Neoplasticism: An exhibition curated by Ash Chadwick – Blog Assignment
My exhibition is based on the artistic movement De Stijl which is Dutch for the “The Style”.
“The artistic philosophy that formed a basis for the group’s work is known as neoplasticism — the new plastic art.“[1] The movement primarily sought to achieve harmony and order by reducing their work to the essentials of form and colour. This was achieved through the use of simple vertical and horizontal lines and the application of only primary colours and black and white.
“The Tate article further summarizes that this art allows only primary colours and non-colours, only squares and rectangles, only straight and horizontal or vertical line.”[2]
Throughout this exhibition I will explore and discuss the use intent, context, content, form and methodology within the artwork by three major artists from the De Stijl Movement.
I chose to include Piet Mondrian and Gerrit Rietveld in my exhibition Neoplasticism as my work from week 5 of Hybrid Furniture was strongly influenced by some of the principles these artists followed. Another reason for my choice of showcasing these artists is because I have always been fascinated about their work and careers and wanted to gain more of an insight into how the work they did, influenced the art world today.
From about 1917 Piet Mondrian completed a series of Oil on canvas paintings, following the guidelines of Neoplasticism. Mondrian has put this painting together through the use of abstract style straight lines and repetitive right angles. His methodology also required that he use Primary colours and non-colours. The form of the painting is asymmetric and grid like with the content of bold planes of colour and non-colour and geometric forms. The context of the painting is non representational and contemporary abstract art.
Overtime however, Mondrians work started to become cleaner and more simple. He started to use stronger blocks of colour which were then sepertated by even thicker black lines and numerous sections of just pure white. Below is an example of this.
Next the white really became mondrians main focuss, with the use of the same colours and same black line thickness breaking up the planes (Fig.1). Next he started experimenting with double and tripple lines – using more black lines than ever (Fig.2). Then another big change for Mondrian; Mondrian started to paint smaller squares of colour in between his black double lines, without any black around their edges(Fig.2). Although this may seem like such a subtle change, the unbounded colour indicated a big change of direction for him. This was later shown in one of his last and greatest works, entiltled ”Broadway Boogie Woogie”.(Fig.3)
As you can see, the one major change in this final painting by Mondrian is the loss of black lines. Instead his content consisted of small coloured squares of which seperated the larger blocks of white. In terms of form, the scale of the squares is now evidently smaller and there are now numerous more squares of colour. His methodology remains similar in that he still follows the guidelines of Neoplasticism; he uses straight lines and only Primary colours. The context of the painting changes from Mondrian’s original work in that it moved from being a non representaional painting to reflecting on the bustling sights and sounds of New York City. More specifically it is an interpretation of the New York Subway map and the Boogie-Woogie music that he himself used to listen to. His intention is to create a sense of rhythm, to make it as if the city were dancing.
Gerrit Rietveld was a Dutch furniture designer and architect, as well as one of the principal members of the De Stijl Movement. Reitveld is most famous for his “Red and Blue” chair and the Rietveld Schröder House.
The Red and Blue chair was designed in 1917, based on the philosophies of the De Stijl movement and with influcence from the previous paintings by Mondrian. The form of the chair is made up of two main rectangular panels and several straight planes. It is made of up several bits of wood.The original chair was painted following the pallete of De Stijl, however when Rietveld came into contact with Mondrian in 1918, it was later changed to resemble his work. In a sense, Mondrian’s paintings have been turned into the form of a 3D object. The two are very similar in terms of both form and content for example they both have the same colour palette of Primary colours and black and they both use geometric forms. Rietveld’s had many intentions for the chair when he designed it. ”Rietveld wanted to create a handsome chair that does not fill the space it occupies but rather keeps it transparent.”[1] Furthermore he intented to design a chair that could be machine made. Unfortunately due to lack of interest for its design it was never mass produced, this was primarily because the chair was uncomfortable to sit in, which brings up “Form Follows Function”. In this case form does and doesn’t follow function. It follows function in that you can sit in it as you would a normal chair, however form doesn’t follow function in that it is very uncomfortable and not designed with ergonomics and anthropometrics in mind.
Mixed media
unconfirmed: 2000 x 2000 x 2000 mm
sculpture
Cragg’s sculpture ‘Stack’ 1975 addresses form. It is made up of found materials and objects common in everyday life. Through his careful selection of material the form of which his work has taken on, is already largely determined.[1] This sculpture was put together using simple techniques such as stacking, splitting and crushing. Cragg has carefully arranged the materials in multiple layers to form a large geometrical like structure, the layering suggests a link with the earth’s geological structure, for example much like the layers of the earth. It demonstrates how both natural and man-made elements are incorporated into the layers of the earth and shaped over time. The colour palette Cragg has chosen for ‘Stack’ also suggests a link to the layers of the earth. It is made up of mainly greys and browns, as he is prone to using certain colour groups within his work. Each layer is densely packed together and the scale of the sculpture is large. The large scale of the sculpture is important as it gives new meaning to the materials used.
[1] Malmo Konsthall, TONY CRAGG New Sculptures, 1.
For this Blog Assignment Im going to create a new post about a Global Issue, in the hope that others can interact and put foward their opinions and knowledge about this issue.
WHAT IS A GLOBAL ISSUE?
To put it in the most basic of terms: An issue that is prominent around the globe.
Im going to concentrate on Racism as my Global issue,as it is, without a doubt a prominent issue present around the globe today.
http://www.fotosearch.com/CSP203/k2033790/
Any thoughts, opinions, ideas or knowledge on the global issue of Racism are appreciated!!!
To start off with I have found a sort of real life experiment that deals with Racism. Over the last four years, Canadian photographer Wayne Dunkley has posted 400 photocopied images of himself in downtown Toronto and Montreal, which have subsequently been torn down, covered up and defaced. Each recorded response, he says, provokes viewers to consider their own response to “the black male.” Click on the link below to check it out, to scroll through click on the small square portrait of him on the right. http://www.sharemyworld.net/Intro%20Page%201.htm
Leave me comments on your thoughts about it.
THE BLACK POWER MOVEMENT
http://swinginsixties.com/black-power.jpg
Black Power was a political movement expressing a new racial consciousness amoung blacks in the United States in the late 1960s. Black Power represented both a conclusion to the decade’s civil rights movement and a reaction against the racism that persisted despite the efforts of black activists during the early 1960s. The meaning of Black Power was debated vigorously while the movement was in progress. To some it represented blacks; insistence on racial dignity and self-reliance, which was usually interpreted as economic and political independence, as well as freedom from white authority.
Below is the first part of a one hour BBC documentary highlighting a significant Black Power Solute moment. If you are interested in watching the whole documentary, here is the link for that:
As a part of my research for the Interior Design option, I have been searching the web for fashion shows that are over the top, unusual or different from the stereotype runway set and show. I have been looking at extravagent set designs and locations and how the theme has been brought through in the clothes and the overall show. Another important aspect I have been looking at for inspiration in my studio work, is how the designer has chosen to interpret his or her ideas through choice of runway and how/where the audience are seated. This is just one of the examples of many I have found. I chose to put this one up as an example as I feel that it shows everything that I have been looking for. A Japenese theme was emminent complete with big origami details, asian hats and painted Geisha faces, topped off with perfectly matched music.
This series of pictures will take you through some development stages of my runway. Here I have taken my Runway Design from Sketchup and brought it into photoshop. The patterns in all of the following pictures of aspects of my own clothing. I have played around with the opacity, brightness/darkness/contrast, lighting, and taking out certain layers. I also experimented with perspective and white space.
