Shift - CIT Diploma of Visual Arts Exhibition Installation

As the exhibition opens for its final day today (12-3pm at CIT Reid) I look back at the installation day last monday.  All photos taken by Jenico Viduya and used with permission:

There's still time today to come check out the exhibition and buy some art!

Cultural Theory Individual Research Assignment

The topic of this assignment is symbology used in the Tarot, I have chosen this topic as studying the Tarot is what got me back into creating art, and this ongoing study has had the biggest impact on me as an artist.  Due to the restriction in length I will look mainly at the imagery used in one card, The Sun.  Firstly I will look at it in depth from one of the oldest know Tarot decks, The Tarot of Marseilles.  Then I will look at how other artists have approached the card, looking at cards from the decks; The Thoth, Rider-Waite-Smith, Haindl and Dali.

[1]

Adam Fronteras in his book ‘The Tarot: the traditional tarot reinterpreted for the modern world’ give meaning of the card as “The sun indicates hope and pleasure for the future.  Health and happiness are accentuated in this card.”[2] How this is depicted visually in this card from the Tarot of Marseilles is through the symbols of the Sun, the tear drops, the wall, and the children.

”The Sun is the dominant symbol of creative energy in most traditions”[3] said Jack Tresidder in his book ‘Symbols and their meanings’ and with good reason, for the sun brings us the light with which to see, and which makes life on this planet possible.  Its brilliant light also brings warmth, which during winter months brings relief from the cold nights.  In many cultures, summer, the season where the sun is at its apex, that the days are at their longest, are the time for major holidays, particularly for children at school.   With this in mind it is not difficult to make a connection between the sun, and the children playing at the bottom at the card, for many summer remains a time for play and social activity.

As there is a sun god in most religious traditions, for example Apollo from Greek mythology, the sun is also heavily linked to divinity, and the rays of the sun have been used by many artists to instil a sense of divinity to their subjects, particularly when those subjects are royalty or religious figures, often in the form of a halo.

In his painting ‘Triumph of King Louis XIV’ Joseph Werner casts the king of France as Apollo pulling the reins of the chariot of the sun.

[4]

And in the following image we see the same symbology of the sun crowning the figure this time applied to Jesus.  Unfortunately for this image I have been unable to track down the name of the artist.

[5]

The sun is also symbolic of renewal[6], and the cycle of life, as through the drama of night and day, dies and is then reborn in the morning, renewed and once again at full strength.

For the teardrops falling from the sun Fred Gettings in his book ‘Tarot: How to read the future’ suggests that: “droplets thrown out in creative joy, perhaps the souls of those to be reincarnated, or the ‘souls’ of ideas which will be used for creative purposes by the humans below.”[7]  I have found it difficult to find further reference to this symbology, but it is also used in reverse on the moon card from the same deck, with the teardrops or droplets heading to the moon.

[8]

For the symbolism of the wall Fred Gettings in the same book as above suggests looking at the Persian origins of the word Paradise, which related to an enclosed space[9].   To me the sense of enclosed space carries with it the element of safety, for instance in history towns that built walls around them were much more protected against potential aggressors, leaving their inhabitants to live their lives in relative safety.

This brings us finally to the children at the bottom of the card.  In ‘Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey’ Sallie Nichols says “Children symbolise something newborn, vital experimental, primitive, and whole. Children are not self-conscious.”[10] From this, and considering the other symbols described above we can see then that the children in this card are symbolic of self-expression, of a time and place that we can relax and be our true selves, without fear of judgement.

Now that we have an understanding of this card, we will now look at how more contemporary artists have depicted this card, and perhaps brought new meaning and symbology to it.  To start with we will look at the Thoth Deck created by Lady Frieda Harris to the instructions of Aleister Crowley, and the deck takes its name from the Egyptian god of wisdom by the same name, Thoth.

[11]

While the primary symbology and layout is still there, the sun dominating, the wall, and the children, we can see there are depicted differently, and with additional symbols.

Looking at the book ‘The Crowley Tarot’ by Akron and Hajo Banzhaf we are able to breakdown and discover the meaning behind the symbols in this card, and I will be paraphrasing from their descriptions.[12]

In the background stands a hill, with a wall around its peak, it is to represent paradise, and references to the site where the temple of Heliopolis was created, and walled off.

The children are as described above, but with the addition of butterfly wings, which in this case symbolise transformation, showing the transformation of the past into the potential of the future.  At each foot is a medallion depicting the rosy cross, itself symbolic of the sun.

This is repeated in the sun itself, with a rose forming the center, which itself ties to the Greek myth of red roses originating from the blood of Adonis, and due to his later revival as a black boar by Ares re-emphasises the renewal aspect of the sun, discussed above.

Around the outside has been placed the astrological signs of the zodiac which are used to place the sun in a more cosmic sense, and emphasise the sun as a symbol of the divine will at the focal point of creation.  Through this we can see the sun as a symbol of our own divine nature and adds the meaning to the card of the expression of that divine nature through the expression of the self.

The next card we will look at is from the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck, one of the most common decks, and the one that most people identify with the Tarot.  The deck was created through collaboration between the occultist Arthur E Waite and artist Pamela Colman Smith.

[13]

In this version of the Sun we see that Pamela Colman Smith has added Sunflowers growing over or on the wall, and instead of two children at play we instead have on horseback holding a red banner.  I have been unable to find a direct reference to this symbology apart from the words of Arthur Waite himself:

“The naked child mounted on a white horse and displaying a red standard has been mentioned already as the better symbolism connected with this card. It is the destiny of the Supernatural East and the great and holy light which goes before the endless procession of humanity, coming out from the walled garden of the sensitive life and passing on the journey home. The card signifies, therefore, the transit from the manifest light of this world, represented by the glorious sun of earth, to the light of the world to come, which goes before aspiration and is typified by the heart of a child.”[14]

[15]

To me it resembles New Year baby imagery such as pictured above, and so adds a celebratory emphasis to this version of the card, that is very much in with the new out with the old.

The Sunflowers are by their very nature and appearance symbolic of the sun, and are known for always turning the flowers to face the sun, this ties in with the Greek myth of Clytie.  In the Myth, Clytie was infatuated with Helios or Apollo depending on the version, and being an unrequited love was driven mad with jealousy and wasted away, and through the strength of her love, always turning towards the sun, she was transformed into the sunflower.[16]

Interestingly by Vincent Van Gogh sunflowers represented happiness[17] which is very fitting with the theme of this card.

The next card is from the Haindl Tarot by Hermann Haindl, A German artist, who brought his experience from travelling and his devotion to nature to the images[18].  It is one of two decks we will be looking for where it was developed purely by the artist, not at the behest of an occultist such as in the cases of Aleister Crowley and Arthur Waite.

[19]

While the sun still dominates the top of the card, with penetrating rays, such as in the card from the Tarot of Marseilles, Haindl has otherwise dispensed with the other imagery,  gone is the wall and children that still survived in the Rider-Waite-Smith and the Thoth decks.  Instead we a central red rose in the foreground, behind which is a flat and bushy landscape with what appears to be either a sunrise or sunset.

As far as I have discovered Haindl himself hasn’t given an explanation as to the meaning of these changes but from Rachel Pollack we can get an understanding through her description of the card:

“The sun in the card is not a ball of fire or even a disk, but a tightly wound spiral, a symbol of transformation.  The trees line up in straight lines, something never found in nature.  And the rose appears aged, yet it has never opened- thus symbolising eternal possibility.  It contains 21 petals, for trumps 1 through 21 of the Major Arcana, the fool’s journey away from and back to nature.”[20]

So from this we see that Haindl wished to capture more a sense of the unfolding journey, the dawn light of the rising sun making the way forward clear, after a dark cold night.   Through the landscape we also can pull a different message, one of man’s control over nature, in landscaping the terrain (the trees lined up), and as a man devoted to nature perhaps he was hinting at man’s duty of care to his environment.

The last card I will be looking at is from the Dali Universal Tarot deck created by Salvador Dali, which was like in the case of the Haindl Tarot, created solely by the artist.   It is one of the few decks created by a prominent and famous artist.

[21]

At first appearance Dali’s version of the sun is radically different from that of the Tarot of Marseilles, there is no sun pouring down on the childlike figures in the foreground.  Elements of this are still present however in perhaps a more symbolic form.   The statue is identified in the book that accompanies the cards as Apollo[22] and the sunflower are both symbolic of the sun, with two cherubs standing in for the children.  The Lion is often associated with both the astrological sign Leo and the sun itself[23]

Unfortunately I was unable to obtain or borrow a copy of either Rachel Pollack’s book ‘Salvador Dali’s Tarot’ or Johannes Fiebig’s book ‘Dali Tarot’ of which I think would grant greater insight into the artist’s idea and meaning in the cards.  So we are left with the small description in the book that accompanies the Tarot Deck:

“Apollo and the two figures of Gemini with the sunflower expression of the radiant sun. Below, the lion, represents the setting sun with his dark colour.  The crutch represents the bifurcation of the two branches of the two branches, dualism: and the red colour of the tunic, the incandescence of the sun.  The blue colour is the celestial.”[24]

I think we can safely assume that Dali intentionally made the red tunic phallic, and so also wanted to emphasise a masculine and sexual element to the meaning of the card.

In closing I find that it has been interesting that although all the artists were seeking to express the same meaning and use much of the same symbology, to me they were all successful in adding other layers of meaning to the card.

Bibliography:

Fronteras, A, 1996. The Tarot: The traditional Tarot reinterpreted for the modern world. 1st ed. Australia: Simon & Schuster Australia.

This book covers each card in the Tarot deck briefly, while light on description and little description of symbology or visual language used, it’s a good quick reference for looking up the meaning of a card.

Tresidder, J, 2006. Symbols and their meanings. 1st ed. United Kingdom: Duncan Baird Publishers.

This book covers a range of topics and symbols associated with them, it’s a handy resource in broadening your understanding of symbology, and discovering other avenues of research.

Gettings, F, 1993. Tarot: How to read the future. 2nd ed. United Kingdom: Chancellor Press.

I found this book to be extremely useful in understanding the visual language used in the Tarot, and includes images and artwork outside of that used in the cards themselves.

Nichols, S, 1984. Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey. 1st ed. Canada: Weiser.

A fantastic book on the tarot exploring the Tarot from a Jungian psychological view point, I didn’t use it much on this assignment, but I am looking forward to delving into the book more as a source of inspiration of bringing more of a psychological nature to my work.

Akron and Banzhaf, H, 1995. The Crowley Tarot: The handbook to the cards by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris. 1st ed. Canada: U.S Game Systems, Inc.

This book contains information specific to the Thoth Tarot deck and I would consider it the authoritative source of information on symbology used in the Thoth deck, as well as other correspondences with the cards, including associated music and artwork.

Waite, A E, 1911. The Pictorial Key to the Tarot. 1st ed. United Kingdom: W. & R. Chambers

Online version: http://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot/pkt/

Arthur Waite’s descriptions of each Tarot card, and the meaning of them, each section is brief, but valuable in understanding the thoughts behind one of the creators of the deck.

Aaron J Atsma. 2008. Theoi Greek Mythology. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NympheKlytie.html. [Accessed 05 June 15] Original source given as: Ovid, Metamorphoses - Latin Epic C1st B.C. - C1st A.D.

A very useful reference for Greek Mythology in literature and art, includes an encyclopaedia, Library of E Books (translated Greek literature), and gallery.  Includes text and reference to original source documents.

The National Gallery London. Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers'. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/learn-about-art/paintings-in-depth/sunflowers-symbols-of-happiness. [Accessed 05 June 15].

The National Gallery, London is a wonderful research tool, on a large range of art and artists and seems to be well organised, with information easy to find.

Pollack, R, 1999. Haindl Tarot: A Reader's Handbook. 1st ed. USA: U.S. Game Systems, Inc.

The authoritative book on the Haindl tarot, with in depth descriptions and meanings behind the cards and symbology used.

Llarch, J, 2012. Tarot Universal Dali. 1st ed. Spain: U.S. Game Systems, Inc.

This was the small booklet that accompanied the Tarot deck, and though very short and to the point, contains good information into Dali’s use of imagery in the cards, which sometimes is much different or seemly different than more traditional decks.

Herbin, E and Donaldson, T, 2001. Way of Tarot. 1st ed. United Kingdom: Thorsons.

The way of the Tarot takes a more philosophical and questioning look at the tarot, which is useful in getting the reader thinking about the cards and the meaning to them.  However as it didn’t really describe the visual language or symbology in the cards it turned out to be of less use in this assignment.

Maxwell, J, 1988. The Tarot: An indispensable aid for every serious student of the cards. 1st ed. United Kingdom: Ennisfield print and design.

While a good source for understanding the esoteric meaning behind the cards, again it did not go into the visual language and symbology of the cards, but rather into depth about the meaning of concepts expressed in the cards.

Sadhu, M, 1972. The Tarot: A contemporary course of the quintessence of Hermetic Occultism. 4th ed. United Kingdom: Photolithography Unwin Brothers Limited.

While this is a good book going into the meaning of the esoteric nature of the cards, particularly from a hermetic view point, it talked more about the concepts behind the cards than any specific imagery or visual language that is used, so ultimately turned out to be of little use in this assignment.

Fokstuen, G, 2004. Tarot for Beginners, 11 part Lecture Series. 1st ed. Australia: Not Published.

These are the notes provided to me as part of a lecture series I attended in 2004, where I gained a good grounding and understanding of the Major Arcana or trump cards in Tarot.  It covers a lot of the symbology in those 22 cards that make up the Major Arcana, as well as going into a spiritual and psychological explanation of those symbols.  I had originally used it as a source for a large part of the explanation of the Tarot of Marseilles but it was cut due to space.

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[1] “Le Soleil” from the Tarot of Marseilles Sourced from: http://www.wischik.com/lu/tarot/major19.html

[2] P68 Fronteras, A, 1996. The Tarot: The traditional Tarot reinterpreted for the modern world. 1st ed. Australia: Simon & Schuster Australia.

[3] P100 Tresidder, J, 2006. Symbols and their meanings. 1st ed. United Kingdom: Duncan Baird Publishers.

[4] “Triumph of King Louis XIV” by Joseph Werner. Sourced from: http://louisxiv.lib.uiowa.edu/eng/images/A3-B2-D11-E4.jpg

[5] “Jesus, The Good Shepherd” by unknown. Sourced from: http://www.divinerevelations.info/documents/jesus_pictures/jesus_147.jpg

[6] P100 Gettings, F, 1993. Tarot: How to read the future. 2nd ed. United Kingdom: Chancellor Press.
P100 Tresidder, J, 2006. Symbols and their meanings. 1st ed. United Kingdom: Duncan Baird Publishers.

[7] P100 Gettings, F, 1993. Tarot: How to read the future. 2nd ed. United Kingdom: Chancellor Press.

[8] “La Lune” from the Tarot of Marseilles.  Sourced from:  http://www.wischik.com/lu/tarot/major18.jpg       

[9] P99 Gettings, F, 1993. Tarot: How to read the future. 2nd ed. United Kingdom: Chancellor Press.

[10] P329 Nichols, S, 1984. Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey. 1st ed. Canada: Weiser.

[11] “The Sun” By Lady Frieda Harris.  Sourced from: http://tarotribe.ru/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/19-Sun.jpg        

[12] P109 – 110 Akron and Banzhaf, H, 1995. The Crowley Tarot: The handbook to the cards by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris. 1st ed. Canada: U.S Game Systems, Inc.

[13] “The Sun” by Pamela Colman Smith.  Sourced from: http://tarotverbatim.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Sun8.jpg

[14] Waite, A E, 1911. The Pictorial Key to the Tarot. 1st ed. United Kingdom: W. & R. Chambers
Online version: http://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot/pkt/

[15] “Sir Baby New Year” By JC Leyendecker  The Saturday Evening Post Dec 29, 1929
Sourced from: http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/artists-gallery/saturday-evening-post-cover-artists/jc-leyendecker-art-gallery     

[16] Aaron J Atsma. 2008. Theoi Greek Mythology. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NympheKlytie.html. [Accessed 05 June 15] Original source given as: Ovid, Metamorphoses - Latin Epic C1st B.C. - C1st A.D.

[17] The National Gallery London. Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers'. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/learn-about-art/paintings-in-depth/sunflowers-symbols-of-happiness. [Accessed 05 June 15].

[18] P7 Pollack, R, 1999. Haindl Tarot: A Reader's Handbook. 1st ed. USA: U.S. Game Systems, Inc.

[19] “The Sun” by Hermann Haindl Sourced from: http://images.facade.com/i/t/haindl/l/r20.jpg

[20] P70 Pollack, R, 1999. Haindl Tarot: A Reader's Handbook. 1st ed. USA: U.S. Game Systems, Inc.

[21] “The Sun” By Salvador Dali Sourced from: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/2e/0b/ec/2e0becf0ffb4e8e110ea737cffbf4990.jpg

[22] Llarch, J, 2012. Tarot Universal Dali. 1st ed. Spain: U.S. Game Systems, Inc.

[23] P58 Tresidder, J, 2006. Symbols and their meanings. 1st ed. United Kingdom: Duncan Baird Publishers.

[24] Llarch, J, 2012. Tarot Universal Dali. 1st ed. Spain: U.S. Game Systems, Inc.

Cultural Theory- Orientalism

In this class we used the ideological definition of orientalism and discussed a number of orientalist paintings.  The ideological definition of orientalism is:

Work about a defined "other" in terms of subject matter or technique, for instance painting about a different culture than your own.

It must speak about a distinction between the familiar and the "other"

The work must speak about the other in a way that the familiar is dominant over the other.

After the discussion we were split into groups and had a painting to explore, for my group it was Manet's Olympia

we then sort to answer the following questions in relation to this painting:

1. How has the artist defined the other in this work.

Manet has defined the other in this picture by placing the other culture in a subservient position, the placement of the black cat on the bed, the exotic patterning on the drapery and fabric showed in the painting, and the exotic nature of the slippers warn by the central figure.

2. How does the artist compare the Familiar with the Other?

The Familiar is depicted in a position of comfort and leisure while the other is serving her in providing that comfort.

3. How does the artist demonstrate dominance over the other?

The other is pictured in a position of servitude

4. How does this work compare with the artist's other work?

Throughout the artist's work he often depicts women as objects of desire, however when shown within their own context of the familiar are usually depicted clothed and with a element of dignity.

5. What is the message being visually communicated in the work?

The status and desirability of the subject.

Cultural History and Theory - Philosophy and Theory

In this class we sought to answer the following questions:

How does art and design shape the world around us?

Why is this important?

What is an Artist?

Where I am positioned within the Art world?

Why what I have to say is important?

As a class we discussed the first three questions and decided that Art and design shapes the world around us by informing our perceptions of reality and thus our identity as individuals.  Using techniques used in propaganda and advertising, artists subtly make changes within our unconscious mind, leading to changes in our conscious mind.  We also discussed how exclusivity is used to create interest and desire in fashion. 

To me this discussion brought to mind Warren Ellis' "Transmetropolitan" where they had the concept of an Advertising bomb, which was advertising condensed into a split second that barely registered on the conscious mind, however when you closed your eyes to rest or sleep, the advertising played out in full.  To me this is how I think art and design shape our world, a lot of the time it barely registers but its influence I feel has a big effect on how we think and feel, even when, or perhaps especially when, we don't recognise the source.  Consider for instance the effect the interior design of our living space can have on our psyche.

So then what is an artist?

The answers we came up with as a class were:

- A producer of artifacts with specific meaning

- A builder of new ideas, and through that new realities

- Creates an expression of the world through a prism of culture

- A creator of new ways of perception

- A cultural creator who make deliberate decisions as to what is communicated and to whom

Having though about it I feel that an artist is someone who condenses and reformats information, and from this creates a psychological seed, that can then be unraveled to gain new understanding of the self, and through the self the environment and reality that is experienced.  I think this is really important as it gives both the artist and the audience the opportunity to experience something greater than themselves and expands their experience.

Where am I positioned in the artworld?

This is something I gave a lot of thought to, and the only answer I can come up with is that I am currently an Art student, currently only potential in relation to the artscene.  The place I will come to hold I have yet to discover.  It is through the process of self-reflection, discovery and expression that I feel I will find this place, and understand it in relation to that which is around it.  I also feel that it will be dynamic and changing in nature, as it cannot exist in isolation and the study is never really over and done with.  In summary I think that my place in the art world will evolve as I do as a person and become a reflection of what it means to me to be an artist.

Why is what I have to say important?

I believe I am important as no one has the same experiences as me, and so cannot see the world in the same way that I see it.  This does not in itself hold importance because it is true of everyone, but I think the difference is that I have the desire and the need to create based on these experiences and world view, and share that in a way that may be beneficial to the viewer.  That it might add to their experiences and broaden their view of the world and themselves.

I realise that this only defines me then as one of many creative people who share their view of the world, and I hold that my expression is no more important than any other form, in a general sense.  What may lack significance on a larger scale however may have great importance on a personal layer, and if one piece of my work reaches one person that benefits from it, then it becomes important in their life.

In the end, I have no control about what others view as important or not, only in what I value and so the main importance of myself and my work is to myself.

Cultural History and Theory - Truth, lies, validity, and the art world

In the third week of class we looked at a number of portraits and discussed what we thought of them, whether they were portraits or self-portraits and what information they conveyed.  As Some time has passed my memory of the class fades (the good reason these should be typed up the evening after!)

These are the images I remember:

"Wanted: $2,000 Reward" by Marcel DuChamp
http://face2face.si.edu/my_weblog/2009/06/wanted-2000-reward-by-marcel-duchamp.html

"Rrose Selavy" By Man Ray

"Portrait of Thea Proctor" by George Lambert
http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/309.2005/

"Self Portrait" by Thea Proctor
http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/DA8.1960/

There were undoubtably others that I have missed but these were the ones I recalled.

We then broke into groups and researched one of the images to quickly find out some background and information on the pieces and re-examined the images in light of the new understanding.

I'm not going to recount the discussion but from what I remember of it, each of the portraits shown revealed an element of deception and an element of truth often about both the subject and the artist. The question became whether multiple truths about the work could be seen as equally valid even if it appeared contrary to even what the artist intended the work to mean.

As homework for the lesson we did an exercise to find links between DuChamp, Man Ray, Max Dupain, and Sidney Nolan.  This was my answer:

The connection between Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp was explored in class, they were friends, and both involved in the Dada movement, there are many other connections such as they both made readymades, He assisted and/or collaborated on a number of projects with Duchamp, such as in the rotary glass plates.

Man Ray and Max Dupain can be connected from a quote by Max Dupain in a letter to the editor in sydney morning herald (30 March 1938) stating "Great art has always been contemporary in spirit. Today we feel the surge of aesthetic exploration along abstract lines, the social economic order impinging itself on art, the repudiation of the ‘truth to nature criterion’ … We sadly need the creative courage of Man Ray, the original thought of Moholy-Nagy, and the dynamic realism of Edouard Steichen" so it can be reasonably suggested that Man Ray was admired by Max Dupain and an influence in his work.

To make a connection between Max Dupain and Sidney Nolan seems easy, they both died in the same year, 1992, and both are counted amongst the Australian Surrealists, for dealing with surrealist themes and ideologies in their work. They were both involved with world war II and have both done works dealing with subject matter of war.

However wanting to dig a little deeper, and not finding much else to link them, I instead looked for a link from Sidney Nolan to Duchamp, and here is what I find an interesting link through Art historian Edmund Capon and his book "I blame Duchamp: My Life's Adventures in Art" published in 2009. The book is a collection of about 40 essays, in which he praises Sidney Nolan, and states his blame of Duchamp, at least partially, for bringing a dominance of conceptial art rather than aesthetic art into contemporary art