Bibliography

ABC Sydney. (2007) What is Kasimir Malevich’s Black Square (1915). Retrieved

    November 12 2010 from www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2007/07/12/1976876.htm

Artnet. (n.d.) Artnet Magazine. Retrieved November 10 2010 from   

   www.artnet.fr/magazine/expositions/GERGORIN/Senlis_detail.asp?picnum=1

Aspect Art. (n.d.) History of Western Paintings Ancient Egypt. Retrieved November

    11 2010 from http://www.aspectart.com/history_egypt.php

Gombrich, E. H. (n.d.) Artichive. Retrieved November 11 2010 from

     http://www.artchive.com/artchive/E/egyptian.html

Self-Taught & Visionary Art in New Zealand. (n.d.) Martin Thompson. Retrieved

    November 11 2010 from http://www.selftaughtart.org.nz/artists/artist.php?id=8

In Conclusion

Most art I believe readily fits into the category of reflecting the culture of its time. As was stated, this is what makes art history so interesting. The example of the Egyptian artwork is important in the idea of reflection, as much of what we know today about ancient Egyptian culture is through interpreting the artwork left behind. Culture is a reference point to many artists creating work; art trends or current social issues often drive an artist to create their work. As in Guernica by Picasso, the work is total commentary on the Spanish civil war, yet Picasso also illustrates Spain’s rich iconographic history with the motifs he uses. Even minimalist artists such as Kasimir Malevich, reflect culture in their art works such as Black Square. This may not mirror current events in society, however it does follow the modernist art trend of its time, which in its self is a reaction to the restrictions placed on art previously. This work therefore in its minimalist state is not free of reflecting culture.                      

 Kasimir Malevich Black Square (1915)

I do not believe naïve or outsider artists are exempt form this reflection. Although Martin Thomson may be seemingly unengaged in any debates about art or culture, his work is not free from exposing this contemporary era. The materials immediately exhibit current ideas, graph paper, sticky tape and pens, contains him very easily in the technological era. His meticulous artwork also gives the impression of pixels, static or other post-modern   phenomena. If Thomson’s work were to stand next to Malevich’s Black Square, an ancient Egyptian artwork and Picasso’s Guernica, it would be quite easy to place in the post modern context.

Pablo Picasso - Guernica - 1937          

To create artwork the artist has nothing to draw upon except their surroundings, including society, materials, life experiences, art movements and the environment all of which indicate the culture in which an artist works. Even an insane artist can not escape the confines of culture, the mind may act as a vehicle for escape, yet all it has to draw from on it’s journey is lived experiences. These experiences find their origin in the culture of their conception.

Are 'Outsider Artists' Free from Reflecting Culture?

Most artists who are in anyway connected with art education either in traditional or contemporary contexts will find it hard to remain free from reflecting the culture in which they exist. Trained artists tend to either follow the stylistic norm of the art trend, or react against it. The point is that artists are engaging with the ethos of their time, whether in a positive or negative manner, this results in some form of reflecting the culture it engages with. Are artists who may be classified as ‘outsider’ or ‘naïve’ artists, free from the idea of conversing with their culture in the art they create? Does their ignorance place them in a category unaffected by their social setting?

Martin Thomson is a Wellington based artist, he is self taught and hasn’t received any art training. Thomson is considered an ‘Outsider Artist’, and some don’t even give him the credit of being an artist. His art appears to some as being devoid of intention and to others a field where they can readily read their own meaning into it. This idea falls nicely into the post modern concept of what is important, the idea the artist is attempting to communicate or what the viewer wishes to read into the work.

                                                            Martin Thompson Untitled

Ballpoint pen on paper 

Thomson’s art is a methodical colouring in exercise; seemingly he simply fills in a grid with coloured pens, creating a geometric pattern as he works. The question is does his art really reflect this contemporary culture? His artistic intention does not appear to show any desire to reflect aspects of the culture in which he lives, his work is a simple method of organizing colour on a grid. Comments about his work relating to culture is made by people attempting to read something into his artwork, that may not be present. This proves societies desire when understanding artworks, to project their own ideas onto a work. Does subjective interpretation however justify an artwork reflecting society. Thomson’s own statement about his artwork is simply that he thinks it would make good wallpaper. 

Culture Reflected in Egyptian Art and Archetecture

Many of the first art works every created clearly reflect the culture in which the artist or craftsmen lived. This is one of the key factors that make art history so interesting; it generates the possibility to learn about a society through the art work produced during that time and place.

Annubis, God of the Dead, Leaning over Sennutem's Mummy. Dynasty 18.

Tomb of Sennutem in the cemetery of Deir el-Medina, Luxor-Thebes, Egypt

Ancient Egyptian art and architecture is one of the ways Egyptian history is understood and studied today.  Egyptian art reflects the history, culture and society of the era in which it was created. The art produced also adheres to certain rules of style, which would have been prevalent in that culture and time period. In this work of Annubis, god of the dead, leaning over Sennutem’s mummy, the Egyptian culture is reflected in many ways. Firstly their beliefs and ideas on death and the after life are shown, as the god of the dead Anibus who is represented with a jackal head comes to attend to the dead pharaoh. The style of Egyptian art is also recognisable, the painting is flat and does not suggest a great depth of field. Egyptian paintings and reliefs also depict the subject’s profile angle rather than front view of the face. This stylistic feature has probably led to the interesting way the eyes come further across the side of the face, in order to keep the important facial features in view from this profile perspective. Although the face is depicted in a profile angle often the chest and shoulders can be illustrated from a front on veiwpoint, this can be seen in the image of the relief stone carving. While the head is turned to the side, the body is still facing frontward to the viewer. As mentioned by Gombrich Egyptian art did not change much in three thousand years, there was a certain style expected of these artists and they were not given any artistic freedom to differ from the rules laid down in this culture.

EGYPT, NILE RIVER, KOM OMBO TEMPLE, RELIEF CARVING, INNER HYPOSTYLE, HORUS AND HATHOR

 

   “Seated statues had to have their hands on their knees; men had to be painted

    with darker skin than women; the appearance of every Egyptian god was strictly

    laid down: Horus, the skygod, had to be shown as a falcon or with a falcon's head;

    Anibus, the god of funeral rites, as a jackal or with a jackal's head.”

    (Gombrich, n.d.)

Egyptian art therefore clearly reflects the culture it was created in, ancient Egyptian art is instantly recognisable due to these stylistic conventions that the craftsmen in this culture held fast to.

Gombrich, E. H. (n.d.) Artichive. Retrieved November 11 2010 from

     http://www.artchive.com/artchive/E/egyptian.html

Art cannot escape reflecting the culture in which it exists

Art is always created surrounded by a certain context. This context influences the artist creating the work. The context an artist lives in may include features such as other art movements happening at the time, influential people, social pressure, environmental features and personal circumstances. The culture an artist lives in, is often a fundamental influence on the artwork an artist creates.  The question is, does the art work created reflect this culture or does it stand alone, unshaped by the context of its origin.

For an artist to reflect their culture they could either be reacting to it, in a positive or negative way. This may include art work that makes a social comment, it may also include art work that simply follows the art trend of the time, as art movements  are part of culture. An artist such as Picasso reflected the historical events in the culture he lived, in artworks such as Guernica, his style also reflected the cubist art movement at the time.

Séraphine de Senlis
Les Fruits, vers 1928
Huile sur toile
92 x 73 cm

Is it then possible for an artist to be free of reflecting culture? Would a naïve artist be free from this constraint? The French artist Seraphine was a  naïve painter, however her art  still reflected something of the culture in which she lived. Perhaps if an artist were to be a hermit and live without contact with society their may be a possibility that their art would stand alone against the influence of culture. This is the question I endeavour to answer can art escape reflecting the culture in which it exists.