Land Art

Land Artist Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty, 1971 // EPS 18 July 2010, The 'Hippy' Is Going To The Beach (translated)' editorial

Robert Smithson helped to create the subversive land art movement in the late sixties. An art movement, that like most, was resonant of the feelings of the time. He built this spiral jetty in the early seventies and parts of it still exist today. During part of the year the water in this lake is actually red, giving the jetty an entirely new dimension. This standard bathing-suit-on-the-beach-pic reminded me of Robert Smithson and all of his land art. Also, the jetty is much larger than the picture leads one to believe. The jetty path is about three feet wide.

Not so original

Duchamp, The Fountain, 1917 /// Lady Gaga's The Armitage, Inside/Out Gallery 2010

While Vogue.co.uk is saying that Gaga's piece "is thought to be a playful acknowledgement of Duchamp's enduring influence," I feel that the work is completely unoriginal and pretentious of her. Duchamp's fountain is one of those works that shouldn't be copied or reproduced because of its past monumentality. It's importance and influence at the time of its creation has been too influential on art to be paid homage in such a literal sense. If one wants to pay homage to the great Duchamp then be original, something Lady Gaga certainly has in her.

Fauvism

Bambi Magazine Issue 2 2010// Rouault, The Head of Christ, 1917

Rouault was famous for being a leader in the Fauvist movement and most of his works were heavily influenced by major artists like Matisse and Van Gogh. Like Van Gogh many of his portrayals of human figures are slightly morphed and deformed. The morphed female form is a theme that has been occurring from ancient art to current fashion photo spreads.

Stoic Intensity

Salvador Dalí on the set of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Spellbound’, 1945 // Calvin Klein Fall 2010 Campaign

The intensity of the Calvin model is what first caught my eye in the campaign. The intense stare reminded me of the eccentric intensity that one can sense in old photographs of Salvador Dali.

My New Obsession with Space

Vladimir Tatlin, Counter Relief, 1914-15 // Vogue Italia July 2010 Editorial

Tatlin was famous for creating the constructivism movement in Russia and is one of the most famous artists to come from the country. He used constructivism to redefine space, as seen in his counter-relief. He gave a new thought to the simple corner space. The reason I felt the Italian vogue was similar to this came from the emphasis placed on the background objects. Most fashion spreads solely concentrate on the articles of clothing, but seeing as the piece is an editorial the viewer is directed to look at the photo as a whole.

Line Confusion

Kenzo Fall/Winter 2010-11 ad campaign // Picasso The Women of Avignon, 1906

The first aspect of the Kenzo ad that reminded me of one of Picasso's most famous works was time it took for ones eye to adjust and comprehend what it was viewing. There is an explosion of line, color, and shallow space that Avignon has, and it tends to overwhelm the eye at first glance. The major difference between the two works is the definition of space. Avignon has a claustrophobic feel to it- and is very shallow, while Kenzo has much more depth to it and allows for the viewer to breath and feel open. Also, the contortion of the female form is resonant throughout both pictures.

For Lenice

Coco Rocha by Chris Nicholls | Flare April 2010 // Francis Bacon: The Observer Profile, The Observer Weekend Review, Sunday, 27th May, 1962

Though nothing alike, the shape and color story of these two works are very similar. Bacon was one of those artists from the fifties who enjoyed testing the conservative limits of mainstream art. The interesting thing is that I'd still guess a work like this that showcases meat in such an upfront manner would make some conventional art-viewers uncomfortable.