The transformations in the plastic arts: the path of artists to artists
‘Art is the expression of the soul that wishes to be heard’
(Phrase attributed to Andy Warhol)
Is art really the expression of the soul that wishes to be heard? Or perhaps this phrase symbolizes what art is according to Andy Warhol? Throughout history, art was not only the expression of the artist’s soul, but also of the state of society, the representation of the agite and change, the cry of struggle, the deep suffering of the artist and all who does notIt is part of the wealthy sector, the genuine admiration for the environment, the expression of the most beautiful love, of the more dark fears, the concealment of imperfections and the highlight of the powerful, an effort of ostentation and the representation of fruitful reigns. The figure of the artist could with all that and much more.
Artistic movements are trends in the art world that share a common philosophy or style. Each movement is followed for some time by a circle of artists who, protagonists of a particular era, decide to express their characteristics through their works representing needs, visions of the world, claims.
In the Middle Ages, the artist was a craftsman who proudly executed any commission, with the maximum of art and craft skill. The artists were artisans, the artisans were artists. During the Renaissance, artists began to be considered higher beings, who carried a sublime and divine message. They represented the context through their works, their art was the expression of an era and they were a channel capable of dumping on the canvas what they captured from their place. During the nineteenth century the artist had become a kind of priest, he was no longer a craftsman who did things at request, but his art dignified humanity. The artists began to despise the public throughout the nineteenth century, withdrawing to their sacred circle, creating art for art and not by the artist. The public stopped understanding art, ceases to be universal to become a personal exploration of the artist. We could say, then, that Andy Warhol’s conception of art represents the contemporary artist more than to the artist of the Middle Ages or the Renaissance, that apart from expressing what his soul dictated he had the mission of leaving a legacy: portraying real families, moments momentshistorical, express the suffering of a social class.
Of the artistic movements of the nineteenth century mentioned in this week’s class, it is convenient to make a distinction between impressionism and post -impressionism in the first place. Impressionism is considered the starting point of contemporary art. The artists leave their workshops to paint outdoors, trying to reproduce the objects and figures not as they are, but with the impression they produce at the precise moment in which they are observed. The brushstrokes desprolijas and rapids are not only by design, but also by the hurry caused by not letting the impression of the moment you want to pour into the canvas. Figure 1 (annex) shows the picture whose name gave rise to the name "Impressionism" in art: the work "Impression, Dawn" by Claude Monet (1872). In this you can see the capture of an ephemeral moment of light and action. A sunset that in time will not last more than twenty minutes, immortalized in this painting.
A few years later post -impressionism arises, structuring movement of many others emerging from the overcoming of impressionism. Post -impressionists are encouraged to present an even more subjective vision of the world. As an example in Figure 2 we can appreciate “self-portrait in felt hat”, a work by Vincent Van Gogh that corresponds to the movement of expressionism within post -impressionism. The lost look of Vincent Van Gogh in this work reveals the artist’s ability to capture the torments of the human soul. In Figure 3 of the Annex we can observe the painting of Paul Gauguin (1892) entitled "The spirit of the dead sail". In this post -impressionist painting also belonging to expressionism, it can be clearly observed that this is a subjective cut of reality by the artist. The reality is not portrayed as it is, unlike impressionism, but as the artist perceives it.
Within the coordinates of post -impressionism are, in addition to the expressionism detailed above, the Nabi movement and the Pont Aven school, characterized by the choice of color, the flat of its paintings and symbolism. There is also a pointillism, which with small brushstrokes managed. Primitivism is also understood within post -impressionism. Paul Gauguin takes it, mentioned above, as a precursor. Borrow the visual forms of non -western prehistoric peoples and integrate them with somewhat shocking symbologies. In Figure 4 you can see the painting of Henri Rousseau (1984) entitled "The War", and everything that suggests if it is carefully appreciated. Finally, within the coordinates of post -impressionism is symbolism, which uses symbols such as mythology, sleep and mystery to seek universal truths. This movement reacts against the values of materialism in industrial society.
Having explored the evolution of the figure of the artist, we can conclude that, during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the figure of the artist contributed to leaving legacies, communicating messages, representing collective realities, his art representing a historical cut, a collective of struggle, a social movement. As time passes that pedagogical figure in charge of capturing the story in his works was left behind, gradually replaced by a lonely, misunderstood figure, which expresses his intimacy and subjectivity in his works, the closest thing to Andy Warhol’s phrase,"Art is the expression of the soul that wishes to be heard".
Bibliography
- Pevsner, n. (2003) Pioneers of modern design: from William Morris to Walter Gropius. Editions Infinito, Buenos Aires.
- Sánchez, s. [Cat del Valle – Fadu Uba. (2020, June 13). Class 5. The transformations of plastic arts
- Recovered from https: // www.Youtube.com/watch?time_continue = 3118 & v = 6alxgsposbm & feature = emb_ogue
- Figure 1 – Printing, dawn. Claude Monet (1872)
- Figure 2 – self-portrait in gray felt hat . Vincent Van Gogh (1887 – 1888)
- Figure 3 – "The spirit of the dead candle" – Paul Gauguin (1892)
- Figure 4 – "The War" – Henri Rousseau
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