Self Portrait in Fur Coat (1500)
Albrecht Durer
Knob (1997) Gavin Turk
Damien Hirst and Maia Norman (1995)
1. Identify aspects of Durer's self portrait that show a changing view of the artist's view of himself as
an individual.
In this self portrait Durer has given himself a Christ-like and almost godly appearance by his beard and long dark hair. It almost looks as if he glowing, which is emphasized by the dark, gloomy background. Although, Durer has depicted himself in the image of Jesus, it was meant to be an acknowledgement that Christ and man are God's creations. Therefore, the artistic talent is ultimately derived from God.
2. Explain how the artist's social status increased during the Renaissance period. Briefly explain why this happened.
Innovating the Artistic Life
Traditionally, artists were thought of a lower social role of craftspeople, however during the Renaissance period, there was a cultural movement that affected European's intellectual life. During this period, there was a revival of the arts and a new breed of thinking which put art in a different light. "The Renaissance was an important time for artists. They developed new techniques and skills. Soon people began to admire their artistry as well as the subject of the artwork. By the late Renaissance, artists were no longer thought of as tradesmen. A master artist could become a highly respected member of the community. He could dictate his own terms in his work and enjoy a much higher social status than a mere craftsman. And superstar artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo became famous throughout Europe, helping create the modern image of the artist as an independent creative genius."
Traditionally, artists were thought of a lower social role of craftspeople, however during the Renaissance period, there was a cultural movement that affected European's intellectual life. During this period, there was a revival of the arts and a new breed of thinking which put art in a different light. "The Renaissance was an important time for artists. They developed new techniques and skills. Soon people began to admire their artistry as well as the subject of the artwork. By the late Renaissance, artists were no longer thought of as tradesmen. A master artist could become a highly respected member of the community. He could dictate his own terms in his work and enjoy a much higher social status than a mere craftsman. And superstar artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo became famous throughout Europe, helping create the modern image of the artist as an independent creative genius."
3. Comment on Gavin Turk's work in relation to individualism, status of the artist and egotism.
Gavin Turk's work clearly shows individualism which is also related to the status he posseses and egotism. He is so confident of his social position that by merely using his name, he believes people will instantly be interested in that piece of work. Individualism is evident through this work as it relates to his "moral worth of an individual" and his stylized type of work which is "full of wit and referential humour, cunningly done through paraphrasing already well-known works of art from the recent past."
4. Comment on Damien Hirst's use of his work and the media for self promotion.
Hirst uses strong themes of death and life in his artwork. He became famous for using dead animals and preserving them in formaldehyde as it is a controversial and shocking topic. In the image above containing himself and his girlfriend; Maia Norman, he gained alot of exposure by using her to model his new piece of artwork as she is well known fashion designer.
5. Find 2 images of work by artists or designers that reflects some of the ideas of individualism,
self promotion or egotism that have been discussed on this blog. Upload images to your blog, title and date the work, identify the artist/designer and comment on the work in relation to the question.
Ghost Sheep (2001)
Angela Singer is an artist from England, who now lives and studies in New Zealand, who makes artwork purely out of dead animals. This shows her individualism and self promotion as she is an animal rights activist and raises controversial issues about live animal dissection. Singer states “These carcasses highlight how grotesque natural beauty can become after suffering at the hands of humanity.”
No. 5 (1948)
Jackson Pollock was a very influential artisit and was an abstract expressionist artist. He used many techniques and liked to let the paint flow onto the canvas in its natural direction. "In 1956, Time magazine dubbed Pollock "Jack the Dripper" as a result of his unique painting style." Individualsim can be seen though his style and his different methods of creating artwork by straying away from conventional artist tools.
6. How do you think artists and designers are viewed in Western society today?
There is a lot people can do with art nowadays. Artists with a unique style, have great creativity and possess skill are highly respected compared to what they were before. Nevertheless, it is still usually about who you know, and the status you possess to get you recognised.
Reference the websites and/or books you have used, at the end of your blog.
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ReplyDeletethe way u have described how Albrecht Durer depicted and transformed himself into Jesus in his "Self Portrait in Fur Coat (1500)" was legendary. Albrecht acknowledged himself and all people as goods children and stated that they are all equal in this drawing. "a picture has 1000 words" and i be-leave that this quote fits with the picture taken of the ghost sheep installation, when u look at it your mind flicks round on what it is that the artist is trying to portray. Angela Singer is an awesome English artist witch now studies and lives here in New Zealand. Angelas fascination in animals astounds me, using corpse as installations is quite a cool idea.
ReplyDeleteI really like your explanation of Durer’s self portrait. It is easy to take offence to the piece and although I do not completely agree with how he made his point, a better understanding of it helps to lighten the dislike. I also like your goat sheep example, that is a really interesting idea. To make a point by doing what your attacking seems hypocritical. All these individualist just seems annoying and up themselves. Although I do appreciate Jackson Pollocks individualism, as you said in his experimentation. On how artists are viewed today, I agree with the how heavily it is reliant on contacts to get “big”. But if you really are a talented artist with a good message to share through your art whether or not you make millions off of it shouldn’t matter as long as people get the point.
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