That's how the cookie crumbles...

Learning to take food and still life pictures is fun!

A Short Trip With Nature

I'm still slowly learning about photography and since the weather is so nice today, I decided to grab my camera and go out for a stroll around my apartment building. I usually stay cooped up indoors and that hasn't had a positive effect on my emotional health. Once I stepped outside, my mood lightened up considerably. 

I took a few pictures (many of them I deleted because I wasn't satisfied). I had to keep playing with the aperture, since the sun was teasing me constantly, peeking in and out from the clouds every few minutes. 

Note to self: Read more on lighting! 

Enjoy!

Art Book Review!

I recently bought an art history book that is a fun and great read for those who like to analyze every small detail of a painting. Titled "Great Paintings: The World's Masterpieces Explored and Explained", the book takes a magnifying glass to art works spanning from Medieval to Modern. The book breaks down the finer details of each painting, explaining symbolism, techniques, style, and historical influence. It also gives a mini biography of the artist so that the reader may better understand the significance of the work and why it was created. 

I think it's a good read for young adults and children. Since art history books can some times be intimidating and the thought of reading the tedious text can be overwhelming for the younger crowd. This book breaks things down nicely and makes it entertaining to read. You can sit down with your child and explore paintings from the past together. That's the beauty of learning about art history. You never know what new things you might discover. 

A sneak peak of the book!

Bodies and Shadows: Caravaggio and His Legacy at the LACMA

Wall text courtesy of the LACMA museum. Photograph by Wendy Ratanakul.

Having recently joined Art Historians of SouthernCalifornia, I had the privilege of attending my first members’ event at the LACMA to view the exciting exhibition, Bodies and Shadows: Caravaggio and His Legacy. The exhibition was curated by Patrice Maradel, Chief Curator of European Painting and Sculpture.

Highlights of the event included an introduction by Professor Deana Hight, President of AHSC. Followed by a very insightful roundtable panel discussion with Clare Kunny (Independent Art Administrator), Sandra Esslinger (Professor at Mt. San Antonio College), and Mary Lenihan (Director of Adult Programs at LACMA’s Education Department). The conversation concerned the relationship between art museums and the academia. It also touched upon how technology and online classes play a significant role in viewing art. An important question was raised such as, how does viewing art from a computer or a phone is different from the experience of seeing an art work in person.

After the roundtable discussion, Patrice Maradel spoke about how developing the exhibition has helped expand the museum’s Baroque painting collection.

Saint Frances of Assisi in Ecstasy, Oil on panel, Caravaggio, 1595. 

Bodies and Shadows: Caravaggio and His Legacy introduce the work of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610), tracing his evolution of his style. He was one of the most famous artists of his time, surpassing even Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. His paintings exude passion, violence, and raw emotion, experienced throughout his life. With pitch blacks and intense whites, Caravaggio rendered his figures with sublime naturalism, perfecting the technique of chiaroscuro. The exhibition is made up of 56 works in all, including 8 works by Caravaggio. Even after his death, Caravaggio continued to inspire and influence artists from Italy, Spain, France, and the Netherlands.

If you are in Los Angeles, I highly recommend attending the exhibition. It is not every day that one is fortunate enough to experience the seductive, darkness, and strange beauty of Caravaggio’s works in person. This exhibition should not be missed. 

The Arnolfini Portrait

The Arnolfini Portrait is an oil painting on oak panel by early Netherlandish artist, Jan Van Eyck. Dated 1434, the painting has mystified art historians for centuries. At first glance, the painting appears to be straight forward, but upon closer inspection, each object and each gesture are symbols for virtues that are universally known; such as faith, fidelity, love, and prosperity.

The complexity given to each object in the painting is what makes The Arnolfini Portrait so appealing. The couple standings before two witnesses that can seen in the small mirror on the wall behind them. Giovanni holds his right hand up on a gesture that suggests he's taking an oath. The bride is standing by the marriage bed. Could this possibly symbolize her expected role of mother and care taker of the home? Their shoes are off which means that they are standing upon sacred ground. The material of their clothing and furniture signifies their wealth and taste. Jan Van Eyck displayed a master hand at realism by painting layers after layers of translucent glazes to create intense tone and color. The glowing colors help highlight the opulence of the couple's world.

Some objects have a submerge symbol attached to it. The family dog is a symbol for loyalty. The single lit candle above the couple is not merely a light source, but a representation of the Holy Spirit. All speculation aside, The Arnolfini Portrait is lush it it's detail and continues to intrigue viewers with it's mysterious and lyrical representation.

Mapplethorpe and Metzker at The Getty Center

Calla Lily, Robert Mapplethorpe, negative 1988; print 1990.

                The exhibition at The Getty Center, In Focus: Robert Mapplethorpe, consists of gorgeous black-and-white photographs that show his explorations of “…statuesque male models fused a classical sensibility with homoerotic content at a time when the male nude was not a popular subject among camera artists” (http://www.getty.edu). Mapplethorpe’s photographs focused on sexuality, gender, and race. His fascination with African American male models which he personally referred to their skin color as bronze was Mapplethorpe’s favored subject matter.

Patti Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe, negative 1975; print 1995.

               The space, in which Mapplethorpe’s exhibition is housed, is small, simple, and contemporary. The lighting is neither too dim nor too bright. Each photograph is hung on the white walls and there is a small wall in the middle of the room, which makes the visitor walk around it, to study the photographs. There is a sense of intimacy as one enters the space. Each photograph is intriguing in its own right; such as the portrait of Patti Smith titled “American”. The Bohemian poet and performer is dressed in a white buttoned up shirt, suspenders, slacks, and a man’s jacket slung casually over her shoulder. Smith is androgynously alluring; her hair is unruly, she wears no make up, and her gaze is challenging. Mapplethorpe wanted to portray Smith as a rebel against the expected image of a female rock star. Smith is masculine and strong, yet waifish and delicate. She touches the ribbon around her neck, her long fingers grazing her breast. The photograph hovers between strength and vulnerability. Mapplethorpe made Smith look sexy without selling her sex. Mapplethorpe and Smith made this image for her debut rock album titled “Horses”.  There was worry among Smith’s executive producers, when this photograph was presented to them. They were concerned that “…Smith with her lack of makeup and messy hair wasn't conventionally pretty enough to sell records like other "girl singers," wanted to airbrush this image” (http://www.getty.edu). However, with Mapplethorpe’s support and Smith’s refusal for airbrushing, the photograph helped launched the iconoclastic careers of both.

            Whether it’s Mapplethorpe’s fashion or fine art photography, he always focused on the tension between opposites. His photograph titled “Calla Lily” has a spare composition, the calla lily’s milky white is luminescent, and the black is slick like silk. Mapplethorpe wanted to display a common item in an unusual way. The curve of the calla lily and the opposition of pure white with inky black, forces the viewer to focus purely on shape and lighting, without the distraction of the subject matter. Still life has long been considered stale, but Mapplethorpe transformed a calla lily into an energized organism, that could be interpreted as sexual, as well. “My whole point is to transcend the subject...go beyond the subject somehow, so that the composition, the lighting, all around, reaches a certain point of perfection” (Robert Mapplethorpe, http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=329128).

            Mapplethorpe died at the age of forty-two from complications of AIDS. He left a profound mark in the photography world. A year earlier before he died, Mapplethorpe established art programs and HIV/AIDS prevention and care. His photography not only portrayed a lifestyle he was involved in, but the blurring of the lines between sexuality and race.

Chicago, negative 1958, print 1985, Ray K. Metzker, gelatin silver print.

             Just several feet away from Mapplethorpe’s exhibition, one can view stunning black-and-white prints by photographer Ray K. Metzker. While walking through the exhibit, one finds themselves journeying with Metzker, to places such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, New Mexico, and across the pond to Europe. Metzker’s exhibition is an adventure through Metzker’s photographs. He focused on the loneliness and isolation many people experience in a chaotic city. Metzker’s exhibition is in a larger and more spacious area, than Mapplethorpe’s exhibition. While Mapplethorpe’s exhibition is meant to create an atmosphere of intimacy among the visitors, Metzker’s exhibition is like walking through a small city. The ceilings are high and conversations among visitors echo through the cavernous space. Visitors weren’t forced to stand too close to one another to study the photographs. There was no potential for spontaneous conversation or physical contact between two strangers. Metzker’s exhibition is arranged according to each city he visited and took photos of.

            Metzker uses selective focus, lighting, and unique angles, to narrate stories each city has to tell. His photographs are described as “Metzker's devotion to photographic seeing as a process of discovery is also deeply humanistic in its illumination of isolation and vulnerability” (http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/metzker/). His gelatin silver print titled “Chicago” shows a close up of a discarded used pieced of cardboard on the street. Metzker took the photograph from the ground up to show the tall imposing buildings. In the distance there are two women crossing the street, but they are not in focus. The subject matter of this photograph is the piece of cardboard, which is forgotten and desolate. It conveys the feeling of being disconnected even in a big city full of people. No one acknowledges the piece of trash on the street. No one cares. It is a photograph expressing loneliness and abandonment in an urban jungle.

Frankfurt, 1961, Ray K. Metzker, gelatin silver print.

           Another photo by Metzker that captured my attention in particular, is the one titled “Frankfurt”. The composition is clean and simple. The subject matter is a man in a boat holding a paddle. He is seen from an aerial perspective. His boat is white and contrasts with the black that surrounds him. One cannot see his face and he seems insignificant. The black seems press against his boat, creating a sharp and crisp outline, which makes the viewer focus on the shape that is created. The man is his own island, possibly stranded, even. There is no action between the man and the black water. He simply sits in his boat, still, and accepting his fate. It is another story of loneliness.Metzker used his photography to explore modern life and the loneliness that accompanies it. Mapplethorpe’s photographs challenged sexuality, interracial couples, and gender issues. The only thing that Metzker and Mapplethorpe share in their photography is their study of relationships formed among a society dominated by a formulated aesthetic.

          In Focus: Robert Mapplethorpe will be at The Getty Center until March 24, 2013 and The Photographs of Ray K. Metzker and The Institute of Design will be there until February 24, 2013. Photographers and fans of photography should not miss the opportunity to view these superb photographs in person. 

Titian: Venus of Urbino

"The Venus of Urbino" Titian, Oil, 1538.

She stares at us coyly, almost teasingly. Her chestnut brown curls cascade down her bare shoulders. Her left hand grazing against her sex. "The Venus of Urbino" has been a subject of scholarly debate for a very long time. Some think she was a courtesan and others think she was the child bride of the Duke of Urbino. What was Titian's true purpose for painting this? Was it to appease the curiosity of the female nude and sexual craving of men during the Renaissance. Or was it just a piece to be marvel for its lush beauty. 

From the bundle of roses clutched in her right hand-to the sleeping dog- the symbols in "The Venus of Urbino" could possibly lead us closer to understanding the true meaning of the painting. 

Dogs have always been the symbol for fidelity and loyalty (from the Greek word Fido). A dormant dog could possibly symbolize the lack of fidelity. The red roses Venus holds could represents passion and love. Titian's painting seems to exude sexuality. 

I believe Titian's Venus is an object for the male gaze. Her sensuality is explicit. She evokes desire. She is the flawless beauty that men of the Renaissance were fascinated by and wished to possess. But who has the true power of the gaze? The viewer or Venus?