AMALGAMATION A visual representation of how modern art and child art have influenced each other.
Amalgamation Objective
An amalgamation is defined as a combination of items. This gallery magazine, similar to early 20th century gallery publications, Amalgamation combines the art of children with the art of modern artists to demonstrate their similarities and influences on each other. Over the course of two weeks, I have had children from ages 2 to10 create a drawing using a variety of media. Markers, crayons, color pencils, and pencils were available to each child during their art session. The children were given no instruction on what to draw, but simply instructed to draw what they wished at that particular moment. The purpose of these drawing exercises was to demonstrate the individual ingenuity of child art as observed by Alfred Stieglitz in his child art exhibition at studio 291 in 1912. Like Stieglitz, I have displayed the child art work alongside celebrated modern artists. The modern artists were chosen based on their styles and their similarity to the child art pieces. It is evident, through comparison of child art and modern art, that there are distinct similarities of style and creation. From these pieces it can be deduced that modern artists began to draw and paint in a fast, expressive way as children do. Modern artists like Picasso praised child art and its creative purity and strove to create in a way that placed value on quick impressions and a focus on the act of creation. Other artist’s like Joan Miró, Jackson Pollock, and Matisse also developed styles that demonstrated an almost childlike tendency towards fast expression and creative production. Developing simultaneously, the growth in the appreciation of child art and the progression of modern art gave acclaim and appreciation to both child art and modern art.
Carter (age 2) Nooduh 2016 Crayola Marker on Paper
Jackson Pollock Number 14: Gray 1948 Enamel over gesso on paper
Yale University Art Gallery. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/33977
Lainey (age 3) Lainey 2016 Pencil on Paper
Joan Miro Ube Roi 1953 Collage, Indian Ink and wax crayon on paper
Classifications of Joan Miro's Works: Drawings. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://www.fmirobcn.org/col-leccio/catalog-works/4852/ubu-roi
McKennah (age 5) Jack and McKennah 2016 Color Pencil on Paper
Alberto Giacometti [Man and Tree] 1952 Lithographic Pencil on Paper
[Man and Tree] AGD 131. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://www.fondationgiacometti.fr/en/art/16/discover-the-artwork/18/alberto-giacometti-database/22/graphic-arts/#? ref=database&open=drawings&work=1124
Jack (age 7) Me and My Hamsters 2016 Color Pencil on Paper
Pablo Picasso The Cannes Studio 1955 Transfer Lithograph
Museum of Modern Art: The Collection. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://www.moma.org/collection/works/29966?locale=en
Cameron (age 11) Self Portrait 2016 Pencil on Paper
Henri Matisse Head of a Woman 1948 Charcoal
Drawing: Head of a Woman. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://www.henri-matisse.net/drawings/eh.html
References Classifications of Joan Miro's Works: Drawings. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://www.fmirobcn.org/col-leccio/catalog-works/4852/ubu-roi Drawing: Head of a Woman. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://www.henri-matisse.net/drawings/eh.html [Man and Tree] AGD 131. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://www.fondation-giacometti.fr/en/art/16/discover-theartwork/18/alberto-giacometti-database/22/graphic-arts/#? ref=database&open=drawings&work=1124 Museum of Modern Art: The Collection. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://www.moma.org/collection/works/29966?locale=en Yale University Art Gallery. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/33977