With Pollock as a Metronome

In Symphony Band at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire we have just begun rehearsing "Dance Rhythms", an exciting and challenging piece by Wallingford Riegger. As you listen, it seems as if notes are bouncing around the band; being thrown with an almost care-free precision from one section to another. During rehearsal our director eloquently stated that the structure of this piece is almost like a Pollock, if Jackson had opted for staff paper instead of canvas. His analogy struck me; I couldn't help but picture paint flying along with the complicated rhythms; it made my imagination soar, added another layer of depth to the piece, and was, in simplest terms, incredibly fun. Take a minute and listen to this great piece! I wonder what Pollock would think of it?

Jackson Pollock, #5

Street Art Magic

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to one of the strangest and most beautiful places I've ever been; the spirited and seemingly unflappable city of New Orleans. While the style and pizzazz of the French Quarter is enough to make jaws drop and inspire visions of  elegance and grandeur, the ever-present sparkle of Cajun flare and fun is what makes the city truly unique. Part of the individuality that sets New Orleans apart from other places around our great nation, is the way art permeates every nook and cranny of the Mississippi-cradling city. Not only is it impossible to escape the sounds of jazz--be it blues played by a single sax on the sidewalk, or the perfectly imperfect rhythms created by small quartets making camp in cafes along balcony-lined streets--but the city is also a living breathing art museum. The scenery is magnetic to artists young and old, and breathes life into works which, in my opinion, rival some that carry famous names along with them. This art, this way of life, is what makes New Orleans so special. It is new expression born of its surroundings and the spirit of those holding the brush. Challenge: next time you go somewhere new, seek out street artists; their works may open your eyes to a whole new perspective.

Extatic about Ekphrastic; a look at Art Poetry

Ekphrastic poetry takes an artistic perspective, and expresses it through lines which prompt the birth of new ideas. Sometimes it isn't enough to simply view a masterpiece; Ekphrastic poetry makes such works come alive through prose which stand alone as art themselves.

Stealing The Scream

Monica Youn

It was hardly a high-tech operation, stealing The Scream. Edvard Munch, The Scream (1863) That we know for certain, and what was left behind-- a store-bought ladder, a broken window, and fifty-one seconds of videotape, abstract as an overture. And the rest? We don't know. But we can envision moonlight coming in through the broken window, casting a bright shape over everything--the paintings, the floor tiles, the velvet ropes: a single, sharp-edged pattern; the figure's fixed hysteria rendered suddenly ironic by the fact of something happening; houses clapping a thousand shingle hands to shocked cheeks along the road from Oslo to Asgardstrand; the guards rushing in--too late!--greeted only by the gap-toothed smirk of the museum walls; and dangling from the picture wire like a baited hook, a postcard: "Thanks for the poor security." The policemen, lost as tourists, stand whispering in the galleries: ". . .but what does it all mean?" Someone has the answers, someone who, grasping the frame, saw his sun-red face reflected in that familiar boiling sky. Cutting off one's ear for someone else is wrong Jenny Joseph Vincent Van Gogh, Portrait of the Artist's Mother (1888)  A man paid 110,000 guineas for Van Gogh's mother. Not even for the woman who breathed, but a picture of her. If he'd met her when she was what she was I don't suppose he'd have given as much to her. And if he had chanced to meet him would he have felt like supplying The painter, even with enough sausage for the rest of his natural? He probably wouldn't have wanted him in his house: An ordinary functioning man, sleeping and glaring about him. And although he has to pretend to value her Saying he'd give his eye teeth or at least his worldly wealth to save her, I daresay he wouldn't really have wanted to give all that money To have his own mother sitting permanently on his sofa. A dog would rather have another dog Than a flat board; And is just a dog. Nighthawks Samuel Yellen Edward Hopper, Nighthawks (1942) The place is the corner of Empty and Bleak, The time is night’s most desolate hour, The scene is Al’s Coffee Cup or the Hamburger Tower, The persons in this drama do not speak.   We who peer though that curve of plate glass Count three nighthawks seated there—patrons of life: The counterman will be with you in a jiff, The thick white mugs were never meant for demitasse. The single man whose hunched back we see Once put a gun to his head in Russian roulette, Whirled the chamber, pulled the trigger, won the bet, And now lives out his x years’ guarantee. And facing us, the two central characters Have finished their coffee, and have lit A contemplative cigarette: His hand lies close, but not touching hers. Not long ago together in a darkened room, Mouth burned mouth, flesh beat and ground On ravaged flesh, and yet they found No local habitation and no name. Oh, are we not lucky to be none of these! We can look on with complacent eye: Our satisfactions satisfy, Our pleasure, our pleasures please. In a Blue Wood   by Richard Levine Vincent Van Gogh, Undergrowth with Two Figures (1890) The couple in Van Gogh's blue wood is walking where there is no path, amid tall, seemingly branchless blue and pink trees. The tree crowns are beyond the frame, reaching up into our mind's eye— because we know where trees go and that they are full of wind and a thousand softly stirring machines that are alive. Equally out of sight,for nests of intricately woven strength and fragility hang like proofs that there are no diagrams or maps for life's most important journeys. The horizon at the couple's back, between the trees, is black. They walk toward light. Crowds of waist-high flowers, on thick-leaved stalks, sing in stout slurries of pink and white. The couple cannot think of anything good ever coming from anger, so they are more happy than not. That could be true. Maybe I want it to be true of me, of us. And like us, they may have worn paths to the most forest-deep secrets in each other's lives. Or perhaps they are only now on their way to the place where they will become lovers, the excitement of their flesh through their clothes singing, making them careless, giddy, and light as birds in flight. Of course, we can't know any of this. Perhaps, even Van Gogh didn't know anything about them: so many unseen possibilities lived in a blue wood, so like ours. Sources: Munch, Edvard. The Scream. 1863. Oil, tempera, and pastel on cardboard. National Gallery, Oslo, Norway Van Gogh, Vincent. Portrait of the Artist's Mother. 1888. Oil on canvas. The Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena, California. Van Gogh, Vincent. Undergrowth with Two Figures. 1890. Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio. Hopper, Edward. Nighthawks. 1942. Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Levine, Richard. "In a Blue Wood." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. Yellen, Samuel, Monica Smith, and Harry Rusche. "Ekphrastic Poetry." Ekphrastic Poetry. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. Joseph, Jenny. "Fables - Cutting off One's Ears for Someone Else Is Wrong by Jenny Joseph - Poetry Archive." Fables - Cutting off One's Ears for Someone Else Is Wrong by Jenny Joseph - Poetry Archive. The Poetry Archive, n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. Press, Graywolf. "Stealing The Scream." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

Stealing The Scream

  by Monica Youn

It was hardly a high-tech operation, stealing The Scream.
That we know for certain, and what was left behind--
a store-bought ladder, a broken window,
and fifty-one seconds of videotape, abstract as an overture.

And the rest? We don't know. But we can envision
moonlight coming in through the broken window,
casting a bright shape over everything--the paintings,
the floor tiles, the velvet ropes: a single, sharp-edged pattern;

the figure's fixed hysteria rendered suddenly ironic
by the fact of something happening; houses
clapping a thousand shingle hands to shocked cheeks
along the road from Oslo to Asgardstrand;

the guards rushing in--too late!--greeted only
by the gap-toothed smirk of the museum walls;
and dangling from the picture wire like a baited hook,
a postcard: "Thanks for the poor security."

The policemen, lost as tourists, stand whispering
in the galleries: ". . .but what does it all mean?"
Someone has the answers, someone who, grasping the frame,
saw his sun-red face reflected in that familiar boiling sky.

- See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16477#sthash.k3pIS2IJ.dpuf

Stealing The Scream

  by Monica Youn

It was hardly a high-tech operation, stealing The Scream.
That we know for certain, and what was left behind--
a store-bought ladder, a broken window,
and fifty-one seconds of videotape, abstract as an overture.

And the rest? We don't know. But we can envision
moonlight coming in through the broken window,
casting a bright shape over everything--the paintings,
the floor tiles, the velvet ropes: a single, sharp-edged pattern;

the figure's fixed hysteria rendered suddenly ironic
by the fact of something happening; houses
clapping a thousand shingle hands to shocked cheeks
along the road from Oslo to Asgardstrand;

the guards rushing in--too late!--greeted only
by the gap-toothed smirk of the museum walls;
and dangling from the picture wire like a baited hook,
a postcard: "Thanks for the poor security."

The policemen, lost as tourists, stand whispering
in the galleries: ". . .but what does it all mean?"
Someone has the answers, someone who, grasping the frame,
saw his sun-red face reflected in that familiar boiling sky.

- See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16477#sthash.k3pIS2IJ.dpuf

Stealing The Scream

  by Monica Youn

It was hardly a high-tech operation, stealing The Scream.
That we know for certain, and what was left behind--
a store-bought ladder, a broken window,
and fifty-one seconds of videotape, abstract as an overture.

And the rest? We don't know. But we can envision
moonlight coming in through the broken window,
casting a bright shape over everything--the paintings,
the floor tiles, the velvet ropes: a single, sharp-edged pattern;

the figure's fixed hysteria rendered suddenly ironic
by the fact of something happening; houses
clapping a thousand shingle hands to shocked cheeks
along the road from Oslo to Asgardstrand;

the guards rushing in--too late!--greeted only
by the gap-toothed smirk of the museum walls;
and dangling from the picture wire like a baited hook,
a postcard: "Thanks for the poor security."

The policemen, lost as tourists, stand whispering
in the galleries: ". . .but what does it all mean?"
Someone has the answers, someone who, grasping the frame,
saw his sun-red face reflected in that familiar boiling sky.

- See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16477#sthash.k3pIS2IJ.dpuf

Long-Awaited Inspiration: The Tale of Otto and Sandro

        Art is a word that is a world of its own. It encompasses all forms of creative expression; from the physical aspect of dance, to the beautiful aesthetics of a scene comprised of oil on canvas, or simply the written word. These differing acts of art show art’s versatility and timelessness. These methods also offer differing perspectives on central topics; creating a sense of exponentially growing inspiration--all artistic methods using each other to expand their ideas and fearlessly conquer new ones. This innovative mixing of wildly different mediums is part of what makes art so incredible.  Those who can harness various art forms to create whole new ideas and experiences, are those who have truly become experts in the universal ideal of creative expression. One example of two mediums melting together to create a whole new experience, is the orchestral piece, “Three Botticelli Pictures” (1927) composed by Ottorino Respighi, a man who took inspiration from works belonging to one of the masters of the Italian Renaissance, Sandro Botticelli. 

Ottorino Respighi

Sandro Botticelli

          Ottorino Respighi was born July 9, 1879, in Bologna, Italy, only 67.7 miles from Florence, the birthplace of the man whose paintings would one day inspire one of Respighi's most famous works. As a child, Respighi showed great musical promise; his father was a local piano teacher and taught Respighi to play violin, an instrument which he would later go on to play professionally. As a young adult, Respighi attended the Liceo Musicale in Bologna, where he graduated with a diploma in violin performance. Shortly after his time at the Liceo Musicale, Respighi was hired to perform as principal violinist in the orchestra of the Russian Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg. While in Russia, Respighi became close to Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (a member of “The Five”, a group of prestigious Russian composers including Mily Balakirev, Cesar Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, and Alexandar Borodin) and studied composition for five months with the talented composer. It was at this point that Respighi realized his passion for writing music, and returned to Bologna’s Liceo Musicale to pursue a diploma in composition.  

Though still an avid performer, Respighi’s compositions began to gain international attention. After moving to Rome to teach composition at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia, he created the first of his Roman orchestral tone poems, “Fountains of Rome”. This work contains four movements depicting Roman fountains, and their mysterious allure at different times of day. The piece brings to mind an almost mystical quality, as Respighi describes a dance of sun and water, mixing together with eloquence and grace as stone gods and goddesses watch nearby. This work brought him recognition in the composition world, and ensured his name would forever be engraved in music history. It also spurred his career, and led to a considerable amount of freedom to create and compose whatever he desired; even under the fascist government of Benito Mussolini. For years to come, Respighi would continue to compose, exploring his passion for Italian music and culture by experimenting with the ideas first presented from early composers such as Vivaldi and Marcello, as well as combining more Romantic phrases with Pre-classical dance melodies. His ability to bring a strong sense of story and emotion to his pieces created an unforgettable element of uniqueness which characterize his compositions. It is this emotion and characterization which encompasses “Three Botticelli Pictures” (1927). The paintings, beautiful in themselves, come alive to the sounds of instruments played hundred of years after the figures were even dreamed about; two art forms coming together to create a unique experience and tell an intricate story.

    Travel back a few centuries from the days of Respighi, and you encounter a very different time; the era of the Italian Renaissance, when art, humanism, and antiquity were king, queen, and the entire court. This was the world of artists who are now seen by many to be among the most accomplished in their discipline in all of human history; masters of the canvas including one Sandro Botticelli. Botticelli’s style is what makes his works unique; like many at the time, he primarily focused on the figure itself instead of the background, trying to portray the beauty of the human body. His brushstrokes are careful and meticulous--something which often plays as a contrast to his rich color choices that bring the paintings alive. The ideal of the human figure, exhibited through elongated, elegant bodies, was a specialty for Botticelli who displayed sheer energy in a kind of whimsically exciting yet contrastingly peaceful way. This myriad of feelings that are born when taking in a Botticelli are quite certainly part of their allure, and possibly a factor as to why Respighi was so drawn to them. The three Botticelli pieces which are the stars of Respighi’s “Three Botticelli Pictures” (1927) are three of his most intriguingly beautiful works. The orchestral arrangement features “Primavera” (1482), “The Adoration of the Magi” (1476), and “The Birth of Venus” (1486), all three hosting biblical and mythological images which were a favorite topic of Botticelli’s, as well as many painters during the Italian Renaissance. These paintings are full of mystique and awe, which is evident through Respighi’s musical  composition which was created to accompany them. Together, with 3 three centuries standing between them, Botticelli and Respighi created something incredible--a story of inspiration which crossed hundreds of years and turned itself into something new.

 

Above: “Primavera” (1482)
Below: "Three Botticelli Pictures" (1927)

 

Above: “The Adoration of the Magi” (1476)
Below: "Three Botticelli Pictures" (1927)

 

Above: “The Birth of Venus” (1486)
Below: "Three Botticelli Pictures" (1927)

 Art is a giant willow of inspiration that never ceases to grow and change, each of its branches a new era. It is, as the late great Freddie Mercury once sang “a miracle”; something that connects generations and helps people find their way through life. What is more, it is relateable. It is a swirling picture of ever-changing ideals and sentiments; a map to help you find your way. It is inspiration; the reason a mortal man could reach back three hundred years, pull ideas from the brush of another, and proceed to tweak and twist such ideas to create something totally new. Something that expresses what we have always known, but presented in a way which helps to broaden the way we look at things. 

Sources:

• "Ottorino Respighi." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 02 Aug. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
• "Botticelli." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2014
• Artble. "Sandro Botticelli." Artble: The Home of Passionate Art Lovers. Artble, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
• Oron, Aryeh. Ottorino Respighi. N.d. Photograph. Bach Cantatas Website. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
• Botticelli, Sandro. Primavera. 1482. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
• Botticelli, Sandro. Adoration of the Magi. 1476. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
• Botticelli, Sandro. Birth of Venus. 1486. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. Uffizi.org. Uffizi.org, 2013. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.

Giverny, France: Monet's Muse

It isn't often when we, the observers and enthusiasts of art, are given the incredible privilege to literally be able to step into the world of an artist's inspiration. However, this is exactly what we are able to do when it comes to the Master of Impressionism, Claude Monet. Though throughout his life Monet took up residence in various esteemed locales in Western Europe (including stints in England and the Netherlands), his favorite and most beloved place of occupancy was that of Giverny, France. It was here in this small village that Monet lived for 43 years of his life. It was also here where he created some of his most famous works, due to the natural allure of his surroundings; luxurious gardens full of flowers and pools which reflect the blue of the sky and the sway of the willows. It is easy to see why such a place caught Monet's artistic eye; why, with brush in hand, he felt so compelled to portray what he saw with his classic medium of choice, oil and canvas. Today, almost 88 years after his passing, Monet's garden and home still remain the same--a tribute to his graceful brilliance. The following are some of Claude Monet's most esteemed works, as well as images of the world which inspired them.


Water Lilies 1906 (One of Monet's 250 piece series spanning form 1897-1926)

Monet, Claude. Water Lilies. 1906. Oil on canvas. Art Institue of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.

Artist's Garden at Giverny 1900 (Notice the tree trunks, which are a distinct feature in each image)

Monet, Claude. Artist's Garden at Giverny. 1900. Oil on canvas. Musée D'Orsay, Paris, France.

Water Lilies and the Japanese Bridge 1897-1899

Monet, Claude. Water Lilies and the Japanese Bridge. 1897-99. Oil on canvas. Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, New Jersey.

Sources:

• Cauderlier, Ariane, and Patricia Rynski D'Argence. "Claude Monet's Home in Giverny." Claude Monet's Home in Giverny. Givernet Non for Profit Organisation, n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.
• Cauderlier, Ariane. Claude Monet Giverny Garden Photo. N.d. Photograph. Giverny Monet's Garden. Givernet Non for Profit Organisation. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.
• Cauderlier, Ariane. Claude Monet's Home and Garden in Giverny in Spring. N.d. Photograph. Giverny Monet's Garden. Givernet Non for Profit Organisation. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.
• Cauderlier, Ariane. Water Lilies in Claude Monet's Pond in Giverny. N.d. Photograph. Giverny Monet's Garden. Givernet Non for Profit Organisation. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.
• "Claude Monet." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

Obituary: Architectural Treasure Declared DOA

From its distinct look (a facade which seems, to me, greatly reminiscent of Georges Braque's "Mandora"), to the unique medium of its structure (tombasil, an alloy of white bronze never before used in a major architectural endeavor), the former locale of the renowned American Museum of Folk Art is truly a work of genius. Built in 2001 by husband and wife duo Tom Williams and Billie Tsien, the building has won numerous awards and has been praised by architectural professionals as well as lay admirers for the entirety of its 13 years of life; a life that is about to come to a very undignified end at the hands of The Museum of Modern Art. And a wrecking ball.

The Museum of Modern Art has recently announced its decision to demolish its neighboring building, the American Museum of Folk Art; a structure considered by many to be a sculpture capturing the history and culture of the surrounding neighborhood. However, these sentiments seem to mean nothing to the voices of MoMA, who  view the building as a simple plot of land, waiting to be utilized by the modern art giant. With the help of the Architectural Firm of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, MoMA will expand its square footage to cover the land which is now the current home of The American Folk Art building--leaving none of the building's original artistic integrity intact. Though it is true that the wildly popular Museum of Modern Art could use more space in order to combat traffic problems throughout the 630,000 square foot gallery, their blatant disregard of The American Museum of Folk Art, a building which has been called an icon of New York, as well as their refusal to build around and behind the existing structure is a complete disrespect for the sheer beauty and artistry of the building.

The American Museum of Folk Art building embodies the spirit of New York; a place where cultures mix and blend and where diversity is king. The building itself expresses this ideal. It is truly special; a piece of art which epitomizes uniqueness, an acute sense of  handcrafted care, and a monumental majesty. The structure may be small, but its ability to stand out in a city in which hard-and-fast modernity is quickly becoming the norm is something that does not deserve a destructive end--especially when that end is being controlled (ironically) by a world renowned institution of the arts (MoMA)--a place which is supposed to preserve and respect the pieces of art in its care. The question seems to be as follows: has MoMA been taken over by the idea of "bigger is better" and lost its artist's perspective? Have its ideals of creativity and individuality been taken over by those of profit and size?


The American Museum of Folk Art building is art. It is a monument. You wouldn't paint over a DaVinci. You shouldn't build over a Williams and Tsien. It is my opinion that to tear down such a inspiring structure would be a crime against artistic creativity, and a win for the germ of homogeneity which  has begun to infiltrate the body of architecture under a false identity of "modernity".

Sources:

• Williams, Tod, and Billie Tsien. "Regarding the Folk Art Museum." Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. N.p., 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
• Williams, Tod, and Billie Tsien. "Selection of Awards." Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
•  Goldberger, Paul. "Friendly Fire on the Culture Front? Why the Museum of Modern Art Is Making a Fatal Mistake." Vanity Fair. Conde Nast, 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
• "American Folk Art Museum." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
• Williams, Todd, and Billie Tsien. "American Folk Art MuseumTod Williams Billie Tsien." American Folk Art Museum. Arcspace, 03 Mar. 2003. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
• Lowry, Glenn D., and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. "BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE: A WORK IN PROGRESS." MoMA. The Museum of Modern Art, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
• Pogrebin, Robin. "Critics Voice Objections to MoMA’s Plan to Take Down Folk Art Museum." ArtsBeat Critics Voice Objections to MoMAs Plan to Take Down Folk Art Museum Comments. New York Times, 9 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
• Structuretone. American Folk Art Museum. N.d. Photograph. New York, New York. Structuretone. Structure Tone, 2013. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. <http://www.structuretone.com/st/index.nsf/O/AmericanFolkArtMuseum?OpenDocument&>.