About Me
Sunday 21 December 2008
Wednesday 17 December 2008
Monday 15 September 2008
On Literature and Art
.....Art belongs to the people.Its roots should be deeply implanted in the very thick of the labouring masses.It should be understood and loved by these masses.It must stir to activity and the art instincts within them.
Should we serve exquisite sweet cake to a small minority while the worker and peasant masses are in need of black bread?.....
For art to get closer to the people and the people to art we must start by raising general education and cultural standards.
Lenin (On Literature and Art)
Sunday 22 June 2008
Wednesday 7 May 2008
Comparative Essay Oscar Nerlinger - Lionel Feininger
Image 1 Oskar Nerlinger “A travers les lunettes roses du romantique” (1929) - Through the rose coloured glasses of Romanticism-Museum of Modern Art – Paris.
Image 2 Lyonel Feininger “Town at the end of the World” (1920 – 1925) Hamburg, Kunstalle – Bridgeman Art Library.
Lionel Feininger (1871 – 1956)and Oscar Nerlinger(1893 – 1961) are the two artists of who I had hoped to provide an essay on of conflicting views and contradictory opinion on their respective imagery but the further I made research into both the more it appeared there were common links, I had hoped that these images would be spurring partners, I was going to enjoy their drawn out fight to the last bell, they are not, there is intrinsically wisdom and innately an appreciation of traditions and common belief in both which I have found endearing,
Oskar Nerlinger, “a travers les lunettes roses du romantiques” (1929
This is painting that is housed within the galleries of the museum of modern art in Paris. The painting shows a section of the Rhine painted in a industrious light with boats carrying cargo, burning fuel and the river lined with factories – within the painting is a part section of a pair of rose coloured spectacles and within the rose coloured glass is shown the Rhine in previous years with a man rowing on the river and the Rhine with old castles set within distant hills.
Lyonel Feininger, “Town at the end of the World”(1920 – 1925)
My second image has the title “Town at the end of the World”(1920 – 1925)The picture shows a scene from this series. It is a hand carved wooden miniature version of the Thuringian town of Gelmeroda, near Weimar. It is a small medieval town and within its streets are small wooden figures of the towns people, carved slightly larger in scale, probably a few bumped heads ensued trying to make their way through Feiningers tiny doorways.
In Oscar Nerlingers painting he was fairly clearly visually making a comparison himself showing us the Rhine as it once might have been, as with Ferlingers miniature town the piece is lovingly carved in a way that only be done with careful thought and affection. To believe that these two images would conflict is now laughable to me. What strikes me directly is the intention to convey the importance of cherished traditions and more peaceful times past. Are both guilty of romanticism? – perhaps – in Oscar Nerlingers case and he certainly was not the first to sway from the stark realities of the Rhine at that time. Artistic interpretation had been many and varied in its opinion, along with others such as Theroux,the poet Van den Vondel,Lord Byron.Experience of the Rhine and certainly the brutal resolve of the rivers commission in 1815 to use the Rhine to its fullest for commercial means also attracted much political comment.
Lyonel Feiningers comment in the work shown is deeply and touchingly felt,his appreciation of the small medieval towns common throughout Germany at that time and as he conveyed in the carving “Town at the end of the world” is also a gently direct reminder that appreciation of what surrounds us creates a stabile nurturing quality that in all well planned towns is conducive to life running as well as possible for its inhabitants.
Perhaps there is a psychological need in artists when in an unsettled political climate to look to the past and grasp onto fond memories to enjoy personal stability. As John Berger states in Ways of Seeing “Fear of the present leads to mystification of the past” – and Nerlingers Rhine could definitely described as obscure but Lyonel Feiningers town has too many nuances of reality and his interpretation in the “Town at the end of the world” appears to be solid and tangible.
Both Feininger and Nerlinger at that time were living in a Germany whose political climate was changing alarmingly and like animals fleeing land when sensing an earthquake perhaps there is a creative hyper-villigance that causes artists to set an anchor down on their poignant past. A beautiful and subtle rebellion to the changes taking place.
To be quietly political is stirring – to make such a robust observation in such a gentle way shows a huge amount of emotional control and intellect. Both Images were produced at a time when the world had been shaken by a world war that had caused much disaffection politically.
The Weimar Republic hadn’t fulfilled its promise of a stable democratic Germany; its economy had felt the effects of Americas depression and Wall Street Crash which had fuelled support for the Nazi Party. There is no doubt that this was an unsettling time for artists whose views were not mainstream.
That Feininger would distance himself from the Bauhaus teachers when the mantras of mass production grew loudest gives these his work further strength.
When the Bauhaus school moved from Weimar to Dessau Feininger discontinued teaching within the school he eventually returned to his native America in 1933.
Oscar Nerlinger lived the rest of his life as a working artist within Germany.
Comparatively these two Artists have many parallel thoughts and observation.
To conclude it is fair to interpret their subject matter and the way in which they communicate this as a brave rejection of the commonly held beliefs and ambitions politically. Both these Artists will have reflected individually on the devastation and loss of life during the 1st world war and even though unknown to one-another they share the same unique purpose which is revealed in the questioning nature of their works. In hindsight perhaps more people, had they had the outlet to do so would have communicated much the same.
Bibliography
Museum of Modern Art – Full Catalogue.
The Rhine – An Eco Biography 1815- 2000
Germany- A travellers History – Robert Cole
Ways of seeing – John Berger
Art Theory – Cynthia Freeland
Bauhaus – Flame Tree Publishing
Wiki-pedia – Lionel Feininger Biography
On- line American Historical Review –www.history cooperative.org
Book Review – William Rollins – University of Canterbury
www.makris.net
artefacts.net
Image 2 Lyonel Feininger “Town at the end of the World” (1920 – 1925) Hamburg, Kunstalle – Bridgeman Art Library.
Lionel Feininger (1871 – 1956)and Oscar Nerlinger(1893 – 1961) are the two artists of who I had hoped to provide an essay on of conflicting views and contradictory opinion on their respective imagery but the further I made research into both the more it appeared there were common links, I had hoped that these images would be spurring partners, I was going to enjoy their drawn out fight to the last bell, they are not, there is intrinsically wisdom and innately an appreciation of traditions and common belief in both which I have found endearing,
Oskar Nerlinger, “a travers les lunettes roses du romantiques” (1929
This is painting that is housed within the galleries of the museum of modern art in Paris. The painting shows a section of the Rhine painted in a industrious light with boats carrying cargo, burning fuel and the river lined with factories – within the painting is a part section of a pair of rose coloured spectacles and within the rose coloured glass is shown the Rhine in previous years with a man rowing on the river and the Rhine with old castles set within distant hills.
Lyonel Feininger, “Town at the end of the World”(1920 – 1925)
My second image has the title “Town at the end of the World”(1920 – 1925)The picture shows a scene from this series. It is a hand carved wooden miniature version of the Thuringian town of Gelmeroda, near Weimar. It is a small medieval town and within its streets are small wooden figures of the towns people, carved slightly larger in scale, probably a few bumped heads ensued trying to make their way through Feiningers tiny doorways.
In Oscar Nerlingers painting he was fairly clearly visually making a comparison himself showing us the Rhine as it once might have been, as with Ferlingers miniature town the piece is lovingly carved in a way that only be done with careful thought and affection. To believe that these two images would conflict is now laughable to me. What strikes me directly is the intention to convey the importance of cherished traditions and more peaceful times past. Are both guilty of romanticism? – perhaps – in Oscar Nerlingers case and he certainly was not the first to sway from the stark realities of the Rhine at that time. Artistic interpretation had been many and varied in its opinion, along with others such as Theroux,the poet Van den Vondel,Lord Byron.Experience of the Rhine and certainly the brutal resolve of the rivers commission in 1815 to use the Rhine to its fullest for commercial means also attracted much political comment.
Lyonel Feiningers comment in the work shown is deeply and touchingly felt,his appreciation of the small medieval towns common throughout Germany at that time and as he conveyed in the carving “Town at the end of the world” is also a gently direct reminder that appreciation of what surrounds us creates a stabile nurturing quality that in all well planned towns is conducive to life running as well as possible for its inhabitants.
Perhaps there is a psychological need in artists when in an unsettled political climate to look to the past and grasp onto fond memories to enjoy personal stability. As John Berger states in Ways of Seeing “Fear of the present leads to mystification of the past” – and Nerlingers Rhine could definitely described as obscure but Lyonel Feiningers town has too many nuances of reality and his interpretation in the “Town at the end of the world” appears to be solid and tangible.
Both Feininger and Nerlinger at that time were living in a Germany whose political climate was changing alarmingly and like animals fleeing land when sensing an earthquake perhaps there is a creative hyper-villigance that causes artists to set an anchor down on their poignant past. A beautiful and subtle rebellion to the changes taking place.
To be quietly political is stirring – to make such a robust observation in such a gentle way shows a huge amount of emotional control and intellect. Both Images were produced at a time when the world had been shaken by a world war that had caused much disaffection politically.
The Weimar Republic hadn’t fulfilled its promise of a stable democratic Germany; its economy had felt the effects of Americas depression and Wall Street Crash which had fuelled support for the Nazi Party. There is no doubt that this was an unsettling time for artists whose views were not mainstream.
That Feininger would distance himself from the Bauhaus teachers when the mantras of mass production grew loudest gives these his work further strength.
When the Bauhaus school moved from Weimar to Dessau Feininger discontinued teaching within the school he eventually returned to his native America in 1933.
Oscar Nerlinger lived the rest of his life as a working artist within Germany.
Comparatively these two Artists have many parallel thoughts and observation.
To conclude it is fair to interpret their subject matter and the way in which they communicate this as a brave rejection of the commonly held beliefs and ambitions politically. Both these Artists will have reflected individually on the devastation and loss of life during the 1st world war and even though unknown to one-another they share the same unique purpose which is revealed in the questioning nature of their works. In hindsight perhaps more people, had they had the outlet to do so would have communicated much the same.
Bibliography
Museum of Modern Art – Full Catalogue.
The Rhine – An Eco Biography 1815- 2000
Germany- A travellers History – Robert Cole
Ways of seeing – John Berger
Art Theory – Cynthia Freeland
Bauhaus – Flame Tree Publishing
Wiki-pedia – Lionel Feininger Biography
On- line American Historical Review –www.history cooperative.org
Book Review – William Rollins – University of Canterbury
www.makris.net
artefacts.net
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