Lam Yun Ying talk on Francisco Goya ,The Third of May ,1814

Individual presentation (5 minutes max) – 30%

Discuss the

The additional information of this artwork :

Artist :Francisco Goya

Title :The Third of May

Year :1814

Medium :Oil on canvas

Dimensions :268 × 347 cm (106 × 137 in

Description of the third of May

Composition :

It is shapeless and pathetic as old sacks

They are huddled together like animals.

In the face of Murat's firing squad they cover their eyes, or clasp their hands in prayer.

In the middle a man with a dark face throws up his arms, so that his death is just like a sort of crucifixion. His white shirt and laid open to the rifles, is the flash of inspiration which has ignited the whole design.

It just likes there are some special meaning or symbol of this artwork .  The innocent of the citizens.

 The condemned men stand before a firing squad on the hill Príncipe Pío, it is one of the executions took place.

 We can find that Goya have some special arrangement of the composition ,for example ,the figures to the left of the composition

They demand the attention of the viewers by using blood .

Character

The main figure who dressed in white, practically glows. Holding out his arms like crucified Christ.

The faceless French soldiers on the opposite side are rendered almost inhuman.

The firing squad mean that would reoccur time and again in the horrors of modern
war.

From my point of view , I have the following opinion of this artwork .

First, I find it is mysterious as the background just like a backcloth and the faceless firing squad enhance the mystery of this event ,we can’t see their emotion .The firing squad also make me feel horrifying.

Behind the hill Príncipe Pío or beside the hill ,It seems  that there are coming victims to come .

Then it makes the painting much more horrifying 

Detailed painting

When we focus on the white shirt man ,we can find that in his right hand , there are a stigma  , it just like the wound the crucified Christ has .

Moreover , the man also posing in an X shape and being illuminated him strongly by the lantern .

It just like symbol of the innocent of the citizens and iron the senseless of the government or solider .

Compare with the similar works

The artwork of Monet ‘Execution of the Emperor Maximilian’

Right hand side solider :Silent mode

And a group of solider :Firing

I think Monet’s work is better usage of   the color ,

For example the blue and the grey (cold color to represent the whole thing and the ignorance of the government.

But the amazement do not look like  the third of May .

And the artwork of Pablo Picasso ‘Massacre Korea’

To the left, a group of naked women and children are seen situated at the foot of a mass grave.

On the right hand side ,a few armed "knights" stand to the right, also naked, but equipped with "hard muscles The firing squad is poised as in Goya.

In this artwork , I do really appreciate his present of this event ,his better use the tone of color present the cold and iron of the solider / government .

The Meaning of The third of May

 After this artwork , I can find that Goya do wanna awake the citizen the sense of belonging of the nationalism and emphasize on the aspect of political .

One key quote about the work in question

The Third of May is a work of the imagination. Goya is sometimes spoken of as a realist, but if the word means anything, it means a man who paints what he can see and only what he can see. By a curious chance there exists a sort of version of The Third of May painted by the perfect realist, Manet's Execution of the Emperor Maximilian. Manet had frequently poured scorn on subjects of this kind. "The reconstruction of a historic scene. An historic event painted in this flat and inexpressive way really is as pointless as Manet maintained it to be. Perhaps that is why he cut up his large version (the smaller study survives), so that the fragment of a soldier examining his rifle might be appreciated for what it is, an admirable study of a model.

Mark Harden. “GOYA, Francisco: The Shootings of May Third 1808.” Mark Harden's Artchive, March 2008. http://www.artchive.com/artchive/G/goya/may_3rd.jpg.html.

My Questions

Is that important to the painting that the content is really truth or not ?

  In my opinion , the content need not to be exactly the fact or the truth .Otherwise , the artists would lost their freedom to create artwork ,then the quaility of artwork would also lower . So I support the artwork should based on the artists' creation .

The Question leave to the class

  After this artwork , I can find that Goya do wanna awake the citizen the sense of belonging of the nationalism and emphasize on the aspect of political . But nowadays , there something change for example brand name products is a good artwork , I do wanna

 the definition of 'a good artwork' ?

‘beautiful ?’ ‘trendy’? ‘Religious’?‘Social and political’?

or the other that the classmates discussed in the class , for example the story or history of the artwork ,the content  e.t.c

work you have chosen in some detail. Show that you have read about the work in the required reading and that you have also read additional materials that you have found independently. Unless you have a special reason, do not include the biography of the artist in this brief talk. In the best presentations it will be clear that the speaker has thought deeply about one work of art and what s/he has read about it, forming his/her own opinions about what it means, and how this meaning is communicated.

Kwong ka ming talk on Jackson Pollock, White Light, 1954

Jackson Pollock, White Light, 1954

Individual presentation (5 minutes max) – 30%

Discuss the work you have chosen in some detail. Show that you have read about the work in the required reading and that you have also read additional materials that you have found independently. Unless you have a special reason, do not include the biography of the artist in this brief talk. In the best presentations it will be clear that the speaker has thought deeply about one work of art and what s/he has read about it, forming his/her own opinions about what it means, and how this meaning is communicated.

A good presentation will include:

full details of the work – artist, title, year, medium, dimensions
an explanation of how the work fits into a broader style or movement (eg Realism) and the specific historical context (eg the mid 19th century in France).
A description of the work
one key quote about the work in question
why this work interests you/ your own opinion of the work
names of authors, titles of articles, books or websites (and publication information) that are especially relevant to this work
a thought-provoking question about the work for the class

Luna talks on Frank Lloyd Wright:Fallingwater,USA(1936)

   Do you want to live in a house that is surrounded by the spiritual forrest? Are you fascinated by the beauty of nature? If both of your answers are "Yes", then you will be interested in the architectual work which I am going to introduce. It is the marvellous "Fallingwater".

   Now, let me give you some details about this wonderful building. It is called Fallingwater because it is built over a serene waterfall in the woods of Pennsylvania. Frank Lloyd Wright, who is one of the most innovative architects in America, designed this house as a vacation home for his clients, the Kaufmann family. It is constructed from 1936 to 1939 and is around 5330 square feet. The color palette of Fallingwater is limited. Two colors were mainly used, for instance, a light yellow for the concrete and Wright's favourite Cherokee red for the metal frames.

     He has used cantilever technique to build Fallingwater. It seems like the balconies are floating in mid-air and there is nothing to support it. This is a new idea in architecture in the early 20th century. Moreover, some of the features of Fallingwater are in common with the Bauhaus. For example, we can observe that everything is rectilinear, with geometric blocks based on vertical and horizontal lines, which has stylistic similarities with Cubism and Dutch De Stijl.They both are very simple in terms of design.And they aim to stay away from the overly decorative style of other institutes.

   Let us move deeper into the style of the artwork. The design of Fallingwater is based on the Prairie Style which is promoted prominently by Frank Lloyd Wright. According to this style, architectural works should be integrated with natural landscapes. The main principle is that a house should look as if it has naturally grown from the site. The works of the Prairie Style architects usually emphasize on the harmony between human habitation and the natural world through design, so that the buildings, furnishings, and surroundings will become a unified, interrelated composition.
   Therefore, we can observe that the horizontal terraces and the low ceilings of Fallingwater appears like the structure of the rocks below. The chimneys also resemble the stone pieces in the surrounding woods. Wide glass windows, which make nature a constant visible presence inside the house, further reinforce the association of the building with landscape. And even the light yellowness of the house aims to blend with the environment. To some extent, Fallingwater has fulfilled Wright's pursuit of "organic" architecture. He wanted people to live with the waterfall, to make it part of their everyday life, and not just to look at it now and then.

   

    There is one key quote about Fallingwater which is written by Edgar Kaufmann, junior.

"It has served well as a house, yet has always been more than that, a work of art beyond any ordinary measure of excellence. It is set on the waterfall, spouting natures's endless energy and grace. House and site together form the very image of man's desire to be wedded and embraced with nature."
  
 Why am I so impressed by Fallingwater? Since I was somehow fed up with the air pollution from the rapid development and industrialization of the city, I am delighted to see the peaceful Fallingwater. The spirituality of this house has reminded me that we should once again embrace our nature.

Reference:

   I recommend you to read "The Aesthetics of Architecture" by philosopher Roger Scruton.It is a nice book about how you look at architecture in different aspects.

1. http://www.fallingwater.org/37/what-is-fallingwater
2.Carlson, Aesthetics and the environment : the appreciation of nature, art, and architecture, London, Routledge, 2002
3. Sparshott, Figuring the Ground: Notes on Some Theoretical Problems of the Aesthetics Environment, Journal of Aesthetic Education, 1972
4.www.fallingwater.org/assets/Quotes_About_Fallingwater.pdf


Questions:

1.Philosopher Allen Carlson agreed that certain works of art is highly "site specific",and Fallingwater is one of them. What do you think is "site specific"? Do you agree with what Carlson has said about Fallingwater?


2.Can you think of any examples which also emphasize on the assoication between nature and artworks besides Fallingwater?
 
3.What kind of effects will we have if we construct buildings with the same style as Fallingwater in Hong Kong?

Sarah Hamilton talks on Pablo Picasso: Old Guitarist (1903)

Pablo Picasso
Old Guitarist
1903
Oil on Panel: 4ft 2/3 x 2ft 8 ½ in
 Art Institute of Chicago

This essay shall discuss Picasso’s Old Guitarist painting in relation to the turn of the century/ symbolist movement, the historical/personal context of the painting followed by a short description of the work and my opinion on the piece.

This painting was painted in 1903 and thus was included in ‘Turn of the Century art’ which ranges from Early Picasso, Fauvism, Expressionism and Matisse. During this time artist’s were striving to be individual and classed as ‘avant-guarde’ and thus there was a lot of different movements within this period.

In terms of Picasso’s Old Guitarist, the author of the text book (Schneider-Adams, 2002) states that The Old Guitarist is part of Picasso’s first individual style and described his paintings including this one in the ‘Blue Period’ as ‘Symbolist’.

“Symbolist painters used symbols from mythology and dream imagery as a visual language of the soul. Symbolists believed that art should apprehend more absolute truths which could only be accessed indirectly. Thus, they painted scenes from nature, human activities, and all other real world phenomena in a highly metaphorical and suggestive manner.” (Krstic, 2007)

So it short, they looked for other ways to express the ordinary in order to show the ‘the truths’ or ‘meanings’ of the subject visually. They often did this by vivid/different use of colour, textures, and predetermined associations with religious and spiritual ideas as well as other techniques.

Picasso used these symbolism techniques and has some key features of ‘Turn of the Century’  Artwork in his painting the Old Guitarist.
- As he depicts his state of mind rather than just his physical being via his use of colour, the way he portrays his subject for example he makes use of El Greco's elongated forms and hallucinatory space, but he employs these elements to express a feeling peculiar to his time-solidarity with distressed, famished, oppressed humanity.
- Uses vivid unrealistic colour to express feelings and emotions
- Has links with religious, spiritual mythical ideas as he paints a blind man as his subject which relates back to the literature of the symbolist movement as they were believed to have possessed powers of inner vision e.g. Tierius from Greek Mythology.
- He also chooses not to portray the industrialisation movement but instead shows someone who is possibly negatively affected by it.

There is also a huge reflection of Picasso within the work and his state of mind from 1901 – 1904. The tragic themes and expressive style of Picasso's Blue Period where triggered from his friend’s suicide in 1901 and his near bankruptcy in 1902, when he was moving between Paris and Barcelona. During this time, his subjects changed from cafes in Paris to vague figures on empty backgrounds becausehe identified with those living on the outskirts of society; he painted pictures of the downtrodden, depicting them in all of their misery, using a muted palette of blue - the colour of melancholy.

Simon Shaw-Miller, in his analysis of this painting, wrote that the painting points out;
“the solitary bohemian existence of the artist and the struggle for an artistic life, in contrast to the joys of shared experience of community” (1998). Rather than serving as an instrument to bring people together, Picasso portrayed music as a separating force from others and a burden, which is shown by the change in colour. Therefore he suggests that Picasso is contemplating the life of an artists and Cangailosi (2008) goes as far as to say, “The piece signifies an autobiographical moment in Picasso's early life as a street artist in struggle.”

In terms of description, The Old Guitarist, Picasso worked with a monochromatic palette, flattened forms, and tragic, sorrowful themes. The figure is bland and fits in with the empty background, the only shift in colour is in terms of the guitar, where the deep blue colours surround the browns of the guitar making it the central piece of the artwork. This could either mean its separating him from everyone else or that it is the man’s saving grace.

It is not only the colour that gives this melancholy feeling but also how Picasso chooses to portray the man. His thin, skeleton, ghostly figure, his expressionless face, blind eyes and clothing all hang in despair. They give the impression of no sign of life about the man and that he doesn’t have enough strength to keep his head up. His pose is cramped (and almost forced to fit into the canvas). This seems to suggest he has no ease in his surroundings and to have an easy life he must adapt to something that is unnatural to him. The only thing that is keeping him together is his guitar that he clings to.

This figure has roots in art from Picasso's native country, Spain. The old man's elongated limbs and cramped, angular posture recall the figures of the great 16th-century artist El Greco, which I touched on earlier.

 The painting itself is nearly life size, painted on a wooden panel (some suggest it was his wooden table as he could not afford a canvas hence the picture of the women underneath).The Boston Museum suggests,
"Details are eliminated and scale manipulated to heighten the impact of figures whose elongated proportions and attitudes of silent contemplation intensify a sense of spirituality.”

The thing that appeals to me most about this painting is its intrigue, the emotive factor created by the colour scheme and shape and the possible meanings of the life of the artist.

Class Question:

To Picasso, do you think this represented the plight of others or is it a biography of a struggling artist? If so, do you believe art has to have this personal connection to be a ‘masterpiece’?

Anon, “Picasso’s Blue Period”, Boston Museum
Available from
(http://www.boston.com/mfa/picasso/blue.html)
Accessed 11/3/10

Cangailosi, J. (2008) “The Masterpiece from Picasso's Blue Period”, Associated Content
Available from: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/580401/pablo_picassos_the_old_guitarist.html?cat=2

References:

Accessed 11/3/10

Krstic, L. (2007) “About Symbolism”, Symbolism 19^th Century Art
Available from:
 http://www.krcky.com/simbolizam/O_simbolizmu/index_en.htm
Accessed 11/3/10

Schneider- Adams, L. (2002) Art Across Time Vol II, 2^nd Edition, Boston McGraw College

Shaw Miller, S. (2002) Visible Deeds of Music: Art and Music from Wagner to Cage, 2^nd Edition, Yale University Press

Wong Lai Yung (Joyce)talks on Georgia O’Keefe: Cow’s Skull with Calico Roses (1931)

                               

Artist: Georgia O’Keefe

Title: Cow's Skull with Calico Roses

Year: 1931

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 91.4 x 61 cm (36 x 24 in.)

Georgia O’Keefe was an American female artist. The artwork “Cow’s Skull with Calico Roses” was done in 1931 which was just after the Great Depression and the rise of Fascism. These political and economical issues affected the style of the artists at that time. Also, the American president at that time was Roosevelt. He introduced social programs, employed many artists and granted some measure of official status to abstract art. We could see this in Regionalist and Social Realist artworks. This also flavored the development of Vernacular modernism, the artists could develop their own style without restrictions.

Under this circumstance, Georgia did not have a specific style, but through her artworks, we could see the influences of photography, 20^th century abstraction and the landscape of the American Southwest.

For this artwork, Cow’s Skull with Calico Roses, Georgia picked the desiccated skull from the dry desert of Arizona and New Mexico. She depicted the form of the skull in a simple way that we could hardly see the details of the skull. The roses on the skull were also depicted simply. Apart from the subjects, the black vertical part behind the skull and the horizontal horns led to the imagination of Crucifixion, which was the form of the cross. Furthermore, the death skull was softened by the living roses on it. This kind of juxtaposition of living and death things also related to the death and resurrection themes in Christian artworks. This reflected that Georgia kept the ideas of ancient art and changed these into own style, which was a characteristic of vernacular modernism. Besides, this format of putting the death and living things together also showed the feature of desert, which was also regionalist. Other than vernacular modernism and regionalism, this artwork also got the surrealism quality as we could hardly see a death things put with living things. This was impossible to happen in the reality and it was like a dream that only happened under our imagination and unconscious mind. In addition, the skull was dead and fragile, but the Calico roses were alive , strong and powerful as Calico was a heavy cotton fabric that is usually plain white. This created a big contrast. Also, the white skull and roses together with the black vertical past created a big contrast in color. Moreover, the plain background of this artwork created a harmony and peaceful atmosphere that made people calm and feel comfortable.

Alfred Stieglitz even commented that Georgia’s works were the “purest, finest, sincerest things that had entered 291 in a long time.”

I was interested on this artwork because when I first saw it, it gave me a simple and peaceful meaning which I always believe “simple is beautiful”. And when I look at it in detail, it was so mysterious that it was difficult to understand what the artist wanted to express. Therefore, we could use our imagination to explain this artwork and it was good for me to get something that belong to me only. This further made the artwork special.

And finally my question is : If you are asked to find a thing from your daily life, and turn it into an artwork, what will you use and why?

Here are my references

•         http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/61428

•         http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/

•         http://www.soho-art.com/Geogia-OKeeffe.shtml

...talks on Caspar David Friedrich: Moonrise over the Sea, 1817

... talks on Francis Bacon: Portrait of Isabel Rawsthorne Standing in a Street in Soho (1967)

... talks on Franz Kline: Mahoning (1956)

... talks on Mark Rothko: Number 15 (1957)

 

... talks on Georgia O’Keefe: Cow’s Skull with Calico Roses (1931)

... talks on Frida Kahlo: Marxism will give health to the sick (1954)

... talks on Diego Riveira: Ancient Mexico (1929-1935)

Yeung Yan Ki talks on Dorothea Lange: Migratory Cotton Picker, Eloy, Arizona (1940)

Artist : Dorothea Lange

Title: Migratory cotton Picker

Year:  1940

medium: Gelatin-silver print;

dimensions :  10½ X 13½in. (26.8 X 34.3cm).

Migratory cotton Picker is a work of social realism.  Social Realism appears in the early 20th century. It depicts the social and racial injustice, economic hardship through unvarnished pictures of life’s struggle, working class activities, and also contains political goals.

The artists of Social Realism usually depict the social troubles of urban lower class. They focus on the ugly realities of contemporary life, and sympathized with working-class people, particularly the poor.

Description: 

Migratory Cotton Picker is taken by Dorothea Lange in 1940. The medium is Gelatin-silver print. Its dimensions are 24.8cm X 34.3cm.

The photo depicts a Cotton picker with his sack slung over his shoulder rest at the scales before returning to work in the field. This photo was taken in Arizona in the southwestern part of USA. We can know that the man was under the hot sun since in the photo the sky is very clean and the contrast of dark and light is clear. And we can see that the man is with messy hair, rough and dry hands, and a broken sleeve that means he is poor. For the composition, his face is not really in the center of the photo, but also his sack slung, hand and the contrast of dark and light. It is because the photographer would like to depict the condition of the man instead of who the man is.

How this work fix into Social Realism.

First, it depicts a working class activity that is picking cotton. Besides, It shows the economic hardship. It can be showed by the hands of the man that is very dry and rough. It means he work in a very harsh working condition to earn a living. Also, It contains political goals such as to evoke the social conscious to the poverty after the Great Depression.

Key quote

“The man is physically attractive, but worn by laboring in the fields and toughened by the hot sun. Earth clings to his hands, the lines and veins of which create abstract patterns by virtue of close-up view. ” 

--- Laurie Schneider Adams

Why I choose this work…

The contrast of dark and light catches my eyes. Also the posture of the man makes me want to know what is happening to him.

I think this photo is very mystery that even the man looked at the camera but it seems that he did not want to be captured as the man used his hand to cover his face.

Question:

1.What do you think about his gesture?

2.Would it be outdated to use this photo taking method to depict the social problem nowadays? Why?

Seung Wai Lam (William) talks on René Magritte: Time Transfixed (1938)

Artist: Rene Magritte

Title: Time Transfixed (La durée poignardée)

Year: 1938

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 147 x 98.7 cm

The English title of this artwork is Time Transfixed and was painted by Renè Magritte. The original French text is La Durée poignardée , which means “Time stabbed by a dagger”, which is quite similar to the English translation but Magritte seems didn’t like it. This is an oil on canvas painting made at 1938, its height 147cm and width 98.7cm. Its style of course is belonging to Surrealism.

Surrealism is an art movement mainly began in 1920’s, following and influenced by Dada.

As same as Dada, Surrealists got inspiration from the First World War. There were plenty of high-tech weapons that caused large damages and deaths within a few seconds, and this impact shocks the people greatly, causing trauma and depression. They then discovered that sensibility, such as common sense or rational thinking, is no match with sense, which means emotions or feelings, the true thought.

Therefore, one of the leading people of Surrealism Andre Breton believes that our thinking was limited by our conscious mind, limiting our creativity, our freedom of thought. The unconscious mind should be the real and origin of thought, where the strongest creativity would be lying within. This led to the aim of surrealists which is get access to the unconscious mind.

As they thought that dream is the closest place to unconscious mind, many surrealist artists got inspiration from dream, or imagination of dream.

Their works then usually contains unexpected, irrational things. Therefore the images always look like a dream world, where there is no rules and order. Also those works usually have some contradicted scenario between reality and dream, maybe this can emphasize how sensibility is limiting sense.

Furthermore, despite these points, Jacques Meuris stated that one of the features of Magritte is mystery. From his book, Renè Magritte, he said that “the key word is ‘mystery’ ”. We can observe these features in Magritte painting by the following analysis.

In Time Transfixed, the focus point of the painting would definitely be the locomotive, which is the head of the train. Because it is placed at the middle, more importantly is that it is the only thick and solid horizontal line that intersects the vertical plane.

It is essential to mention that the painting contains a lot of large rectangular shapes. For examples, the fireplace, the mirror, the floor etc.. And these shapes contrasted with the circle and cylinder shaped objects which is less in amount and size, such as the clock and locomotive. Thus lead the audiences to focus on these two points.

Also, rectangular shapes provide a sense of rules, formal, and hard. Comparing with the circles which provide a sense of change, soft, and flexibility, a great contrast in terms of feelings is produced. Despite it emphasized the focus point. In terms of context, it may be about the contrast between reality or rationality and dream or sensibility, which is the main inspiration of surrealists.

In terms of colors, the overall color tone of the painting is warm and calm, producing a peaceful, ordinary day atmosphere. Especially the wood colors, and the brownish color inside the mirror, providing a sense of home and normal. Again, the only dark color elements are the train and clock, the contrast hence led them to be the focus points.

Furthermore, the sense of normal is related to the construction of the unreal or dreamlike situation. It strengthened the contrast with the irrational elements within the picture, as normal representing rationality.

It is important to mention the fact that the train was painted perfectly well and realistic, the situation is odd and unreal, the locomotive is breaking through the wall without causing any damage, this is nonsense in reality. And the shadow of the locomotive is not correct in my opinion, comparing the shadow of the fireplace, the light source of the train and surroundings is not quite the same. These made this painting looks unreal and dreamlike.

Then, we would focus on the upper part of the painting, the clock would be the second focus. Clock can be seen as a symbol of time which is exactly theme of this painting. Furthermore, there other iconographies within this painting, for instance, the reflection of the mirror may be representing the space of that mystery room, as there is nothing reflected inside it except the candles and clock. The candles, in some articles, represent knowledge. And the train can be represent science, rational thinking, although these are my own interpretation only.

There is no exact answer for the interpretation. Although someone may say that this might be over-interpretation, but I think most audience would think about the meanings and try to decode the symbols in their first sight on this painting. More unsolved questioned would be announced as Magritte might not know the answer either, because unconscious mind is the main stand of surrealism, and there is no reasons in it. It will only provoke more curiosity and mystery. That stands the reason of agreeing with the point of Meuris that paintings of Magritte or surrealist are full of mystery. 

Focusing on the technique he used, we can see that the scenario is very realistic. For instances, the marble texture of the fireplace, the wooden texture of the floor and the wall. All these things are painting in details. And the brushstroke is very smooth that you can’t see any watchable brushstroke on it.

Equally essential is that the lighting is very natural as an indoor room, except the weird shading of the locomotive, but the major point is that there is no exaggeration or big contrast in terms of lighting. The light source comes from one direction and seems like natural sunlight. The reflection on the locomotive also presents the sense of metal texture of Magritte. And the high brightness makes the picture crystal clear. These provide a sense of reality.

Placing these realistic elements together with those dreamlike, it produced a sense of paradox between reality and dream.

Based on the analysis, I think that Time Transfixed is definitely belongs to the category of Surrealism. And I really agree that our creativity is always limited or affected by the reality, conscious mind. Dream world is however unlimited, I believe that dream can reflect the true feelings and thought of a human being.

Furthermore, I think the technique of Magritte is admirable, since he can paint those very detail things such as the texture of marble, and most importantly is that it is very interesting and difficult to get access and capture the unconscious mind, as dream would be easily forgotten. I think people who can capture the unconscious moment and make a painting about it is very genius and lucky. And this would become my question: How to get access to the unconscious mind and make an artwork about it?

In my opinion, meditation would be a good method, since the purpose of meditation is to forget the surroundings, then lead our thoughts away from the materialistic world, getting access to our deepest and purest spirits. This is what I think the closest place to the unconscious mind.

References

Adams, Laurie. Art Across Time. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

Bigsby, C.W.E.. Dada and Surrealism. London: Methuen & Co Ltd, 1972.

Hopkins, David. Dada and Surrealism: A Very Short Introduction. NY: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Klingsohr-Leroy, Cathrin. Surrealism. Germany: Benedikt Taschen Verlag, 2004. 

Meuris, Jacques, Renè Magritte.  Germany: Benedikt Taschen Verlag, 2004. 

... talks on Joan Miró: Dog Barking at the Moon (1926)

Yang Xiao talks on Salvador Dalí: The Persistence of Memory (1931)

... talks on Man Ray: Indestructible Object (or Object to be Destroyed) (1923)

Li Hoi Ching talks on Mies van der Rohe: Lake Shore Drive Apartment Houses, Chicago, (1950-52)

Mies van der Rohe, Lake Shore Drive Apartment Houses, 1952

• Basic Details:
  Artist: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe,
  Title: Lake Shore Drive Apartment Houses
  Year: 1952
  Medium: Architecture
  Dimensions:  26 floors, 254 ft (82 m)
  
  
  Description:
  Lake Shore Drive Apartment Houses are twin pair of glass-and-steel apartment towers. The materials are common: steel, aluminum, glass. Mie made the towers as if they are floating above the ground. At the entrance, a horizontal roof connects the two high-rise apartments towers. the towers was organized in a 21 foot grid that was represented with steel columns placed at the intersections of the grid. By using it for structure, Mies simplified the steel frame to simply express the grid.
  He covered concrete shells with steel plates, thus keeping the uniformity of the steel columns.
  The structure has a system of filling and framework that created a beautiful pattern of contrasting black steel against the glass surface.
  
  
  What Style it fits into:
  
  
  Modern Architecture
  First of all, it is a modern architecture/architectural modernism that’s of the style of Bauhaus or international style. Generally, Bauhaus style means the style that’s originated from Bauhaus school during 1919 to 1933, and played a great part in modern architecture. . And this time, the lake shore drive apartments here fit into the style that came from Bauhaus school and international style as a modern architecture. The principles of Bauhaus are the emphasis on modern materials, simplicity, clarity, and the designs of Rectilinear block-like building. The apartments we can see here consisted mainly of the materials of concrete, glass and steel, which we can know that it is the focus on the modern materials that emerged during the time of industrial revolution which prompted the existence of the modern architectural movement. Also, it appears to be simple enough as it doesn’t have any particular ornaments, decorative architectural materials with it, far indicating the idea of minimalism, “less is more” motto from Mies. We can see here, Mies also designed it particularly that we could see the steel frame against the windows and also the I-beam steel section, which reflects the elements that made up the apartments and also reflects clearly the whole structure of the apartments. Nothing fancy about it.
  The apartments demonstrate simplicity, clarity and the strict use of modern material. It also appears obviously as an architecture with rectilinear block like design, the flat roof and rectilinear lines that construct up the whole buildings. As a architecture of international style, aside from the above mentioned features which also belong to the categories of international style, like the use of steel, glass, and the radically simplistic form, the apartments also serve to demonstrate the idea that the architectural work should represent no particular national, cultural identities, which hoped to transcend all particular style, as an architectural style that could satisfy all human beings. And a form as simple as it presents here, it is as simple to the point that it stripped off the possibilities that you could see any national, cultural traces with it, just a building for people to live. It also adopted the feature of transparency,. As the whole building shows just “skin and the bone”, if it’s not the steel frame, concrete, then it’s just the glass, it attempted to be as transparent as possible.
  International style also emphasized on the honest expression of the structure, Mies put non functional mullions as a way to express the inner element, structural materials, therefore as a way to give truth to structure or materials.
  Mies also added the reason to add the I-beam steel section was to stiffen the steelplates that cover the corner columns, so the plate would not ripple. (Mies van der Rohe's New Buildings, Architectural Forum 97 (November 1952): 99) it demonstrates the idea of functionalism as an art or form follows function. If it weren’t for it to function or be useful in a certain way, Mies wouldn’t add unnecessary materials.
  The other things about the style of Bauhaus are the influences from De Stijl and cubism. De stijl, another international style that came from Netherland has the features of the flat roof, appearance of weightlessness, universal style that could satisfy basic human needs through mass production, also these characteristics could be seen through here. The precise angularity and the simple cubic extruded rectangle form and the 90 degrees angles of the façade could also be seen as the influence from the cubism.
  
  
  Why interest me
  First, this work interests me with its simplistic style which feels almost weightless to me but at the same time has such a great capacity. Like a building that’s actually flowing. I’m intrigued by this aspect and its aesthetic that shows through its weightlessness.  
  
  
  Key Quote
  By making the construction of the buildings the design priority, Mies created a system that led his perfect grid from structure, to windows, and finally interior partitions. “From outside to inside, from permanent to temporary, the architecture evolved in the sequence of construction.” The perfect order found in the modern 860-880 Lake Shore Drive led the buildings to become landmarks in Chicago
  Adelyn Perez
  
  
  Question
  Most of the Hong Kong people these days live in tall buildings and apartments; do you think these apartments I talked about today consist of different qualities that make them the ideal apartments or houses for you to reside at, especially in a city like Hong Kong?  

Deja Chenyang DU talks on Frank Lloyd Wright: Fallingwater, USA (1936)

Artist: Frank Lloyd Wright

Title: Fallingwater House

Year of construction: 1936

Year of completion: 1937

Materials: Reinforced concrete, stone

Building type: Private house (weekend house for Kaufmann Family)

Location: Bear Run, Allegheny Mountains of southwest Pennsylvania, USA

Broader style/Movement/Specific historical context

Frank Lloyd Wright is an important figure in 20C architecture development as he lauched the Prairie style which sought to integrate architecture with the natural landscape. In the design of Fallingwater, we can see combined elements of the International Style with the Prairie Style. Prairie Style, as a signature of Wright’s work, is embodied in the Fallingwater as always: the horizontal emphasis, low-pitched roofs with large overhangs and low boundary walls that are related to the flat prairie landscape of the American West and Middle West. The International Style is shown with the terrace built of modern reinforced concrete and which is related to emphasis upon volume, thin planes, regularity and dependence upon the intrinsic elegance. Actually Wright’s Fallingwater has influenced the International Style architect such as Gerrit Rietveld in his work of Schroeder House. As an admirer of Japanese Architecture, Wright incorporated many Japanese/Oriental elements in his design exterior and interior. The connection with nature that Wright believed as his credo is probably influenced by Japanese/Confucius emphasis on harmony between human beings and natural surroundings, where he tried to fully utilize the landscape and natural existing materials instead of causing any destruction, and interior decorations are also full of Japanese/Oriental elements and philosophy which fit the simplicity very well.

Description of the work

 (A short 3D simultation on Fallingwater construction)
Fallingwater is built in the forested mountain area where the Bear Run flows rapidly between rock cliffs and the water falls down from the rock deck with the beauty of speed, volume, sound and elegant curve. The main building is built above the running falls on a narrow cliff ledge. The main building has a typical horizontal emphasis, where the platform of the first floor and second floor extend out largely into the open air, resembling another layer of natural cliff ledge. The color of the house is in light beige, elegantly fits with the darker colored woods whilst still catches your eyes with its lightness especially in the whole piece of dark green in summer and also responds with the white snow in winter. The house is designed to fit the routines of a family that enjoyed contemplative time indoors, reading and good conversation, as well as vigorous exercise out of doors. As a result the house is constructed with a guest wing located upper hills with the connection of sheltered path from the main building, an outdoor pool in the guest wing. The usage of glasses on the wall is massive, making the indoor space transparent and open, which might largely related with Japanese style. The only pop-up color is the red frame of the glasses on the wall, naturally attracts your attention to look outside the windows. The floor is comprised of local masonry and the wall is constructed to resemble the layers of sandstone. Bedrooms are not in big size but with natural wood colored furniture and Japanese styled paintings, with sandstones reaches out serving as book shelves.

The romance of Fallingwater and its designer Frank Lloyd Wright could be traced back to 1934, when Edgar Kaufmann, Jr., a 25 year old apprentice of Wright’s introduced the great architect to his father, owner of the Kaufmann Department Store in Pittsburgh. Wright said to Kaufmann when sitting in the family’s house, “Edgar, this house is not worthy of your parents”. In the following months, a masterpiece in the architecture history was brewing. The weekend house that Wright was to build is located in a forested Appalachian hollow where the Kaufmann family loved to picnic near a waterfall. Wright started to coordinate with Fayette Engineering Company to survey on the complicated landscape in 1934, and with the survey result fully carried out in the spring of 1935. In Sept. 1935, after 9 months of hard work, Wright finished crystallizing his idea into sketched up design. The whole construction including interior design and furnishing cost 155000 USD at that time which equals 2.4 million in 2009.The resulting structure is fitted onto a narrow cliff ledge, with walls of rough local sandstone and terraces of reinforced concrete that project dramatically over the stream and falls. The family was surprised by the idea that Wright was actually building the house above the cascade instead of below it. Fallingwater served as a country place for the family from 1937 to 1963, and later it was devoted to the Pennsylvania Conservancy as a public museum till now. Fallingwater has astonished the public since its completion, as it was designated as a “National Historic Landmark” in 1966 and also named by the American Institute of Architect as “the best all-time work of American architecture”.

Key quotes

“In Fallingwater Wright captured the perfect essence of our desire to live nature, to dwell in a forested place and be at home in the natural world.”---------Edgar Kaufmann, jr.

“Living in a house built by you has been my one education.”---------Liliane Kaufmann

“I began to see a building primarily not as a cave but a broad shelter in the open, related to vista without and vista within.”---------Frank Lloyd Wright

"I think Wright learned the most important aspect of architecture, the treatment of space, from Japanese architecture. When I visited Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, I found that same sensibility of space. But there were the additional sounds of nature that appealed to me."

--------- Contemporary Japanese architect Tadao Ando

My own opinion of the work

I had the chance to see this masterpiece when I was in the USA in the fall of 2009. It was such a marvelous view when I walked up to the hill in a distance to the house and look at it through the woods and leaves, and actually it’s the only spot you can see the full view of the waterfall. It might be Wright’s design to encourage the family for a regular outing in the forest. As you are in the building, you actually could never see the waterfall from any angle though you hear the intriguing sound of the water flows every minute.

I love the closeness a man-made work could have with the nature and how it is embodied in every little details of the design. There is an on-the-floor window that you can open to access to the stairs which directs you down to the water side from the living room. The first floor is composed of a large central core of living room where you will find a subtleness of the combination of luxury, simplicity, leisure and nature. The floor is made of local masonry, with pieces of luxury patterned carpet covered somewhere on the ground in the living room. Near the fireplace, there are outstretched rocks serving as step stones to the fireplace. There is even a wood stake near the stove serving as a bar table for wine. The furniture is in well alignment of rectangular shaped areas and lines. I was very impressed by how much thought and consideration Wright has put into the design. You could not see the kitchen in the main building, but it is intentionally hidden somewhere, since the family didn’t cook by themselves instead all the cooking was done by domestic servants. Standing on the balcony, you hear the running stream, you feel the dampness of the fresh air, and you see a full eye of green. And surprisingly, you will also see the joy of life and taste of the family through the artistic statues purchased by the family which are put on the balcony, including Buddha head, copper made Libra like statue, etc. The path to the Guest Wing is sheltered to keep guests from the dropping rains and sun in some seasons. And Wright had treated trees as reserved ancestors, and in deference to their exalted position, when one was in too close proximity to a building, he chose either to build around it or to incorporate it in to the design rather than cut it down.

Reference/Resources

Lynda S. Waggoner, Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Romance with Nature, 1996.

Greatbuildings,http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Fallingwater.html

Fallingwater Official Website, http://www.fallingwater.org/

3D Simulation of Building Fallingwater, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CVKU3ErrGM

A look at Fallingwater, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSbjVgpXDoA

Question

What do you think Wright’s combination of technology, imagination, and nature in Fallingater. If you were Wright, how would you design the house, also in the more connected to nature way, or in a more trendy way at that time as “machines of living”?