First Level of Meaning: Formal
Read this text which explores how the formal qualities of an artwork relate to its material qualities and the way we perceive it. These attributes are inseparable from how we experience a work of art. Some artists emphasize their artwork's formal qualities so they become part of the foreground more than the background – we call this type of art formalist due to how it demonstrates concern for the perceptual and material components in art.
We often group art into specific genres, or patterns of subject matter, that are found over time. Many of these genres are present in some cultures, but never present in others. These differences give us yet another lens for finding meaning when we approach these types and patterns of art.
The invention of the photograph has greatly changed our ideas about
what looks "correct." A good example of this idea can be seen by looking
at a digital photo of a foggy landscape and a painting by the color
field painter Mark Rothko.
Foggy Landscape
When you compare the two, you see that formally they are similar;
bands of color spread horizontally across the surface in layers. Yet
Rothko's painting is much more reductive than the photo. The space is
flat, sitting right on the surface of the canvas,
whereas in the photo, you get a feeling of receding space as areas of
color overlap. This similarity is not coincidental. As a
young man, Rothko lived in Portland, Oregon, and hiked the Cascade
Mountains. On hikes to higher elevations,
he saw the landscape and atmosphere around him and was especially
moved by the colors in the sky near the horizon just before sunrise and
just after sunset. This phenomenon is called the Veil of Venus: bands of
pink, violet, and blue near the horizon
directly opposite the setting or rising sun. Below is a photograph
showing this phenomenon.
Veil of Venus
Now you can imagine these memories reflected in Rothko's series of
abstract "color field" paintings. It's simplistic to say this was
Rothko's only influence. As an artist, he explored painting styles
emerging out of Surrealism, including automatic drawing
and more complex mythomorphic techniques. But it is hard to deny that, to some extent, his paintings are based on what he saw.
In another example of formal similarities, early photographs often
used paintings as references. We can see this by comparing a 19th-century photo of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, and a painting from the series The Course of Empire by Thomas Cole titled The Consummation.
Both show commanding views of a landscape dominated by classic Greek
architecture. The photo mimics Cole's painting in formal terms,
emphasizing the grandeur of the architecture within a vast expanse
of space.
Theodore Gericault's Raft of the Medusa
Conversely, realist paintings from the 19th century were sometimes ridiculed for being too lifelike and not "ideal" enough. Theodore Gericault's Raft of the Medusa is an example. Today, people often proclaim that a painting is good because it looks "just like a photograph."
The rise of modern art produced artistic styles that challenge
viewers to find meaning in the works they see. The use of abstraction
and gesture as subject matter runs counter to traditional avenues for
finding meaning. It is in this formal, gesture-laden
approach, however, that much of the grace and delicacy, as well as
power, anger, or other emotions, can be conveyed. In other words, it is
the application of the elements that can give us clues about a work's
meaning. If we take the formal quality of application
(what kind of lines or shapes are created, how the paint is applied,
etc.) and combine it with a specific subject (the act of painting
itself), we can discover new meaning from the combination of these
visual effects.
When looked at from this perspective, the paintings of the Abstract Expressionists become more meaningful. In particular, the art of Joan Mitchell captures the exuberance and energy that the application of paint can achieve.
This bridge between formal quality and subject matter can be applied to meaning in works of art from many cultures. Gestures and patterns combine to enhance the meaning of more decorative works like the paintings from a Ceremonial House ceiling from the Sepik region of New Guinea. The ceremonial house was built as a place for spirits to dwell. The paintings themselves indicate abstract images of faces making fierce gestures, suns, and female genitalia, all in reference to the spirits surrounding the ceremony taking place inside.
Saylor Academy Knowledge Check
Source: Christopher Gildow, http://opencourselibrary.org/art-100-art-appreciation/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.