Compare and Contrast
ARTIST: PABLO PICASSO TITLE: FEMME NUE ASSISE MEDIUM: OIL PAINT ON CANVAS DIMENSIONS: 921 x 730 mm
Thomas Dundas
ARTIST: VICTOR VASALERY TITLE: SUPERNOVAE MEDIUM: OIL PAINT ON CANVAS DIMENSIONS: 2419 x 1524 mm
Although the subjects of these two painting are so far removed, some similarities can be found in the comparison between colours and lines. More colours are present in,” femme nue assise”, however the painting is largely monochrome and has great use of straight lines and square shapes not so different from those present in,” supernovae”. For their respective time periods both styles offered something different from what was considered normal and demanded a different way of thinking from the viewer which, in my opinion, is what ultimately made them so remarkable. The intention behind Vasarely’s ,”supernovae”, was that it was to be displayed on the outside of a building as a mural that would tie in with its architecture.1 Combining art with architecture was a common idea among the Bauhaus of which Vasalery was a student.2 This differs from Picasso’s piece in that, although I was unable to find much information on the intention for,” Femme nue assise”, a similar, larger painting exists in the Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou, Musée National d'Art Moderne in Paris, So it may be safe to assume that this piece by Picasso was simply a study for the larger one.3 Picasso himself, in contrast to Vasarely spent his entire life among other artists gaining influence from them, whereas Vasarely started his education in science and was clearly influenced by that as well.4 The last comparison I can make of these two artists is one of renown and credit. Picasso is afforded an immense amount of fame and credit for his work with collage and cubism.5 In contrast, even though he has achieved some fame as the,” Grandfather”,6 of Op Art, Vasarely has not nearly the same level of regognition as Picasso. However, it seems this may have been by his own design.7
"‘Supernovae’, Victor Vasarely, 1959–61 | Tate", Tate, 2020 <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/vasarely-supernovae-t00676> [Accessed 21 November 2020]. 2 "Victor Vasarely | Op-Art.Co.Uk | Op-Art.Co.Uk", Op-Art.Co.Uk, 2020 <http://www.op-art.co.uk/victor-vasarely/> [Accessed 21 November 2020]. 3 "‘Seated Nude’, Pablo Picasso, 1909–10 | Tate", Tate, 2020 <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/picasso-seated-nude-n05904> [Accessed 21 November 2020]. 4 "Victor Vasarely | Op-Art.Co.Uk | Op-Art.Co.Uk", Op-Art.Co.Uk, 2020 <http://www.op-art.co.uk/victor-vasarely/> [Accessed 21 November 2020]. 5 Metmuseum.Org, 2020 <https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pica/hd_pica.htm> [Accessed 21 November 2020]. 6 Kelly Grovier, "Victor Vasarely: The Art That Tricks The Eyes", Bbc.Com, 2020 <https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190305victor-vasarely-the-art-that-tricks-the-eyes> [Accessed 21 November 2020]. 7 "A View From Zagreb: Op And Kinetic Art – Display At Tate Modern | Tate", Tate, 2020 <https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tatemodern/display/in-the-studio/view-zagreb-op-and-kinetic-art> [Accessed 21 November 2020]. 1
Compare and Contrast
Thomas Dundas
Bibliography Metmuseum.Org, 2020 <https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pica/hd_pica.htm> [Accessed 21 November 2020] "‘Seated Nude’, Pablo Picasso, 1909–10 | Tate", Tate, 2020 <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/picasso-seated-nuden05904> [Accessed 21 November 2020] "‘Supernovae’, Victor Vasarely, 1959–61 | Tate", Tate, 2020 <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/vasarely-supernovaet00676> [Accessed 21 November 2020] "A View From Zagreb: Op And Kinetic Art – Display At Tate Modern | Tate", Tate, 2020 <https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern/display/in-the-studio/view-zagreb-op-and-kinetic-art> [Accessed 21 November 2020] Grovier, Kelly, "Victor Vasarely: The Art That Tricks The Eyes", Bbc.Com, 2020 <https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190305-victor-vasarely-the-art-that-tricks-the-eyes> [Accessed 21 November 2020] "Victor Vasarely | Op-Art.Co.Uk | Op-Art.Co.Uk", Op-Art.Co.Uk, 2020 <http://www.op-art.co.uk/victor-vasarely/> [Accessed 21 November 2020]
V&A Timeline
Historical Narrative
Thomas Dundas
1918 saw the end of the First World War. Europe had collectively seen more than 20 million deaths and many countries found themselves in need of repair, this would require money which was largely borrowed from US banks. After the stock market crash of 1929 this money was required back adding extra pressure to the already struggling economies of Europe. Some believe this was a major factor in the cause of the great depression which took place between 1929 and 1939.1 These strange times across the globe birthed the strange movements of Dada and Surrealism. Art which distorted reality providing a perfect escape from the horrors and struggle of the Great War and Depression.2 Examples include, “The lonely Metropolitan “,3 a photograph by Herbert Buyer, and “Mea West’s Lips “,4 a design for a sofa by James Edward and Salvador Dali. Fast forward 20 years and another world war later the Counterculture movement of the 60s began. A growing generational gap and social tensions sparked anti-establishment ideals among the youth resulting in widespread protests across western civilization. 5 Among the most notable of these were the riots of 1968 France. The riots were focused on freedom expression and political change. One groups of students called the,” Atelier Populaire “, produced a significant number of visual aids to spread their ideals,6 a good example of which is,” On Vous Intoxique “,7 a poster created in protest of media influence.
1
"These Theories Explain The Historic Economic Collapse Of 1929", Thoughtco, 2020 <https://www.thoughtco.com/great-depression-causes-3367841> [Accessed 22 November 2020]. 2 "Art History Timeline - Dummies", Dummies, 2020 <https://www.dummies.com/education/art-appreciation/arthistory-timeline/> [Accessed 22 November 2020]. 3 "The Lonely Metropolitan | Bayer, Herbert | V&A Search The Collections", Collections.Vam.Ac.Uk, 2020 <http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O128503/the-lonely-metropolitan-photograph-bayer-herbert/> [Accessed 22 November 2020]. 4 "Mae West Lips Sofa | Dali, Salvador | V&A Search The Collections", Collections.Vam.Ac.Uk, 2020 <http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1441053/mae-west-lips-sofa-mae-west-lips-dali-salvador/> [Accessed 22 November 2020]. 5 "What Was The Counterculture Of The 1960S And 1970S?", Worldatlas, 2020 <https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-was-the-counterculture-of-the-1960s-and-70s.html> [Accessed 22 November 2020]. 6 "Screen Politics: Pop Art And The Atelier Populaire – Tate Papers | Tate", Tate, 2020 <https://www.tate.org.uk/research/publications/tate-papers/24/screen-politics-pop-art-and-the-atelier-populaire> [Accessed 22 November 2020]. 7 "On Vous Intoxique! | Atelier Populaire | V&A Search The Collections", Collections.Vam.Ac.Uk, 2020 <http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1009940/on-vous-intoxique-poster-atelier-populaire/> [Accessed 22 November 2020].
V&A Timeline
Historical Narrative
Thomas Dundas
Bibliography "Art History Timeline - Dummies", Dummies, 2020 <https://www.dummies.com/education/art-appreciation/art-historytimeline/> [Accessed 22 November 2020] "Bamboo | Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear | V&A Search The Collections", Collections.Vam.Ac.Uk, 2020 <http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O294092/bamboo-sunglasses-oliver-goldsmith-eyewear/> [Accessed 22 November 2020] "Boric Acid 8.34 | Odell, William J. | V&A Search The Collections", Collections.Vam.Ac.Uk, 2020 <http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O166337/boric-acid-834-wallpaper-odell-william-j> [Accessed 22 November 2020] "Mae West Lips Sofa | Dali, Salvador | V&A Search The Collections", Collections.Vam.Ac.Uk, 2020 <http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1441053/mae-west-lips-sofa-mae-west-lips-dali-salvador/> [Accessed 22 November 2020] "On Vous Intoxique! | Atelier Populaire | V&A Search The Collections", Collections.Vam.Ac.Uk, 2020 <http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1009940/on-vous-intoxique-poster-atelier-populaire/> [Accessed 22 November 2020] "Screen Politics: Pop Art And The Atelier Populaire – Tate Papers | Tate", Tate, 2020 <https://www.tate.org.uk/research/publications/tate-papers/24/screen-politics-pop-art-and-the-atelier-populaire> [Accessed 22 November 2020] "The First World War: The Aftermath", The Irish Times, 2020 <https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/the-first-worldwar-the-aftermath-1.3452686> [Accessed 22 November 2020] "The Lonely Metropolitan | Bayer, Herbert | V&A Search The Collections", Collections.Vam.Ac.Uk, 2020 <http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O128503/the-lonely-metropolitan-photograph-bayer-herbert/> [Accessed 22 November 2020] "These Theories Explain The Historic Economic Collapse Of 1929", Thoughtco, 2020 <https://www.thoughtco.com/greatdepression-causes-3367841> [Accessed 22 November 2020] "What Was The Counterculture Of The 1960S And 1970S?", Worldatlas, 2020 <https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/whatwas-the-counterculture-of-the-1960s-and-70s.html> [Accessed 22 November 2020]
Learning Reflection
Thomas Dundas
The projects and techniques module has consisted largely of subjects that I'm familiar with from previous education. Even so, I have learned a great deal in terms of process from some of the projects we have completed. Most notable was the 59 drawings project. Draughtsmanship is my specialty, but this was a technique that I had never come across before and I found it very interesting. The informal feedback from John has been positive and I have received helpful advice on good practice and idea development throughout the semester. I have extremely enjoyed the work on the Formats module. The, “This is me “, project was a great opportunity to explore new techniques. Over the 30 pages I experimented with collage, photography and even origami, all subjects where I lacked practice. I have also found the process of the, “Student vs Google “, Very helpful in developing my digital manipulation skills. Admittedly, contextual studies is one area of art that I have always struggled with, writing is not my strong suit. I had particular difficulty trying to understand how to reference my work. However, the formative feedback from Deej after the, “Compare and Contrast “, assignment helped me to make my writing more concise and using the information on Weblearn I think I learned how to properly reference in the MHRA stye. In terms of subjects my biggest weakness is photography. In order to improve in this area, I will spend more time looking at work from great photographers. I think it will be easier for me to learn if I find a style that interests me. Theres also a larger issue of time management that I have struggled with over all the modules. To remedy this, I will set a timer for each task and remind myself that not every piece has to be perfect.