The name of the game? Jazz, the name of a dude? Louis Armstrong. For this survey I will be telling you all about this prolific figure of the Jazz era named Louis Daniel Armstrong. Louis was born Aug 4, 1901 and grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. The area he grew up in was especially poor and was nicknamed “The Battlefield” He began to gain popularity in the 1920’s with his two strongest features, his more daring trumpet style as well as his unique vocals.

Louis was encouraged to sing often by a Jewish family who often gave him a job and invited him to meals at their home. However after he was arrested for firing his stepfather’s gun he was sent to the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys. This place was coincidentally where he fell in love with music as he received musical instructions while he was there.

It was after this experience when he had begun to earn himself a name as a fine blues player. While he was beginning he was eventually under mentorship with one of the greatest cornet players in town, Joe “King” Oliver. Soon he replaced King Oliver in Kid Ory’s band, which was back then the most popular band of New Orleans.

Things that Louis was known for was being in the first jazz big band, his band “the Hot Five, later Hot Seven, popularizing scat singing, unique covers of popular songs, the first African-American to get a featured billing role in a major movie, the first African-American musician to write an autobiography, first African-American entertainer to host a nationally sponsored radio show in 1937, Louis Armstrong House, telling the government off for not letting nine African-American children go to a public school, as well as songs like “Weather Bird”, “West End Blues”, “What a Wonderful World”, and “Hello, Dolly!”

Sources:

• https://www.biography.com/musician/louis-armstrong

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 For this week’s survey,  we are talking about colour. One of the biggest things that I want to focus on would be the Plakatstil or Sachplakat poster style of Russia. “Plakatstil” is defined as “poster style” in German. This style came about after younger artists searched beyond the current Victorian, Art Nouveau, and Arts and Craft styles.

The whole movement had started with the 15 year old Lucian Bernhard and an exhibition. Bernhard went to the “Munich Glaspalast Exhibition Of Interior Decoration” once and felt the experience of, as he describes it “walking drunk with colour”. When Lucian Bernhard had made his first real poster in the style of Plakatstil, for the ‘Priester’ (1906) match company for a contest, it was a shocking difference compared to the other posters of the time. One thing to note as well was that the judges at first had discarded the poster and thought that the design was bizarre, however when the sales manager of the Berlin’s leading proto-advertising agency and poster printer saw Bernhard’s poster, he thought it was genius and named it first prize. This is because before this, simplified posters were an oddity and rarely used, the amount of text was also quite different in comparison, due to the fact that other posters tended to use way more text in their posters compared to Bernhard’s who uses barely any words in his.

The style came out of a rejection of medieval poetry and complex patterns as the new century approached. The Plakatstil style was the beginning of modern graphic design, in which they emphasized on more symbols and shapes. Some key aspects of the style would be the bold, straight fonts and simplified designs, the subject matter was also slightly more detailed while shapes and objects that aren’t the focus are simplified. The point of Plakatstil in the end was to have a standard  that presents a smooth product or image to the target audience. The simplified idea of this poster made it very advertisement friendly and therefore became standardized.

Sources:

• https://ericcraps.wordpress.com/2019/01/22/plakatstil/
• https://dylanspiteri.weebly.com/blog-posts-about-graphic-design-artists/plakatstil-german-posters-1905-1915
• http://historiadesigneteoria.blogspot.com/2013/02/plakatstil.html
• https://jennrichardsart.wordpress.com/2014/07/27/history-of-art-movements-plakatstil/
• http://guity-novin.blogspot.com/2010/05/chapter-31-german-plakatstil-movement.html#Ten

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 An iconic painter was Philip Guston. His earlier works were mostly abstract, and he gained success from this. However, Guston decided that abstract life wasn’t for him, so he abandoned it to the dismay of many. Gustons later works however became why he was so well remembered. Some recurring themes they included were imagery such as the hooded Klansmen, Richard Nixon, smoldering cigarettes, and huge eyeballs.

An early career piece would be ”Gladiators” (1940). The piece flaunts abstract and shows a preview to how his later pop pieces would look a little like. As well as being a piece dedicated to the Mexican mural movement showing children fighting as a political statement.

One of his last pieces was “Painter” (1979), and was most likely a self portrait. Guston put a confusing amount of bandages onto the figure however it remains true to his style as it includes key characteristics of his art, the cigarette, and the large eyes.

One of the many KKK paintings that Guston made was “City Limits” (1969). The KKK appeared in Guston’s works as a sort of self portrait or reflection as the “idea of evil fascinated” him.

“Drawing for Conspirators” (1930) is a haunting piece made by a 17 year old Guston. Based on early experiences with seeing the KKK and filled with the theme of oppression and symbolism. 

The “Last Piece” (1958) was a transitional piece and ironically not Guston’s last abstract impressionist piece. It was a piece to show that he had began to move away from his inspirations of nothingness and Buddhism to more recognizable motifs

Sources:

• http://www.artnet.com/artists/philip-guston/
• https://www.moma.org/artists/2419
• https://www.theartstory.org/artist/guston-philip/

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 Max Ernst was more than just a prolific artist, he was a painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. Ernst was also an artist with no formal training as well as a pioneer for dada and surrealism. Furthermore, Ernst invented the techniques of Frottage and Grattage. Constant  themes of Ernst’s work includes the use of symbolic birds, The dream-scape, and painting from his subconscious.

The piece that demonstrates Ernst’s unique collaging style would be “Here Everything is Still Floating” (1920). The piece creates a coherent piece out of unrelated cutouts and ends up being a fun outlet for the insanity of WW1 to Ernst.

Ernst often paints with references to his own life. An example of this is “Two Children Are Threatened by a Nightingale” (1924). It seems quaint at first but becomes more terror inducing as you look more into it. 

“Europe After the Rain II” (1940-42), depicts a futuristic apocalypse. It was also most likely based around the Spanish war and the beginnings of WW2. Executed well is the cluttered feeling of an aftermath of destruction.

The piece that I find most enjoyable is “Celebes” (1921). The piece takes a photograph of a vacuum cleaner and creates an imaginative dream-scape with it, and the headless nude that is with it.

Another one I enjoy would be “Barbarians Marching to the West” (1937). I enjoy the feeling of inevitability and two giant figures of the piece. The dream-scape used here is framed very constrained and the one “barbarian” leading left is very eye catching.

Sources:

• https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/max-ernst-1065
• https://www.theartstory.org/artist/ernst-max/

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 Otto Dix gained a reputation with his ghoulish and grotesque portrait paintings and visions of war. After serving in the first world war for Germany painting for him was as he states “Art is exorcism. I paint dreams and visions too; the dreams and visions of my time,”. Dix also stayed in Germany during WW2, where he attempted to fly under the radar, and painted landscapes and christian themes in a traditional style to avoid the label of “degenerate art”. Dix was also heavily inspired by northern renaissance artists.

In his earlier ”Self-Portrait with Carnations” (1912), Dix had a brighter style. Dix also treated himself with respect and self confidence. This is unlike how he painted portraits of others, as he usually accentuates their worst features.

“The Portrait of the Journalist Sylvia von Harden” (1926) was an iconic image and one of Dix’s most recognized works. Dix had said that she was a perfect representation of society in that era.

“The Trench” (1923) was a piece that shocked many and launched a series of paintings of horrific scenery from Dix’s service from WW1.

“The Skat Players” (1920) also visualizes the tragedies of war with its subjects. Utilizing his dadaist and cubist influence to show veterans mangled and playing cards.

One Piece that I particularly like would be “Stormtroopers Advancing Under Gas” (1924). The eerie atmosphere and the choice of mediums is oddly intriguing for a gloomy scene.

Sources:

• http://www.artnet.com/artists/otto-dix/
• https://www.theartstory.org/artist/dix-otto/artworks/#pnt_5

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 Gustave Moreau was very imaginative and fantastical in themes. He was a known symbolist painter from France. Moreau found his style with pieces that depicted mythical and religious themes with a heavy jewel like embroidered decorations. He set himself apart from the main movements of the era, realism and naturalism.

“Oedipus and the Sphinx” (1864) was the beginning of Moreau’s mature period. The piece gives a new interpretation to the scene of Oedipus on his journey to Thebes. He also emulates the early renaissance style in this piece.

“Orpheus” (1865) was a piece that gave Moreau much popularity. The piece itself gives no directness, instead it replies to your viewership with ambiguity and implied symbolism. It was also another piece where Moreau went back to Greek mythology for inspiration.

After two unpopular pieces, Moreau went to reassess his art and came out with “The Apparition” (1876). The piece gives no identified part of a story, as well as breaking away from the central figures of his past paintings.

Two pieces that I appreciate are the ornately decorated “Dream of the Orient of the Peri” (1826-98), and “The Fiancee of the Night” (1892). These pieces show his mastery of decoration through animals as well as on a dark backdrop.

Sources:

• http://www.artnet.com/artists/gustave-moreau/
• https://www.theartstory.org/artist/moreau-gustave/

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