Day 30 – Yes, I Do Like Art

Today is the last day of my Art Month of the Coffee Bean Dreams Project. In case you missed the beginning posts, my plan is to spend each month focusing on a different subject, and art was the first topic. In my initial post about art, I asked the question of whether I even like art. (Read it here: http://www.coffeebeandreams.blogspot.com/2014/05/day-1-do-i-even-like-art.html). I talked about how I’ve always listed “art” as one of my hobbies because I felt that you were supposed to do that, but I wasn’t sure if I really actually enjoyed art.

After spending a month researching just a tiny bit of art over morning coffee, I’ve learned three things. First of all, I do like art. I wouldn’t call myself an expert in any particular area or type of art, and I probably would not impress anyone with my knowledge of anything artistic. However, I have enjoyed spending this month learning new things about I never knew about paintings, different kinds of ancient art, and photography. Which brings me to my second revelation: learning about art is much more enjoyable when you’re learning because you want to and not because you have to for school or something like that. (cue snarky “thanks, Captain Obvious” comment). And third: it’s really fun to discuss art with friends who are also interested in it. I’ve had several people give me their thoughts and opinions on my blog posts over the last month, both commenting on what I wrote and also suggesting art that I might find interesting. This interactive learning has been what really sealed the deal for me. I found that art was so much more enjoyable when I was comparing my thoughts with friends on an honest level rather than trying to impress someone with my interest in or knowledge of art.

I tried to decided today what my favorite piece of art was out of the ones I’ve looked at this month. I don’t know if I can really pick one, but I will say I really enjoyed learning about the Impressionist paintings. I’ve always had a hard time trying to learn about painting, but reading about the Impressionists was interesting to me and I found a lot of paintings I really liked.

So that’s it for Art Month… stay tuned tomorrow for the next 30 day topic. As a final bonus, here’s a painting by Max Beckmann that I really like, Quappi in a Pink Sweater. I’ve had a print of this for years and I love it!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 29 – Surrealist Photography

Yesterday I talked about how photography as an art is evolving. The article I linked (this one: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/nov/16/sean-ohagan-photography-art-form) discussed how the prestigious Deutsche Börse prize in photography was won in 2012 by John Stezaker, who does not even take photographs. (Read his Wikipedia page here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stezaker). Stezaker makes surreal type collages by combining pre-existing images. Here’s an example. It reminds me of the surrealist paintings I looked at a few weeks ago.

Stezaker doesn’t take any of the photographs himself. Instead, he finds and combines things like old postcards So he uses photography, but doesn’t take the photos himself. Does this matter? I don’t think so. Art using found objects is still art. Think of modern art exhibits you've seen. It’s the creativity with which the artist arranges them that matters. I’m not sure calling this type of art “photography” is exactly correct, but what else would you call it? In any case, I think it’s pretty cool.

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 28 – The Changing Face of Photographic Art

I came across an interesting article today on how the digital age is changing photography as an art form. I really liked it and it’s an interesting read if you have a few minutes: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/nov/16/sean-ohagan-photography-art-form. The article discusses the most expensive photograph in the world to date, Andreas Gursky’s Rhein II. The image is digitally manipulated, with a building and dog walkers removed by Photoshop. The photo most recently sold for just over $4.3 Million dollars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_photographs). Honestly, I think the photo is pretty bland. But it’s interesting that it’s basically a fictitious construction of a modern river, impossible to obtain via photograph without digital editing.

Is this art? Photography has switched (is switching?) from the kind of expertise Ansel Adams had into a more digital type of expertise. Photography is more accessible than ever- most of us can take a photo on our cell phone. In fact, all I have to do is shake my Moto X phone twice and it’s instantly ready to snap a photo, so I don’t miss a shot because I was wasting time unlocking the screen and navigating to the camera. But has this overwhelming increase in photography hurt the art more than helped it? Or has it just changed the way artists make photographic art? I think it’s the latter. As the article I linked to states: “[N]o amount of technology will turn a mediocre photographer into a great one. Nor, in conceptual terms, will it transform a bad idea into a good one. For that you would still need to possess a rare set of creative gifts that are still to do with seeing, with deep looking.”

To be an artist, you must still be artistic. Although the way photography as art is perceived has changed, and is changing, good photographs still come from a good creative artist. I’m still not sure what to make of the Rhein II photograph, however!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 27 – We’ll Always Have Paris!

Something I’ve noticed during my brief foray into the world of fine art is that Paris has played a major part in art’s history. This is probably another one of those moments where you are rolling your eyes at me and saying “Yeah, NEWS FLASH, Diana.” But hey, I just never paid enough attention to really notice it before. Anyways, given that Paris has played such a central role in art, I was intrigued when I came across a photographer famous for photographing Paris itself. 

One of the most influential photographers of the 20^th century was a well-known Parisian Photographer, Gyula Halász, who went by the pseudonym “Brassai.” (http://famous-photographers.com/brassai/; http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/BRASSAI.html). Born in Hungary, Brassai’s family spent time in France when he was a young child, and he would eventually become famous for photographing Paris. He had a great interest in art and even studied sculpture and painting at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts. Eventually, Brassai’s path took him back to Paris. He loved the city and photographed it extensively, both by wandering the city at night and by taking pictures of the city’s high society- its intellectuals, operas, and ballets. His first book, Paris de Nuit, showcasing his pictures of Paris at night, was a great success.

Brassai was known for his writing and filmmaking as well, but his photographs of Paris at night were beautiful and are what really captured my attention. Look at a few examples, below:

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 26 – Know Your Craft

I’m spending one more day discussing Ansel Adams because I felt I couldn’t move on until I mentioned his contributions to the technical side of photography. Adams did more than just point a camera at a scene and shoot. Although that’s probably an overly obvious observation, I was impressed by Adams dedication to developing his technical skill in photography.  

For example, he used glossy paper to intensify tonal values. He used different apertures and exposures to capture sharp details and have a long range of focus. He developed the “Zone System” with the help of his friend Fred Archer. This was to determine the optimal exposure and development time for a photograph. I don’t pretend to really understand any of what any of that means. (Although, Adams taught thousands of students in photography workshops over the course of many years. So if he was still around I’m sure he would have been happy to teach me!) Adams also produced ten volumes of technical manuals on photography, and was a consultant to a few companies which sell camera equipment. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Adams; http://www.anseladams.com/ansel-adams-information/ansel-adams-biography/).

My point is that he worked very hard at photography, his craft. I don’t even know that much about photography, but when I look at his work I can tell it’s special. And I really enjoy seeing his photographs. It’s a joy to see art that’s well done, whether it’s a painting, a photograph, or an ancient Egyptian carving. Adams photography is well done. I hope that I remember, in whatever endeavors I take on, to do my best and ensure that whoever sees my work knows I poured true effort into my task!

And because I can’t resist… here’s one more Ansel Adams photograph:

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 25 – Art’s Influence on a Greater Cause

Finally, time to feel like I’m writing a real blog entry. The last few days were a little sketchy!

So, let’s talk some more about Ansel Adams. (http://www.anseladams.com/ansel-adams-information/ansel-adams-biography/). First, a little interesting background. Adams hailed from San Francisco, California, where he was an only child and was given a conservative, Victorian style upbringing. When he was four, he broke his nose in an earthquake, which left him with a distinctly crooked nose for life. Probably due to his upbringing and crooked nose, Adams was a shy child and did not fit in well at school, which resulted in his spending a lot of time exploring nature. As I mentioned yesterday, his love of nature played a huge role in his photography. In particular, Adams loved Yosemite, and spent a significant amount of time there every year.

Adams devoted much of his time to protecting the nature he loved, not just through photography but through attending meetings and writing letters. However, his photographs exerted the greatest influence on his goal of preservation. Adams showed the “magnificent natural beauty of the West” in his photographs, and Adams earned a following of many who loved his visual artistry. He used his art to serve a cause he believed in. So many of the areas he photographed have been preserved because of his efforts.

I like reading about this, because I like thinking about how art has an influence on society. Although I think “art just for art’s sake” is not a bad thing, there is something special about art that is born out of the artist’s passion for a cause. Adams’ took photographs because he loved the medium of photography, sure, but his own passions influenced his subject matter. How wonderful to see your life’s work changing something you care about for the better. Although I tend to side-eye a bit people who say your job shouldn’t feel like “work” (I think this is a completely impractical way for a society to run- I think you should care about doing good work, but not all jobs are going to be things people are passionate about and those jobs still must be done for society to function; there are ways to find fulfillment in areas of life outside of your job, and working an “uninspiring” job shouldn’t prevent you from living an inspired and fulfilling life), there is undeniably something very cool and inspiring about someone who was able to do something they truly loved and influence positive change in something they cared about.

Below are a few examples of his incredible nature photographs!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 24 – Shortest Blog Ever: Ansel Adams and Nature Photography

It’s hard to even know where to start with Ansel Adams. He had a very long, influential career in photography. But one of the coolest things about his career, I think, is that he not only influenced the world of photography, but also environmental issues that he cared about. I read today that he fought for the preservation of natural wilderness in America, and that his photographs showing the beauty of wild America resulted in the protection of many of these areas. (http://www.anseladams.com/ansel-adams-information/ansel-adams-biography/)

I have a lot more to say about Ansel Adams and his photography- the biography I found of him at the link above is really great! But I’m even more tired today than yesterday (I guess it’s all really catching up with me today?), so I’m going to catch some sleep now and write more tomorrow. Gotta get some zzzzzs when you can!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 23 – Switching Gears: Photography

So, first of all, today was quite an adventure: we finished moving out of our apartment in Chicago and we are now in an extended stay in the suburbs for the next two weeks, which is nice for the Other Half because it’s a much quicker drive to his workplace. Our stuff is all in storage for the moment, because our next place isn’t nailed down quite yet (long story). We get to go on vacation two weeks from now! I’m very excited, and I already feel like I’m on vacation since I’m essentially living in a hotel room at the moment, haha!

I want to switch gears again, to what will probably be the last area of art I explore during my 30 days of art: photography. Several years ago, when I still lived near Fort Worth. I saw an exhibit on Ansel Adams and thought it was really cool. So, tomorrow I’m going to write about Ansel Adams, and then go from there. I think photography is an interesting art form, both because in the grand scheme of art it’s a relatively new medium, and because so many people take artistic photographs as a hobby these days. Whether or not these amateur photos are any good certainly varies widely, but it seems like every time I turn around another one of my friends is putting up a photography blog. I think it’s neat that so many people are able to access their creativity this way.

That’s all I have to say for today, however. It’s been a long couple of days, and I definitely need some sleep! Before I go, here’s one Ansel Adams photograph as a preview. Pretty incredible!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 22 – One Shape Does Not Fit All!

I’m actually writing my blog early in the day today! Our schedule has been all over the place (yup, thanks to the move), so I decided to take advantage of a free moment in the morning to write. Also, sadly, I was unable to have any coffee this morning since our coffee pot was packed away already and I couldn’t sneak out to buy some. So today’s blog is brought to you by some tea I managed to scrounge up and drink out of a Styrofoam cup.

Today will probably be my last day on the subject of Greek Pottery, but I did not want to move on until I discussed the shapes a little bit. Ancient Greek Vases were not “one shape fits all.” As the Metropolitan Museum’s Article yesterday noted, “Painted vases were often made in specific shapes for specific daily uses.” (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vase/hd_vase.htm). I also found some information on vase shapes from an online Reed College study guide. (http://cdm.reed.edu/cdm4/studyguides/vases/intro-types.html). (No Wikipedia today, either! Go me!)

Examples of some different vase shapes and their uses are amphora (transporting food and wine), kanthoros or kylix (drinking water), lekythos (pouring libations), loutrophoros (carrying water for a bridal bath), and albastron (a tiny vase that could be tied to the wrist for carrying perfumes and oils). As you can see, the vase shapes are a mix of shapes for everyday uses and shapes for special or ritual occasions. This is a picture I found on Reed’s website that shows some of the different shapes:

Again, the complexity of these ancient traditions fascinates me. I’m not sure I can think of something similar today. In our culture, are there really any groups of widely accepted shapes for different purposes? The only thing I could really come up with is that we have different shapes of wine glasses for red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, etc. That doesn’t even come close to the complexity of the Greek Vase shapes. Am I forgetting something? Can you think of an analogous example in our lives today?

Finally, just because, here’s another picture of a Greek vase. This is an amphora shaped jar:

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 21 – Artists at Work: How the Ancient Greeks Made Pottery

So, I wrote briefly about the Orientalizing style yesterday, and while there is certainly much more I could research and write about that style, I want to go ahead and move on to Black and Red Vase Painting. When I looked at an overview of the Greek Styles of Vase Painting, this was my favorite. (Also, I’m getting closer to the end of the 30 days of the “Art” portion of my Coffee Bean Dreams Project, so I don’t want to get too bogged down on any one thing. I might still check out one more area of art before moving on to the next 30 Day Topic!)

Since I found an article on the Metropolitan Museum’s website about black and red figure techniques (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vase/hd_vase.htm), I decided to take a break from Wikipedia. (True Academics, rejoice!). I liked the article from the Met Museum a lot because it also actually described the process of making the pot. First, it was shaped on a wheel, and if it was a large enough pot it was made in sections. Once the sections had dried they were assembled with clay in liquid form (known as a slip), and then finally the handles were added. To make black figure vases, the figures were applied with a slip that turned black during firing the pots. Red figure vases were the opposite: the figures remained the color of the clay pot while the background was filled with a slip that turned black. The black figure style came first and was gradually replaced by the red figure style as the ancient potters realized the better design possibilities with the red figure technique.

After the pots were shaped and assembled, and the designs applied or filled in, the pots went through a three stage firing process: the first stage, oxidizing, allowed air into the kiln and turned the pot the color of clay; the second stage introduced green wood which reduced the oxygen supply and turned the pot black; and in the third stage more air was allowed in the kiln again which caused glossed areas to remain black but the rest of the pot to turn back to orange.

So, I don’t know if others find the pot-making process itself as fascinating as I do, but for some reason the idea of making pots has always appealed to me. Maybe I should try taking a pottery class one of these days- something about the idea of feeling the wet clay in your hands and then seeing it turn into beautiful vase just seem so wholesome and satisfying. I’ve never really considered myself an artist, but I think I could very much get into making pottery. (How that pottery would actually look is another story, but, you know…)

Ok, I’m off to do more moving related tasks (cannot wait for this weekend for the move to be over!!), but I’ll leave you with a few examples of red and black figure vases from the Met’s website. Notice the many different shapes of the vases!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 20 – Lions and Sphinxes and Griffins, Oh My!

Next up in Greek Vase Painting is the Orientalizing Style. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pottery_of_ancient_Greece; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalizing_period). In the 8^th and 7^th Centuries B.C., the cultural mix in the Aegean and Mediterranean resulted in the Orientalizing style, which portrayed both real and mythological animals- such as lions, griffins, and sphinxes. You’re likely familiar with sphinxes thanks to the well-known Great Sphinx. (Just in case you’ve forgotten, sphinxes are mythical creatures with the head of a human and body of a lion). But, if like me, you’ve never heard of a griffin, you’ll be interested to know that it has the body, trail, and back legs of a lion, the head and wings of an eagle, and its front feet are eagle talons. Like this:

I really love the mythological creatures displayed in Greek art. It’s great that art allows the imagination to be portrayed in a physical form. These Greek vases give life to otherwise non-existent creatures, and I think that’s exciting to see! Here’s an example of one of these vases:

Ok, although there is definitely much more to say about the Orientalizing Style, that’s all for today. Short and sweet, but we’re moving this weekend and trying to get a move organized while taking care of a two month old is no joke. And we even have movers doing most of the work! I don’t know how people who don’t have movers do it… I’m very lucky! The next few days might all be bite sized blogs! J

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 19 – Ancient Greek Vases and Living Life on Purpose

So, this morning I read more about art as displayed on vases in Ancient Greece. First of all, let me say that I think vases are very cool, and I wish I could somehow have a vase from Ancient Greece to display in my home! A few years ago I spent two weeks in Antigua, Guatemala studying Spanish, and one of my favorite souvenirs from the trip is a vase I bought in one of the local stores. Vases can be so beautiful, and are a great way to brighten up a home’s interior.

In Ancient Greece, the Protogeometrical Period was the first expression of reviving civilization during the Greek Dark Ages. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pottery_of_ancient_Greece; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protogeometric_art). Decorations on vases from this era were abstract and characterized by horizontal bands and concentric circles. See an example, below:

Following the Protogeometric Period was the Geometric Period. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pottery_of_ancient_Greece; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometric_art). Instead of just the circles of the Protogeometric Period, Greek pottery from the Geometric Period boasted new designs such as triangles. During the Geometric Period, figures such as horses, stags, goats, and more started to appear. Eventually, human figures begin to appear as well. The most exciting thing to me is that, towards the end of the Geometric Period, representations of Greek mythology start to appear. I have always been fascinated by Greek mythology, and seeing it portrayed on Ancient Greek vases is really interesting. See below for an example of a vase from the Geometric Period.

I also wanted to take a moment today to discuss how my “coffee bean dreams” project is going, since I’m just about 2/3 of the way through the first month. This has been both a very rewarding and very challenging experience. I have had people who I never would have expected contact me and tell me that they are enjoying my blog and enjoying reading about my daily art discoveries. I have to admit, that’s pretty cool. When I started blogging I thought I might just be talking to myself for the next 365 days, so it’s pretty cool to know that there are some people enjoying my journey.

How I feel about the project is an evolving matter, however. Some days, I’m very excited to drink my coffee and learn more about the art I’m researching at the moment. Other days, I just want to curl up in a little ball and not think about anything. However, I was inspired recently when I went to brunch with my friends Lauren and Hilary. We talked a little bit about mindfulness, and how important it is to, for lack of a better way of putting it, live life on purpose. Sometimes it is easy to just start going through the motions and let everything get stale. This blog is a great way to keep myself accountable to my goal of not letting that happen. I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful life- I have great friends, a great partner, a beautiful daughter, a great education, and great career opportunities. I don’t want to just settle into a routine. I want to take advantage of the life I have been blessed with and learn and grow. And this blog is my way of doing that. Some days I wake up super excited about everything. Other days I feel the drudgery of life’s daily routines weighing on me. But committing to spend my morning coffee time every morning on learning and growing gives me a feeling of accomplishment that is so gratifying, and  I’m very happy thus far with the project!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 18 – Discovering History through Art

This morning I switched gears a bit to look into another ancient culture’s art – Ancient Greece. You may remember Doc Rose, who recommended impressionist painting to me. She mentioned that I should take a look at Ancient Greek vases because of the wide variety of shapes and techniques. After reading the Wikipedia page on Ancient Greek Pottery (I know, I know, Wikipedia again!), I can verify that this is definitely the case! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pottery_of_ancient_Greece#Red_figure). The development of Greek vase painting is traced through several different styles: protogeometric, geometric, orientalizing, black figure, red figure, white ground technique, and the Hellenistic Period. Are your eyes glazed over yet?!? This is a lot to digest, and I want to spend the next few days looking at the different styles. The black and red figure style looks particularly interesting- check out this example I found on the Metropolitan Museum’s website:

Also interesting: the page mentions that, because pottery is relatively durable, the art on ancient Greek pottery has had a disproportionately large influence on modern understanding of ancient Greek society. This fascinates me- we know much of what we know about the ancient Greeks because of one of their art forms. I feel that art is often considered to be an unnecessary side pursuit in society. I admit I’ve rolled my eyes at art and the need to be “cultured” more often than once. But in the case if the Ancient Greeks, their art served quite a useful purpose – since centuries upon centuries later we can learn about their lives and history through that art. I think that’s pretty cool, don’t you?

Finally, before I sign off today - Happy Memorial Day! Thanks to all of the brave men and women who have given their lives serving in the U.S. Military.

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 17 – Art for the Dead

Today, I wanted to talk a little bit about the tomb of Khonsu, another of the Egyptian tombs I’ve been looking at. (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/srvt/hd_srvt.htm). Khonsu was part of a crew of artisans who carved and decorated royal tombs in the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. What a job to put on your résumé, right? These artisans put an enormous amount of time and effort into creating the Pharaohs’ tombs, but they also used their talents to create their own (more modest) tombs.

Khonsu had two anthropoid coffins prepared for him (see below). (Apparently, the term “anthropoid coffin” refers to a coffin in the shape of a human). Khonsu’s coffins were covered with various magical symbols and texts. As you can see from the picture, the details are quite elaborate.

Khonsu’s tomb also contained shawabtis – little figurines which would substitute for Khonsu if he were called upon to perform manual labor in the afterlife. (See an example, below. Also, can we just pause here for a moment and say, it would be awesome if I could get some shawabtis to take care of things for me in this life?)

There was obviously a lot of attention to detail put into these coffins and they are, I think, very beautiful. And this was not even the coffin of royalty. Take a look below at the death mask of the famous King Tut. This beautiful masterpiece is made of gold, colored glass, and semiprecious stones. (http://wysinger.homestead.com/kingtutankhamun5.html)

It’s kind of amazing how much work was put into items that were only going to be buried in a tomb. For the Ancient Egyptians, who had strong beliefs regarding the afterlife, I guess it makes sense. I’m glad that these works of art finally made it out of the tombs and into museums so we can enjoy them today. I bet the individuals who were buried with these items would have been appalled, however, to know the eventual fate of their tombs’ treasures! Is it disrespectful that we now use these treasures for our own artistic gain? It might seem silly, but who are we to say that Khonsu doesn’t still need his shawabtis to help him with manual labor in the afterlife? I suppose the answer to that is that, as our understanding of the world evolves, it’s pretty unlikely that the kind of afterlife that Khonsu anticipated exists, and these treasures serve a better purpose being used for the education and enjoyment of modern people. What do you think?

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 16 – Art in the Everyday

Today I’m going to talk about something that struck me as I was reading about the tomb of Hatnofer- one of the tombs I mentioned in my blog yesterday. (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/htnf/hd_htnf.htm) It really stood out to me that the Egyptians seemed to decorate so many “everyday” objects. For example, Hatnofer’s tomb contained several mirrors. I’ve posted a picture of one of these, below. The handle of the mirror shows a woman’s face with cow’s ears and a curled wig (which symbolized Hathor, the goddess of love and beauty – the Egyptians’ entire lives seemed to have pretty much revolved around their religious beliefs). Although a mirror is a basic utility item, this mirror contains this artistic depiction of a goddess, an important part of Hatnofer’s life.

I’m not sure if it was just that the “special” items which made it into the Egyptians’ tombs, while the actual common, everyday items weren’t decorated; or, if all utility items in Ancient Egypt were decorated symbolically. But, it made me think about how sometimes art is all around us. For example, my favorite coffee mug is decorated with a strawberry pattern. I love how it looks and I bought the mug because of the pattern. I certainly did not need any more mugs, and the mug would certainly function just as well if it were plain white. However, seeing those strawberries in the morning as I pour my coffee just makes me happy for some reason.

Today, these ponderings just left me full of random questions. What purpose does art serve in our everyday life? To make us happy, like the strawberries on my mug? To symbolize important aspects of our lives, like the goddesses on Hatnofer’s head? Do these things even really “count” as art? Or, maybe, a better question is, what should the requirements be for something to count as art? Is happiness/symbolism enough, or do we need something else- some kind of official, technical merit, if you will? I think, maybe, that is something every person decides for himself or herself.

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 15 – Egyptian Tombs

I didn’t have much more time to blog today. My family was still in town and then I had to take Baby Girl for her two month shots. She was not happy about that, and was obviously not feeling well afterwards. However, she finally took a nap and when she woke up seems to be feeling better. I’m just crossing my fingers that she doesn’t get a fever – I’m pretty much terrified of her getting a fever!

Even though this blog is going to be short again today, I just wanted to talk a little more about the Egyptian tombs I’ve been reading about during my coffee time. It’s really interesting to me that the Egyptians spent so much time and so many resources on burying people. The Metropolitan Museum’s website discusses three different tombs which were excavated in Egypt by an expedition of the Metropolitan’s Department of Egyptian Art. The tombs belonged to Wah, Hatnofer, and Khonsu. I’ll be writing more about these tombs and searching for others over the next few days. I have to say, I do love ancient art like this. It’s all got such a haunting, otherworldly feel. Perhaps it’s because the Egyptians were decorating for people who had died, or perhaps it’s because these pieces are just so very, very old! Either way, I’m looking forward to more learning over the weekend, and to reinvigorating my discovery of art. In the meantime, here’s a vignette from a coffin lid, from sometime around 1279-1213 B.C.

Have a great holiday weekend, everyone- and check in for blog updates if you have a chance!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 14 – Coming Soon - but not today - Egyptian Art.

So, this morning, I was trying to think of a different direction to go in learning about art. I tried to think about experiences I have really enjoyed at museums, and I remembered a really nice exhibit I once saw about the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Ancient art, and Ancient Egyptian art in particular, really fascinates me.

I looked for Egyptian art on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website, and found some information on Egyptian tombs that I think might be a good place to start. (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/egtb/hd_egtb.htm). However, I have family in town and have had a long day, so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow or this weekend for a full blog on this type of art. I’m too tired to write much right now. In the meantime, here’s an Egyptian painted limestone on which to feast your eyes. More soon!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 13 – Surrealism and… yawn.

When I was learning about Cubism yesterday, I read a mention of Surrealism, and decided today to check into this. Surrealism was actually a literary movement that originated in Paris around the early 1920s and became an international intellectual and political movement. (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/surr/hd_surr.htm). Surrealism drew on and contained deep symbolism and disdain for convention- and used Freudian methods of free association. One well known painter who created Surrealist works was Salvador Dalí. Dalí’s Accommodations of Desire (pictured below) was one of his surrealist works, which Freudian symbolism.

Honestly, I just can’t really handle this style of painting. I think it might be time to redirect my review of art. I had a difficult time today focusing on my morning coffee reading. As the paintings I look at become more and more abstract, I become more and more disinterested. I feel as though I need to refocus- perhaps go back in time and look at works before Impressionism, where I started. Or, perhaps, look at a different type of art altogether. (Sculptures? Photographs?). All I know is that I was enjoying the art research at the beginning of this month, but now I have definitely hit a wall of boredom. I need to refocus my research on something that I enjoy more.

I think this is good, though. It means I’m learning what I do like, and what I don’t. For the Coffee Bean Dreams project, both types of knowledge are necessary. Tomorrow I need to think about how to redirect this month’s focus.

In the meantime, since I just can’t help myself, here is Dalí’s Accommodations of Desire. I think this type of art is definitely an acquired taste. What do you think?

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 12 – Art or Laziness?

I woke up very excited today- my brother and his wife and toddler son are on their way to Chicago to visit us! I can’t wait for Baby Girl to meet her cousin! I was already bouncing around the house, but, I decided today would nevertheless be a good day to drink an entire pot of coffee. (But it’s only one of those little four cup pots. Don’t judge.)

I turned my jittery attention to Cubism. (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cube/hd_cube.htm) As I believe I mentioned in an earlier blog, Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque are credited with creating Cubism between 1907 and 1914. (And, as I believe I’ve also mentioned, I’m not so much a fan of cubism or abstract painting styles). Basically, Cubism rejected the idea that art should imitate nature and instead focused on fractured geometric forms. At first, the subject of Cubist paintings was usually discernible, but between 1910 and 1912 “high” Analytic Cubism was popular and works were so abstracted that it was difficult to really see what they were- although popular themes were still lifes of musical instruments, glasses, and the human face and figure. Still Life with a Bottle of Rum, pictured below, is an example of one of Picasso’s Analytic Cubist works. Synthetic Cubism came between 1912-1913, and began with the technique of  papiers collés – placing large pieces of printed or colored paper into a composition to allude to a particular object. Man with a Hat and Violin, pictured below is an example of a work created using  papiers collés.

So, I think it’s important to say that, although I am not particularly moved by the Cubist works, I understand that it is art on purpose and there is some method to the madness. These artists were not just being lazy and “throwing paint on a canvass and calling it art,” which I feel is a popular thing to say when you don’t like this style. They were experimenting with a particular technique. That technique grew and evolved, and many of these works are considered serious works of art today and enjoyed by many people. So, even though this style is not exactly my cup of tea, I think it’s quite fair to say that their experimentation was not for nothing.

Do you enjoy Cubist works? If not, can you at least appreciate that there was an artistic effort being made, or do you think I’m crazy for thinking that such works are indeed masterpieces of art?

Picasso - Still Life with a Bottle of Rum

Picasso - Man with a Hat and Violin

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 11 – Rose Colored Glasses for Mr. Picasso, and, What in the World are Saltimbanques?

So, yesterday I talked about when Pablo had the Blues. Today I looked at work from his Rose Period. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Picasso and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picasso%27s_Rose_Period).  The Rose Period found Picasso painting with orange and pink. (Pink has recently started to become one of my favorite colors, and I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s because I have a little girl now and pink has become a pretty much inescapable part of my daily life.) Apparently, during this time, Picasso painted more cheery paintings of acrobats and harlequins- which in France were called “saltimbanques.” And, in case you’re wondering (I was), a harlequin is a comedic character in checkered pattern clothing – which Picasso adopted as a personal symbol. This vaguely sounds to me like clowns, which I was terrified of as a child and which I still think are pretty creepy.

A little bit of juicy gossip: Picasso met one of his mistresses, Fernande Olivier, during this time, and many of the Rose Period paintings feature her. It was also during this time that Picasso met Matisse, who became a lifelong friend. The Rose Period lasted from 1904-1906, and, I must admit, despite my skepticism of all things Picasso and clown-like, I found some works I liked from this period. I blame the use of pink. Below, are two Rose Period works that I think are kind of neat.  I suppose, since Picasso painted SO many paintings, he’s bound to have some that I like. I never realized before I started this blog just how prolific Picasso was. I guess the lesson is to not say you don’t like something you don’t know much about. Although, I reserve the right to dislike Cubism and Picasso’s works during the Cubism Period.

Picasso - Acrobat and Young Harlequin

Picasso - Family of Saltimbanques

Xoxo,

Diana