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Discussion
The focal point of this paper is to select one work of art from Los Angeles county museum of Art and write a comprehensive essay on its visual presentation and significance. The history of the artist and the stylistic or historical context from which it emerges is the central themes of the discussion. This paper includes attempts at researching the piece and understanding its significance from the perspectives of not only its form and content but also its placement in the overall historical presentation of art history.
Analysis
The chosen painting of this paper is to prepare an insight of Otto Dix (Germany, Untermhaus, 1891 1969) famous painting Leda painted in 1919. This work of art is an exceptional artistic expression Oil on canvas, 40 13/16 x 31 13/16 in. (103.66 x 80.8 cm), and is currently located in Los Angeles county museum of Art.
This painting is incomparable for its use of space all over the canvas and the application of dimension in form of space is unique from the perspective of Dixs Expressionist period. He made space speak a language and narration that was beyond imagination.
It should be noted that everyone might consider in the past may only be considered a masterpiece to a small number of people in this modern day. Rather than classifying art in one major group, we should respect all art for its value and its effect on society as a whole. I do not believe we will ever be able to truly identify art in the analytical sense, but we will learn new ways to improve our talents and we will constantly gain more resources to spread our art across all reaches of the universe.
It does not really matter whether or not we can define Otto Dixs art, because art is just an expression. It is a method for human beings to get out their emotions and share them with the rest of the world. It helps to describe what cannot be spoken. A picture is worth a thousand words, but even those thousand words can yet again produce a thousand additional pictures. In addition, in this method of thought, art has an infinite number of possibilities and an infinite number of ways to influence the lives of others. There are no strict guidelines for defining art nor will there ever be. Everything is in the eye of the beholder, but it does not matter.
As long as society keeps using art forms and aesthetic values to gain a newfound sense of identity, I think the world will live without being able to strictly define what art is. So do not pursue the field and believe you must define others work, but rather, attempt to find its emotional value and apply it to your own life. Otto Dix proves this right.
With his penetrating look and absorbing concern, he explores the innate charm of an object of art. According to the celebrated Latin poet Ovid, art lies in concealing art. If art is the magic of holding back time then artists are the magicians who captivate time in colours and canvases. As time passes by several take birth and perish, but some people with their achievements and contributions leave their footprints on the sands of time.
These people remain immortal forever in the pages of history and along with them last the movements created by them. One such artist is Otto Dix and he changed the face of art in the 20th century. However, he owes much of its face to photography, particularly in the context of using space, which was making its place from the latter parts of the 19th century.
The chief reason behind the development of space usage, particularly in the painting Leda, is incorporated in the mechanism of photography because with the materialization of photography it soon became evident that the need of realistic representation of the subjects was no longer required as no painting can become as perfect as a photograph. Thus, a new coinage was introduced as picture perfect and it became the benchmark of realistic representation. It was up to the painters to develop a new method of countering this situation. It would relevant to mention that it is widely believed that the different artistic movements like Impressionist, Expressionist or Dadaism ideology in the context of painting came into existence during the 1900s. (Karcher, 131-4).
A number of painters formulated these perceptions of painting and the basic ideology was based on the progression of art where basic issue was represented, as life should reflect the inner self of the human mind where there would be abundant scope of imagination and space that would manifest thought. Nevertheless, Otto Dixs usage of colour and space becomes integral part of the canvas in the painting Leda.
The usage of space, particularly on the right hand side of the canvas is the balance of the shapes and lines present on the left central part of the painting. Here the space is painted in dark shades like dark green, red, white and plain black. This is a more vibrant colour that is used on the top right side space, blue and white. In a way, the artist presents an image that is surrounded by colour. However, the balanced is in the right manner.
The story of Zeus and Leda, the Greek mythology, itself is not becoming the subject but the lines and figures are catching the viewers concentration. Similarly, as on the left side, there are dark patches of plain black and green space on the top right with the assaulting image of a swan in blue and white. This is in direct opposition of the left side where there was cold colour space containing a hot colour image.
Thus, the aspect of assault is manifested in its own right and it appears that patterns, colours, shapes and lines are suspended over the void of space on a dark background representing agony. Here agony becomes the cognitive materialization of a philosophy that tends to incorporate the materialistic void of urban existence and material thinking patterns. The different forms of lines also act as a formulation of complexities of the modern era. These lines, be it diagonal, vertical, horizontal, thin, thick, wavy, zig- zag or straight, all are representation of the complex features and it indicates that all these structures are the summation of the void or complexities or even agony itself.
The painting Leda, is a truly breathtaking work that is incorporated by laborious artisanship, perspective studies that are wonderfully plotted and has been executed with an amalgamation of structured procedure and imagination. To the artist, it conveys this work as an amusing confrontation between the left panel space cold colour Female and the hot colour Male in the right pane. However, it is a combination of mathematics and dimensions where space denotes the unification and the differential context at the same time.
This piece of artwork is a beautiful depiction of gender difference and their mutual attraction juxtaposed together and is regarded as a total completion. This artwork is also referred to as a manifestation of a love machine. However, this piece also represents the sufferings induced out of lust. This is because the space indicated on the both side of the canvas is an act of illusion on the context of the main painting. (Fer, 79-82).
The main aspect of this picture, from a viewers perspective is to look for the philosophic approach that the painter has taken to enumerate the stability and inconsistency of life. This work of art is exquisite because it places the viewers perspective that can be termed as bilateral. It is down to earth and materialistic in one way and at the same time, it renders the spiritual aspects of existence. Not many art forms are capable of evoking such aura and thus it could be termed as a work right out of the grade one hall of fame. Overall, to summarize, it can be specified that Dix presents the most powerful analysis of space and the complexity related to existence and the eternality prevailing with all the differences and barriers imposed.
Thus, more widely the term agony can be used to depict a specific type of creative fabrication as engender by human beings, and the term more often than not implies some extent of aesthetic value, which depicts the sensory or sensory-emotional values of the artist, and sometimes even portrays sentiments and tastes of that person. Thus, the approach in Dixs famous painting Leda can be well defined as a component of literature. Literature, no doubt, records in it the life and society from which it emerges, in doing so it can never distort the truth or magnify it. Thus like literature art is also a mirror of society.
In the modern day world of prevailing dynamism, that is moving from progress to greater progress, or better said beauty to higher beauty in an endless motion, underneath all ostensible pandemonium and bewilderment. The trend, which dominates the globe, is its demonstration of orderliness and maintenance, which display their external mark and at the same time symbolize the inflexible geometry of the cities of the world. In its smoke trails, in its analogous car tracks, and its streets, its factories and the bridges and its gas tanks, by making use of the underscoring mechanical configuration, the artist could generate a new appearance of optimism thought the simple shapes like the use of quadrilateral, spirals and triangles in the painting Leda.
Simultaneously, the artist uses the concept and imagery of space in a different notion too. Dix presents the energy of the universe through abstract line formulation that may be termed as galactic in nature. The basic form of this painting could be ascertained as abstract expressionist mode and there is no denial to this classification because this painting satisfies the sub altar manifestation of de centralized imaginative functions. Therefore, in accordance to the grammatical representation of art this painting by Dix is certainly a work of art as opposed by many and his concept and use of space is unparalleled by any other artist of his generation. (Fer, 79-82).
The most important point to be noted in this respect is the amount of energy of space that is reflected within the parameter of this canvas. To ascertain a piece of canvas to be judged as a work of art it is necessary to evoke a certain feeling within the viewers. There is no grammar involved in this part; no mathematics is needed; only the artistic sense is operational in this context from the part of the viewer. The interpretation may vary but the theme that evoked the interpretation of the viewer is all that is important to certify a painting as Art. In this context, too, Dix comes out with excellence with his work Leda. He made contextual elements of colour and shape a meaningful narration and this makes this painting a brilliant work of art.
It should be noted that defining Dixs art could be one of the most difficult yet enjoyable tasks that any person can ever undertake. There are so many factors to consider, and so many different methods of artistic thought. Some say that his art is an expression, but not everyone agrees that and states that it is a prelude to cubist thought process. However, really, is not art really all in the eye of the beholder? Who is to say that one train of thought it more important or correct than another does when regarding what Otto Dixs presentation is. One person may think that a particular object or expression may be artistic, whilst another thinks that it is simply not. Then we must ask ourselves, can art truly be defined? Alternatively, is it all just a mere passing thought?
Before we can determine whether art can truly be defined, we must stop and ask ourselves, what is art? Is art simply using various media and placing them on mediums for looks? Alternatively, does it hold a truly deeper meaning? Although we can never truly define what art really is, we can give some basic guidelines about what is and is not art. Generally, the human race considers art as something that is pleasing to the eye or invokes certain emotions when viewed. In addition, what many artists consider art is something, which you can do, enjoy, and in the end, produce something that gives a feeling of success? There are many different ways to express you using the concept called art.
The most common style of art, which most people think of when they think of art, is the painting. The painting is usually just some form of paint media, whether oil or watercolour or whichever style it is, and the paint is then placed on some form of canvas. In Dix case this holds truth but he made his own modification to turn out chaos into art. (Fer, 79-82).
Nature is created by itself, while art is the creation of nature. Art knows no death, it is imperishable. As said by Longfellow that art is long and time is fleeting. The spices of nature are born only to die after a certain space of existence. Art continues indefinitely. Austin Dobson assessment of art is expressed in his saying that all passes. Art alone enduring stays to us. The bust outlasts the throne, the coin, Tiberius. Art is never demonstrative; it never catches attention with an exhibitionistic appeal. Obviously, a casual observer scarcely finds anything impressive, a thing of beauty, in it. On the other hand, the eye of a connoisseur never misses it. In the case of Dix and his painting Leda, this maxim is established to its pinnacle.
Works Cited
Dix, Otto; Leda; Oil on canvas, 40 13/16 x 31 13/16 in. (103.66 x 80.8 cm); Los Angeles county museum of Art; 2007; Web.
Karcher, Eva; Otto Dix, 1891-1969: His Life and Works; Benedikt Taschen, 1988
Fer, Briony, David Batchelor, Paul Wood; Realism, Rationalism, Surrealism: Art Between the Wars; Yale University Press, in association with the Open University, 1993
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