Critical Analysis: The Mobile Mobile By: James Theophane

See the Mobile Mobile in action: http://vimeo.com/8118831

Initial Reaction:

The first time I watched the video of The Mobile Mobile in action making music I was amazed. I thought it was really cool. I was curious and confused as to how it worked. I found the arrangement of the phones to be interesting but not particularly attractive or pretty. The piece also looked difficult to assemble. When I looked at the piece when it was not making music it just looked like a bunch of unappealing hanging phones that I did not particularly like. I also thought the use of phones and technology as an art material was a creative idea and meant to make people wonder about the meaning of the piece. Basically I thought the piece was cool when it was making music and not so cool when it wasn’t.

Analysis and Interpretation:

The interactive Mobile Mobile is made up of fifty mobile phones suspended by chords hanging from a solid circular shaped material which hangs from the ceiling. Each phone is connected to a computer and assigned a unique tone to make. The phones shine, flash and come alive as a result of people either sending the installation a tweet, visiting the website of the installation or visiting the installation in person. The Mobile Mobile is simply an interactive mobile installation.

Elements and Principles of Design

Repetition of phones and chords is used in the mobile. In a sense the repetition creates beauty in the piece, emphasizing the phones as a material. Repetition of line is also seen in the chords of the phones. Space is an important element in the piece. There is space between phones and they hang at different heights. The varying spaces make the piece more interesting to look at and unify it. Shape is also used in the circular shape of the solid material from which the phones hang. The entire piece occupies a circular shaped area. Finally the installation includes movement. The phones actually move, slightly swaying back and forth as they make music and light up.

Meaning:

There are a couple different possible meanings that I first took from the piece. At first I thought about the mobile phones as an object so frequently used in our daily lives. The installation takes such a commonly used object and changes it into a cool work of art, showing that anything can be transformed into something greater. Next I thought about the mobile phones as today’s technology. Similarly, the piece would then show that even mundane technology can be used to create something beautiful. The piece touches upon how often people get new technology to replace the old perfectly working technology. So much goes to waste. The installation really does show how much still usable technology we throw away.

Moreover the piece shows a kind of interaction that in a way brings people together. People online interact with present viewers of the piece by creating music for the piece to play. They can also see viewers’ reactions to the music they created on a live web stream. Anyone can connect with a viewer of the piece, it draws people together and in a way they form a bond (in the spirit of Christmas considering the installation was made for an agency’s Christmas card).

Cultural Context:

The artist of the piece, James Theophane, was invited by an interactive agency called Lost Boys to create something for their Christmas card. He worked together with a team from the agency to create the piece. They wanted to take a new approach on the traditional Christmas tree and its central role in communal spaces; how it acts a sort of centerpiece. After a large upgrade at the agency they had a lot of extra mobile phones that weren’t being used. They used the phones and built and lifted a huge interactive mobile that plays Christmas jingles. Before it was taken down, the mobile hung at the entrance of the Lost Boys London Brick Lane studio. Anyone could go online to compose and play their own jingle using their keyboard. The work of art also went to support the MoCa health screening system for developing countries. MoCa uses mobile phones as sources of technology to help train physicians in developing countries.

Aesthetic Judgment:

Now that I know the background of the installation I like it more. I really like that it was made to modernly represent a Christmas tree. I think the piece is creative and innovative. I also think it is conceptually well put together. I still find the piece itself very cool but still not so pretty.

Sources:

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2010/09/the-mobile-mobile/

http://vimeo.com/8118831

http://vimeo.com/8118881

http://theophane.co.uk/2009/12/09/mobile-mobile-an-interactive-installation/

http://theophane.co.uk/2010/09/22/first-ever-vimeo-awards-finalists-yay/

http://theophane.co.uk/2010/04/26/mobile-mobile-wins-one-show-merit/

http://work.iamtheo.com/filter/Social/Mobile-Mobile

Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1841-1919

Importance and Impressionist Period:

Leading painter of the Impressionist style and helped to develop the style
One of the most highly regarded artists of his time
In 1874 Renoir participated in the later named “First Impressionist exhibition” in which he and his colleagues, Pissarro, Monet, Cezanne and Degas showed their work
There the term “impressionism” was used for the first time, people said that the works were “impressions” rather than finished painting using traditional methods

One of Renoir’s self portraits, 1910

Personal Life:

Born in Limoges, Haute-Vienne, France
His family later moved to Paris
In 1881 while travelling Renoir got pneumonia which permanently damaged his respiratory system
In 1885 Renoir and Aline Charignot had a child named Pierre, they got married five years later in 1890
They later had two more sons, Jean in 1894 and Claude in 1901
In 1892 Renoir got rheumatoid arthritis which limited his movement and caused him to need a wheelchair for the rest of his life
His sickness affected his hands and shoulders and he had to change his painting techniques
Renoir died in 1919 after visiting the Louvre to see his paintings hanging with the old master
Renoir near the end of his life in 1910

Career:

As a teenager he worked in a porcelain factory painting designs on fine china and continued to paint decorations of different things
Took up drawing as a hobby
In 1862 he enrolled in a famous art school studying under Charles Gleyre in Paris
There he befriended Frederic Bazille, Claude Monet and Alfred Sisley and later through Monet he met Camille Pissarro and Paul Cezanne
In 1864 he first started exhibiting his paintings at the Paris Salon and later became more well known
During this time he struggled to make a living, relying on his friends and family
In 1887 Renoir donated a few paintings to the “French Impressionist Paintings” upon the request of Queen Victoria’s associate
Renoir’s La Esmerelda, 1864

Travel and Moving:
- In 1881 on commission he travelled to Algeria, Madrid, and Italy observing artwork of famous artists like Diego Velazquez, Raphael and painting portraits
- Renoir spent the summer of that year in Guernsey creating many paintings
- In 1892 Renoir moved to a farm at Cagnes-sur-Mer
  Renoir’s painting of a landscape near Cagnes-sur-Mer, after 1907
  
  Subject Matter and Style:
  - Renoir’s subject matter was influenced by his location and what was going on in his life at the time
  - Paintings known for bright colour, light and brushstrokes
  - In 1874 Renoir’s subject matter changed from scenic forests because he could no longer paint at his friend Jules Le Coeur’s estate as their friendship ended
  - In the summer of 1881, which Renoir spent in Guernsey, his subject matter was beaches, bays and cliffs
  - After getting married in 1890 Renoir painted many scenes of his daily family life including hic children, nurse and wife
  - Near the end of Renoir’s life he created some sculptures
  - Very skilled artist by the end of his life
  Renoir’s painting of his family called “The Artist’s Family”, 1896
  
  Critical Analysis: Bal du moulin de la Galette
  
  Renoir’s painting Bal du mouline de la Galette, 1876
  
  Initial Reaction:
  
  As a whole I like the painting and find it visually appealing. It is a generally calm, peaceful and happy scene and makes me feel content. I admire the many details on each of the individual people and love the little patches of light shining on the people throughout the painting. I also really like the detailed background of trees, streetlights and buildings. The colours and painting techniques used create a soft and peaceful look to the painting.
  
  Analysis and Interpretation:
  
  The painting shows an outdoor scene in which many nicely dressed people are lounging around and having a good time. A group of people are contently sitting together while men and women are dancing behind them. In the background there are trees, streetlights and a building, with more people throughout the painting. All the people in the painting look like they are enjoying themselves.
  
  The painting has some dark and some light colours but overall nothing too bright. The colours are muted, creating unity throughout the painting by using similar kinds of colours. Texture of fluid brushstrokes are also used in the painting especially on the trees, ground and people’s clothing. Different values are used to show the flickering sunlight shining on the people. Perspective is used and the people farther away are smaller creating a depth to the piece. Finally, form is used making everything in the piece appear three-dimensional.
  
  Cultural Context:
  
  Firstly the name of the painting, Bal du Moulin de la Galette, is translated as Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette. The painting shows a typical Sunday afternoon in Paris. Parisians dressed up and spent time eating, drinking and dancing into the evening. The painting could be described as an Impressionist shot of real life.
  
  The painting is one of the most renowned works of the Impressionist Period.
  
  The way Renoir painted Bal du Moulin de la Galette is representative of the style and subject matter of the Impressionist painters. Renoir painted a scene that he saw in his life, as many other Impressionist artists did, painting landscapes and people. Also Renoir’s brush strokes, light and form are representative of the Impressionist period. Many impressionist paintings use fluid brush strokes like Renoir did. The piece does not look exactly like real life, which is a common theme among Impressionist paintings, they do not look like real life rather than “impressions” of real life. I think because this piece is representative of the entire Impressionist Period, it is so celebrated.
  
  Aesthetic Judgment:
  
  Now that I know this painting is one of the most notable of all the Impressionist paintings and represents the entire period I think it does a successful job. It gives viewers a good idea of what life was like during the Impressionist period, using common Impressionist techniques. I like the painting more now after thinking about it in the greater sense to the entire time period. I still really like the techniques used and the subject matter.
  
  Sources:
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-Auguste_Renoir
  
  http://www.biography.com/people/pierre-auguste-renoir-20693609?page=1
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Renoir,_Pierre-Auguste,_by_Dornac,_BNF_Gallica.jpg
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Renoir_Self-Portrait_1910.jpg
  
  http://www.quizz.biz/quizz-384240.html
  
  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Renoir_Landscape_near_Cagnes-sur-Mer.jpg
  
  http://www.renoirgallery.com/gallery.asp?id=63
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bal_du_moulin_de_la_Galette

Kirsty Mitchell’s Wonderland

Critique of Art on a Social Issue // Social Issue: Dealing with Death

Title not known

Lady of the Lake

Gammelyn’s Daughter

While Nightingales Wept

Spirited Away

The Faraway Tree

The Ghost Swift

The Guidance of Stray Souls

To view the entire collection of pictures visit Kirsty Mitchell’s website

Background

The photographs above are part of a set entitled Wonderland (2009-2013) taken by photographer Kirsty Mitchell. Mitchell began the ’Wonderland’ project after her mother died of a cancerous brain tumor. Mitchell’s mother’s funeral was in France but she lived in England, so only close family members were in attendance. Mitchell felt the small funeral meant her mother would be forgotten and wanted to do something to make sure that her mother was remembered. Mitchell created the ‘Wonderland’ project to make sure her mother would be remembered and as a means of coping with the pain she felt.

Mitchell’s original idea was to create a storybook-like set of pictures dedicated to her mother inspired by the fairy-tales her mother read to her as a child. The project soon became a source of personal happiness and growth to Mitchell. The project continued, reflected in the photographs through the changing of the seasons, and is continuing today.

Social Issue

The social issue reflected in the photos is dealing with death. Everyone at some point faces the death of a loved one and dealing with the death is an issue in our culture. The emotions one feels after losing a loved one are conveyed in the pictures – sadness, despair, loss, remembrance and anger. Each picture conveys a different aspect of dealing with death in our culture today.

To me the most interesting thing about the project is seeing how one’s feelings change and develop while coping with death. Mitchell’s early pictures reflect being sad, lost and desperate. They then seem to become more calm and peaceful, as if she is coming to terms with the death. Then there are many pictures reflecting Mitchell’s mother, showing Mitchell is remembering her. The most recent pictures are harsh and reflect anger and sadness. The project reflects how one’s feelings evolve while coping with death.

Also, the pictures themselves are breathtakingly beautiful. They require a lot of time and effort to create, and this is reflected in the final photos. The use of color, light, costume, makeup, aspects of nature including leaves, flowers, snow, trees and butterflies and props including books and cut-outs help to convey the different emotions one feels when dealing with death. The ‘Wonderland’ projects takes the viewer on an emotional journey of dealing with the pain of death and helps them think about this societal issue.

Albrecht Dürer 1471- 1528

Importance – Mathematics and Art:

Applied knowledge of mathematics to art – used descriptive geometry to describe the movement of bodies in space
Developed new and important ideas in mathematics

Northern Renaissance Period:

Occurred in European countries north of Italy (Durer lived in Germany of today)
At the time feudalism was declining, the Roman Catholic Church was weakening and there were many secular institutions and beliefs – religious art and secular art
When Durer traveled to Italy he was influenced by the style of art there (especially Italian Renaissance artist Antonio Polaniuolo)

Career:

Painting by the age of 13
Became an apprentice painter and woodcut designer to Michael Wolgemut, famous producer of altar pieces, and after four years as an apprentice the quality of Durer’s art exceeded that of his teacher
By 1502 Durer became well known and he and his wife sold his works at local fairs
Worked for Roman Emperor, Maximillian I from 1512 – 1519 and painted his portrait
Durer painted this self portrait in 1498This is Durer’s portrait of Roman Emperor Maximilian I which he painted in 1519

Travels:

Durer fully developed his own artistic style, then traveled for four years (1490-1494) learning about other artistic styles, including those is Frankfurt and the Netherlands

Traveled to Venice, Italy and was influenced by the artists he met there and the artwork he saw (Aspects of Italian style could be seen in his art)
Durer made a second visit to Italy from 1505 – 1507 to spread his fame (conscious that he was becoming famous) and learn more about mathematics
Travelled to Antwep in 1520 with his wife to visit Emperor Charles V
This painting is entitled St. Jerome in the Wilderness and was influenced by Durer’s trips to Italy

Mathematical Works and Influences:

After some travel, Durer began to study mathematics in 1495
From the 1500’s Mathematics had an influence on Durer’s art, specifically the theory of proportion (began drawing and painting people in proportion)
Created famous mathematical work, Melancholia in 1514 (pictured below)
Published four basic math books in 1525 – these works make him and important renaissance mathematician

Durer’s study of human proportion which he created in 1528

Personal Life:

Lived in Nuremberg, today in Germany
Married Agnes Frey in 1494
Since Agnes’ father was quite wealthy, the marriage helped raise Durer’s status in Nuremberg
Durer’s father died in 1502 and Durer was left to care for his nearly blind mother
Durer’s health became worse and remained this way for the rest of his life
Durer’s health worsened yet in 1520
Critical Analysis: Melancholia

Durer’s engraving called Melancholia which he made in 1514

Initial Reaction:

At a first look, this work makes me feel confused. There is a lot going on and a lot of different objects throughout the work. I am just not sure how all the varied objects and images depicted relate to one another. I am also not sure what this engraving is trying to show and what the meaning behind it is.

However, I enjoy the simple black and white colours used and admire the incredible detail of little dots and lines that make up the engraving. The different implied textures used throughout the work are very cool.

Basically, I think this engraving is technically amazing with its small details but I am confused as to what is going on throughout the piece.

Analysis and Interpretation:

This engraving shows a winged lady sitting and writing beside a winged angel. The lady looks like she is thinking about something intensely. They are surrounded by a variety of different things on the ground including, a dog, a rock, a sphere, a knife and nails. Behind the people and objects is a building. On the building there is a square of numbers, a sand timer, a scale and a ladder. Further behind the building is what appears to be some body of water and light rays.

The main subject of this drawing appears to be the winged lady. There is contrast between the white light that appears to be shinning on the lady and the darker surroundings. Also, different textures are used throughout the piece including in the lady’s clothing, the water, the rock and the building. There are different types of line used including those in the sky, in the ladder, on the rock and on the lady’s clothing. The black and white colours used create unity within the work.

Cultural Context:

This image is very analysed so much so that someone wrote a two volume book on this image. One interpretation of the piece is that it is about depression and melancholy and the objects relate to feelings of depression:

Tools of architecture and geometry surround the lady, not having been used
A broken rhombroderon (mathematical tool) with an outline of a skull on it
An hourglass showing time wasting away
An empty scale
A beacon and rainbow in the sky

The piece also has a lot to do with the study of mathematics and many objects in it relate to math:

The square of numbers on the wall, known as a magic square
Mathematical knowledge itself is represented using symbols: hourglass, compass, magic square

Several historians suggest that the Melancholia is a sort of self portrait of Durer. Durer is represented as an artist with a loss of confidence. Before creating the painting Durer wrote, “what is beautiful I do not know”, Durer lost his confidence and no longer felt he could be a good artist. Melancholia is Durer’s confession of his feelings.

Aesthetic Judgement:

Now that I know how important this work was to Durer I think it is meaningful and important. However, I still feel that there is a lot going on throughout the piece and as a whole am not particularly fond of the piece although I still feel the technical skills used in it are very good.

Sources:

http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Biographies/Durer.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/174214/Albrecht-Durer/1949/First-journey-to-Italy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer_012.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Selbstportr%C3%A4t,_by_Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer,_from_Prado_in_Google_Earth.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer_084b.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Durer_face_transforms.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melencolia_I

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_art

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Renaissance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melencolia_I