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I Heart Edward Hopper
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
What to expect when you're expecting...to find a job.
10 things to expect with an Art History Degree:
1. Do not assume because you have an art degree you will be able to get a job in a museum.
2. Do not assume that you AT LEAST qualify for a customer service job in an art center..
3. If you apply for a job in another field (ie retail, office assistance, receptionist) expect questions as to why you choose to work in that field. Acceptable answers are not "the economy is terrible and I have an art degree."
4. People always will know more about art than you in their personal opinion and you better listen to them. Their 1 high school art class they weren't interested in and were required to take over qualifies them to know about the Renaissance or the "conspiracy" of the Mona Lisa. They just know way more than you...
5. Really though, that's like me telling a chemist that I know more about Chemistry...people who know me how hilarious that is...
6. Expect to hear everyone's opinion about art. Sidenote: people don't care about it/think it is at all important.
7. Expect people to want to start conversations about Thomas Kincaid or Anne Geddes.....
8. Feel like murdering yourself because your art ed friends actually have jobs...Not ALL schools are cutting art programs!
9. Expect a lot of questions like, "Art history??? What are you going to do with that...like, work in a museum or something?" Please refer to question #1.
10. Get a hobby and learn the art of cynicism.
1. Do not assume because you have an art degree you will be able to get a job in a museum.
2. Do not assume that you AT LEAST qualify for a customer service job in an art center..
3. If you apply for a job in another field (ie retail, office assistance, receptionist) expect questions as to why you choose to work in that field. Acceptable answers are not "the economy is terrible and I have an art degree."
4. People always will know more about art than you in their personal opinion and you better listen to them. Their 1 high school art class they weren't interested in and were required to take over qualifies them to know about the Renaissance or the "conspiracy" of the Mona Lisa. They just know way more than you...
5. Really though, that's like me telling a chemist that I know more about Chemistry...people who know me how hilarious that is...
6. Expect to hear everyone's opinion about art. Sidenote: people don't care about it/think it is at all important.
7. Expect people to want to start conversations about Thomas Kincaid or Anne Geddes.....
8. Feel like murdering yourself because your art ed friends actually have jobs...Not ALL schools are cutting art programs!
9. Expect a lot of questions like, "Art history??? What are you going to do with that...like, work in a museum or something?" Please refer to question #1.
10. Get a hobby and learn the art of cynicism.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Finished Capstone
I have officially completed my final semester in school and have received my Bachelors Degree! I thought it would be appropriate to share my final paper with the world. If for some reason it is ever used as reference, I expect full citations and credit for it! :)
The Influence of Synchromism
Jackie Porter
In 1916, the Anderson Galleries in New
York held “The Forum Exhibition of
Modern American Painters.” Organized by Willard Huntington Wright, author and
critic, along with an organizing committee of influential artists such as
Alfred Steiglitz and Robert Henri, this exhibition showcased what was believed
to be the “very best examples of the more modern American Art.” Seventeen
American artists showcased 193 works in which best exemplified the
representation of ideal artwork to “turn public attention…from European Art.”
This helped to continue interest that was established by the Armory show in
1913. As said by Wright in a letter written to artist Morgan Russell, “After
the Armory Show, it will be the most talked of exhibition ever given here…”
Although this was later known as a landmark event for modern art that included
well established American artists, it was originally planned as a Synchromist
exhibition, a radical art movement founded by Willard’s brother, Stanton
MacDonald Wright and fellow artist Morgan Russell, Americans in Paris of 1913.[1]
The mere aspect of having an exhibit dedicated
to Synchromism shows that there was some importance regarding it. Also, the
matter that it is still mentioned in the broad spectrum of art history helps to
signify it in a particular way. The debate at hand however, is why does Synchromism
matter? Synchromism originally stemmed off of Morgan Russell’s and Stanton
MacDonald-Wright’s desire to create and explore form using only color, absent
from line structure. They also desired to create a new art movement because of
the quick succession of innovation that was occurring in Paris at the time.
Playing on the idea of musical chords and harmonies, these two artists created
the term based on the idea of a musical “symphony” which in turn alluded to the
new art movement of Synchromy, meaning “with color.”[2] This artistic development stemmed from a
rationalization of color theories that created a new adaption in the ideas of
color and abstract art. This also came about based on MacDonald-Wright’s
interest in the alluring qualities of paint itself. He then drew inspiration
from the fluid painting techniques of Turner, Renoir and Cezanne who all created
abstract in the form of beautiful color and movement in their works. It is also
noteworthy to account that the idea of color was wildly popular at this time and
went on to impact art even after Synchromism came and went.[3]
Synchromism also is said to have embraced the aesthetic aspirations of these
artists including Delacroix and the Cubists which looked towards making color
organic in the process of artistic creation. Synchromism, however, explored the
use of color to expand into luminoscity as an experimental factor.[4] It
also greatly differs from Cubism in the way that the technical methodologies
differ in definition which is the basis for each movement’s creation.
For the most part, opinions during
this time period greatly differed from that of other time periods (like today)
that have been desensitized to the ever evolving world. Abstract art styles of
the time, like Synchromism, were lumped into one category that viewers at the
time were uninterested in due to their differences in what was average and
common. Minds were not as open to artistic expansion in the early 1900’s.
Synchromism:
Paris and Beyond
Upon his arrival in Paris in the fall
of 1909, MacDonald-Wright found himself in the pinnacle of artistic development
in the ways of art and painting. He took
this opportunity to submerge himself in the artistic lifestyle of early 20th
Century Paris. It was later that both Russell and MacDonald-Wright began
exploration into this new idea from 1912-1913 by using compositions and color
as the basis to their works. The actual realization of Synchromism is quite a debatable
affair as it was supposedly coined by Russell in an attempt to find a name for
a salon entry of 1913 but was also argued to have been originally thought of as
an original idea by Orphists and the Robert Delauney camp.[5]
As said in an interview conducted with
Stanton MacDonald-Wright in 1964, both Stanton and Morgan Russell studied in
Paris with Percyval Tudor-Harte. Stanton described him as “…stark raving mad, a
man very much interested in color.” He also said that the three of them were
very experimental with color and worked with a “chrome psychological basis”
which was a representation of emotion, feeling and mental capabilities through
color and color theory. Macdonald-Wright also said that although Tudor-Harte
had an “intuitive grasp on color possibilities,” he was not a skilled painter
and was unable to put his own color theories to use. Instead, Tudor-Harte
related them to the 12 notes on the chromatic scale of the piano and passed on
his ideas to MacDonald-Wright and Russell to test.[6]
He also was unconvinced about color
theory in the way of physicists and believed that color and sound were a
perception of psychological validations of color theory. He began experimentation
with the analysis of spectral band colors which involved the inspection of the
relationships of noise and light. The color wheel was used in parallel to
musical theories in the basis of scale building. A tonic color was chosen for
the basis of the scale and moved in intervals through the scale in the same way
as a musical scale (i.e. a major scale moving in the basis of its own theory as
whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half
step). South’s book about these theories gives the best example explaining how the
scale of red would work. The order would move as such: red, orange, yellow,
yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet and then red-violet.[7]
Tudor-Harte’s theory then read as such, “the pitch in music equaled luminosity
in color, tone equaled hue and intensity in music…equaled saturation or purity
in color.”[8] Theories aside, this created a basis for the
artistic creations of Synchromism.
Russell and MacDonald-Wright also
looked to give color a “formal and compositional significance” to stray away
from decorative qualities that were seen in works by painters at the time. They
used smaller brushstrokes to set up the picture plane and then complementary
colors to set off the intensity of the composition. Color became the “totality” of their artwork
and became the basis for the expressive qualities of their artwork.[9]
Color and expressivity were profound ways of thinking in a time that definite
representations of images were the way of creating art. Color totality as
introduced in Willard Huntington Wright’s book, creates a new definition for
the way that color was explored, used and defined. Although, Wright’s opinions
on the basis of Synchromism may be
biased (he is brother to Stanton MacDonald-Wright and promoter of Synchromism),
this definition of color helps to cement the unique qualities of the art
movement. Stylistically, this definition still holds truth in the way that
color totality means that color was the basis for all things “Synchromist.”
MacDonald-Wright also drew great
inspiration from the artistic aesthetic of Oscar Wilde’s prose which allowed
for the interpretation of art as elegant and dynamic. Both Willard Wright and
Stanton MacDonald Wright also were drawn to such aesthetic and unique qualities
due to the influence of their upbringing in a wealthy lifestyle. They were not
drawn to the ordinary and were looking for an outlet to create their own style
and their own marks in the broad spectrum of art. It was of great importance to them to
separate their style from that of others.
The
Debate of Orphism
Allegedly, Synchromism was influenced
by artists who studied and created works in the category of Orphism. A word
created by Guillaume Apollinaire, Orphism was attributed to the works of such
artists as Francois Kupka and Robert Delauney. Pieces from these artists were
based on Cubism but explored more into the development of color vocabulary.[10]
In comparison to Synchromism paintings, the emphasis of color is similar but
Orphism creates a more Cubist visual scenery. In Robert Delauney’s “Ville de
Paris” of 1912 (Fig. 1), there is a similarity between this and paintings done
by the Synchromist artists but with much more extreme definition of space and
line structure. There are many comparisons between Orphism and Synchromism from
art critics and historians of Modern Art. Robert Hughes, a popular art critic
even described MacDonald-Wright’s artwork as being similar to the works of
Delauney. [11]
MacDonald-Wright, however, scoffed at the idea of any such comparison and
disagreed with popular commentary between the two art styles. He says “…we
poked fun at Orphism and Delauney in spite of the fact that Delauney was a good
friend of mine.”[12]
He also believed that the reason why they were so often likened to one another
was because they were the first to move away from the monochromatic colors of
Cubism. MacDonald-Wright, particularly, wanted Synchromism to be able to
establish itself as its very own art style and movement. Looking at art pieces
created with this idea of Synchromism, it is very easy to agree that while they
may look similar to other art pieces at the time, the basis of ideas that were
behind Synchromism were unique in nature and thorough from a technique
standpoint. It also set the bar for new experimentations in color and form;
instead of creating a representational quality, these artists were creating new
forms of mood, flow and design which evoked emotional qualities purely based on
colors. Orphism also gave itself more credit than necessary in the way of
unique artistic qualities as it looked more like a brightly colored subset of
Cubism rather than its own new and unique movement. If anything, Synchromism
can find its comparison by looks and color but not, in any way, by theory or
line structure. This returns to the debate on how critics and everyday viewers
of the time period looked at abstract styles of art in such a way that doesn’t
allow for the expansion of any artistic creativity. Synchromism fell into that
category of abstraction that wasn’t highly regarded or easily understood. Because
of its many different similarities between itself and other styles, there was a
gray area in interpretation without the basis of its creation and methodology.
Without any background information,
however, would the general public really understand it? Without a lot of
positive media attention focused on Synchromism, there was not ability for the
general public to read very much into these works since there were not very
many outlets for artistic education. There were also not many opportunities for
people in the public of that time to get a chance to understand any artistic
styles without substantial amounts of media or without substantial education in
the area of art itself.
Synchromist
Works
One of the earliest works exploring
Synchromist ideas is MacDonald Wright’s “Portrait of John Dracopoli” (Fig. 2)
which is painted in the key of orange. This painting was done by starting with
orange as the first color note and then moving in intervals like the notes of a
musical scale. Along with the harmonized scale, MacDonald-Wright used the
warmth and coolness of the colors to create depth and perception in the
portrait. While two colors are harmonized theoretically like a musical scale,
each color was allowed to advance and recede into space based on warmth or
coolness. Following Tudor-Harte’s theories, MacDonald-Wright created a color
harmony, but also created mood, rhythm and flow. As being in the “key of
orange,” emotional connection was meant to be obtained.[13]
Although Tudor-Harte did not originally create an emotional distinction for
this color, Macdonald-Wright did indeed intend for it to create an emotional
meaning. He details, “Orange can be either loud or soft as a scale. It gives us
the sensation of febrile gaiety, and quickness, or of soft, solid dignity. It
is either mercurial or magisterial…If we paint a portrait in orange it must be
of great dignity; its background must be rich and sonorous; its expression must
be kindly, intelligent and frank, but never sentimental nor smirking.”[14] This could have been inspired by the
intentions of Tudor-Harte originally. He related the feeling of melancholy darkness in the lower
notes of A flat, A, B flat and B which complemented blues and violets. The
bright and cheerful notes (D sharp, E and F) complemented yellow-orange, yellow
and yellow-green.[15]
Qualities such as the definitions of
color help to solidify the differences of Synchromism aside from any other art
movement up to this time period. Emotional connotations to colors also created
significance between Synchromism because there was no such definition in other
areas. While there may have been an allusion of such definitions, there were no
exact explanations from the artists themselves in other artistic ventures. Any
such definition may have been given as an afterthought. Color as an emotional
factor is also a natural sense that viewers have with paintings that helps to
establish a sense of what the piece may mean or what the feeling invokes.
However, interestingly enough, the world had less color involved in daily life
at the time than it does today. Clothing, décor, and even artwork were much
less filled with color, so therefore, color on a grand scale, such as what
Synchromism represented, meant a lot more than it would today, about one
hundred years later.
Along with MacDonald-Wright, Morgan
Russell explored painting in color scales and keys but did not use “advancing
and receding colors with the same accuracy of MacDonald-Wright”.[16]
Russell explored the same stylized concept, but with less representational
qualities such as in his work “Synchromy in Orange: To Form,” ca. 1914 (Fig. 3),
which explores a much more abstract quality than MacDonald Wright’s portrait of
John Dracopoli. Russell explores a new implication of color theory. He states,
“In order to resolve the problem of a new pictorial structure, we have
considered light as intimately related chromatic waves and have submitted the
harmonic connections between colors to a closer study.” [17] He
goes on to say that by the use of “color rhythms” in the painting that created
a time span like a musical piece, the “old painting,” instead, existed in
space.[18] Russell began to shy away from the methods set
up by Synchromism and was much more flexible with his use of colors. He was
more interested in his composition and what would better complement it as a
whole and looked towards new ways of color expression that was consistent with
the ever evolving expansion of art in Paris of this time.[19]
While color became the new “craze” in artwork, Russell’s abandonment of the
movement was natural.
Synchromism
and Synesthesia
In is notable to dissect other
examples leading up to the movement of Synchromism by exploring an abstract,
and scientific, idea called synesthesia. Synesthesia was explored by artists
but on a less mathematical scale. It is explained as “…a stimulus received in
one sensory modality that gives rise to an experience in another.”[20] The
idea of “color music”, which creates the basis for Synchromism, has been
studied from a scientific perspective. One such study was conducted by Leon
Ginsberg of Columbia University and was published in 1923. Ginsberg says,
“…’Synesthesia’ has been used so loosely that is has led to confusion. The two
leading theories…have adherents, just because of this blanket term for two
phenomena.”[21]
In other words, Ginsberg likened Synesthesia to a scientific theory that many
people did not fully understand and was likely to be interpreted incorrectly. Some
may regard synesthesia incorrectly because of the visual stimulus that differs
from person to person that is due to imagination. One person who is much more
creative and able to imagine things more vividly than another is natural but
the idea of synesthesia is not. This is why it was such an interesting idea to
explore on a musical and artistic level.
Alexander Scriabin created pieces based
on his theories of “colored hearing” by adding color dimensions to his live
performances of “Prometheus,” a musical piece known as the “Poem of Fire.” In
this work he included a “color organ,” which was constructed as a keyboard that
would produce not only sound, but projected colors as well.[22]
This matter is important to explore when speaking of Synchromism because there
is a possibility that synesthesia created another inspiration for the art
movement. While none of the artists claimed to have experienced synesthesia, or
Scriabin’s live performances, Synchromism could be attributed as a visual
representation of the matter at hand. The phenomenon of synesthesia was debated
but it was significant because of the “color-tonal analogies” that Scriabin
created along with the color scales that were created by the Synchromists.
While neither of these separate movements achieved fame they had intended to,
Scriabin’s works were unique and profound ways of creating a visual
representation of music and mood similar to that of Synchromist ideas.[23]
Tudor-Harte’s original ideas evoked this emotional quality.
These scientific theories created a
correlation between the supposed sensation of synesthesia and Synchomy as an
art movement and idea. As Russell and MacDonald- Wright expanded upon their new
art technique, more interest ensued in the pieces they created. Between 1912
and 1913, they made large progress in the establishment of their style. By June
of 1913, they secured an exhibition in Munich at the Neue Kunstsalon. It is
said that the artists had hand colored posters printed for the exhibition that
proved to be so popular that they were stolen from public display. (Fig. 4) The
show, while creating press and popularity for the artists, was much less
successful in sales.[24]
Press
and Further Developments
Most press about these artists,
however, proved to be increasingly negative. In Paris, art critic Andre Salmon
wrote, “…Synchromism is the worst of backward movements, a vulgar art, without
nobility, unlikely to live as it carries the principles of death itself.”[25]
However, this criticism did not keep away attendants of MacDonald- Wright and
Russell’s Paris show at the Bernheim Jeune Gallery in Paris which was much more
highly regarded. However, Synchromism was still attacked as a plagiarism on
Orphism. While these critics denied the styles of Synchromism, their opinions, specifically
Andre Salmon’s, were extremely one sided and an excellent example of how
difficult it was to establish something new and profound. At the time, the one
sided arguments against Synchromism were clearly not the opinion of the public
who were most likely, not the attendants at the show. Those who were most
interested in the advertisements and posters for the show itself were common
people who were most likely not the target audience intended. In regards to
plagiarism of Orphism, there is a definite knowledge that those who argued with
the similarity, were not educated in the matter of what Synchromism represented
and only allowed for further promotion of the art movement. Nonetheless,
MacDonald-Wright attempted to continue on.
After the death of his father in
1913, MacDonald-Wright returned to the United States and in the spring of 1914
and another Synchromist show was exhibited in the Caroll Galleries in New York
City. This exhibition brought in good news for the art movement of Synchromism
but then lacking financially, MacDonald-Wright was still in for hard
circumstances. It is said that although Stanton, and his brother Willard
Huntington-Wright lived extravagant lifestyles, their father only left them a
dollar a piece in his will. Stanton also received intense criticism from
friends of Morgan Russell for his exhibition in New York City since they
believed he was claiming credit for the movement without giving recognition to
Russell. However, he smoothed over the situation with Russell and continued to
collaborate with him.[26]
Willard and Stanton returned to
Paris and London in 1914 while the Synchromist styles progressed into what was
later labeled as “Advanced Synchromism.” This takes the basic, original ideas
of Synchromism but allowed a broader span for composition. As mentioned
previously, Morgan Russell’s “Synchromy in Orange: To Form” (Fig. 3) was a
characteristic piece of Synchromism, but was also a representation of the
evolution into Advanced Synchromy.
With broad and distinct patterning,
Russell expanded upon Synchromism and elaborated the space, depth and abstract
qualities of style while still using similar techniques for composition. South
once again explains the slight shift into this section of Synchromism:
“…categorization of those paintings in which the entirety of Synchromist theory
was consciously applied…where optical properties of color
established…distances, where color itself was uses as a basis of form, where
principal rhythm was used as the basis of the composition and where the use of
color scales and overall formal and psychological unity among these elements
was attempted.”[27]
March of 1916 brought the
organization of the Anderson Galleries’ exhibition sponsored by Forum magazine. Morgan Russell joined
the Wrights by exhibiting such pieces in the show such as “Cosmic Synchromy”
painted from 1913-1914, in which he says, “…I was concerned with the
elimination of the natural object and with the retention of color rhythms…The
principle idea in this canvas is a spiral plunge into space, quickened by
appropriate color contrasts.”[28]
(Fig. 5) This specific piece marked the movement of Russell towards a less
restricted form that was no longer based on the luminosity but as an expression
of color that created “form which would be as complete and as simple as a
Michelangelo drawing, and which would give subjectively the same emotion of
form that the Renaissance master gave objectively.” [29]
It was shortly after this exhibition that Russell went into a different
artistic direction in his paintings and artwork.
Meanwhile, Stanton stuck with his
similar works and in March of 1917, he was able to land an exhibition with
Alfred Stieglitz, famed art collector and owner of well known “291,” the simply
titled gallery that sat at 291 Fifth Avenue in New York City that he used to
display relatively unknown American artists starting in 1908.[30]
Steiglitz also was well known as a forerunner in the “modern” collection and
promotion of art in the United States meaning that, artwork that was shown and
favored by him could thereafter go down in history with its own mark on the
spectrum of influential modern artworks. After the show, Stanton gave Steiglitz a
painting in appreciation. MacDonald Wright said, “When I tried to give
Stieglitz a picture after my show with him, he told me with tears in his eyes,
that I was the only man who had offered him something without pay since the
opening of ‘291!’”[31]
Although the “craze” of Synchromism
had subsided and Stanton moved onto other areas and development of artwork, he
eventually became the Regional Director of the Federal Arts Project in Southern
California from 1935-1940.[32]
Many years after his death, however, Synchromism was brought back into the
attention of the art world in a 2001 exhibition titled, “Color, Myth and Music:
Stanton MacDonald-Wright and Synchromism.” This exhibition featured more than
60 of his original works that spanned six decades as well as other paintings
created in his final years of life.[33]
Synchromism:
Influence and Impact
Now to return to the matter at hand: Why does
Synchromism matter? Will South explores this matter by stating specifically
that Russell and MacDonald-Wright were two out of several artists who
elaborated on the expression of color and mandated the importance of its use.
Before Synchromism, color wasn’t as widely regarded in the matter of
application, texture and scale and color theory was allowed to be expanded
upon. He also states that before this time period (turn of the 20th
century), color took a backseat to design in artwork.[34]
Synchromism blew the notion of subtle color completely out of the water. This
color theory allowed new ideas about use in others’ artwork and even helped to
develop the styles of artists such as Thomas Hart Benton, Georgia O’Keefe and
Arthur Dove. It also elaborated on the idea of expressive qualities of color,
line and form and even the influence of music that Synchromism put forth.
Synchromism also allowed a new freedom
of color experimentation which included an expansion of what was started by the
Impressionists well before this art movement.[35]
Although Synchromy started out as a specific theoretical art technique, its
images now created inspiration for new styles of artwork in resemblance.
Although this art movement was passed over greatly and written off as an
unimportant idea, it allows for the education of art methodology and
appreciation for such art movements that also follow specific guidelines and
creative aspects. Synchromism also opened the doors for much larger and more
“famous” art movements such as Abstract Expressionism. Abstract Expressionism,
although concerned with the subconscious mind, held a group of artists who
experimented in the same way as Synchromists, turning their studios into
laboratories to work with new ideas with their creative processes. [36]
In “modern” time periods,
Synchromism does not exist in its original form but did indeed influence
greater art projects and movements in more modern scenarios. Stanton
MacDonald-Wright, specifically, created several other works that were highly
regarded, such as his involvement in the Works Progress Administration’s Federal
Art Project between 1934 and 1943 in Southern California. He also continued on
to create artwork, exhibit, teach and write about his experiences.
MacDonald-Wright also no longer desired to be a profound symbol in the way of
modernist art based on his disdain for the Abstract Expressionism movement and
those that followed. He also began to lack creativity and went through
“conceptual bouts of weakness.”[37]
His art pieces turned to a more illustrative quality but still contained his
unique mastery of color and form. It is safe to say that Synchromism was well
gone before World War II and by that time, new expressive qualities in the art world
were created.
Methodology aside, the artwork
created by Synchromist artists created new visual representations that helped
to advance modern art in the turn of the 19th and 20th
centuries as a whole. Like many abstract artworks and pieces, there was quite a
bit of misunderstanding that persuaded viewers and critics to reject the
artwork based on what was, or is, popular at the time. There is a great and
profound respect developed to those who hope to create a new and unique form of
art or art movement. Looking at popular artworks at the time of Synchromism
that came out of the Armory Show of 1913 in New York City, most pieces, aside
from Cubist abstraction, were mostly representational pieces which were tame,
and friendly for the public’s viewing. Synchromism worked against these ideas
of representation to expand the viewers’ minds in the area of abstraction.
This, indeed, fulfilled the original intentions perpetuated by the
Synchromists.
Conclusion
Synchromism mattered for the grand
scheme of art history because it marked the new development in the usage of
color that has since expanded into the daily life of those living in modern
times. Whether it is art creation or a simple task such as color selection for
one’s daily clothing, color creativity has become such an integral part to
life. Colors’ emotional qualities are also extremely important to people today
in the ways of decoration. Without the idea of color expansion, like that was
done in Synchromism, the world would have a much less colorful palette.
The development of abstract art
movements have been much more common in the past 100 years (1912-2012) which
has been extremely important to the development of art history. While
Synchromism represents a very small portion of these developments, it still
holds a place in time that helped to add to the overall expansion of modern art
that is known, and created, today. Artists such as Stanton MacDonald-Wright and
Morgan Russell allowed for the development of new ideas. Although there may not
be many people who have attributed their own artworks’ inspiration to the
original ideas set forth by Synchromism, that doesn’t mean that it didn’t
create an influence for color and artistic development.
It is also noteworthy to mention, that
although an art movement, piece or artist may not rise to high levels of fame
and success, their artwork still may hold an important role in the development
of art as a whole. Synchromism can be a great leading example for this by being
a noteworthy enough movement that may not have been as successful as the
artists and creators had intended. While they might not have been around to
know that their creative art movement mattered, it did create an impact on art
overall.
[1]
Agee, William C. “Willard Huntington Wright and the Synchromists: Notes on the
Forum exhibition.” Archives of American Art Journal. 1990: 88-91
[2]
Zilczer, Judith. “Color Music: Synesthesia and Nineteenth-Century Sources for
Abstract Art.” Artibus et Historiae. 1987: 101-126.
[3]
South, Will. Color, Myth and Music:
Stanton MacDonald-Wright and Synchromism. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina
Museum of Art, 2001.
[4] Wright,
Willard Huntington. Modern Painting: Its
Tendency and Meaning.” New York, NY: John Lane Company, 1915.
[5]
South
[6]
Oral History: Interview with Stanton MacDonald Wright, 1964. April 13-September
16, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institute.
[7] South
[8]
South
[9]
Wright
[10] Chip,
Herschel B. “Orphism & Color Theory.” The Art Bulletin. 1958: 55-63.
[11]
South
[12] Oral
History
[13]
South
[14]
Stanton MacDonald-Wright, A Treatise on
Color, Los Angeles, 1924.
[15]
South
[16]
South
[17] Zilczer
[18] Zilczer
[19] South
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[21] Ginsberg, Leon. “A Case of Synaesthesia.” The
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Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Paper updates!
Things have been a little crazy lately for me! Not only am I finishing my last semester of school but I have started a new job, signed up to be a consultant for Thirty One and the new guard training season starts in a few weeks...Crazy.
Anyway, I have mostly been talking about my paper I am writing. Well, I am now finished with it! I officially completed it at the beginning of March but have been doing some final edits. I have a couple of tweaks here and there to do but for the most part it is finished. Presentations are in 2 weeks for it so the rest of the semester will be spent putting together my class presentation for it. Hopefully I will find the interest in writing about something other than writing on here! I am also probably going to use this to update a little about my new "business" as well as other things I have going on because not everyone always wants to read about art theory....
Not Edward Hopper but...
"The Scream" Edvard MunchWednesday, February 15, 2012
Paper writing update!
Finally finished my paper (besides a few edits here and there) and that means I will have the opportunity to think about other art things. I have ~2 months until it needs to be completely finalized and finished but that gives me tons of time to work some kinks out in it and have more people read it over for mistakes. :)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Superbowl and Research
It's Superbowl week here in Indianapolis and instead of having to wade through the crowds to get to class, I get the week off! It is also ~55 degrees this week so I get to enjoy it.
Unfortunately, I still have 2 online classes and have some homework to do....
Currently while writing my capstone paper I have run into several issues. Let's make a list:
- There is little information on the art movement of Synchromism.
- I have had to change my thesis several times because a thesis like, "Was Synchromism a successful art movement? " can easily be answered with a resounding, "no." So, that's not happening.
- Several of the books I HAVE found have references to reference information I do not have access to so I am working with mostly secondary sources.
- I wish I had picked a different paper...or just went with the headache of writing an entire new paper...
Oh, well. May can't come soon enough!
Happy SUPERBOWL! Back to researching...
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
I learned that my final paper gets to stem from an old paper we want to expand which is absolutely perfect and much less scary to me. The only problem is finding more sources as there doesn't seem to be much information about it so my new task is finding good books/articles to fill it up.
On an unrelated note, I have really been interested in Pinterest! (just like everyone else...) There are so many fun art projects and inspirational sources on there that I highly recommend it!
That's all for now!
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