a representation of the sun (the zigzag pattern carved in the mane represents the path of the sun between solstices¹) while the female is a symbol of the earth. During the dance ritual, dancers wear raffia skirts as reference to flowing water. Together, these three symbols represent the necessary elements for fertility in both human reproduction and crop growth – both of which are essential to an agricultural village.² The Chi Wara performance reflects the importance of cooperation between male and female forces. The “male” sun is believed to fertilize the “female” earth through man’s act of farming.³ Although the dance is typically performed by young men, both men and women actively participate in the ritual to lift the morale of the whole community.

The symbolism of the Chi Wara headdresses and their ritual goes so much deeper than the catalogues or I have mentioned, especially when it comes to the role of the artists (who are actually seen as vital community leaders.⁴) But, I don’t want to recite my whole research paper for you (especially after rereading it and seeing how much I need to rewrite if I plan to present it in the future.) I encourage you to do some of your own digging if it interests you, so that you too can annoy your friends and family by pausing Netflix and going on an art history rant.

ALSO: If you spot a piece of historic art in a TV show, movie, or music video and want me to talk about it, please send a request to boiledbunnies@gmail.com

Notes:

1 Susan Vogel, ed., For Spirits and Kings: African Art from the Tishman Collection (New York, NY: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1981), 22.
2 African Art Masterpieces: From Private Collections (Katonah, NY: Katonah Museum of Art, 1993)

3 Jean-Paul Colleyn and Laurie Ann Farrell, "Bamana: The Art of Existence in Mali," African Arts 34, no. 4 (Winter 2001): 30-31.

4 Patrick R. McNaughton, "Bamana Blacksmiths," African Arts 12, no. 2 (February 1979): 65-67, 70-71.