Jacques Louis David

Hello again! It's been a while since I last posted anything and I apologize for that, my loyal readers. I recently just got back from Europe, visiting Madrid, Barcelona, Paris and several other amazing cities and have not even been able to wrap my head around all the amazing art I saw. I had the opportunity to see paintings, sketches, architecture and sculptures that many people have only dreamed about seeing in their lifetime.

The first artist I'd like to spotlight from my whirlwind trip is Jacques Louis David. I had the chance to visit the Louvre in Paris where, in addition to the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and many other famous works, houses many pieces by David. For those who aren't familiar with David, he was a highly sought after French painter in nineteenth century France. He is arguably one of the most well-known Neoclassical painters but probably best known for his paintings of and for Napoleon I... yes, that Napoleon.

[image http://www.jacqueslouisdavid.org/]

Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Consecration of the Empress Josephine

Seeing this painting first-hand was amazing. Not only do I remember studying every little nook and cranny of this masterpiece during high school and college art classes, it's also my mother's favorite painting so it has a very special personal meaning for me.

The first thing that stood out to me was the massive size of this painting. I could not believe how big it was! That's me in the photo to give you an idea of scale (I'm about 5'2" depending on the shoes I'm wearing that day). The painting is about 10 meters wide by approximately 6 meters tall.

The subject of the painting is also very interesting. Napoleon, being the modest man that he was, declared that he was the new Roman emperor and leader of all of Europe. The pope traveled to Paris to confirm Napoleon's new position. While David wanted to paint an accurate representation of the event, you'll notice that he has Napoleon crowning his wife, Josephine de Beauharnais, rather than Napoleon receiving the crown from the pope. That's because Napoleon wasn't actually crowned by the pope - scandalous! Napoleon didn't want to be subjected to an allegiance to the pope or Catholic church, so in reality he took the crown and crowned himself. David didn't want to paint this disrespectful action, so instead he painted the lesser coronation of the empress.

Oath of the Horatti

Just around the corner in the Louvre was my second favorite painting from David, the Oath of the Horatii. You may recognize it from your old high school art class because it's basically required by all teachers and professors to study its style, elements and themes. But again, look at the size of the painting - it's huge! While very beautiful, the story behind this painting is probably the most fascinating aspect about it.

The painting depicts three members of the Roman Horatii family. According to the story, the three Romans had been chosen for a ritual duel against three members of the rival Curiatii family in order to settle disputes between the families' two cities. The painting depicts the three brothers of the Horatii family swearing allegiance to Rome in front of their father.

This was a very important scene at a very tumultuous time - it was just five years before the French Revolution but people could sense a major change coming. The scene, similar to many other paintings created during this time, urges loyalty to the country rather than family, church or other special interest groups. Because of this, Oath of the Horatii became a defining image for the revolutionaries and democracy.

Check out other Jacques Louis David works and information at http://www.jacqueslouisdavid.org/

Earth Day Art

I was in San Diego over the weekend at the city's annual Earth Day Festival in Balboa Park. I love going to this festival; it has the most earth-friendly products, clothes, cars and art that you can find in one place. I also love the overall atmosphere - everyone there (with the exception of a few protesters) has such a positive attitude and energy and there for one thing: making the world a better place.

Another thing always on display at the fair are pieces of green artwork. Local artists bring out their work made from recycled products or conveying their own personal green message. But there were a few pieces of art that caught my eye because they were so unique - recycled glass bottles and drinking glasses. While these don't sound too unique on the surface, you really have to see them and learn about the people behind the art that make the pieces so special.

The first product I saw were Love Bottles. Created by a San Francisco nutritionist looking to improve the emotional and physical health of the world, these bottles are covered with positive messages and images that strive to inspire love in the bottle holder. The bottle is partially made from recycled glass (of course) and is 100% reusable. I loved the message behind the Love Bottles so much that I had to get one to bring home with me. It feel good to do a deed by reducing waste and, as the site describes, drinking fresh water from a glass bottle tastes so much better than plastic or aluminum. And one of my favorite things about Love Bottles is that you can design and create your own bottle!

Here are some images of the bottle I purchased as well as a link to Love Bottle's site:

http://www.lovebottle.net/index.asp

Another glass art company that I found to be really interesting was BottleHood. This is a company that makes glassware from recycled liquor, beer, wine and soda bottles that are collected from local restaurants, bars, homes and events throughout San Diego. I really love for what this company stands for: "A Pride in our neighborhood, our local craftsmen and entrepreneurs, and our social responsibility." I wasn't able to pick up some of their art at the Earth Fair, but I definitely plan on picking some up soon. They are at the Hillcrest Farmers' Market every Sunday from 9-2pm as well as other events and retail stores throughout San Diego. Check out their site for all locations as well as their online store.

http://www.bottlehood.com/



[Earth Fair Image momsgoinggreenblog.com]

Barcelona- Dali Museum

The next city I'm visiting while in Spain next month is Barcelona, so it only makes sense it's the next city I preview in my museum tour series. I have heard from numerous people that Barcelona is their favorite city to visit in all of Spain. I have a feeling it's going to be one of my favorites, too, since it's the home to the Salvador Dali Museum. I feel so lucky that I'll be able to visit the museums for my two favorite artists, Picasso and Dali, on the same trip. Despite their many differences, the artwork of both artists inspire me to daydream (and inspired some of my own work - check out Dali on the "Katie's Work" page). I really feel like I get a peek into their worlds and inner minds every time I look at a new piece. Dali, especially, seems to have such a vivid, dreamlike imagination - that's why I love his artwork so much!

The Dali Museum isn't actually located in Barcelona but it's just a short train ride or drive away in the town of Figueres. Figueres was home for Dali for several years and the museum has one of the largest Dali collections in the world. According to the Barcelona Tourist Guide, Dali built the museum on top of the ruins of the 19th century Municipal Theater which was destroyed in the Spanish Civil War.

The Dali Museum in Figueres (image from www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com)

One of the pieces housed at the Dali Museum in Figueres that I am most eager to see is Galatea of the Spheres (1952). According to theartistsalvadordali.com, this painting was a protrait of Dali's wife, Gala. Dali considered Gala his world and his saviour and signed many of his paintings with her name. Also, this particular painting is an important piece in Dali's artistic progression. According to Dali, his early Surrealist works were based on that of a psychological world (Dali regularly called Freud his "father"). As Dali's work progressed and his view of the world changed, his interests and his artwork developed a more scientific approach:

"Today the exterior world and that of physics, has transcended the one of psychology. My father today is Dr. Heisenberg."

Dali's shift from the inner mind to science and physical space began with Galatea of the Spheres and came to a pinnacle with his manifesto on Nuclear Mysticism. But I could spend days talking about this topic, so I won't bore you with the specifics.



I can't wait for my trip in Spain and to see Dali's artwork firsthand. Check out below.


http://www.salvador-dali.org/dali/coleccio/en_50obres.html


[image & text http://www.theartistsalvadordali.com/galatea-spheres.htm]

UCSD Professor, Ricardo Dominguez, Artist and Activist, Under Fire

The Visual Arts department at UCSD was where I studied and developed my passion for art. Not only did the coursework help me develop my artistic voice, the professors had a huge impact on changing my perception of what art really means in a broader spectrum. One of my professors, Ricardo Dominguez, has been causing quite a controversy around my former campus because of his style of artwork which centers around social action. The most recent incident centered around him rallying up some 200 students and faculty for a nonviolent protest while taking an informal vote of the crowd to decided if he should meet with Campus advisers. Dominguez, an expert in the emerging field of electronic civil disobedience, is being questioned about a previous virtual protest intended to disrupt the Web site of Mark Yudof, the president of University of California.

The "virtual sit-in" was organized online and caused the UC president's Web site to reload every time someone registered for the "event." In addition to the reload, the computer program would generate random messages on the site such as, "There is no transparency found at the UC Office of the President.” According to SignOnSanDiego, about 400 students, faculty and staff participated.

In my opinion Dominguez was providing a voice to all those people who are underrepresented in the UC system, students struggling with the budget cuts, increasing student costs and being affected by administrative priorities. I remember how expensive it was for me to attend UCSD so I can't even imagine what the costs are like now. Studying under Professor Dominguez was a once in a lifetime experience, teaching me that art is not just expressing yourself but standing up for what is right and what you believe in.

More on Professor Dominguez and his ongoing can be found at SignOnSanDiego.com

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/09/ucsd-prof-turns-meeting-protest-rally/

[image Nelvin C. Cepeda/ Union-Tribune]

Museo Nacional Del Prado- Francisco de Goya

The next museum I would like to visit during my brief stay in Madrid is the Museo Nacional del Prado. Thanks to recommendations from former art teachers, friends, tour guides and by @ohmygola on Twitter, it's a can't miss for any trip to Spain. One reason I'm so excited to visit this museum is because it houses many of the most famous paintings by Francisco de Goya.

Francisco de Goya was one of my favorite artists to study in college. Many regard him as the most important Spanish artist of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. de Goya painted during what's known as the Spanish enlightenment, which produced some of his most famous paintings to date including The Disaster of War, 85 prints prints that illustrated his account of the atrocities Spain faced during the Napoleanic Wars.

My favorite piece of his is The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid: the executions on Principe Pio Hill. According to the Museo Del Prado, Goya was able to "show the depiction of the execution of the patriots from Madrid by a firing sqad from Napoleon's army in reprisal for their uprising against the French occupation on the second of May, 1808." I really fell in love with this painting because I believed de Goya was able to capture the emotion and pain the Spanish people were feeling because of the war.

Just four more weeks and I will be able to see this masterpiece in person!

[image http://www.museodelprado.es/en]

Lego Art

Lego Art? This is definitely the kind of art I could drag my husband to go see. Legos are the toy that every kid loves to have laying around. You can build everything from fortresses to spaceships all in one sitting. This toy differently brings out the imagination in kids and the kids at heart. That is what happened to Nathan Sawaya.

Sawaya is a New York-based artist who creates awe-inspiring artwork - but what makes him stand apart from other contemporary artists is that he uses Legos as his medium. He's secured a loyal following thanks to many private commissioned pieces as well as a life-size Stephen Colbert statue that he presented to the TV host on "The Colbert Report." Thanks to this growing enthusiasm for his brick art, he's going on tour showing The Art of the Brick at museums across the U.S. with his larger-than-life artwork made of the tiny building blocks. The tour kicks off in New York at the Agora Gallery, but check his site for future dates and locations.

Looking at many of the pieces featured on his Web site, one theme he portrays often and very well is escapism, which, according to Tonic.com's article, symbolizes his personal flight from the rat race of life. Before he became a Lego artist he was an unhappy attorney - he was able to turn his frustrations into inspiration, something that I think a lot of artists can relate to.

[image http://www.brickartist.com/]

http://www.tonic.com/article/lego-art-exhibition-tours-us/

Banksy's first Film Debut

Everyone in the contemporary art community knows of or has heard of Banksy. The graffiti/pop artist is one of the most infamous artists in the world today. Some may call his work "vandalism," others consider him a genius - but he definitely knows how to bring public awareness to his art not only because of his images but also because of the powerful social messages they convey.

Banksy is most well-known for spraying/painting his art on the side of buildings, chain fences, and in other public spaces. Bansky once wrote, "I've wandered round a lot of art galleries thinking, 'I could have done that.' " Banksy believed that these "galleries were just a trophy cabinets for a handful of millionaires, the public never has any real say in what they see." This quote from Banksy really brings you back to why art is important. It's not only important for yourself, but to deliver a message to the general public - in Banksy's case, a social message to make people think about and change the world around them.

His artwork can be seen all over the world but I have unfortunately never seen one up close. It's because of this that I am so excited to see his first film, Exit Through The Gift Shop. The documentary will debut April 15th in Los Angeles and hopefully spread further so others can learn about this amazing artist. For more details check out the below links.

http://www.banksyfilm.com/

http://www.sourharvest.com/2010/03/31/banksys-first-film-to-finally-debut-in-la-on-april-16th/

[image http://www.benmautner.com/]