thursday, april 22, 2010
Landscape and the Sublime-week 6
'Untitled' (2002) Richard MisrachRichard Misrach's photography reflects the concept of the Sublime, from the Enlightenment.
Research Misrach's work by reading about his intentions, and also by looking at the work. Then answer the following questions;
1. What and when was the Enlightenment?
2. Define the concept of the Sublime.
3. How did the concept of the Sublime come out of the Enlightenment thought?
4. Discuss the subject matter, and aesthetic (look) of Misrach's work to identify the Sublime in his work. Add some more images.
5. Identify some other artists or designers that work with ideas around the Sublime, from the Enlightenment era as well as contemporary artists.
6. How does Misrach's photography make you feel? Does it appeal to your imagination?
7. Add a Sublime image of your choice to your blog, which can be Art or just a Sublime photograph.
Landscape and the Sublime week 6
ReplyDelete“Philosophers and cultural historians have dubbed the late nineteenth century and all of the twentieth century as post enlightenment “(Hooker. 1996, p. 93). The thought of Enlightenment is the challenge of existing methods which were intentionally dominated by Christianity. Conducted up by components which consist of our own experiences and how we process things to our understanding of the truth. It is also human progression through history, the education and “development of why religious doctrines have no understanding of the physical and human worlds” (Hooker 1996, p. 93).
“ The Theory of the Sublime” explains how Sublime was/is the experience of divinity, fear, awe and enlightenment produced by the contemplation of powerful and terrifying nature”(Edmond 1865-1867, p. 109) .
In accordance to Edmond Burke on “The Theory of Sublime” states that sublime is connected to landscape. As a result of this the thought of Enlightenment proposes that human life both socially and individually can be devised the same way that we understand nature and with this theory unchanged, manipulate human life and nature the way we understand it to be.
The nature of the sea has been some what neutralised through the work of Richard Miscrach, “balancing the control and surrender to the forceful element” (Vincent Borrelli, n.d). The atmospheric of his work gives that sense of freedom and relaxation, “exposing the vulnerability and fragility as human beings” (Vincent Borrelli, n.d). His work speaks for itself a place to dwell and find the grace in the element but as mentioned by Vincent Borrelli an “under-current of violence” lurking unknowingly beneath us is the harsh truth of realty.
Miscrach’ work again as mentioned previously gives of that sense of freedom, relaxation and space.” Intertwining with that emotional connection when analysing or just admiring his work, is “Enlightening”. I find that we see what we want to see and for me Miscrach’ work depicts that un-expected feeling of truth and fear. Misleading the eye to manipulate what we feel is different from what we are made to see through his work but in a different frame of mind, I see how my imagination is taken away from reality and truth.
References:
Hooker, R. (1996) Seventeenth Century Enlightenment Thought. Retrieves 21 February, 2006 from: http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ENLIGHT/PREHIL.HTM
(Vincent Borrelli, n.d).
Edmond Burke, A Philosophers Enquiry Into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, London, 1757, in Collected Works , T.W Copeland, ed London: 1865-1867.
When i look at Misrachs work i just think wow...how can such a beautiful place exist in this crazy world? The focus and tranquility of his work completely amazes me. It is just stunning. It almost seems imaginary, as though the artist is trying to take us to another world, and in some aspects this maybe the case. Misrach proves that there is actually a heaven on earth; that not all of the world is corrupted, there is still hope and beauty and peace, in places not everyone looks. However such dreamlike places do not really exist in the lifes of many of us, because man has to take everything for himself, things are “developed” over to create profit or to benefit some great industrial project. Alike what you mention here as said by Vincent Borrelli an “under-current of violence” - it does seem almost to good to be true, almost as though it must be captured to prove its existance before it is taken...by that current.
ReplyDeleteThe characteristics of the Enlightenment are a scepticism towards the doctrines of the church, individualism, a belief in science and the experimental method, the use of reason, that education could be a catalyst of social change and the demand for political representation. Its main social and political consequence was the French revolution.
ReplyDeleteThe core period of the Enlightenment was second half of the eighteenth century. The thinkers associated with the Enlightenment include d'Holbach (1723-89) and the Encyclopedists in France, David Hume (1711-76) in Scotland and Kant in Germany. To understand the Enlightenment we have to look at what preceded it.
ttp://www.philosopher.org.uk/enl.htm
Is when something has the quality of greatness, whether being physical, moral, intellectual, metaphysical, aesthetic, spiritual, or artistic . It can also be described as something that has that certain wow factor in which nothing can ever compare to.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublime_(philosophy)
The concept of the sublime came out in the enlightenment period as the artists of the time had a new set of values. One being the new found recognition of the beauty in nature. Seeing the beauty British writers, taking the 'GrandTour' in the 17th and 18th centuries, first used the sublime to describe objects of nature.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublime_(philosophy)