Archive for August, 2011

Andy Warhol’s Famous Marilyn Monroe Painting – Meaning

August 20th, 2011

The art of Andy Warhol was a commentary about the condition of society as well as their obsession with fame and the famous. This included Andy, because he was completely enchanted by the American royalty of celebrities and celebrities. He was fascinated with the ability that television had over the everyday person and saw the glowing box as something which was worshipped more often than many people visit church.

His art reflected his belief for the reason that if you take what we may see as just part of our everyday life and showing us how embedded it is within our psyche as well as in exactly what we do. Consider the Campbell’s Soup Can art. Could it be only a soup can? Was it a ‘just’ a soup can before Warhol’s works became famous? No, Campbell’s Soup was already a highly established household name. Did Warhol paint them because it meant something? Warhol stated that the paintings represented nothing. No intent, no concept with no meaning.

Art however is not about the artist’s intention; it’s about the receiver’s use of their very own meaning. Every decade that goes by, you will see new meanings applied to an artist’s works depending on the events of the age by which they’re viewed. Warhol’s works could today be viewed as an expose on the condition of our throw away lifestyle. This may even be said about Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe Painting.

Just as a can of the Campbell’s Soup, Marilyn was iconic, filled her admirer’s with a warm, good feeling after which was carelessly emptied and thrown away. Within the great stretch of time, perhaps Warhol was right, the paintings are of nothing, the soup means nothing and maybe Marilyn was treated by society within the very same way. So many people love her now, to this day. Can an individual’s life and accomplishments be condensed to a painting that represents nothing?

Warhol’s paintings can definitely make one think about what the priorities of humanity are. The things that we put a lot importance on are extremely fleeting so when they are made bigger than life on a canvas, they force us to consider our mortality. A lot of Warhol’s works were in ways tied very heavily to religion.

He earned use of gold leaf within the tradition of iconic paintings of Byzantine Catholics. In Gold Marilyn Monroe depicts her iconic status, the worship of her admirers and the sheer loneliness of her life. Her face is painted as if she were in a newsprint advertisement, another discard within our lives. Warhol continually brought attention to the fame that elevated objects and people to a religious following.

It’s tough to create a strong emotional connection simply by studying a Warhol painting. Only those that curently have a preconceived emotional tie to the subject of his paintings can seem to be anything from their store. They are doing however, immediately invoke a memory, and those memories spark emotions. Taking a look at Marilyn Monroe in a Warhol painting often means nothing to the viewer should they have never heard of Marilyn Monroe and her story.

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Abstract Painting – Art Without Meaning

August 20th, 2011

Can art be of importance without meaning? Must “good” art convey the zeitgeist of the times in which it was created? Does “depth of meaning” correlate directly to “goodness” of art?

A meaning of terms here would be of worth however the terms under consideration are so based on individual and subjective opinion the defintions would be questioned.

Abstract painting, particulary the nonobjective painting of numerous artists because the 1940s could well be devoid of meaning. In fact many artists need it this way. They like to see purely compositional factors, the tenets of design because the measure of their works. Performs this relegate these phones the level of design, not truly “high art.”

Abstract paintings can perform two things. 1) They can ascend towards the highest degree of design, and a pair of) they may transcend it to “high art.” Just as Kurt Schwitters paper snips transcend the craft of hobbyists cutting paper, and Joseph Cornell’s boxes transcend the craft of cabinet makers or box designers – so can an abstract paintings transcend design.

The factors of meaning needs some discussion in my opinion. The “meanings” that some narrow-sighted critics refer to as the paramount criterion of “high art” center around historic, philosophic, and religious dimensions. These meanings purportedly reflect the greatest ideals and aspirations of man and god(God?).

I appreciate meanings around the next one. I love the classical, epic struggles of mythology, the ancient renditions from the good reputation for the world, the religious icons of each and every century, the struggles of mankind and each individual in mankind. They are wonderful meanings and certainly worthy of artistic depiction.

Now think about the meaning of a man/woman who struggles to create pure beauty. The artist. The artist who would like to create not only “high art” but does so without the tools of religious thought, without the maps of cultural revolutions, without the applause of an informed and socially motivated political movement, without the traditions of a craftsmens guild. Consider this courageous individual.

These individuals not only attempt real, although only mortal, creation at its highest level – they are doing so inside a unique and hardwon individual style. In addition, their work is meant to free, enhance and amplify your perception of art and beauty in all of their mysterious manifestations.

That “is” meaning. You can witness this in the visual record of every abstract painting. No, not every painting is really a masterpiece – also it can’t select from cliche’ or a social nomenclature. It stands as a testament to a real struggle to push something towards the highest degree of art without any help from the rest of the “manifold meaning packages” that were the reason for art in previous centuries.