Monday, 22 April 2013

JAPONISME

In 1853, after Japanese has reopened to start trading with the West, foreign imports filled European shores. This included woodcut prints by masters of the ukiyo-e school which changed Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art by showing that simple, everyday subjects from "the floating world" could be presented in an appealing decorative way. It is known that James Whistler discovered Japanese prints in a Chinese tearoom close to London Bridge, and that Claude Monet has first come upon them used as wrapping paper in a shop in Holland.James Tissot and Edgar Degas were in the earliest collections of Japanese art that took place in France, but their work was effected by exotic things in different ways. Unlike Tissot and others who had come under the spell of Japan, Degas avoided staging japoneries that had models dressed in kimonos. Instead he absorbed qualities that he found most sympathetic; elongated pictorial formats, aerial perspective, asymmetrical compositions, spaces emptied of all but abstract elements of line and colour, and a focus on singularly decorative motifs.

Kinryusan Temple at Asakus, from the series One Hundred Famour Views of Edo, 1856 - Ando Hiroshige


Kamedio Plum Garden, from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, 1857 - Ando Hirosage

Flowering Plum Tree, 1887 - Vincent Van Gogh

References:

Japonisme | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2013. Japonisme | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jpon/hd_jpon.htm. [Accessed 15 May 2013].


Ando Hiroshige: Kinryusan Temple at Asakusa: From the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (JP2519) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2013. Ando Hiroshige: Kinryusan Temple at Asakusa: From the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (JP2519) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/JP2519. [Accessed 15 May 2013].

Floating Along in the World of Japanese Prints: Japonisme. 2013. Floating Along in the World of Japanese Prints: Japonisme. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.ginacolliasuzuki.com/japanese_prints/japonisme. [Accessed 15 May 2013].

Tuesday, 9 April 2013

PORTRAIT BUSTS EXHIBITON

Portrait busts of many different personalities have been produced by artists for many centuries. This exhibition was a display of busts representing people from different classes, jobs and characters in life. The choice of busts reflected how Maltese society has changed in recent times.

Man in Uniform - Vincent Apap

Very Elegant Woman - Antonio Scortina

Elegant Woman - Antonio Sciortino

Man with Tie - Vincent Apap

Medical Officer - George Borg

Priest - George Borg

Woman with Long Hair - Frans Galea

Young Girl - Joseph Maria Genuis

Les Gavroches - Antonio Sciortino

Smiling Girl - Antonio Sciortino

Peasant - Joseph Maria Genuis





Monday, 8 April 2013

REALISM

Realism is an art movement that originated in France in the early 1850's. It emerged in the aftermath of the French Revolution of 1848 and the French fought for democratic reform and did this by painting modern subjects from the everyday lives of working class people. It is described as an artistic style that aims to imitate nature by means of a paintbrush. The creators of this movements considered themselves people who went against Romanticism  a dominating French artwork and literature in the early 19th century. Realism is the frame of mind of objective reality which was against emotionalism of the Romanticism. Truth and accuracy where then main goals of the Realists. Realism focused more on the accurate and truthful nature of the things which nature and life offer to artists. A lot of oil paintings and canvas art that emerged during this time showed people who were at work, ordinary lives, appearances  problems, customs, lover classed people, the ordinary and the humble. Artists' aimed to create works that ignored elements of contemporary life, mental attitudes and physical settings. The gaining popularity of realistic artworks also gave way to the popularity of photography; a new visual source that created a want within people to create representations that looked real.

Ploughing in Nivernals, 1850 - Rosa Bonheur.

Wilhelm Leibl, <i>Three Women in Church</i> [<i>Drei Frauen in der Kirche</i>] (1882)
Three Women in Church, 1882 - Wilhelm Leibl.

Female Nude with a Dog (Portrait of Leotine Renaude), 1861-62 - Gustave Courbet.

References:

Nineteenth-Century French Realism | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2013. Nineteenth-Century French Realism | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rlsm/hd_rlsm.htm. [Accessed 15 May 2013].

The Realism Art Movement. 2013. The Realism Art Movement. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.artsmypassion.com/articles.asp?ID=306. [Accessed 15 May 2013].

PLOUGHING IN NIVERNAIS. 2013. PLOUGHING IN NIVERNAIS. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ringlingdocents.org/pages/bonheur.htm. [Accessed 15 May 2013].

GHDI - Image. 2013. GHDI - Image. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_image.cfm?image_id=1313. [Accessed 15 May 2013].

Female Nude with a Dog (Portrait of Leotine Renaude) 1861 62 - Gustave Courbet - www.gustavecourbet.org. 2013. Female Nude with a Dog (Portrait of Leotine Renaude) 1861 62 - Gustave Courbet - www.gustavecourbet.org. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.gustavecourbet.org/Female-Nude-with-a-Dog-(Portrait-of-Leotine-Renaude)-1861-62.html. [Accessed 15 May 2013].

ART NOUVEAU

Art Nouveau started around 1880's-1890's. It explored  a new style in both vial arts and architecture that had developed in Europe and North America at the end of the 19th century. In the 1900 World's Fair in Paris, Art Nouveau was established as the first new decorative style of the 20th century. Art Nouveau was an attempt at creating an international style based on decoration and was developed by a generation of artists and designers who sought to create an artistic style to be suited appropriately for the modern age. During this tie, Urban life had started to be established. Many artists and designers of the time embraced the new technologies such as cast iron, while others held back onto the past, embracing the spirit world, fantasy and myth. Art Nouveau is known to be a response to the Industrial Revolution. Many where against the mass-produced, machine-made goods and aimed to higher rank the decorative arts to the level of fine art by applying the highest standards of craftsmanship and design to everyday objects and ornaments. Art Nouveau designers believed that all arts should work together; buildings, furniture, textiles, jewelry and clothing, to create a "total work of art".

Hanging cabinet, ca. 1890 - Emilie Galle (French, 1846-1904).

Vase, ca. 1899 - Max Lauger (German, 1864-1952).

Coffee service, 1900-1904 - Leon Kann (French).

Brooch, ca. 1900 - Manufacturer: Georges Fouquet (French, 1863-1957); Designer: Alphonse Mucha (Czech, 1860-1939).

Panel, ca. 1900 - Hector Guimard (French, 1867-1942)

References:

Art Nouveau. 2013. Art Nouveau. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.nga.gov/feature/nouveau/exhibit_intro.shtm. [Accessed 15 May 2013].

Art Nouveau | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2013. Art Nouveau | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/artn/hd_artn.htm. [Accessed 15 May 2013].

ALFRED CHIRCOP EXHIBITION

Alfred Chircop, a Maltese artist, attended the Malta School of Art, the Accademia Pietro Vannucci in Perugia, Bath Academy of Art at Corsham UK and Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome.His work shows development through the years which ranges from figurative to abstract. He has proved his mastery in many techniques in the media he uses in his work such as paintings, drawings, warercolours, etchings and aquatints, linocuts, pen and wash and monoprints. He had been exhibiting his work indipendantly since 1960 in Malta and abroad and has participated in many collective exhibitions in Malta and abroad which had his work highly accliamed by local and foreign critics. Chircop also had a teaching career in Malta at which he taught different levels in schools, showing great ability in creating great awareness and creativity at primary, secondary, sixth form and at the Faculty of Architecture in Malta where he spent his last years teaching as a Senior Lecturer teaching visual education and design. In 1990 Chrircop was awarded the Gold Medal Premio Citta di Valletta and won first prize in painting and watercolour in the first Malta International Biennale in 1995. In 1998, he was then honored with the National Order of Merit, M.O.M. in recognition of his contribution to Art in Malta.When Malta joined the E.U. in 2004, he was invited by the council of Europe to represent Malta with a one-man exhibition of his paintings, which then moved to Paris for the same reason; representing Malta. During the same time, he participated in the Salon International of the City of La Rochelle in France where he was awarded the Grand Prix and the Drand Medal of the city of La Rochelle, being the only artist who was doubly awarded, and was also awarded the Prix Groupama at the Salon International de Nantes. In 2005 he managed to have a one-man exhibition in Berlin, at the Palace Hotel in the middle of the city. Chircop represents Malta in the Hope and Optimism Portfolio, a Global art project where Heynits Castle Art Centre in Namibia displays his work. His works of art are found in both private and public collections in Malta and Abroad.

Exhibition Images:














References:
www.alfredchircop.com/about.html - 08.04.2013.

CHRIS EBEJER EXHIBITION


Chris Ebejer is a Maltese artist who was born in 1979. He was mainly self taught as a sculptor, and at an early age had shown a deep interest for the baroque heritage that surrounded him in his native island which then captured his fantasy and imagination. Through his training as a painter he discovered that 3 dimension was the true aspiration for his creations. He received his artistic and cultural training for 3 years in history of Western European Art which introduced him to the greatest masters of all time such as Carpeaux, Bernini, Michelangelo and Rodin. He has designed many works for cinema, his most notable work being the horse of troy for the film "Helen of Troy" in 2002. He graduated in film production and direction at the New York film academy in Universal Studios at Los Angeles and in 2004 he earned a distinction for the diploma in classical and contemorary design from the sheffield school of int. des of New York. Ebejer's bronze work Mechanical Spring was installed in the world's larget sculpture park in Changchung China. His work ranges from film set design, to interiors, to fine art. He has now completed many public commissions and his Art is also included in various private collections.

In 2006, he won the the competition for the monument to Youth and Life in Qrendi - Malta.
In 2007 he won the national competition for the monument to Mater Dei at the newly built hospital of Malta.
Chris paricipated in numerous exhibitions in MAlt and across Europe and he currently spends his time between Malta and Pietrasanta in Italy.


Public monuments:

Mechanical Spring - Changchun, China.
Yough & Life - Qrendi Malta.
Petro Paolo Floriani - Floriana Malta.
Mater Dei - Mater Dei Hospital Malta.
Toninu is-sajjied - St.Julians Malta.
Karm Lino Spiteri - Mellieha Malta.
Bacchus fountain - Monte Kristo estates.

Exhibition Images:

The Swanlake Series

The Swanlake Series

The Swanlake Series

Nymph II

Nymph I

Mediterranean Legend

Mediterranean Myth

Barocco Veneziano

Sacred Icon

Winter Drops

Metamorphosis 2

Metamorphosis 1

Capriccio

Teatro Veneziano


Detachment from Reality

Winter Frost

Bavaria