Author: xerkss

The Art Principle

The old adage is I think therefore I am, but the argument could be I create, therefore I am. Art is an integral part of the human experience. We have developed art in various forms. Music, dance, words, sculptures, and compositions are all physical interpretations of the imagination. And while the subject the matter has taken us from painting horses in small caves to Starry Night‘s and now even further into the future. The purpose of art has not.

Collectively we have always attempted to connect to one another. Our shared experiences are what binds us. We move and therefore thrive in the community around us. The purpose of art is an indispensable part of being human, it transcends the individual. In this sense, Art, as creativity, is something humans must do by their very nature. It is therefore beyond utility. Art is the intersection of imagination and fabrication. Artwork specifically compositions are an unspoken language we all understand. The meaning or the purpose of the piece being unique to the individual.

Compositions are distinct in their very nature. Their meanings are a part of the everyday fabric of our lives. They’ve made their way from the gilded halls of the world’s most famous castles to our street corners. We have taken art out of the cave to the museum and now to our homes. The journey of paintings is a mural of the history of man. Where we started, where we are now and eventually where we want to be.

First came fire, then came art.

Throughout the history of mankind, we have always used art as a medium to explain the world around us. In the middle ages, artists used the medium to explain divinity, the Church’s function, and major movements from paganism to Christianity. During the renaissance artist like Michelangelo used art as a way to communicate the relevancy of the church. Not only was he a master painter, creating the Sistine Chapel he much like his Florentine rival Leonardo Di Vinci was a man of science. Realizing the world of around them was rapidly changing they used their talent to help communicate those changes to the masses.

The creation of art is nothing new. 63,000 years ago we painted murals in caves. In Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc Cave in the Ardèche region of France lies some of the best-preserved murals of cave paintings. Those artists used their tools and cunning to create an intricate mural of their landscape. Capturing a snapshot into their everyday lives. Animals they preyed on and were prey to are just some of the examples that this piece offers us. A glimpse into the challenges of that time. As Robert McBryde says “The painter’s function, generally speaking, is to explore and demonstrate in his work the interdependency of forms.

Purpose of Art – To be, perchance to create

“Art has no other purpose than to brush aside… the conventional and accepted generalities, in short everything that veils reality from us, in order to bring us face to face with reality itself” Henri Bergson.

The creation of art is as important as its purpose. Our creation of art is not only a part of our self discovery but a part of our self-therapy. Helping us give physical form to the emotions inside of us. Jackson Pollock once said, ” The modern artist is working with space and time, and expressing his feelings rather than illustrating”. He let the purpose of his art speak through him and created pieces that spoke to his journey of self-discovery. Arman believed that “ Art is a work on memory. It proposes common forms that reflect the world and helps us to think“. He let his work be a testimonial to the world around him. A mirror for the way he viewed the world.

Art pieces – Reminders of the journey

However far away the art of the past seems from us today we are still moved by the same desire to create. Even in small children before they learn to stencil their alphabet they are allowed to express themselves through painting. Amazed by the world around them, they use their imagination to explain life as they know it. Artists’ provide insight into their vision; providing us with some clarity of their reality. While we may not all be Claude Monet – the devotion to create and have a piece of art as a reminder of the journey we all are on is paramount to our very existence.

As Barabara Soïa says “At the heart of uncertainty find the first tenderness. Approach slowly something. A way of feeling alive, being aware of the flowing life, and be there to give the relay to the earth and to the impalpable.” The purpose of creating art or even owning art is that it connects us to one another. How we disclose the inner workings of our thoughts and bring them into physical form.

Ownership over visitation

Art in its most base form is a conversation piece. But beyond that, revisiting an art piece on a daily basis is an experience all its own. We step back to a moment in time as our eyes wash over art that spoke to our inner being so instinctually that we simply had to own it. Each time we view our chosen art it brings emotion into our day. Perhaps the emotion is old, perhaps it is new or even a mix of the past and present. Only the art, resting on its laurels in our living space knows the truth it brought to our mind in that singular moment.

It is neither the artist or the artwork that is truly provoking. But our reaction to it. What it invokes from us. Our shared experiences to artwork is what makes compositions a unique medium. We all experience the same work differently – letting its voice speak to us on an individual level.

Purpose of Art – Art for you

The purpose of art is the inspiration you derive from it. We have been pooling our creative resources for many millennia. Whether it is the scribbles of your toddler you display on your fridge or Olivier Masmonteil Paysage #5 they speak to us individually and connect us to one another. Whether or not it is terrible, successful, beautiful or a project done in vain is debatable, but it being art is not. Art finds its own truth in the simple fact that’s its creation was nothing short of a human’s desperate need to put their eye to the looking glass of self and show the world what truly lived inside them. This is how we are connected without language and without movement.

Art is the great unifier able to connect us even if the subject is taboo. In those pieces that we collect, we see ourselves. Art becomes a pause in the middle of our hectic reality, a mirror we can stare into and for once, not analyze the reflection so critically. “The sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being”. Carl Jung. Art is the light of our mere beings. It guides us and gives us hope, not only for today but also for the future.

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The Vatican may not be known for its contemporary art. However, that image is changing.
Meeting with Spanish artist Domingo Zapata and former Banksy protégé Mr. Brainwash the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, is bringing contemporary art to the Vatican.
An unlikely pairing – they’ve teamed up to create a new canvas in celebration of immigrants.

They’ve come together to create a canvas for charity, in the hopes of bringing awareness to the cause. And while this pairing may seem obscure for a lot of us it is not the first time for the two.
Initially meeting last May for another charitable matter – Zapata would film and play the encounter on a billboard in Times Square for a month. Graciously, that canvas would go on to sell for $500,000.

Zapata told Riddle Magazine “I have literally never been as happy as this.
The Pope painted in front of me. I’m ecstatic about the results”. Naming Mr. Zapata as an ambassador for the Pontifical Scholas Occurrentes Foundation, the pontiff’s organization for promoting arts education. The Pope’s quest to reintegrating contemporary artist into the Vatican seems to be unyielding.

Ingratiating himself among numerous Hollywood celebrities, Mr. Zapata has now also earned the approval of The Pope. However, he remains on the outskirts of the contemporary art world.

When the New York Times profiled Zapata in 2013, major galleries and critics were quick to admit their ignorance.
Said dealer Zach Feuer: “I don’t know who he is.” However, with the benediction of The Pope, the outcome will be different.

The collaboration made by Zapata, Mr. Brainwash, and Pope Francis will be sold at an auction to benefit the pontiff’s art foundation in the future.

The Progressive Pope

The Pope’s progressive views on art or polarizing subjects isn’t a new phenomenon.
Historically perhaps the world’s most important art patron, The Pope hopes to once again work closely with contemporary artists.

At the 2017 press screening of the film Pope Francis: My Idea of Art Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums noted “The art of mercy is truly Pope Francis’s idea of art. It is art that is directed toward the humble”.

Writing in his book, “The Vatican Museums have to be the most beautiful place and the most hospitable. It must throw open its doors to the world,”.
Observing the teachings of the Bible, the poor’s inability to pay should not prevent them from seeing the church’s impressive art collection.

Heralding in more accepting vision for The Catholic Church is not always easy – but The Pope has taken it all in stride.
Rather than adhere with old traditions he has taken to the old message with a fresh voice and new eyes. Supporting those who would otherwise be marginalized.
Not only with compassion and kindness but by taking an active role in raising awareness and funds to their plight.

Long thought to be a copy of a lost original, veiled with overpainting, Leonardo Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi sold for a record-breaking $4.3m.
The original renaissance man, Da Vinci is regarded as one of the greatest painters of all time.
Similar to the Salvator Mundi a recently re-discovered sculpture – The Virgin with the Laughing Child is showcasing Da Vinci ability as a sculptor.

The Salvator Mundi in some ways is a much larger find than The Virgin with Laughing Child. However, standing at 50cm, the sculpture equally likable.
But, most shockingly the biggest find of the century is not for sale.
The well-preserved terracotta is simply lovely.  Inspired by Verrocchio, the fire-clay piece is labor intensive.
Hard to manipulate, you can practically feel the artist’s fingers shaping the Madonnas tender curls.
The frolicking cupids shaping baby Jesus’ mouth are uniquely Da Vinci.
While it does not rival the Mona Lisa it is clear that this piece shows the beginning stages of Da Vinci. This piece is an insight to 20-year old Da Vinci as he begins to find himself, and his artistic voice.

Young Da Vinci: a visionary artist

Clearly, in his early stages, it is evident that Da Vinci was a visionary.
A laughing baby Jesus is virtually unheard of in the 15th century.
Unlike his colleagues, Da Vinci broke with tradition and chiseled Madonna and child pleasantly.
Da Vinci chose to create a sculpture of the infant as happy and joyful and.
Later, Da Vinci states in his journals that this would be a point of contention for him. Undeterred, he would continue to paint Jesus as a cheerful child playing with a baby lamb, or his playmate John the Baptist.

As the only surviving sculpture it has naturally become an international sensation. Experts in the UK have a special interest in the piece. Former British Museum director John Pope-Hennessy was disillusioned at the time, and therefore, incorrectly identified the piece.
The recent reexamination of the piece will serve as clarification and above all, it credits the correct artist. Shedding fresh light on the sculpture is Francesco Caglioti, an Italian academic who is leading the new attribution.

Caglioti a professor at Naples University, is also renowned among Renaissance experts for his unparalleled mastery of 15th-century sculptures. In addition to his many accolades, he is also an art history prodigy. Completing a catalog of the Musee du Louvre when he was eight years old.
He shares a special interest in the sculpture with other captivated art historians.

The cryptic smile of Virgin Mary

According to Caglioti – 19th century Victorians had no difficulty seeing the sculpture as a true Da Vinci. Noticing the obvious cryptic smile chiseled into The Virgin Mary face as she looks down on the Christ child in her lap. Clearly, that look is the prototype for the smile that has captivated millions the world over – The Mona Lisa.

Pope-Hennessy, a prominent 20th-century art historian proclaimed the sculpture was a Rossellino. Hence laying the matter to rest. Caglioti states there was no real evidence that it was a Rossellino. Declaring, Pope- Hennessy promoted the work as Rossellino “at his whim”.

Supporting the claim was Carmen C. Bambach, of the Metropolitan Museum in New York.  Journalists were amazed at the press viewing of Verrocchio: Master of Leonardo. The 50cm- tall clay sculpture is impressive as it sits in its glass case. Caglioti explains his theory to the journalist carefully, on why the sculpture was 100%, Da Vinci to reporters from around the globe.

Similarities between drawings and the sculpture

Armed with a collection of drawings as proof showcased in the Strozzi exhibition – Caglioti and Bambach drew upon the similarities between the sketches and the sculpture. The drapery flowing over Madonna’s legs are similar to the designs and drawings Da Vinci was working on at the time. In addition to the lifelike qualities of the Christ child’s face. All which are overwhelming characteristics of Da Vinci qualities and these are evident over the centuries.

Continuously cautious the Victoria and Albert Museum offers us this: “A potential attribution to Leonardo da Vinci was first proposed in 1899, Professor Caglioti’s study opens up the discussion of its authorship afresh. ”The Virgin with the Laughing Child is unique in dual facets. As the sole surviving sculptor of a genius artist, it has gone unforgivably under the radar until now.
Above all though, this playful sculpture serves as a cheerful reminder that the past still has much to offer us.

Throughout galleries around the world are sculptures made of marble – a favored medium by sculptors.
Marble is a unique material where while hard, still offers translucency and softness not found in other stones. For this reason for over millennia, sculptors have used the embolic rock for pieces that required a delicacy in showcasing anatomical subtleties, soft drapery and intricate detail.

The Veiled Virgin, a 19th- century work by Italian sculptor Giovanni Strazza is an outstanding example of how this subtle stone truly transforms.

Historians believe Strazza, a sculptor from Milan crafted this piece in Rome during the 1850’s – and while little more is known about The Veiled Virgin the piece is an exemplary illustration of what happens when marble is really tested.

The emblem of Italy – a work truly wondrously engaging the sculpture is a true test of devotion.

Strazza created other works during his sojourn in Rome,- L’audace Righetto (1851) is another example of his expertise with stone.
The depiction of a young boy and his dog – moments before their demise in an attempt to stop a bomb in defense of the Republica Roma. Such political sculptures are littered through Rome during the Unification Risorgimento.

Other examples of Strazza’s finesse with marble includes Ishmael Abandoned in the Desert. While the Veiled Virgin remains Strazza’s most influential piece he was much more than that – returning to Milan to take up the Sculptor Chair at the Academi de Brera where he studied previously passing it on upon his death in late 1860.

The Veiled Virgin is still on display at the Presentation Convent, where it still fascinates spectators the world over.

Born in Berlin in 1883; Walter Groupis was the lead architect and designer behind the now famous Bauhaus.  Groupis, always the innovator was never one to settle for one train of thought or the other.
He used to respond “Multicoloured is my favorite color.” when, as a child, somebody asked about his favourite color.
A consummate collaborator he had an inclusive view of life’s possibilities.

The inspiration for The Bauhaus movement sprung from his time on the western front during the first world war. Realizing that “the old stuff was out” – the only way possible for him was to begin a new. Using the Bauhütte, a medieval stonemasons’ collective, a group comprised of expert craftsmen and artists working together towards a common goal.
The initial manifesto of the Groupis Bahaus stated: “Together let us desire, conceive, and create the new structure of the future, which will one day rise toward heaven from the hands of a million workers like the crystal symbol of a new faith.”

Throughout the years he procured a variety of multitalented teachers. Those included László Moholy-Nagy, Marcel Breue, Paul Klee, Johannes Itten, Josef Albers, and Oskar Schlemmer.
While he had plenty of artistic egos to compete with, he saw creative differences in opinion as its own art form.
Gropius imagined the Bauhaus as a place of creative discussion, a healthy debate was in its essence art.
The school dissolved its tensions between artists with now-famous costume parties.
While there were several other progressive art schools in Europe none of them held a candle to Bauhaus’s commitment to creative expression and freedom.
The whole concept of the art school as a place of rebellion started here.