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jenevive's art connection OTHER ARTISTS
If you are interested in being a featured artist, or would like to see a specific artist featured at art connection,
I have posted these here as a source of information. Please don't try to turn these in as assignments. BICYCLE THIEF Bicycle ThiefBy Jennifer Adamski Bicycle Thief, directed by Vittorio De Sica, utilizes the neorealistic style that was rooted in the prewar era. To De Sica, neorealism was not only a style. It was also ideological. Neorealism used actual locations, available lighting, and non-professional actors. The films were presented in a "documentary visual style", where editing and camera work were limited in order to evoke a "styleless" style. De Sica felt that morality was an important part of neorealism. This idea was probably best summarized by Roberto Rossellini; "For me, Neorealism is above all a moral position from which to look at the world. It then became an aesthetic position, but at the beginning it was moral." Neorealism was created to emphasize emotions and the value of laborers, peasants, and other ordinary people. It offered a sympathetic, compassionate point of view. The main statement of Bicycle Thief revolves primarily around economic and political issues. The film reveals the trials that ordinary people must face and how those trials are dealt with. It also points out Italy's unemployment problem - When the film was made, about one-fourth of Italy's work force was unemployed. However, De Sica stressed things beyond life's problems. He used the character of Bruno to add a bit of comedy to the film. Bruno idolizes his father and trails behind him throughout the film. De Sica enables the viewer to sympathize with the laborer. The statement the film makes is universal. In every culture, poor and unhappy people exist. This film tries to bring out society's flaws and make the viewers see what must be changed. The statement could be applied to almost any place or time. The laborer may not earn his living by posting billboards, but the laborer's situation would remain the same, with the only differences being economic. There will always be problems in life that cannot be easily solved, or for that matter, be solved at all. Bicycle Thief attempts to improve life by pointing out the faults of society. The film makes an effort to unite society. As De Sica put it; "My films are a struggle against the absence of human solidarity...against the indifference of society towards suffering. They are a word in favor of the poor and unhappy." De Sica makes the viewer aware of society's problems and the effect that those problems have on it's members. The film shows how economic problems, among other things, affect a family's relationship. The husband sometimes feels pressured by his wife and the world, and he feels that his only escape is to get drunk. He decides that instead of looking for the bike, he and his son will get drunk. People want to stop worrying about the future, so they indulge in something that lasts only a moment. This shows that there are no simple solutions to complex problems. The film does not leave us with a warm, fuzzy, content feeling inside . Instead, we are faced with brutal truth. A father is shown shamefully walking with a disillusioned son who shares an understanding of the way life is. De Sica attempts to change how we view the world. He offers us a new perspective. The film encourages the viewer to value laborers and ordinary people. Bicycle Thief shows us that quick solutions do not exist, and even if one problem is solved, another problem will quickly arise. This film is relevant to our experience. The lessons learned here pertain to how we live and how we view people. In conclusion, Bicycle Thief is a great example of neorealism. It contains many, if not all, of the elements used in neorealistic films. And, even though present times are more prosperous, some of the ideas and beliefs carry over into present day.
NEVELSON AND CHRISTO Compare And Contrast: Louise Nevelson and ChristoBy Jennifer Adamski Louise Nevelson and Christo create "environments" with their work. However, they aren't exactly the same. Christo's work started with wrapping found objects in cloth or polythene and tying them with string. In all of Christo's works the emphasis is on the fabric used for wrapping, not the object being wrapped. Later, he began more ambitious projects and began wrapping buildings, bridges, and land. One large scale project involved northern California and a white nylon fence 24 1/2 miles long and 18 feet high. On the other hand, Louise Nevelson made assemblages, a construction of found objects that take on a meaning of their own. Most of her sculptures use wooden objects and artifacts - furniture, crates, and driftwood. Assemblage was a movement in the 1950's that used various found objects. Her installations have been called ‘part sculpture, part theater, and part environment.' Both of the artists allow us to look at things in a new way. They transform objects and give them new meaning. Their methods allow us to look at different qualities of their art.
LORRAINE O'GRADY Art in a World of Diversity: Lorraine O'GradyBy Jennifer Adamski Lorraine O' Grady began her artistic career as a performance artist. She urged black artists to take more risks - In the 1980's she crashed New York art openings wearing a dress made of gloves and called herself Mlle. Bourgeoisie Noire. She has strong feelings about race, class, and gender - these are her constant motivation. This piece is a part of Miscegenated Family Album, 1980-94. Sisters I - IV juxtaposes her family's images with Queen Nefertiti's family. This work evolved from a performance, which was inspired by the death of her older sister, that compared O'Grady's issues of cultural problems with the family of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. O'Grady believes that personal identity is found through family, and especially through relationships between sisters. She always felt separated from the American culture, but can identify with a culture of people who have not been assimilated. (Note: I no longer have the image spoken about in this article. I will post it if I can find it.)
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