25 avril 2009
Some world wide art: Van gogh and the colours of the night at Van gogh Museum
The long awaited exhibition Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night opened Sunday September 21st at the Museum of Modern Arts (MoMA) in New York.
The Dutch Van Gogh Museum
and MoMA collaborated for this unique exhibition that will be on show
at the Amsterdam Museum from February 13 2009. It's the first time that
these museums work together.
Throughout his career Vincent van Gogh attempted the paradoxical task of representing night by light. His procedure followed the trend set by the Impressionists of 'translating' visual light effects with various color combinations.
The exhibition was originally intended to be a 'small, tightly focused show' teasing out a minor idea in Van Gogh's oeuvre. But when the team of researchers found out Van Gogh's interest in night began much earlier than The Starry Night they shifted the focus of the exhibit.
This show presents new insight into Van Gogh's depictions of night landscapes, interior scenes, and the effects of both gaslight and natural light on their surroundings. Representing all periods of the artist's career, the exhibition shows over two dozen works of superlative quality—several of which have never been seen together, even though they were very clearly conceived with each other in mind. Famous works from international collections are on show, including Starry Night (MoMA), Eugene Boch (Musée d’Orsay) and The Potato Eaters (Van Gogh Museum).
The exhibition will run till January 5 2009 in The Museum of Modern Art in New York. From there it will travel to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam where it will be on show till June 7, 2009.
Click here to read more about the Van Gogh show at MoMa
Van Gogh and the colours of the night is a unique exhibition of paintings by Vincent van Gogh evoking the atmosphere of the evening and night. The exhibition is organised in collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
Van Gogh and the colours of the night is the first exhibition to be devoted to Van Gogh’s representations of the evening and night, a theme which recurs throughout his oeuvre. Famous works from international collections in the exhibition include The starry night (MoMA), Eugène Boch (Musée d’Orsay), a series of three sowers against a setting sun (of which one from the Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection) and The potato eaters (Van Gogh Museum).
From early on Vincent van Gogh was fascinated by the mood conjured up by the evening and the night. Van Gogh regarded the evening and night as a time for self-reflection and creativity, particularly for looking back over the day's events. As such he loved to work during this hours of twilight and darkness, drawing from them energy and inspiration. When he decided in 1880 to become an artist, twilight and the night gained a fixed place in his oeuvre.
Arranged around the themes Landscapes at twilight, Peasant life at evening – ‘Les Paysans chez eux’, The voice of the wheat and Poetry of the night, the exhibition shows how Van Gogh immortalized the twilight and the night on paper and on canvas.
The starry night : one of my favourites from this exhibition
The Starry Night is the title given to one of the best known and most reproduced paintings by Vincent van Gogh. Since 1941 it has been in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
During the autumn of 1888, while Van Gogh was staying in Arles, Vincent made his first painting of a starry night: Starry night over the Rhone. Almost a year later, mid June 1889, he announced "a new study of a starry sky": Starry night. Later, he incorporated a pen drawing in a set of a dozen based on recent paintings. In mid September 1889, following a heavy crisis which lasted from mid July to the last days of August, he thought to include this "Study of the Night" in the next batch of works to be sent to his brother Theo in Paris.
This composition compiles various elements to be seen in the neighborhood in Saint-Rémy with the intermediary hills, which seem to be derived from a different part of the surroundings, south of the asylum. A tree — the top of a cypress, on the left — was added into the north to the south in his painting Starry Night Over the Rhone.
Van Gogh was not so happy with this painting, considering it a study, not a definitive painting. In a letter to Theo from Saint-Rémy he wrote:"The first four canvases are studies without the effect of a whole that the others have... The olives with white clouds and background of mountains, also the moonrise and the night effect, these are exaggerations from the point of view of arrangement, their lines are warped as those of old wood".
Later in this letter, Vincent referred once more to the painting: "In all this batch I think nothing at all good save the field of wheat, the mountain, the orchard, the olives with the blue hills and the portrait and the entrance to the Quarry, and the rest says nothing to me, because it lacks individual intention and feeling in the lines. Where these lines are close and deliberate it begins to be a picture, even if it is exaggerated. That is a little what Bernard and Gauguin feel, they do not ask the correct shape of a tree at all, but they insist absolutely that one can say if the shape is round or square - and my word, they are right, exasperated as they are by certain people's photographic and empty perfection. Certainly they will not ask the correct tone of the mountains, but they will say: In the Name of God, the mountains were blue, were they? Then chuck on some blue and don't go telling me that it was a blue rather like this or that, it was blue, wasn't it? Good - make them blue and it's enough! Gauguin is sometimes like a genius when he explains this, but as for the genius Gauguin has, he is very timid about showing it, and it is touching the way he likes to say something really useful to the young. How strange he is all the same."
The Sower
In Arles, Van Gogh painted a series of canvases depicting a sower in
the fields against the backdrop of a setting sun. His major source of
inspiration for these was Jean-Francois Millet's The sower. Van
Gogh regarded the seasonal growth cycle of the crops - particularly
that of wheat- as a metaphor for the creation of new life, growth,
flowering and finally decline. As such the activity of sowing as
evening falls constitutes an apposite symbol for the continuity of life.
Van
Gogh wanted to give his sower a contemporary expression through a
striking use of colour, working with what he called complementary
contrasts such as yellow and purple. Through Van Gogh's efforts to
create an emphatic palette, the effect of the twilight was initially
lost: the bright yellow sun radiating bright brushstrokes of colour
appeared a harbinger of the dawn rather than the night. In a later
version Van Gogh toned down the yellow of the sky with green and gave
the sun a dark outline, so successfully capturing the onset of nightfall
The sower (after millet)
Vincent van Gogh was inspired by a lot of artists, among whom Jean-Francois Millet. Millet painted the peasant life and Van Gogh often copied his paintings. During his career, Vincent copied 25 Millet paintings. The peasant life reminded Vincent of the early days of his career, when he lived in Nuenen (1883-1885).
During his stay at the Asylum in Saint-Remy, Van Gogh made a lot of copies of paintings when he wasn’t able to work outside. From September 1889 on, he painted twenty-one copies after Millet’s Sower. Vincent made these copies to stay in touch with other artists’ work, the black and wite prints he copied became a kind of teaching tool. The copies also decorated his room and the room of other patients at the asylum.
The process of making these copies gave Van Gogh pleasure and comfort during his illness. Vincent explained to Theo:
"My brush goes between my fingers as a bow on a violin, and absolutely for my own pleasure."
The Potato Eaters
With The Potato Eaters, van Gogh tried to make a great work. During March and the beginning of April 1885 he sketched studies for the painting, and corresponded with his brother, who was not impressed with his current work or the sketches van Gogh sent him. He worked on the painting from April 13 until the beginning of May, when it was mostly done, except for minor changes which he made with a small brush later the same year.
Van Gogh said he wanted to depict peasants as they really were."I
wanted to convey the idea that the people eating potatoes by the light
of an oil lamp used the same hands with which they take food from the
plate to work the land, that they have toiled with their hands—that
they have earned their food by honest means".He deliberately chose
coarse and ugly models, thinking that they would be natural and
unspoiled in his finished work.
Portrait of Eugene Bloch
When Van Gogh lived in Arles, he painted several portraits of the Arlesians. Van Gogh had met Eugene Boch, who was staying in a nearby village. Boch was also an admirer of Delacroix and the two men spent time together in the late summer.
In his portrait of Boch, Vincent exaggerated the color of his subject’s hair. And instead of making the background a conventional wall, Van Gogh painted his friend in light, warm tones against a rich blue background with twinkling stars
This reveals Van Gogh’s belief in the symbolic potential of color. For him this radial effect symbolized the eternal, much as a halo does in religious
Vincent wrote about this painting to Theo:
"I want to express my appreciation and my affection for him in the picture… I intend to complete it as an arbitrary colorist, emphasizing his fair hair, even to the point of using oranges, chromes, and pale citron-yellow.. For the background I will paint a vision of infinity, a plain background of the richest, most intense blue I can contrive, and by placing his bright head against the deep background, I will give the effect of a star in the depths of an azure sky."
A unique and once in a life time exhibition that brings together Vangogh´s masterpieces from distant museums. A must see for those with the opportunity to travel.
22 mars 2009
Banamex Collection at the Malba: A brief overview
Obras 1900-1960 Coleccion Pictórica del Banco Nacional de México (Banamex) at Malba (Museo Nacional de Arte latinoamericano)
The Buenos Aires Museum of Latin American Art (Malba) has opened last Friday their 2009 season with an exhibition of pieces belonging to the National Mexican Bank. (Banamex). Candida Fernandez, curator of the display highlighted “This exhibition is a great window to sixty years of Mexican culture and to all of its modern art. And she adds “This is an exhibition that had never had placed in Argentina”
The display as thoroughly depicted in "The identity of Mexican Art" by Maria Haucke at Solesdigitales boasts works of art from more than thirty artists ranging from Frida Kahlo, Alfonso Michel, Juan O´Gorman, Diego Rivera, Manuel Rodriguez Lozano, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Remedios Varo and Francisco Zuniga among others. “We were looking to reflect works of art ranging from those with a strong European imprint, to those belonging to the Mexican Revolution to finally reach the Mexican School of Painting. All of these works stand midway between the muralist expression, the easel painting, the revival of the indigenous roots and its nationalist tone”. For more info visit Diversity and Unity of LatinAmerican Art and the Mexican Art Gallery of pictures
14 mars 2009
An artistic career defined by talent and solidarity: Milo Lockett
For those who are not acquainted with Milo´s lockett works, I thought it would be wise a brief update of his work. Milo Lockett is an argentine artist, best known as the revelation artist from Arte BA 2006 and 2007. His pictorial repertoire is made up of a language of simple and schematic signs.
The extreme synthesis of each figure is laid out by a continuous line that covers flat shapes over pure colors of an extreme elegance. The archaic personality of these works approach him to different artistic movements such as the primitivism, the brut art, Dufuffet and Fautrier, seeking the gleam of the presence of kids, lunatics and other marginal sectors of the artistic institution of galleries and museums.
When Milo reflects upon his works, he defines them in the following way “they are unpretentious, they bear no name since in this way I give the spectator a certain prominence, who makes them their own, and provide them with identity”
Milo Lockett feeds from his own background, engaging in solidarity activities with indigenous communities such as the wichis and the pilagás in the provinces of Chaco and Formosa. He was recently portrayed in La Nación as "Un artista plastico al servicio de la imaginación infantil": An artist engaged with childhood imagination, and the article goes on to highlight Lockett´s contribution to needy childhood in el Chaco "Lockett works with children from low classes to let free their imagination and enable them to dream"
The textual graphic design is emphasized by means of texts that provide his works with a personal attitude, with words in which his doubts and daily thoughts are trapped.
Throughout his ten years bound to the arts, Milo Lockett has participated in collective and individual expositions both in his native province Chaco as well as in Buenos Aires, other provinces and foreign countries such as Switzerland, Germany, USA, France, Spain, Canada and Sweden among others.
Finally I would like to thank Sophia, a monthly argentine magazine that stands apart for its content, cultural, ethnic, and artistic reviews (even if I don´t always agree with its editorial page, too many bible quotes for my taste) for letting me know about Milo Lockett. Sophia, as a matter of fact, interviewed Milo on its last issue and that sowed my interest on his work and why not this post.
I have been a follower of Sophia since day one, one among a few of argentine magazines-if not the only one- that is thought out to be read and not leafed mainly for the stories portrayed that provide the readers with another lifestyle option, and embued and renewed monthly optimism, so even if don´t share Cristina´s standpoint (I´m not a practicant of any religion) , I do recommend stocking Sophia. I have already glanced at their april issue but haven´t had the chance to make it my own, yet!
I would like to acknowledge that my not sharing a standpoint doesn´t invalidate somebody´s else viewpoint or as Lao (one of the best blogs I have ever known) would say quoting St. Exespery
"***
"Si tu diffères de moi, Frère,
loin de me léser, tu m'enrichis"
Antoine de Saint Exupéry
03 mars 2009
Buenos Aires Theatre review: La unica manera de contar esta historia es con mandarinas
"La unica manera de contar esta historia es con mandarinas" consists of Julio Cortazar´s theatre version of his acclaimed book "Final del juego". Played at El camarin de las Musas on Friday´s at 21.30. The play hints to a universe locked up in itself, unchangeable, withdrawn from the past as well as from the present. The story weaves in and out of a constant temporality game that spins around a well kept secret that enunciates this play.
For more reviews you can check out on
Address and useful info
EL CAMARÍN DE LAS MUSAS
Mario Bravo 960 Capital Federal - Buenos Aires - Argentina
Phones: 4862-0655
Web: http://www.elcamarindelasmusas.com
Ticket Prices: $ 25,00 y $ 20,00 - Fridays - 21:30 hs - Until 27/03/2009
02 mars 2009
The Seventh Art acclaimed by foreign press: Argentine Cinema
Argentine cinema was featured in Monocle´s article "Once upon a time in Latin America" portraying Pablo Trapero as "Argentine star´s director"
Trapero declarations make clear that there´s a new independent wave of cinema filmmakers here and generally in Southamerica. In an interview to Monacle he argued:
"I am part of the latinamerican movement. I´m proud of this idea of a group pf filmmakers tryint to make films by not just following market rules".
Monacle goes on to praise Trapero´s repertoire, and more specifically hints to "Leonera", which was argentine entry for 2009´s foreign-language Oscar.
When it comes to "Leonera", Monocle expresses more than positive reviews by stating
"The film a - Palme d´Or nominee -followss a young pregnant woman , Julia played by Trapero´s wife, Martina Gusman, who is jailed for murder and must bring her baby up in prison. Trapero has injected Leonera with a raw edge by filming in one of Buenos Aires´ maximum security prisions using real inmates as extras"
About the script of this film, Trapero comments
"It took about a year to get filming persission . It was a strange exchange because the inmates were asking us about fiilmmaking and we were asking them about prison life " he says.
Then, it is "Mundo Grua´s" turn to be evaluated, and once again the film is hailed as a "turning point in Argentinian cinema" and highlights its value not only for its unanimous critical acclaim when screened on the international festival circuit but also because it inspired a generation of Argentinian directors to make features. Monocle as other media such as el Mundo in its "Trapero sale mas que airoso en su debut en Cannes" places Trapero as a watershed in Argentine cinema by asserting:
"Trapero has come to spearhead a movement that critics are calling the buena onda (good wave) of Latin American cinema. Works and scripts are flooding into the Matanza Cine Production Company , which trapero set up in 2002."
Looking forward Monocles reviews what lays ahead in Trapero´s career.
"In 2009, he shoots anew, Like many of his films that addresss social issues in inspired ways, Carancho "vulture", will focus on a doctor and a lawyer caught up in the corruption of public health and medical insurance"
About it, Trapero says enigmatically
"It´s a thriller and a film noir, but more than a film noir"
Monocle wraps up the interview by stating "We can´t wait".
I can´t either.
As argentinean, I can only hope that this wave of "buena onda" of Latin American cinema is here to stay. Because we have talented directors,producers and actors, because it generates a string of related industries revenues and job creation but mainly because it provides the world with another vision of how it is to live in underdeveloped countries and place´s Argentina on the world map (something so much needed)
Leonera´s Trailer
27 février 2009
Onaire Argentine Group: The poster as crosscurrent
This group of argentine artists , classmates from Facultad de Diseño Grafico, (Graphic Design College) dependent of FADU (Facultad de Arquitectura y Diseño) had been working jointly for a long time but only last year decided to formally unite the group. So far, they have unwrapped 2008 by having their posters exhibited at the Biennal Poster Varsovie Exhibition and and the Chinese Design Accademy where they received a special mention, two of the most well known exhibitions when it comes to posters. Not a bad start for Onaire. A year full of achievements. Hope they can keep up with their goals during 2009.
18 février 2009
Cortazar by Cortazar
I thought that one of the best ways to pay tribute to Cortazar was by means of his own words and pictures
17 février 2009
Cortazar´s Chapter 7 Rayuela (hopstoch)
25 years without Cortazar
Cortazar´s legend sows new interest twenty five years from his death
Cortazar in a picture dating back to Paris 1950´s
Cortazar´s signature
It was such the gangling look of the eternal teenager that Cortazar bore, that it seemed hard to believe that Julio would one day disappear. He did it twenty five years ago in Paris, when he decided to become a writer and turn that writing and “Rayuela” (his most emblematic novel) into a gaming board
The celebration of his anniversary with Buenos Aires, Madrid and Barcelona, as main geographic axis proves the strength of Cortazar´s legend whose works have never disappeared from the publishing arena, confirming the public´s interest in his masterpiece.
In the meantime, his literary legacy soars with the publication in May and by Alfaguara of “Papeles Inesperadas” a series of unpublished texts found among the budding number of typed texts (Cortazar did not write by hand) that Aurora Benendez, his first wife and executrix kept without the certainty of them being or not drafts of published works. The scholar, Carlos Álvarez cleared all doubts by means of a thorough inventory whose execution was entrusted to agent Carmen Balcell . The final say was conclusive, there were a number of finished writings that all together could make up a four hundred and fifty pages.
Source: El periodico
Author: Elena hevia in Barcelona
Translation: My own (this article and others to be continued)
