Cultural influenceson

19th-20th

centuryArt & Design

by Michal Trnka

Part 1.

How much has modern art and design been affected by events and developments of the period?

Part 2.

Identify an aspect of contemporary culture (from the world of art, design, architecture fashion, film, advertising etc.,) and show the influence of any of the art and design movements we have looked at.

Part 1.

The Czech Artists in Europe

The biggest influence of all cultural events which happened in the entire World in the 19th century was the scientific and technical revolution . Production had increased enormously. Manufacture production gradually had disappeared and huge factory buildings had arisen, where people had much easier work than before . They could use a lathe, a drill, a cutter , a grinder and many other machines. As an example, I would like to show two of them. The first one is the invention of the bulb and the second one is the invention of the steam engine. Some people can say that it is not really something special, but try to imagine that people before did not have good lighting at home and many things that they did, had to be finished before sunset. Thanks to that the time, any work was longer and people could work more than before .I need to say, that artists are people as well and they could create more too. The tungsten light found a utilization in the photography. A photographer can shine on a model from any angle, and he can use more than one source. It makes controlled shadows on a picture.

Vera Prasilova (1920´s) by Frantisek DrtikolThe source of light on this photo was placed under the model on the right size as we can see from the shadow. The second invention was very important. The steam engine was invented in the 18th century, but the biggest utilization was between 1850 and 1939 with the steam locomotive. All of Europe had been connected by railway transport. This fact resulted in travelling distances between cities, towns or villages becoming shorter. Thanks to this, people started travelling more than before. I do not mean traveling for a holiday as we do now, but all movement globally. Trade had arisen Businessmen could buy any product and sell it in any part of Europe. As an example, painters could buy a wider variety of different types of colors or brushes in Prague or in Finland, but they were made in Italy or France or somewhere else. They could buy these things there and send them back home or for their friends. Of course they could do that before, but everything was so slow and even the selection was not as big. Something like we call Globalization had begun. This is now much more massive thanks to the Internet and also to the development of the transport system. Returning to the 19th century, in which I would like to write something about thepainters who used to go to the center of art’s happening city, Paris. As a good example, I would like to present a great Czech painter Alfons Maria Mucha. He was born on the 24th July, 1860 in Ivancice in Moravia. This is part of the Czech Republic, something similar to the area The Wales in the United Kingdom.

After studying at the gymnasium in Brno, he did not gain entry to Prague´s Academy of Fine Arts. Instead he worked as a court reporter and in his spare time he used to paint posters and decorations for an amateur theatre. In 1879, Mucha went to Vienna where he worked as a painter of theatrical decorations. Than he studied in Munich and in 1887, he moved to Paris. He got inspiration in the japonism same as other artists. One of he biggest reason for a development of the japonism in France was cancel of an isolation of Japan. After that Japanese exported their woodprints to Europe. They were very famous. Japonism has a few typical alements as a line, a decor and an ornament. All of them are very simple and they are inspirated with a nature and a flowers as we can see on the picture Strolling from Yoshitoshi. The painters started to use this elements in their work. The best we can see that in the Art Nouveau posters, which Mucha painted. As an example I placed here two of them. The Dance shows the ornament and the Spring shows the decor with the flowers. Both of them are very softly painted with emphasis on a charm of woman same as the Strolling. As well all of them are very flat.

Strolling, Yoshitoshi, published in 1888

Dance, 1898 Alfons Mucha

Spring, 1896 Alfons Mucha

He studied at the Academy Julian. He received a few commissions here but nothing really special. In 1894, Mucha received an order for a poster for Sarah Bernhardt. This poster, ‘Gismonda’ changed Mucha´s life. He became more famous day by day. His most famous period was at the turn of the 19th century. He made many other eye-catching and beautiful posters when he painted many pretty women. For a short time, he worked in the U.S.A. as well. Alfons Mucha was not only a great painter and a graphic designer in Art Nouveau, he was also a sculptor and a photographer. He thought of and created labels used for packaging for everyday items. These included chocolates, vignettes for bottles, biscuits, cigarettes, calendars, stamps and many other things. He also designed the first bank notes for Czechoslovakia as well. At that time, a newly-created country had just arisen after the split of Austria – Hungary. Mucha was a big patriot. That is why he painted Slavic motifs. His were the most well-known and for Czechs the most important creation was Slav Epic, which is series of large canvases. They are exhibited in Moravsky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. The exhibition is on 30th September, 2011. There are about 20 large canvases. They are inspired by Slavic mythology and Mucha prepared for it in Russia, Poland, Bulgaria and Serbia, where he travelled to get more details for his work. He donated his epic work to the Czech nation . I would like to say that this is reallyinteresting and important, but for me personally, it is Alfons Mucha’s representation of Art Nouveau and being the creator of his unforgettable posters showing the beauty of women. These posters are still printed around the world and they are a source of both surprise and beauty.

Mucha was not the only one who travelled around Europe. As my other example, I would like to introduce another one Czech painter Josef Capek. Capek was a cubism painter. He travelled to Paris where he used to go to museums. There he saw the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci in Lovre. He saw also many immersionists and post-impressionist prints which changed his outlook on the art. After Capek returned from France, he started to paint in cubism style. One of his first pictures was the Nude of Woman, where we can see simple geometric shapes blended to shadows, which is so typical for the cubism.

The Nude Woman, 1913, Josef Capek

In 1921, Capek, Jan Zrzavy, Vaclav Spala and Vlastislav Hoffman had exhibitions in Berlin and other German cities. After Adolf Hitler gained power in Germany, Capek and other artists showed their displeasure at this political situation same as other artists through his work. He painted ‘The Cloud’ which was symbolic of the bad times that would come if nobody stopped Hitler. On picture we can see that the cloud is coming from the left size. The left means the west. It is like if we look on a map, on west from the Czechoslovakia was Germany. If we look on this picture carefully we can see reddish brown clay which is located in Hronov, where he was born. As well the number 33 on the boundary stone shows us the location. This road comes from Hronov region to Prague. Direction is on west.

The Cloud, 1933, Josef Capek

After the Munich contract between France, England and Germany, he stopped going to Paris and stayed in Czechoslovakia. Later on, the Fascists jailed Capek and then they executed him . The world lost a great painter. The Paris and all travelling helped to artists broaden their horizons and learn from each other. Thanks to the railway was everything faster and easier. They have seen

something in Paris one day and after a few days they could work in their ateliers and then they showed it to somebody next, who come to Paris after that, but with some idea already. All artists learn from each other. Thanks to that in that time was a huge flourishing of art. Arose a one style after another.

Reference information:

http://www.ghmp.cz/expozice.php?page=expoziceepopej

Petr Sembera, Alfons Mucha - Mistr Belle Epoque, 2009

Hlavacka Milan, Orlikova Jana and Petr Stembera, Alfons Mucha - Paříž 1900, 2002

Mucha by Sarah Muchova, 2006

Calendar 2009 - Alfons Mucha

http://www.artbohemia.cz/Capek-josef

Pavel Liska, Jiri Svestka, Tomas Vlcek,Český kubismus 1909-1925, 2006

Vojtech Lahoda , Cesky kubismus, 1996

Josef Capek, Knihy o umeni, 2009 – 1st publishing

Josef Capek. Katalog, 2009

http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/porady/10256470140-nekonecna-pout-josefa-capka/

Director Josef Cisarovsky, Nekonecna pout Josefa Capka, documentary, Czech Republic, 2010, 58 min

Marketa Hanova, Japonismus ve vytvarnem umeni v Cechach, 2010

Part 2.

Surrealism and Expressionism in Film and Photography

In this part of my essay, I would like to show how surrealism and expressionism is cast in film and in photography. As a good example I chose an American director David Lynch and his film Eraserhead. All film is blended together with the two styles. The entire film is very grim with dark shadows and strong spotlights with many strange things in it. All this is followed with very intese sounds and music. The expressionism is showed here mostly in environment. The walk through a factory or all furnishings in houses. There is a clock on a wall with just a one hand and many others. The surrealism is showed here mostly in behavior of film characters and in the storyline. There is a chicken on a plate. It is moving its wings and it is bleeding. Mary’s mother is licking Henry while she is asking him if he is going to get marry Mary because she is pregnant.

David Lynch, Eraserhead, 1976

From my own observation surrealistic and expressionistic film are difficult to watch. It is very usual that people do not get the sense after one watch and they need to see it more times. There is nothing abnormal that we get the film always differently. Which I really love, because I can enjoy them again and again. This films are not mainstream, filmmakers tries more experiment and get a unique film rather than earn as much is possible. About surrealistic photography, I have to say the total opposite. I think these photos are very modern and even old photos in this style are very fresh. I can imagine the photo Dali Atomicus as a good representation in a modern furnished interior used for living in or for commercial use. People would look at this picture with more understanding than in some normal photos. The same is in Dali canvases. I can spend hours looking at one picture and the second day I will find there is something new, that I have not seen there before. I think that people are more tolerant to photography than to films. One of the reasons could be that a photo is just piece of paper and if they do not want to look at it, they can just look somewhere else. With film, it is not that easy. They know that you should stay and watch it to the end, but if they really hate the film, they can spend 90 minutes watching something that should be great, but for them it is a hardship.

Philippe Halsman, Dali Atomicus, 1948

The expressionism is an art style where artists tries to show emotions and feelings. In portrait is very important expression of face as fear or fright. The good example is film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, where all town is made in a film studio. Everything there is deformed. Nothing has a straight shape. I can see there elements of cubism.

Robert Wiene, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920

The surrealism is an art style where artists tries to surprise us. They do things that we do not expect and we are shocked often. The good example is film Un Chien

Andalou, where an young man cuts a human eye in a half. It is so violent, even now, so it had to be a real shock for people in 1929 when the film was made.

Luis Bunuel, Un Chien Andalou, 1929

The plot of Eraserhead is set in the industrial section of a suburb. The main character is Henry, he is a young man who learns that his girlfriend is pregnant. The newborn is not like normal baby, for me it looks more like a caterpillar without any hands or legs. It has just a body and big ugly head with a large mouth and huge eyes. Mary, his girlfriend did not manage the motherhood and left them both. Henry has stayed alone with the baby and he tries to replace a mother. Lynch made this film over more than 5 years and it is also a mirror of his life. During this period of time he got divorced from his wife, Peggy. He did not have enough money. As a result of all these things, together they became a great film.

David Lynch, Eraserhead, 1976

David Lynch, Eraserhead, 1976

Film Eraserhead can be a great source of inspiration for new filmakers. They can learn from David Lynch how to use lights and shadows to increase the tension in the film as can be used in a horror or in a scary film. One of the example from the present films can be director Tim Burton and his films Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood or Corpse Bridge. We can see many similarities with Eraserhead like the tension and the terror. All has been done just thanks to the grim dark shadows and using of many strange objects.

Tim Burton, Corpse Bridge, 2005

Tim Burton, Sleepy Hollow, 1999

Reference information:

Luis Bunuel, Un Chien Andalou, 1929, 16 minhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztVr7yx0pn0&feature=fvsr

Robert Wiene, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920, 71 minhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALqnSUMHPrA&feature=watch-now-button&wide=1

David Lynch, Eraserhead, 1976Soundtrack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrl3n2ZtK2E

David Lynch, Imaginary Girl, 2007http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj3uzRrESZQ

Tim Burton, Sleepy Hollow, 1999, 105 minTim Burton, Ed Wood, 1994, 127 minTim Burton, Corpse Bridge, 2005, 74 min

Barbara Hessova, Abstraktni expresionismus, 2006

Karel Srp, Cesky surrealismus 1929-1953, 1996

Cathrin Klingsohr Leroy, Surrealismus, 2005

Neret Gilles, Dali, 2003