Art + Survival

 








Art + Survival


Grace Campbell

Columbus College of Art & Design

ARTH1132: Modern to Contemporary Art and Design

Professor Kesten

November 19, 2023






Figure 1. Unknown artists. Pair statue of Ptahkhenuwy and his wife. 2465–2323 B.C, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston. 

Throughout history, art has been undeniably important in various aspects. It has recorded history, like that of Ptahkhenuwy and his wife’s sculpture. Documenting those who lived before us, and the remarkable techniques created. But art has also been used to entertain humans, art is at every corner, so people tend to forget how important it is. Galleries, television shows, product design, commercials. Art dominates our lives, and that can not be overstated enough. 

Figure 2. Williams, Brian. Night-Fighter. 2023, Cox Fine Arts Building, Columbus. 

At this point in history, it is hard to say just how many pieces of art populate or once populated Earth. That makes it just as hard to decide three pieces to save from this catastrophic event. So, when considering which pieces to choose, I developed a criteria. First, how significantly it impacted society, whether that be as a whole or specific communities. Second, how significant it was to the art community. Third, can it impact future society? This criteria quickly led me to Claude Monet. Monet is debatedly one of the most well-known artists today. Hailing from France, he held a significant role within the impressionist movement. His importance to the art field wasn’t the only thing that made me pick one of his pieces. For a majority of art history predating the 1850s, there was plenty of beautiful art produced. However, often times it was controlled by the church or outside forces. So, artists didn’t have full autonomy to create what they wanted. Luckily, Monet and many others began to go out of the box. In fact, in figure 3, Impression Sunrise does exactly this. Sparking the term ‘Impressionism’ thus pushing the movement forward. Figure 3 depicts Le Havre port, unlike previous works by others, Monet utilized a free flowing way of presenting the landscape. Using large choppy brushstrokes that give the impression of the landscape. The figures on the boats are not highly detailed, however, the shape gives us enough to know they are people on a boat. 

Figure 3. Monet, Claude. Impression, Sunrise. 1872, Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris.

Furthermore, the use of color is remarkable. This piece takes on more of a complementary color palette, utilizing mostly blue and orange. The saturated sunrise draws the eye in, creating a nice contrast between the soft landscape and the harsh sun. It is almost as if there is a light morning fog across the port, making everything slightly blurry. 

Art has developed tremendously throughout history, and Monet was one of the many artists to help do that. By saving this painting, future generations will be able to learn the importance of breaking out of the box with art. Even if they are ridiculed for it. Furthermore, it will encourage people to remember these impressionist techniques, using them for generations to come. Art that helped shape a movement must be saved. 

Figure 4. Gonzalez-Torres, Felix. Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) 1991 Art Instittue of Chicago.

Out of the other selected pieces, this one stands out the most. “Untitled” is not a painting nor a sculpture, it is an assortment of saturated candy that sits on the floor. Passersby are encouraged to take a piece, slowly dwindling down the supply until none is left. The piece by Felix Gonzalez-Tores represents an atypical portrait of his partner Ross Laycock. Laycock suffered from aids complications until his eventual death. Thus, viewers taking the candy represent the slow decay of Laycock’s body from aids. When the piece is depleted from its source, it is replenished, allowing new onlookers to experience the piece as well. 

Art reflects our life experiences, and I want future generations to see that art can be anything. This piece has been around since 1991, and holds much importance to the queer community. 23 years later it still resonates with people, even going viral on various social media programs. While not everyone on Earth has seen it, it has impacted many people who have gone through aids or someone they love. Aside from resonating with the piece, this piece manages to tell a heart wrenching story without any figures, landscape, or photo. That is above all impressive. So, this installation must be saved due to how it brought together many suffering from aids or even other debilitating illnesses. And it’s important with our three remaining pieces to capture all types of art, not just paintings. So humans can understand art can be anything.

Figure 5. Unknown Artists. “Untitled,” Frunzenskaya Metro station, Moscow. 

Soviet-era mosaics hold an extensive history that must be preserved. I made it my goal to find at least one piece of propaganda art that could be saved. Why? Future civilizations need to know that propaganda can come in all forms, even art. This is in contrast to why I chose figure 3, the Soviet Union held authority over what was produced. So often times, if artists wanted to make a living in the USSR they would make pieces the government would approve of. Figure 5 is one of many Soviet-era mosaics which depict the Space Race. Four figures can be seen standing far from a space shuttle and various planets. Two of the four figures appear to have the Soviet Union symbol on their suits, indicating they are a part of the USSR. Another reason this piece was selected is because of its use of smalti. Smalti are small pieces of opaque glass utilized for the mosaics. It is more of a rarity to see such delicate art like this nowadays, so it’s important to continue this masterful technique for generations to come.

Bibliography


Kohonen, Iina. "The space race and Soviet utopian thinking." The Sociological Review 57, no. 1_suppl (2009): 114-131.

Laura Auricchio. “Claude Monet (1840–1926).” The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, January 1, 1AD. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cmon/hd_cmon.htm.

RAPOPORT, SARAH. "“He Kills Me”: AIDS, Activism and the Activation of the Spectatorial Body in Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ Untitled."

Sinitsyna, Olga. "Censorship in the Soviet Union and its cultural and professional results for arts and art libraries." In Annual Conference, vol. 64, no. 64th. 1998


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