Did you know that Michelangelo (1475-1564) is either the first or one of the first artists in history known to have signed his works of art? He was part of the Renaissance/High Renaissance movement where artists were experiencing a rebirth of classical culture. Instead of the immediate past thousand-plus-year tradition of anonymously making pious art that focused on the hereafter, Renaissance artists focused on the here and now ... claiming their style, championing humanism.
And rather than remaining anonymous MAKERS, Renaissance artists were becoming named, known, and identified CREATORS. As audacious as this rebirth was, it was a movement that resulted in art that inspired contemplation.
I feel this contemplation in Michelangelo's famous sculpture: David. The work makes me feel that David (the ultimate symbol of the underdog) is exuding not just courage but also concern, as he is about to use in earnest, his humble sling and stones, to battle the giant Goliath.
The Baroque movement which followed the Renaissance caused the pendulum of art to swing from contemplative to active. Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) is a Baroque artist who also sculpted David. Even though the subject is the same underdog, when I put them side by side, I can definitely feel the difference of the art periods of Renaissance and Baroque. Contemplative versus active. In other words, matte versus glossy.
Interestingly, the Catholic church enlisted Baroque artists to create active, glossy art with more light and less shadow, with the hope that it would inspire people who had veered into Protestantism back into the Catholic church. In hopes that the Catholic church could be considered not just as a passive place, but a stand-up-and-take-action place.
To me, contemplation and action go hand-in-hand for my life as an artist and activist. Like when I feel I've been thinking a long time about doing something there's a point when I hear myself saying "Jenny: Stop the over-thinking and take action." Glossy.
And then there are times when I'm going a mile a minute and I feel the need to pause and think and make sure the course is either correct or in need of correction. Matte.
#artandactivismlog
Recent Comments