One if by Land -How do artists express the landscapes around them?

Roy Lichtensten

Landscapes can be simple.

Alma Thomas who we learned about in Kindergarten for Black History Month, created colorful landscapes in her brushstroke style.  Look at the carefully painted short brush marks painted on the canvas.

Rainy Season in the Tropics, Frederic Edwin Church, 1866, 

Artists use texture in their landscapes.  Look for the rough texture of the mountains, the spiky palm leaves and soft mist in this painting.

Kay WalkingStick, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation creates paintings including landscapes. Kay says, “My paintings aren’t exact depictions of a place; they are based on the look and feel of a place,” 

Everything Under the Sun --Art inspired by the sun

Here comes the Sun

 

This intense sun was painted by Edvard Munch, the same artist that painted The Scream.  A strategy Edvard used was to place his subject, the sun, in the center of the canvas to become the focal point. This is a seascape how can you tell?

Claude Monet was an Impressionist.  This painting named this style of art.  Impression, Sunrise takes Claude’s interest in light and color to new heights. Look at his focus on the sunlight's effects on the water. You will notice hazy silhouettes of rowboats, ships, and smokestacks but  the emphasis is mostly on the breaking sunlight.

The grayish sky contrasts with the bold orange sun.  Making the sun the focal point.

The Sunflower, 1907 by Gustav Klimt Girl with Sunflowers, 1941 (oil on masonite), Diego Rivera

Sunflowers track the sun.  Many artists have been inspired by sunflowers including Diego Rivera, Gustav Klimt and Vincent Van Gogh.

Sunflowers, third version: blue green background by Vincent Van Gogh 1888

Vincent did a series of sunflowers.  He wanted to create decorations for the studio in France that he’d share with his artist friend Paul Gauguin one summer.  Paul said the sunflowers were... essential ‘Vincent’ style.”  Vincent said it was his most accomplished work.

Artists can be inspired by one another, just like you.  Paul, painted his friend Vincent painting Sunflowers.  These two didn’t always get along but Paul still loved Viincent’s sunflower paintings and respected Vincent as an artist.  

Are Vincent’s Sunflowers a:

1. Portrait

2. Landscape

3. Still-Life

4. Or a Cityscape

What do you see that makes you say that?

Vincent van Gogh, The Sower, 1888

Vincent van Gogh loved yellow color. He adored it. He worshipped it. After all, he said that yellow stands for the sun

More landscapes by Vincent that include the yellow sun.

The Red Sun, 1950 by Joan Miro

As an artist you can choose the color you wish to represent the sun.  Like Spanish artist Joan Miro who painted the sun Red!

Castle and Sun, 1928 Paul Klee

In your art, does a sun have to be a circle?

What other shape besides a circle might you use to create a sun in your art?

Olafur Eliasson    The Weather Project, 2003

The Weather Project by Olafur Eliasson was an  installation in The Tate Modern Museum in London. A semi-circular screen, a ceiling of mirrors, and artificial mist was used to create the illusion of a sun.  Museum goers would see a massive, indoor sunset through the artificial mist emitted into the room

Sun Mask, Haida c. 1870

Masks have always played an important ceremonial function among tribal groups in the Northwest Coast. In Native American art, Sun is generally a symbol of life and creative power. Sun masks are used in  the retelling of stories because of the sun's role as creator and sustainer of life.  Think of how important the sun is.

Sun Tunnels

“As soon as I got to the desert, I connected with the place…” 

Nancy Holt was an artist who created installations on a specific site like in the Utah desert.  She was inspired by the solar system, the sun and the moon.

*(Play 4:42)

In the tunnels, what do the cut out holes represent?

What is a constellation?

These tunnels are meant to be experienced and photographed.

The sun's light is experienced in subtle and ever-changing ways in Skyspace by James Turrell. In his permanent installation, Sunlight creates tranquil moments inside the space, where the changing light of the sky, alters what we see with our own eyes.

James Turrell Skyspace

Your Turn

Cats and Dogs--Art about “human’s” best friend

Cats in Art: Franz Marc, The White Cat, 1912

Some people say they are a “cat person” or a “dog person”. You might say the same thing as an artist.  Let’s look at art and artists who show their love for dogs and cats. *many of these artists had BOTH!

 Utagawa Hiroshige II, A White Cat Playing With String, 1863

Some artists show their feline subject at play.

 Marc Chagall, La Poete, 1949/50

And some show kitty jumping over the moon

Marguerite Gérard, The Cat’s Lunch or Young Girl Giving Milk to Her Cat, late 18th century – early 19th century

Some artists show the care they give to their cats. What is needed to take care of a pet?  Who has a pet that’s spoiled?

Matisse-Henri-Girl-with-A-Black-Cat-1910

Henri Matisse, whose art you have seen before, included a cat with this portrait of a young girl.

Andy Warhol made many colorful versions of cats.

As an artist you can choose realistic colors (colors true to life) for your pet or bold colors like Andy.

Artist Laurel Burch created colorful cats filled with patterns. Think about the patterns you might add to your art. 

Seated cats  c. 1900

attributed to Émile Gallé (1846–1904)

Some artists create cats and dogs in 3D like these ceramic cats and some work in 2D like drawing and painting.

Artists that create ceramics use what art medium?

Attic Red-Figure Pelike, about 470 BC, attributed to the Triptolemos Painter. Terracotta, 14 3/16 × 9 3/4 in. 86.AE.195.

And some simply show that animals were part of their lives as in this ancient Greek pottery.

Mary Cassatt, Little Girl in a Blue Armchair

Let’s look at artists who were inspired by dogs. Mary Cassatt, shows how a pup can be a companion and friend keeping the little girl in the blue armchair company

Hockney and his pups Stanley and Boodgie ...a series of more than 40 paintings Some artists love their pets so much that they will paint many versions of their pup, a series.  Look how many paintings David Hockney created of his Dachshunds.   See if you spot another artist that had a Dachshund. Pompeii’s Beware of the Dog Mosaic This mosaic was discovered in the House of the Tragic Poet in the Ancient Roman town of Pompeii. The words inscribed at the bottom of the mosaic, “Cave Canem,” literally translate to “beware of the dog.” Researchers believe this symbol was intended to bring attention to the presence of household dogs rather than signal danger. Jeff Koons, Balloon Dog (Orange), 1994-2000, mirror-polished stainless steel with transparent color coating When I made Balloon Dog, I wanted to make a piece that reflected the joy of celebrating a birthday or a party.  - Jeff Koons Keith Haring’s Dancing Dogs In the 1980s, Keith Haring gained fame by posting his art in public spaces, including subways in New York City. Dancing dogs appear repeatedly in his work, and have become one of his most recognized trademarks. Haring’s dogs are notably human-like as they dance on two legs, but, interestingly, when they appear alongside human forms, they are portrayed as significantly larger.

Picasso had many dogs (and cats), but Pablo Picasso was his beloved dachshund, Lump. Lump means "rascal" in German, and this puppy was a rascal! He would keep Picasso company while he painted, and he was fond of chewing on a small bunny sculpture Picasso made. Picasso loved Lump dearly... he would hold him like he was a baby, and feed him at the dinner table on a plate that he painted just for him!"

Could you draw a dog with one continuous line?

Frida Kahlo loved animals and had many pets. She considered them her children she was not able to have after a serious bus accident. Out of her 143 paintings, 55 of them are self-portraits featuring her beloved animals.

Among her pets she kept hairless Mexican dogs, her favorite named Mr. Xoloti, one of which she features in this work. Itzcuintli dogs are very rare and were highly prized by the Aztecs, which may explain their appeal to Kahlo, who was very proud of her MesoAmerican heritage.

William Wegman fell in love with his first pup Man Ray early in his career The dog was a central figure in Wegman’s photographs, known for his serious stare.

What artist tool is used to make a photograph?

Will you create art inspired by your pet?