Author: Captain Tihahme

Art Nouveau is a style of art created during the turn of the twentieth century. This form of art was “established as the first new decorative style of the twentieth century”. (http://www.nga.gov/feature/nouveau/exhibit_intro.shtm) Art Nouveau focuses on two separate view points; The first coming from the support of the industrial revolution, and the second from the rejection of it. Those that supported the industrial revolution “welcomed technological progress and embraced the aesthetic possibilities of new materials such as cast iron.” (nga.gov). Those that showed no support for the industrial revolution “aimed to elevate the decorative arts to the level of fine art by applying the highest standards of craftsmanship and design to everyday objects.” (nga.gov) The truth is that Art Nouveau has been interpreted by artists differently throughout time, but nonetheless it’s style is unique and definitive of the artist.

The importance of Art Nouveau can be seen in what art says about a society. Art is definitive of a societal values, and culture within a society. The radical change in the style of art shows how society was changing during the turn of the twentieth century. Including as you can tell from the facts provided from nga.gov, how people responded to the industrial revolution. Art Nouveau also shows an importance for the artistic world. This particular form of art allowed many artists to get away from traditional artistic customs, allowing them to progress upon art as a whole. Overall, Art Nouveau signaled a change in society, and a progression of art as a profession.

Assignment For Friday, October 26: What is one sentence that you believe captures everything, or at least most of the ideas, that Symons discusses in the chapter titled “Eleanora Duse”?

 For the true artist being natural and remaining humble while working is what makes the most innovative and majestic craftsmanship. Symons talks about this from many views, although his main concern is about refraining from being mechanical or “crabbed” like another actor who simply performs to be praised.

Analysis:

My work summarizes the ideas found in “Eleanora Duse” by describing the central theme that craft has to be completely natural for it to be of any worth, or to have any artistic significance. In this way the short term value of the homework assignment has given me a chance to closely analyze what Symons is trying to get across throughout the chapter “Eleanora Duse”.  That is, that the best craft must come out of the deepest parts of our soul, i.e. being original and novel. I also think that by specifically taking a word like “crabbed” from the text, readers can look up its connotations and try to define what it means for them personally. In addition to that, the chapter “Eleanora Duse” should be considered a viable way to interpret what the media thought of woman acting at the turn of the nineteenth century. For example even though Eleanora Duse was a woman she is categorized by Symons as a perfectly skilled individual in her area of business. For the time period this would have spoken to women, because of the rarity of aspiring women at the turn of the nineteenth century. As for the long term implications of my work it seems there isn’t much to be pulled away, although, one thing a person can take away from the homework assignment is that Symons is writing during the period of time when sexism seems to be lessening. Either that, or Symons himself is a surprisingly progressive person for his generation, which of course is plausible after reading his thoughts on sculpting, and the idea that art ought to be entirely natural.

 A good question to explore then, would be whether or not Symons wrote the book in alliance with the feminist movement at the time. Or if Symons simply composed it out of personal convictions and conclusions formed during the course of his life.

~I.T.

 

Assignment: Describe what an upcoming artist should aspire to do well in Symons point of view. After reading the chapter “Eleanor Duse”.

 

                Arthur Symons describes in his book Studies in the Seven Arts, what he believes an artist should strive for, in order to be a successful and competent artist. One of the most important values that Symons writes about, is to retain nature in your work. Symons describes in “Eleanor Duse” that she does not perform in “reliance upon nature, “but by controlling nature into the forms of her desire”.  This shows that Symons puts value on controlling the artistic talent within oneself. Symons wants the artist to progress upon their talent, and to improve upon their talent, not merely live upon the talent that nature provided. Symons refers to this as a “mastery”, not merely an “abandonment” to an artists’ talent. Taking what Symons said into account, an upcoming artist has several values that they should uphold to. First of all the upcoming artist needs to place all personal value into their work. Symons makes it clear, that being an artist should be just as hard as any other profession if you wish to do well. The upcoming artist must be ready to pour their body and soul into their work, whether they like it or not. In fact Symons explains that a good artist (at least in Eleanor Duse) should almost hate the amount of work that has to be put into their art. They should hate the “mockery” of their own art, because their art represents their entire being. Symons makes it clear that for an artist, their life is their art. If an upcoming artist isn’t ready to make this commitment, then Symons would most likely advise them to seek a different profession.

 

Summary and Value:

In this passage I talked about what Symons believes an upcoming artist should aspire to do in order to be a successful artist. In the first part of my answer I define Symons point of view on how an artist should behave and perform. For this part I claimed that Symons believed that art should be a lifestyle and not merely a profession. Also, I claimed that Symons would recommend an upcoming artist to always progress upon their talent. By using evidence from the text I supported these claims effectively. In the second part of my answer I talked about what Symons would say to an upcoming artist. This part wraps up my answer by answering the question directly using evidence from the first part.

The short term value of this piece can be seen by any upcoming artist that would enjoy some advice. Symons values, although possibly not seen as valid for some people, does still hold its value to a select group of artists. Hopefully Symons noticed an improvement upon an artists’ talent when they upheld the values described. If he did, then an artist may just improve upon their art by trying to conform to the values talked about in this piece.

The long term value of this piece I would say is in its availability, and durability as a blog post. The text which I read Symons Studies in the Seven Arts was in Google Scholar, and the chapter on “Eleanor Duse” was on page 331. What this says to me, is that a large portion of people haven’t even heard of “Eleanor Duse” and the values described within the chapter. Thus, my blog post can serve to educate people in the future wishing to learn more about Arthur Symons. It can do this effectively by allowing for easy access of Symons values.  And since I have already summarized his values they can get the meat and potatoes of his work without expending the time to download, and closely read the text.

 

~CJQ

 

 

Assignment: Describe what an upcoming artist should aspire to do well in Symons point of view. After reading the chapter “Eleanor Duse”.

 

                Arthur Symons describes in his book Studies in the Seven Arts, what he believes an artist should strive for, in order to be a successful and competent artist. One of the most important values that Symons writes about, is to retain nature in your work. Symons describes in “Eleanor Duse” that she does not perform in “reliance upon nature, “but by controlling nature into the forms of her desire”.  This shows that Symons puts value on controlling the artistic talent within oneself. Symons wants the artist to progress upon their talent, and to improve upon their talent, not merely live upon the talent that nature provided. Symons refers to this as a “mastery”, not merely an “abandonment” to an artists’ talent. Taking what Symons said into account, an upcoming artist has several values that they should uphold to. First of all the upcoming artist needs to place all personal value into their work. Symons makes it clear, that being an artist should be just as hard as any other profession if you wish to do well. The upcoming artist must be ready to pour their body and soul into their work, whether they like it or not. In fact Symons explains that a good artist (at least in Eleanor Duse) should almost hate the amount of work that has to be put into their art. They should hate the “mockery” of their own art, because their art represents their entire being. Symons makes it clear that for an artist, their life is their art. If an upcoming artist isn’t ready to make this commitment, then Symons would most likely advise them to seek a different profession.

 

Summary and Value:

In this passage I talked about what Symons believes an upcoming artist should aspire to do in order to be a successful artist. In the first part of my answer I define Symons point of view on how an artist should behave and perform. For this part I claimed that Symons believed that art should be a lifestyle and not merely a profession. Also, I claimed that Symons would recommend an upcoming artist to always progress upon their talent. By using evidence from the text I supported these claims effectively. In the second part of my answer I talked about what Symons would say to an upcoming artist. This part wraps up my answer by answering the question directly using evidence from the first part.

The short term value of this piece can be seen by any upcoming artist that would enjoy some advice. Symons values, although possibly not seen as valid for some people, does still hold its value to a select group of artists. Hopefully Symons noticed an improvement upon an artists’ talent when they upheld the values described. If he did, then an artist may just improve upon their art by trying to conform to the values talked about in this piece.

The long term value of this piece I would say is in its availability, and durability as a blog post. The text which I read Symons Studies in the Seven Arts was in Google Scholar, and the chapter on “Eleanor Duse” was on page 331. What this says to me, is that a large portion of people haven’t even heard of “Eleanor Duse” and the values described within the chapter. Thus, my blog post can serve to educate people in the future wishing to learn more about Arthur Symons. It can do this effectively by allowing for easy access of Symons values.  And since I have already summarized his values they can get the meat and potatoes of his work without expending the time to download, and closely read the text.

 

~CJQ

 

 

Find a piece of modern art of sculpture specifically that relates to Auguste Rodin’s The Kiss. Give a brief description and comparison.

Here is a piece on display at South Korea’s outdoor sex-themed sculpture park. These pieces are obviously very similar in their depiction of a man and a woman kissing. What is most interesting about these two pieces is that while Rodin’s piece was created in a much more conservative time, it is much more intimate. The piece below seems much more modest, yet is on display in a sex-themed park, which would be very controversial in Rodin’s time.

This assignment has several benefits to a student. It encourages the student to do self-research and select between many options. They must find any piece of art and select one they believe they can write about. Because there are no limitations on the piece they select such as genre, artist, medium or region, only that it must compare to Rodin’s piece, they must figure out how to do the research on their own and navigate search engines to find something of all the art in the world they believe they can effectively write about. They must develop support for their idea that the pieces are similar, different, or both. They must think abstractly to theorize how these works compare.

All of these tasks are greatly beneficial to any student. Learning to form arguments and think abstractly will help a student not only in the classroom or workplace, but in situations they may face day to day throughout life, such as financing a large investment or painting their ceiling. As a more short term benefit, the student is learning more about not only Rodin, but other modern artists and sculptors. They are also improving their ability to navigate search engines and specify their desired search. When I was looking for a piece to compare, I typed in several subjects to the search bar and followed several links to long ends to find a sculpture that I felt I could effectively write about.

In summary, this assignment has many short and long term benefits; it teaches students to think abstractly, argue effectively, and learn a little more about sculpture and Rodin’s work.

-LG

Assignment: We have recently been discussing craftsmanship in different art forms. The following assignment will help us understand what it means to have good craftsmanship. Select an activity that you do in your everyday life. This could be anything from lifting weights, drawing or washing the dishes. It can be entirely mundane or enthralling, the level of excitement is irrelevant. With this activity, create a list of good craftsmanship and a list of bad craftsmanship. Good craftsmanship for such an activity would include universally agreed upon ideas of how the activity should be completed. Bad craftsmanship would be those ways in which the activity should not be completed.

Painting Nails

Good Craftsmanship:

• Apply a base coat
• Wait until the base coat no longer feels sticky when brushed against your skin
• Apply a thin coat of your chosen color
• Have a steady hand
• Paint as evenly as possible for color consistency
• Try not to get the polish on your skin
• Let dry until the polish no longer feels sticky when brushed against your skin
• Apply a second color coat, again letting the polish dry properly
• Apply a top coat and allow to dry again

Bad Craftsmanship:

• Not applying a base or top coat
• Not painting evenly
• Not allowing enough time for each coat to dry
• Using your hands a lot while waiting for polish to dry
• Allowing the polish to chip
• Using a source of heat (hair dryer, oven, fire) to dry your nails faster

This activity shows us that whether we realize it or not, we put skill into everything we do. We can’t always define everyday activities as “craftsmanship” because we are not always making something. However, if we begin to think about what we are doing and why, we can put that effort into our writing craftsmanship. By thinking deeply about what we consider to be good or bad craft, we can become better writers and meet higher standards. We can apply the rules of good craftsmanship to every part of our lives. If we continue to follow our good craftsmanship rules and expand on them, we can hit all of the points and create a true masterpiece with our words.

~ J.W.

Arthur Symons’ “Esther Kahn” is a story quite unlike any other. While reading, it is quite easy and natural to look for parallels between the plot and characters of that story to the plot and characters of another. Although there are apparent similarities between Esther Kahn and her contemporary characters, there are still arguably more differences.

It is quite easy to draw parallels from Esther Kahn to her contemporary fictionalized stage maidens. Christine Daae of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical The Phantom of the Opera, or Gaston Leroux’s nineteenth century novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra off which it is based, is, like Esther, a beautiful and talented female stage performer. She and the woman she replaced, Carlotta, are both showered with gifts from their admirers, men professing their love and proposing marriage to them. Though these men claimed to love the women, they can not be trusted; as it was in Esther’s case, they are loved for their talent, or more accurately, they are idolized and worshiped for their talent. Though both the women of Le Fantôme do find love with men who genuinely care for them, this is where Esther’s story becomes quite unique.

As it says in the story, Haygarth did not love Esther for her cleverness or value as a person, he only kept her company for her talent, as he could improve it. When she began to love him, he moved to the next promising thing, just as the fanboys of Carlotta eventually moved to Christine. When Esther performed his play and proved what an outstanding and effortless actress she was, he came begging for her favor again. The story ends with a most beautiful and tragic image of Esther as she realizes it does not matter what she does, for the man she loves does not truly love her, only her talent.

This is an image of ruin we have yet to approach- this woman is talented and desired, yet she is distraught, and in essence, ruined. The very first time she falls in love she unknowingly gives her heart to a selfish fool who, regardless of what he says, will never genuinely return her love. She is left with the final decision: does she take back the man who will never love her, only to give herself to the man she loves? Or does she sever ties, knowing it may be for the best, but leaving behind the idiotic man she so ardently loves?

-LG

Leroux, Gaston.  Le Fantôme de l’Opéra. Pierre Lafitte and Cie. 1911. 

Symons, Arthur. Spiritual Adventures. “Esther Kahn”. Archibald Constable and Company: London. 1918.

Arthur Symons’ piece “Eleonora Duse,” explores the concept of craft. He discusses this actress and the beauty of her craft as she presents her art on the stage. So what is good craft? What should we be experiencing and attempting when we create our own art?

One of the most stressed upon values in the text is that art and craftsmanship should be natural.
Because it is natural it should be able to present different points of view and reflect different opinions. Arthur Symons comments that art must be “the flower and the root” thus containing the substance behind the beauty which makes it art. Another thing that Arthur Symons places importance on is that the artist should love to do it and feel strongly about their art. Yet while remaining subtle; great art does not need to be loud. Nonetheless an artist must constantly think about what they are doing, what it means, and they need to be able to create with intention. Last but not least, an artist in Arthur Symons opinion must be moldable, and able to change his/her work.

In contrast, Symons defines bad craftsmanship as “keeping nature, or the too close semblance of nature, carefully out of its composition.” In simpler terms, this means that mechanical craft can come off as fake, and in order to be natural, craft needs to feel natural to the artist.

In summary, craft is what defines both the art and the artist. Bad craft can ruin art with potential. Good craft, however, being natural, can create a lasting impression of beauty.

Symons, Arthur. “Eleonora Duse.” Studies in Seven Arts. 1907. Web. 22 Oct. 2012

~The Ruineers (Captain Tihahme)

George Bernard Shaw wrote Mrs. Warren’s Profession which is a play focusing on a middle-aged wealthy lady.  She becomes wealthy by running brothels. The idea of this play is to show how prostitution was caused. Many women were not treated with as much respect as men and were downplayed. This brought older and single womens’ confidences down which caused them to resort to using their bodies for monetary gain. Since Mrs. Warren is in the prostitute profession she feels the need to remain incognito. Most eighteenth century people look down upon such unwonted work habits and Shaw’s writing of the play really portrays that. An example is when Vivie, Mrs. Warren’s daughter, finds out about what her mom did for money and becomes outraged and disgusted. Throughout the play both mother and daughter are portrayed as having a less-than-compassionate relationship with each other. Bernard Shaw made this play into a drama about people in the Victorian era and the role of prostitution in those days because Shaw wanted to reconcile people around the idea that their treatment of prostitutes was unfair and  cruel. This play relates to our groups topic in the way that brothels are forbidden in many religions. One specifically is catholicism. Catholicism and its members, such as nuns are the complete opposite of prostitutes and have completely different values. Nuns stay away from adultery while prostitutes welcome it. Their beliefs of what is morally acceptable differ on every level because of their environment and circumstances.

Metzger, Kay. “An Existential Perspective of Body Beliefs and Health Assessment.” Journal of Religion and Health. VOL. 45, No. 1.(spring 2006). pp. 130-146.

SW

D.G. Rossetti’s “Jenny” describes the sympathy and love a man feels for a “fallen” woman in society. He speaks of a prostitute whom is looked upon as a degraded figure by the rest of the world, but is truly misunderstood. The man sees decency and heart within the woman but is torn between his emotions and his head. As a member of the Victorian society he was taught to looked down upon this woman and believe her to be fallen, though he cannot see past her beauty. The man speaks of her beautiful blue eyes and golden hair and the mesmerizing effect they have on his beliefs. Interacting with this beautiful woman in her own environment makes him see a different side. He sympathizes with the struggles she must face as an unacceptable member of the Victorian society. He believes she is better than the name she has been given and the things she has done. 

In Rossetti’s paintings he depicts a “fallen” woman who is quite easily distinguished as a prostitute. The man in the painting is pulling her away from this degraded life she has come to live. He believes that he can bring her back to her old ways and back to morality. The woman however believes she is trapped in her ways with no chance for escaping. Much like the calf depicted in the back of the painting the woman is helpless and lost. They are both struggling in the traps they have been put in. The “fallen” woman believes she cannot change and is stuck with the never-ending desperation of freedom from her sins. 

Reed Keefe. “D.G. Rossetti’s ‘Jenny’: Eschewing Thinking for Feeling.” 06, English/History of Art 15. Brown University, 2004. Sept. 27, 2012.