Sabrina YANG Wen talks on Dorothea Lange: Migratory Cotton Picker, Eloy, Arizona (1940)

About the Photo
Title: Migratory Cotton Picker, Eloy, Arizona
Creator Name: Lange, Dorothea
Creator Nationality: North American; American
Creation Date: 1940
Object Type: Photographs

Medium:

Photographs, Photograph | Gelatin silver print (printed c. 1950)

Size: 10 7/16 x 13 7/16 in. (26.51 x 34.13 cm) (image)11 x 14 in. (27.94 x 35.56 cm) (sheet)

Creation Place:

United States

Culture:

United States

Style:

20th century

About the Photographer : 

DOROTHEA LANGE (1895-1965)

Dorothea Lange has been known as the greatest American documentary photographer. She is best known for her chronicles of the displaced farm families and migrant workers during the Great Depression. The Migratory Cotton picker is one of them. The most poignant image done by her is called: The Migrant Mother

This picture explicitly depict the anxious and destitue mother: Florence Owens Thompson (age 32) and her children in February or March of 1936 in Nipomo, California, which has become the icon of the Great Depression era. 

I saw and approached the hungry and desperate mother, as if drawn by a magnet. I do not remember how I explained my presence or my camera to her, but I do remember she asked me no questions. I made five exposures, working closer and closer from the same direction. I did not ask her name or her history. She told me her age, that she was thirty-two. She said that they had been living on frozen vegetables from the surrounding fields, and birds that the children killed. She had just sold the tires from her car to buy food. There she sat in that lean- to tent with her children huddled around her, and seemed to know that my pictures might help her, and so she helped me. There was a sort of equality about it. (From: Popular Photography, Feb. 1960).

Dorothea Lange was fiercely independent, she dropped her middle name and adopted her mother's mainden name as family name after her father abandoned the family when she was 12 years old. The other traumatic incident happened to her is her contraction of polio at age of 7 which left her with a wakened right leg and a permanent limp. The pain of her childhood, however, gave her a fuller sense of what suffering meant, and later on when she worked for the government to document the effect of the depression, her compassion for the destitution and despair of migratory families were deepened. She has always believed that the undertanding of the psychological aspect of her subject is essential in making a portrait. When she walked  in to camps, talking to the hoeless pea-pickers and refugees of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, they are starving to death and desperate for a better living condition. She talked to them untill they feel comfortable enough to let her take pictures. Her limp, she thought, created an instant rapport between herself and her subjects. She siad that people trusted her more because she didnt appear "whole and secure" in the face of their poverty and insecurity.

At 1941, she later gave up a prestigious award (Guggenheim Fellowship)to record the forced evacuation of Jpanese American tointernment Camps, which is against the federal givernment's will and many these photographs were censored  untill later (1972), the Witney Museum commemorates her work and held an exhibit.

Backgroud of the picture: Great Depression
The Great Depression in the US began with the stock market crash of october 29th, 1929, known as Black Tuesday, which is  the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, and deflation.

During the Depression, the government created jobs for writers, scholars and artists though various documentary assignment, and Lange was one of them. In 1934, she met her second husband : economist paul Schuster Taylor from UC, Berkeley, who taught her the social and political issues, they travelled together to rural area documenting poverty and exploitation of sharecroppers and migrant laborers- Taylor interciewing and gathering economic data while lange taking photos. They published the American Exodus in 1939.

Farmers from the Midwest were so devastated by the economic harships and draought that they made a long trip all the way to the west in search for jobs, lands and dignity. They wanted a new start, but was faced a harsh reality.They are proletarian class who are forced to till the soil for others. They migrate relecutantly, seeking a foothold on the land, which it seldom gains.
Lange's photo humanized the tragic consequences of the Great Depression and profoundly influenced the development of documentary photography. Her works inspired Steinbeck's "The grapes of Wrath" which in turn inspired a film adaptation.

About the picure

Style: Social Realism ,Vernacular Modernism

Unlike the Migrant Mother photoed by Dorathea, which explicitly depicts the anxious and destitute mother and her children. The Migratory Cotton Picker, Eloy, Arizona tells us the story of the proletarian class in a mellow and euphemistic way. The space is very dense, the depth is shallow and the background is plain and empty, so that audiences can focus exclusively on the single subject: the cotton picker. He lean his one arm on his cotton picking tool, with the other withered hand slightly touching it. His skin is tanned and rough, loose and dirty, a result of on end exposure under the hot sun.

The picture resembles Courbet's realism painting: The Stone Breakers where the figure rendered anonymously, faces unclear or lost in shadows - an epitome of a certain class of work rather than their individuality. In both works, the image of the men are captured from a relatively lower angle which turns the subject into a position of heros. The image of the cotton picker is clearly magnified, stretching to all directions in the photo, symbolizing a strong human spirit in the time of difficulties. Though we cant even see his entire face, we can imagine what was going on there, we can hear his inner cry for a better living condition. our compassion is invoked instantly once we look at the picture, our eyes linger bewteen those eyes and the withered palm. In this way the image is much more powerful than any other colourful photo or photo with an entire sad face.

Three Contrasts: 1. The contrast between the white cloth of the cotton picking bag and the dark shadow created by his hand, from which we can tell that this picture is taking outside, probably in the middle of the endless cotton field under the burning sun.

2. Between the lighted bright forehead from the sun and the melancholic eyes merged in the shadow.

3. Between the rough dark dirty palm and the white gaps between the dehydrated parts of the fingers, indicating the long hard work down by those hands.

References:

Oral history interview with Dorothea Lange, 1964 May 22, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

"Migratory Farm Labor in the United States"  New Deal Documents

http://newdeal.feri.org/misc/taylor.htm

(accessed Apr. 11, 2011)

Meltzer, Milton Dorothea Lange: a photographer's life. New York: Syracuse University Press, 1999

"Dorothea Lange ..the greatest American documentary photographer" Oxford School of Photography

http://oxfordschoolofphotography.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/dorothea-lange-the-greatest-american-documentary-photographer/

(accessed Apr. 11, 2011)

Leung Kit Man talks on Le Corbusier:Villa Savoye,France (1928-30)

information:
artist: Le Corbusier
title:  Villa Savoye
place: France
year: 1928-1930
medium: Concrete
style: International style

About the International style:


The international style has four slogans. They are 1.ornament is a crime 2.Truth to materials 3.form follows function 4."machines for living“ by Le Corbusier. First, the number one is about the decoration on architecture. Ornament is a crime means International style doesn’t want exaggerating decoration and just keep it simple. Number two, truth to materials, means any material should be used where it is most appropriate and its nature should not be hidden. For example, Concrete, should not be painted and the means of its construction should be celebrated. Number three, form follows function. The principle is that the shape of a building or object should be primarily based upon its intended function or purpose.  The last one, "machines for living“, this is the concept by Le Corbusier, the artist of villa savoye. It just means residences can be mass produced as machines. 


how the work fit into this four slogans of International style:

Let’s look into the work. And I try to fit the features of the work into those four slogans of international style. First, ornament is a crime, the example of the work is that’s exterior, front and back. You can see there are not any historical ornament.  The lines are straight, simple and slender without exaggerating decoration. The windows are also neat rectangle, and pillars are thin straight and neat too without decorative elements.

Second, Truth to materials, the example is living area of the house. Actually, not only the exterior but also the interior of the house is using pure color, white, the original and rough color of concrete. This is a color with associations of newness, simplicity, and health, this is an ideas
from the artist when he see the cathedrals were also white.

Third, form follows function, Functional roof, and serving as a garden and terrace, reclaiming for nature the land occupied by the building. The roof garden is build with both plantings and architectural shapes. This shows the close relationship between form and function.

"machines for living“, the example is the Modulor design of the whole architecture.
The Modulor is an anthropometric scale of proportions devised by the Le Corbusier. Modulor is an accurate system and it keeps the great proportion of design of architecture. It is just as accurate as machine so it can mass produce. And this is the concept “machines for living”. Modulor Design for mass production.

Questions:

1.Can you see this piece how to affect modern architecture? 
2.Can it really mass produce?

References:

Villa Savoye - Achine for living. Ultimate House. October 16, 2007. Retrieved on January 19, 2011.
 Pictures of the interior and exterior of the villa by the Boston College
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/Corbu.html

Henry Russell Hitchcock, Philip Johnson. The International Style. W. W. Norton & Company, 1997. ISBN 0-393-31518-5

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