M12 Post

Video Reviews 

Jacob Lawrence 

The Harlem Renaissance was essentially an intellectual and artistic explosion during the 1920's. It had such a positive impact on people that left great legacies for black communities worldwide. Lawrence goes into detail about how important community involvement was. 

Faith Ringgold  

Grew up during the Great Depression in Harlem. She developed a new art form, story quilts. Her first one revolved around the story of Aunt Jemima. She then went and got involved with women's issues. Ringgold would paint eggs black and write "50" on them to symbolize a desire for an equal split of men and women to be included in prestigious art awards during protests. She also informs that there's no time to sit around and wait for someone else to say who you are. One must do it for that's where the art comes from.

Romare Bearden 

Bearden was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and later went on to tell the story of what was happening in Harlem. Bearden was a great storyteller who loved to bring people together. He was also a great southern landscape painter.

Fauvism 

This vibrant style of painting was a French avant-garde art movement. It kept the drawings simple with bold brushstrokes and exaggerated colors. Artists moved away from urban themes and returned to impressionist subjects such as country landscapes.

Amadeo Modigliani 

Modigliani was an Italian-Jewish expressionist artist who focused on making abstract art. He worked alongside Pablo Picasso and Constantin Brancusi. He was influenced by African masks and art. Traditional African masks were often used as part of rituals. As a result, their facial forms were abstracted. Modigliani's portraits are heavily influenced by these masks. The subjects faces are mask like with elongated necks and almond shaped eyes.

Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda, July 2019

This runway show took place within the Temple of Concordia. I'm assuming each outfit was inspired after a Greek goddess or muse. An abundance of golds, embellishments, headpieces, and jewelry were used throughout the show.

Creativity with Norma Kamali 

Fashion turns quickly with a very short life. Kamali states that there's endless possibilities for each brand to tell their story in their own modern way. Her definition of style is timeless style. If a piece of clothing can travel through life with you and it persists timelessly, it's valuable.

My Opinion  

Each new art movement was influenced by at least one previous one. The videos and course content make that clear. African art and masks heavily influenced expressionist artists such as Amadeo Modigliani. I also loved how a modern example was included. The Dolce & Gabbana video clearly draws inspiration from Ancient Greek muses.