Monica D. Murgia

Where art, creativity, and fashion meet

Archive for the ‘art’ Category

May 17th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Textile Designs by Rockwell Kent

As promised, I wanted to write more about the textile designs I saw at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This was the original drawing that caught my eye. The design, entitled Swaying Trees, is by American artist Rockwell Kent.

This was a big surprise for me! Kent (1882 – 1971) studied painting under William Merritt Chase and Robert Henri. I’d learned a bit about his paintings while working at an art gallery. Henri encouraged Kent to paint landscapes of Monhegan island in Maine on his own. This experience of painting directly in nature greatly affected Kent. Whatever medium he chose, Kent’s work always captures the amazing power of nature.

Kent gained a reputation of a neo-Transcendentalist because of this. Transcendentalism was a philosophy that originated in the 1830s and asserted that spiritual experiences could be observed in nature. Time spent in nature often created a mystical or transcendental experience to those that followed this philosophy.

You can see that his textile designs capture natural themes. The other accompanying design is called Running Deer. Both of these were realized in 1950. Kent made a similar design for Bloomcraft Inc called Deer Season, which you can see below:

Kent also completed a few other designs for Bloomcraft Inc, including Harvest Time:

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Harvest Time by Rockwell Kent. Image courtesy of Boston Museum of Fine Arts

And Pine Tree:

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Pine Tree by Rockwell Kent. Image courtesy of Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Unless otherwise states, images courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Tags: art, nature, philosophy, Rockwell Kent, textile designs, textile sketches, textiles, transcendentalism, transcendentalist
Posted in american fashion, art, Art's Influence on Fashion, artists, artists i love, Fashion as art, fashion history, fashion influenced by art, Great Museums, Nature inspired, textiles | No Comments »

May 15th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Textile sketches by Sonia Delaunay

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of my favorite places to pass some time. Earlier this week, I took a group of students to a special event celebrating Punk: Chaos to Couture. As I wandered around the second floor, making my way to the exhibition, several sketches caught my eye. The main corridor that leads to the special exhibition gallery is generally lined with works on paper – prints, drawings, and so on. I noticed a lot of patterns, and knew they were textile designs. (I’ll be writing more about those later!) In the middle of this large corridor was a small table encased in plexiglass with the most wonderful sketches by Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979).

These drawings are from 1925, and just darling! I stood there a long time looking at them. (They were a bit difficult to photograph without casting a shadow, as you can see.) These sketches are simply entitled Sonia Delaunay: her paintings, her objects, her simultaneous fabrics, her fashions. I think these are really prime examples of her design sensibilities, which included the art theory her and her husband Robert developed. (New to my site? You should take a look at my previous posts on Sonia & Robert Delaunay)

Sonia, along with her husband, painter Robert Delaunay (1885-1941), developed a color theory called simultaneity – the sensation of movement when contrasting colors are placed side by side.

I love the geometry and color patterns in each of these sketches. They clearly show a harmony between the fine and decorative arts movements at the time. The green and black dress on the left is a nod to Cubism. The middle dress looks uncannily like the interior of an Art Deco building. Perhaps it was inspired by a tiled floor.

The silhouette is still column-like, which is a hallmark of the 1920s. There is no defined waist, and the garments seem to hang vertically from the shoulders and obscure the shape of the body. However, you can see that most of the hemlines are quite long – a definite contrast to the American flapper. A nice alternative silhouette to all The Great Gatesby buzz that’s been going around.

All images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Tags: 1920s style, art, Art Deco, cubism, fashion sketches, Robert Delaunay, simultaneity, sonia delaunay, textile sketches, textiles, The Great Gatesby
Posted in art, Art's Influence on Fashion, artists, fashion, Fashion as art, fashion history, fashion influenced by art, Great Museums, textiles | 1 Comment »

April 23rd, 2013 by Monica Murgia

The Prints of Mary Cassatt

There is a great exhibition currently on view at the New York Public Library. It highlights the prints of famed Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt (1844-1917). Cassatt was renown for her contributions to the Impressionist school of painting in France, but I knew every little about her efforts of printmaking.

The Fitting by Mary Cassatt, 1891. Color print with drypoint and aquatint.

Cassatt was from Pennsylvania, and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts as a teenager. Art schools were much different then. Females were not allowed to draw the nude models in classes. They instead were instructed to draw from mannequins and plaster casts. In 1866, Cassatt moves to Paris to further her studies.

She starts showing her work at the official Paris Salon, but was rejected in 1875. This is the same year that she accepts an invitation from Edgar Degas to join the Impressionist group.

The Coiffure by Mary Cassatt, 1891. Image courtesy of NYPL.

I immediately noticed how much Cassatt’s prints looked like Japanese woodblock prints from the era. The show went on to talk about how many of Cassatt’s early prints were influenced by the influx of Japanese art that flooded Paris in the late 19th Century. Many of her compositions mimic traditional Japanese art: the placement of the subject, the use of space, and the idea of capturing moments of daily life.

Takashima Ohisa Using Two Mirrors to Observe Her Coiffure by Kitagawa Utamaro, c. 1795. Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Another observation that interested me was the representation of patterns on textiles and other decorative objects. Patterns seemed to jump out at me: the floral print on the carpet, the painted pitcher, the stripes on the subject’s dress.

I also enjoyed seeing several prints of with the same composition, but that had different layers of plates. This was because Cassatt was experimenting with reworking her copper plates and perhaps which colors of acquatint she would use.

Afternoon Tea Party by Mary Cassatt, 1891. Image courtesy of NYPL.

Seeing the various stages of Cassatt’s process is so interesting. I love seeing work like this, because it allows you into the artist’s mind. You can see how she dealt with challenges in depicting the image as it was in her mind. Maybe she wanted more depth in the background, or the cups to be a darker blue. It reminded me of the exhibition on Matisse – where you started to see how the artist revisited a composition again and again to perfect it.

Again, you can see this evolution in The Letter. One has a very plain background, while the other focuses on the pattern of the wallpaper.

The Letter by Mary Cassatt, 1891. Image courtesy of NYPL.

If you can’t make it to the show, the exhibition catalog is available online.

Mother’s Kiss by Mary Cassatt, 1891. Image courtesy of NYPL.

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Tags: 19th century art, 19th century prints, impressionism, Japanese prints, Japanese woodblock prints, Mary Cassatt, NYPL, painting, pennsylvania academy of fine art, prints
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April 15th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Forecasting Fashion

It’s been an intense week, so things have been quiet on my blog. New classes, new students, presentations about The Stieg Collection. Everything has been so much fun, but I’ve had little time to write. I probably should be grading papers, but I wanted to write a post about my fashion forecasting class.

Much like it sounds, you can predict future fashions and trends if you know what to look for. We look at different people, what motivates them to participate in fashion, innovations in textiles, trends in colors, and lots of other things. What I like most about teaching this class is that I have to communicate how I see things. Last week, I took my class on a field trip to do some trend spotting. I have some ideas in my head already that fashion is going to become increasingly inspired by nature.

Even in the city, you can see that people crave nature. Plants line storefronts. Colorful flowers and shrubs are displayed for purchase. Food culture is becoming more focused on natural flavoring, organic produce, and saying “no” to genetically modified organisms.

We also went to Brooklyn Charm, and I noticed a lot of jewelry that took cues from the natural environment. Leaves, flowers, gems, crystals, geodes – everything pointed to the great outdoors.

I couldn’t resist! I got a few small charms for my own necklace.

I saw some vintage clothing from the neighborhood we observed that had some great references, too. I wanted to buy everything, but I was only observing.

Leaves can be dressed up or down!

And you can never go wrong with flowers.

I started to see how people were already wearing this on the street. Doesn’t it look sort of like the early 1970s?

My thoughts were confirmed when I saw all the pictures from Coachella! New York and California seem to agree some fashion points. It’s a flower power revival, don’t you agree?

Coachella 2013. Image courtesy of Celeb Buzz.

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Posted in Accessories, american fashion, art, fashion, Fashion and Identity, Inspiration, made in america, Nature inspired, Shopping, Teaching, Travel, Vintage | No Comments »

April 5th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity?

Last Wednesday, I finally had a chance to see Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This exhibition explores art, fashion, and social change in Paris from 1860 to the mid 1880s. As someone that is interested in the interrelationship between fashion and art, I was dying to get to this show! Images from the exhibition kept appearing on my Instagram feed, which really put the pressure on me to get to the museum. I just had to see these amazing works of art in person!

Image of the Impressionism, Fashion, & Modernity exhibit now on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image courtesy of the museum’s Instagram account.

For those of you that may not know, The Met has an Instagram account. I love the images they post, and look forward to seeing pictures of the galleries show up on my feed. Museums from around the world are joining Instagram, hoping that it will bring people in the doors. I think this is a brilliant idea. First of all, the institutions are able to reach people they ordinarily wouldn’t be able to through traditional marketing. But really, traditional forms of transmitting information are dying out. Newspapers and books are available online. Most young people don’t have cable or radios. Technology is changing so rapidly, that most people get news and information online on computers, tablets, or via mobile devices. Anyone can join a site, select a few preferences, and receive information on subjects of their choice. But sharing information through social media brings attention to topics people might not ordinarily pay attention to.

A simple hashtag or check-in search shows the level of social interaction at any museum exhibit. Images courtesy of the Instagram Community members: mrosenfeld, jclarkbell, claibourn, ajlm, natmonte, karlaacayo, and erik_a.

I placated myself until I could schedule my visit to the museum by searching for photographs of the show. The press had some wonderful images, but honestly I was finding more compelling shots on Instagram. Lovely! And all available by searching for a hashtag or check-in at the museum. The collage above, all photos uploaded and tagged on Instagram, really put attending the show to the top of my to-do list.

Exhibition entrance for Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity.

So, I have to admit, I was a bit confused when I arrived at the exhibition. Photography was not permitted. Yet everyone was taking photographs anyway. This happens in just about every museum I’ve ever attended. A no photography policy is stated, and everyone breaks it. And now with stealthy cameras in phones and sites like Instagram and Twitter, images abound are published in real time. Even press preview events leak photos. Just look up the magazines invited to the events, like Vogue and Glamour.

Young girls sketching a day dress from 1865-68. Dress on loan from the Manchester Galleries. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The social pressure was just too great. Guests snuck about, dodging guards to take pictures. All in all, it became a very fun game. People were helping one another to take pictures. A person would stand just so, to cover for another guest taking a shot. Others would sort of laugh after getting reprimanded by the guard for taking a picture. Really, maybe this no photography rule is a way to engage visitors in social interaction. I found myself more engaged with objects that other people found important. I wanted to spend extra time observing the objects I saw on Instagram. I also wanted to take pictures of the objects other guests found important.

Young girls sketching a day dress from 1865-68. Dress on loan from the Manchester Galleries. Image courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Particularly, I was really interested in these two young visitors that brought their sketchbooks. They ran about the galleries, drawing objects that caught their interest. What fun they seemed to be having! I paid more attention to what they were looking at. In fact, many visitors did. We were all desperately trying to get a look at their sketches. I felt a bit sad that I didn’t have my own art materials.

Day dress1865-67 of gray silk faille with Indian paisley shaw, 1865 (Above and below). Costume Institute. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The exhibit is accompanied by wonderful text. The curators were brilliant in selecting excerpts from literature at the time that focused on Impressionist artists desire to capture the modern. Modernity is what the Impressionism movement was all about. It was a rejection of religious painting and contrived staging of scenery. It was a desire to capture and record everyday life. Everything was important, particularly social customs and fashionable dress.

Madame Louis Joachim Gaudibert by Claude Monet, 1868. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

As I read this quote in the exhibition, I was struck by the irony of the situation:

“At last, the subject matter of art includes the simple intimacies of everyday life in its repertoire.” Edmond Durante, The New Painting, 1876

Social media sites are ways of sharing art in the intimacies of everyday life. But it has become increasingly unclear who can share what and where. Traditionally, press had special access to photograph events for publicity’s sake. But now with the rise of blogs and photo sharing sites, there seems to be no standard of who is privy to take photos and exactly how they should be cited.

Monet’s “Luncheon on the Grass” and a white cotton piqué day dress with black soutache trim. Image courtesy of Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times.

Hopefully, institutions everywhere will adopt and clearly explain photography policies that encourage socially sharing images. The Scientific American recently published an article explaining the importance of posting on sites such as Facebook. Sharing images via social media are influential. Here is why:

“One of the big ways that the people around us exert these influences is through the use of norms, those messages that we send out about what’s acceptable, appropriate, and…well, normal. Descriptive norms simply describe the way that things are, whereas prescriptive norms offer a mandate about how things should be. . . .Quite possibly the most important takeaway point from all of the research that’s been done on norms is just how powerful descriptive norms can be. When people try to change behavior, they often focus on prescriptive norms, telling people what they should do. We often underestimate just how strongly we respond to what other people actually do.” (Quotation from The Scientific American)

Mme. Bartholome by Albert Bartholomé, 1881 and the actual garment it portrays. Image courtesy of Habitually Chic.

The article goes on to explain studies conducted on signage at the Petrified Forest in Arizona. Signs discouraging tourists from taking samples of the forest were more effective if they included a descriptive norm that most people left the environment intact. Melanie Tannenbaum, author of the article, sums up why rules that include descriptive norms of social behavior work:

“We don’t really care so much about what we should do. We care about what other people do. And then we really, really care about not being different.”

Hopefully we can embrace modernity, and rules to go along with it.

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Tags: 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, art, artists, descriptive norms, exhibitions, fashion, image rights, impressionism, Impressionism Fashion and Modernity, Instagram, internet, paintings, photography, prescriptive norms, social interaction, social interaction in museums, social media, social sharing
Posted in Accessories, american fashion, art, Art's Influence on Fashion, artists, fashion, fashion and the body, Fashion as art, fashion history, fashion influenced by art, Great Museums, Teaching, textiles | No Comments »

April 1st, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Joan Mitchell

Teaching doesn’t come with an instruction manual. I’d never planned to be a teacher. Yet almost four years ago, I found myself in front of a classroom. To say that I was anxious would be an understatement. Luckily, it got easier with practice. The very first course I taught was called Fashion Seminar at FIDM. Part theory, part portfolio development, I was responsible for teaching fashion theory along with art. The portfolio consisted of a series of art assignments. The learning outcome was to take an inspiration source and create new and meaningful artwork from it. Each week, we would have a new focus: collage, found object, textile design, and so forth. There was one assignment that initially gave me any problems. It was called multiple sensory.

Untitled by Joan Mitchell, 1969. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

I understood the concept. Say your inspiration source is a tree. How does it feel to touch its bark? Try drawing that sensation. Obviously, there is no “wrong” way to do this assignment. Yet it caused so much confusion the first time I tried to explain this to the students. For me, this was frustrating. I didn’t seem to have the right words to explain the desired result. But then, I remembered learning about synesthesia. I decided to do a little research and present my findings to the class.

Detail. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

Synesthesia is a neurologically-based condition in which stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory pathway. Synesthetes, those that have synesthesia, will see colors when they hear sound or touch objects. (I’ve written about this before! Please read my post Synesthesia in Art & Fashion. It’s one of my favorites!) When I research, I go to libraries and book stores. I build a sort of book fort around myself, and get lost in thought for hours. I stumbled across several great books, but the best one was a small catalog called Synesthesia: Art & the Mind. It’s fantastic, and I have a copy in my personal collection.

Untitled by Joan Mitchell, 1978. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

This catalog is how I became acquainted with Joan Mitchell. And it was love at first sight! There is a small essay by Patricia Albers in this catalog, and it explains all about Joan Mitchell and how her synesthesia influenced her paintings. Albers explains:

Joan Mitchell had several forms of synesthesia, including personality-color synesthesia, in which other people induce colors . . .

Heel, Sit, Stay by Joan Mitchell, 1977. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

It turns out that Mitchell also had “colored-hearing” synesthesia, or that she would see shapes and colors while listening to music. She also has eidetic memory (aka photographic memory) which means that instead of remembering, she would quite literally relive the past. Albers goes on to explain:

” ‘I carry my landscapes around with me’ she often said, in the form of images that ‘roosted inside’ her. As involved as she was with trees, rivers, fields, clouds, weather, and so on, she did not work out-of-doors, but rather mentally ‘framed’ whatever spoke to her: ‘the motion is made still like a fish trapped in ice. It is trapped in the painting. My mind is like an album of photographs and paintings.’ “

Tilleul by Joan Mitchell, 1978. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

Lehigh University currently has a show on Joan Mitchell’s work. It doesn’t touch on her synesthesia, but I sat in front of these large scale works and just marveled at them. I really enjoyed the painting above. This canvas just looks like a tree to me. I stared at it for a while, wondering if I was looking up at branches. It was like going for a walk through Mitchell’s personal landscape. This painting really made me happy. And there was just so much to look at! It’s even more magical up-close. Look at the details:

Details. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

When I explained synesthesia and showed Mitchell’s artwork to my students, I saw a drastic improvement on the work they produced. There is a really freeing sense that developed in my classroom. Everyone can experiencing a merging of the senses to some degree. But the very idea stimulates creativity. Sensations, emotions – they aren’t logical, nor do they possess a recognizable visual form. So relating feelings and perceptions to colors and forms in art was almost liberating to the students. Their creations didn’t have to look like anything, but there was always a recognizable correlation to their inspiration.

Untitled by Joan Mitchell, c. 1952. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

As I walked through the Mitchell exhibit, I had the real sense of experiencing nature. A tree, a leaf, branches, flowers, rain, sunshine through a window – I had the sensations of experiencing it the way Mitchell must have. This painting made me think of blossoming flowers. At first, I saw one large flower. But as I approached the canvas, it seemed there were small flowers scattered about.

Detail. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

It reminded me of the critiques I had with my students in LA. Somehow, it all makes sense. If you are in the Bethlehem area, please drop in to see the show! It is at the Zoellner Art Center until May 2013.

Untitled by Joan Mitchell, 1992. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

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Tags: abstract art, abstract expressionism, abstract expressionist, joan mitchell, landscape, landscapes, memory, nature inspired, painters, painting, synesthesia, synesthete, synesthetic art
Posted in art, artists, artists i love, creativity, Great Museums, made in america, Nature inspired, Teaching | No Comments »

March 29th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Calder Bicentennial Tapestries

Making discoveries in your own back yard are so fun. Today, I was at the Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University. I went to their gallery to see the Joan Mitchell show, which I will be writing a post about shortly! However, I was really surprised to see these tapestries hanging up. They are by none other than Alexander Calder (1898-1976).

The Bicentennial Tapestries: La Poire, le fromage, et le serpent (The Pear, the Cheese, and the Serpent) by Alexander Calder, 1975. Wool. Handwoven the Atelier of Pinton Freres.

Calder was a famous sculptor. You’ve probably seen some of his mobiles, which he started producing in the 1930s. Calder was born in Philadelphia. His father was a sculpter and his mother was a painter. After studying engineering, Calder studied at the Art Students’ League in New York

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Mobile by Alexander Calder. Image courtesy of the LA Times.

Calder was not limited to sculpture. He experimented with various media: jewlery, paiting, drawing, tapestries. Calder tried it all. He was also very close friends with Vera Neumann, a fantastic textile and scarf designer. (I remember a particularly fantastic post on this topic by The Vintage Traveler!)

The Bicentennial Tapestries: La Tache Bleue (The Blue Blob) by Alexander Calder, 1975.

In celebration of the bicentennial of the American Revolution, Calder designed a set of six tapestries. His designs were then handwoven by the Pinton Freres atelier in Aubusson, France. A limited edition of 200 were produced.

The The Bicentennial Tapestries: Le Sphere et les spirales (The Sphere and the Spirals) by Alexander Calder, 1975.

Each of the tapestries are signed and have a number. I wasn’t able to closely examine each of the tapestries, because they were hanging quite high on the wall. Two of the tapestries were hung above benches. So I stepped up to take a closer look (and a few photos). Here is the signature and a mark that I can’t quite make out. I suppose it is the number of the tapestry.

I really loved the graphic quality of the tapestries. The swirls and stripes are so interesting. The Palms is a great example of what I’m talking about.

The Bicentennial Tapestries: Les Palmiers (The Palms) by Alexander Calder, 1975.

Calder actually died the same year in which the tapestries were realized by the Pinton Freres atelier. These tapestries were a gift from Philip and Muriel Burman in 1999. The local newspaper, The Morning Call wrote more about the weaving technique when the gift was announced to the public:

The panels were made in Aubusson, France, using a centuries old technique that takes the weaver a month to create a single square yard of tapestry. The Bicentennial Tapestries were woven at Pinton Freres, the same studio that converted the art of Picasso, Chagall and Miro into Aubusson tapestry.

The Bicentennial Tapestries: Trois spirales (Three Spirals) by Alexander Calder, 1975.

The sixth tapestry was in the permanent gallery downstairs, which I missed. More reason to go back and take another look!

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Tags: Alexander Calder, art, Bicentennial Tapestries, Calder, Lehigh University, mobiles, tapestries, textiles, Vera, Vera Neumann
Posted in art, Art's Influence on Fashion, artists, artists i love, Designers I love, Great Museums, textiles | No Comments »

March 25th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Monet & Etretat

Yesterday, I wrote a post about a vintage illustrated dictionary I found. The little drawings pouring out from each page really captivated me. I spent a few hours making my own drawings based on the illustrations in the book. One, in particular, reminded me so much of paintings by Claude Monet (1840-1926). The illustration of a bluff made me think of Monet’s series depicting the coastline of Etretat.

Etretat is a small farming and fishing town near in the Normandy region of France. It attracts tourist far and wide for the naturally formed bluffs and cliff formations. According to the Musee d’Orsey, Monet first visited this area in the winter of 1868 and returned every year between 1883-1886. Monet made countless paintings of this coastline, each showing a different time of day or weather pattern.

Etretat in the Rain by Claude Monet, 1886.

I love this series of paintings. When I find a really special place, I take endless photographs and make drawings and paintings of what I observe. There is a small trail in the woods near my home that is really special to me. This is what I base a lot of my own paintings off of, as well as a large portion of my Instagram feed. Since this type of technology wasn’t available at the time, Monet had to paint rapidly to capture the ambient light and atmosphere.

Cliffs at Etretat (1886) - Claude Monet - Fine Arts - Moscow Musts

If you’ve ever painted or drawn landscapes outdoors, you know how tricky it is to capture the moment. The wind blows, a cloud passes by – whatever may happen, the environment constantly changes. The lighting may be different. Leaves will scatter about. People may enter the area. The scene is in a constant state of flux. If you sit outside and observe the same spot carefully for 15 minutes, you’ll see how rapidly that little spot will change.

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Etretat, La Porte d’Aval – Boats Leaving the Harbor by Claude Monet, 1885. Image courtesy of Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon via Wikimedia Commons.

If you observe the same place at different times of day over a period of time, you’ll start to notice so much more. It’s a really extraordinary thing to see the environment change from afternoon to sunset.

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Soleil Couchant à Etretat by Claude Monet, 1883. Image courtesy of El Museo de Hipatia.

Each sunset is unique and different. Look at the variation between these paintings.

Etretat at the End of the Day, Claude Monet. Image courtesy of Poul Webb.

Cliffs at Eretat by Claude Monet, 1886. Image courtesy of The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow.

Sunset at Etretat by Claude Monet, 1883.

Weather patterns change the lighting and colors the eye perceives. Here is Eretat during a particularly bad storm. Look at how dark and dreary it is. You can almost feel harsh winds whipping around you.

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Rough Sea at Etretat by Claude Monet, 1868. Image courtesy of Wikipaintings.

Monet painted another storm at Eretat, but this one seems less alarming. The sea seems to be more frenetic and turbulent. The brushstrokes are more pronounced, which gives the sea a really harsh feeling.

Agitated Sea at Etretat by Claude Monet, 1883. Image courtesy of Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon, via Wikimedia Commons.

And then, you can always observe the same place from a different vantage point. Here is another storm, from the other side of the bluff. Can you see the lone seagull?

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Amont Cliff with Rough Weather by Claude Monet, c. 1886.

Eretat is a really beautiful place, and I hope to make it there some day. Until then, I’ll have to enjoy these lovely paintings by Monet.

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The Cliffs at Etretat by Claude Monet, 1885. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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Tags: bluffs, cliffs, Eretat, impressionism, Impressionist work. Claude Monet, landscape, landscapes, Monet, paintings, seascape, seascapes
Posted in art, artists, artists i love, Books, Inspiration, Nature inspired, paintings | No Comments »

March 24th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Find of the Week: The Art Spirit by Robert Henri

My previous posts about the “Find of the Week” have always been about clothing. But today’s post is all about a wonderful book I discovered. The Art Spirit by Robert Henri is a collection of the artist’s beliefs, theories, and teachings on painting. I can’t tell you how excited I was to accidentally discover this book!

Robert Henri (1865-1929) was an American artist, primarily know for his portraits, and the leader of the Ashcan School. Around 1900, this group of painters focused on depicting scenes as they were (Realism) instead of in the dreamy, staccato way of the American (and French) Impressionists.

Henri attracted droves of students to The Art Students League of New York, including George Bellows. (New to my site? Please take a moment to read my previous post on George Bellows) Henri was an excellent communicator, mostly because of the passion which drove him to create art. He saw no separation between art and life, constantly stating that art is a matter in which everyone is vitally concerned. Why? Henri opens the book with the following:

“Art, when really understood, is the province of every human being. It is simply a question of doing things – anything – well. It is not an outside, extra thing. When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching , daring, self-expressing creature, He becomes interesting to other people.“

Current course catalog for The Art Students League

The Art Students League is still in operation. After finding Henri’s book, I took a trip to the school. There classes are extremely flexible and affordable. You simply select the type of class you’d like to take, and pay for a month of enrollment. Classes offered range in price from $80 to $240 for the month, and meet either once, twice, or five times a week. The Art Students League also offers workshops, as well! I’m hoping to enroll in a class or two this summer.

Classroom storage at The Art Students League.

The book is so inspiring. It is no wonder to me that Henri had so many students. When I read his words now, so long after they were written in the 1920s, I can feel this dormant creativity in myself waking up. A particular passage in the book really touched me:

“There are moments in our lives, there are moments in a day, when we seem to see beyond the usual. Such are the moments of greatest happiness. Such are the moments of our greatest wisdom. If one could but recall his visions by some sort of sign. It was in this hope that the arts were invented. Signposts on the way to what might be. Signposts towards greater knowledge.”

1908 Jessica Penn in Black with White Plumes oil on canvas 196 x 97 cm

Jessica Penn in Black and White Plumes by Robert Henri, 1908.

That is what made Henri such a great artist. He could observe daily life in such extraordinary detail. Looking at his portrait of Jessica Penn, I imagine that he captured her likeness very well. Penn seems very self-assured with her bold pose: shoulders back, hip thrust back and jutted out to the side, arms positioning the fabric of her skirt to show her silhouette more closely. She has that s-shaped silhouette so typical of the time period. But look at her face: doesn’t she look a bit, well, bored? Maybe she is just tired – those extreme corsets of the day certainly made daily activities, like walking and breathing, difficult.

Her outfit is really skillful depicted. It really reminds me a lot of this dress by Jaques Doucet from 1903.

Dress by Jacques Doucet, 1903. Image courtesy of The Kyoto Costume Institute.

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Tags: daily life, fashion, fashion from 1900-1910, George Bellows, Inspiration, Jacques Doucet, painting, Robert Henri, The Art Spirit, The Art Students League, The Ashcan School
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March 24th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

A to See

It’s been one of those weeks. You know, the kind of week when your to-do list is a mile long and you’re running on fumes. I’ve been juggling multiple projects, commuting, and grading for the end of the term. After carefully finishing all my requirements, I needed some time for myself. Having quiet time is really essential for me to stay balanced. So what did I do?

Earlier in the week, I found this great vintage illustrated dictionary. It was the first volume in a set of six, and covers A to Ch. There was something so compelling about the illustrations that I had to buy it. There were so many wonderful pictures that I knew would inspire me to draw.

There is something about drawing that re-energizes me. It is sort of a meditation. I become really absorbed in the process of creating shapes and lines. When I draw, I want to capture not only a likeness of the object, but it’s spirit – the way it makes me feel. That is why making art changes my mood. Instead of focusing on external things outside of my control, I look to a thing of beauty that makes me happy and try to create a record of it. This little dictionary was filled with some of the happiest, beautiful illustrations. Like this:

The catalpa is a tree with heart-shaped leaves. I’ve seen trees like this before, and marveled at them. A tree full of hearts! What a perfect plant for me. But I’d never know the name. Of course I was inspired and made this little drawing:

The illustration that really made me purchase the book was of a bluff along the sea. It has a little sailboat hugging the shoreline. I thought it was really darling, and reminded me of Monet’s seascapes. (Maybe I will post about those paintings tomorrow!)

I changed the color of the sails to purple, but kept the passenger.

Then, a chestnut tree caught my attention:

I’m not sure if I liked how this one came out, but it was still fun to do!

Every page I turned brought more inspiring images. I sketched a few more things, but was most happy with this canyon.

I could easily entertain myself this way for much longer. I only wish I had the entire volume of this dictionary! There must be so much more to see.

(Like my drawings? I used a thin tip Sharpie marker and Crayola Twistable crayons. I highly recommend these items!)

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Tags: art, books, dictionary, drawing, illustrations, Inspiration
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March 4th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

What I’ve been up to . . .

I’ve been a busy bee the past few weeks. Teaching definitely keeps me on the go! I know that my blog focuses more on my personal observations of art, fashion, and creativity. But I thought you might like to know what I’ve been doing for my profession. Right now, I teach a textile class and a product development class. Grading always keeps me busy, but I really enjoy designing projects for my students. Product development has been so much fun. My students are designing a private label line and going through the steps to put it into production. Here’s a look at some of their work:

This is a preview of a line called Femme Victorial by my student Marija. Aside from designing the looks, sourcing the materials, and verifying costs or fabric and production, they also have to make social media channels to promote the line. You can follow Femme Victorial on Twitter!

This is a preview of Wonderland NYC, by my students Chance and Nancy. Their line is so adorable, and has a great Instagram account. You can see more of there line there.

My textile class keeps me super busy! Just in the last month, we have covered knitting, crocheting, weaving, dyeing and printing. Whew! I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I can only imagine how my students must feel. Learning textiles for the first time can be so overwhelming. I never thought I’d remember all of the complicated information about weave structures. It takes time and practice. I’m also a firm believer in student centered learning, so I try to make lots of activities. So, we learn how to crochet . . .

And knit . . . (by the way, I finally finished this knitting this circular scarf I started over a YEAR ago. It was part of my demo of how to cast off. I’m loving how the purl stitch came out!)

We also tie-dyed in a crock pot last week. Sorry, no photos of that. I somehow misplaced my sample. We discussed printing, and tomorrow we are going to talk more about patterns and repeats. Here is a sketch I made for my friend Ashley’s birthday. I’m going to frame it for her, but wanted to turn it into a textile first. So I’ll be sure to scan a high-res image and show my students how to use Spoonflower, a print-on-demand textile and wallpaper site.

We also discussed block printing on textiles. William Morris used the block printing method for his wonderful fabrics. So tomorrow, we will be making our own block prints from potatoes. I just bought some this afternoon for the class. Since time is so critical, I carved out a few designs myself.

Now, all the students have to do is apply some fabric paint. Plus, they will know how to do it themselves in the future. So fun! But what I’m really excited for is this small silk screening kit I found. It’s small enough to travel well, and perfect to demonstrate the difference between printing types. I so excited for tomorrow!

Now, it’s back to work for me. I have so much left to do!

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Tags: crocheting, dyeing, fashion, knitting, product development, production, sourcing, teaching, textiles
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February 28th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Byzantine Express

Once in a great while, there is a collection that blows me away. Dolce Gabbana’s Fall/Winter 2014 was one of those dreamy, art inspired collections that I can’t stop thinking about! In my eyes, this label can do no wrong. They always make beautiful garments, most of which reference Italian art and history. This year, they looked to Byzantine art that is so prevalent in Italy.

Look at how the dress above (image courtesy of Style.com) has a geometric printed textile that mimics the gold coated mosaic bits of stone and glass. The crown on the figure looks to have hand-sewn embellishments. Looks a lot like this this Byzantine mosaic, doesn’t it? The way the head is gestured, the crown with three points, even the eyes and crook of the nose all looks the same . . .

Image courtesy of Orthodox Northwest.

There were so many great looks! I tried to pick a few that had a strong correlation to existing mosaics. This dress certainly looks like it was inspired by the mosaic of Saint Michael, the Archangel. Take a look:

The red halo, the blue tunic with golden Maltese crosses, the geometric patterned stole. It’s all the same!

unknown-artist-st-michael-the-archangel-mid-12th-century-duomo-di-cefalc3b9-cefalc3b9-province-of-palermo-sicilian-autonomous-region-italy

The general patterns are a really close match, too! Take a look at this hemline . . .

dolce-and-gabbana-fw-2014-mosaic-women-collection-the-shoes-cameo-and-filigree-heel

compared to this detail . .

The accessories are so amazing, too! Look a this handbag. It really resembles Justinian, don’t you think?

dolce-and-gabbana-fw-2014-mosaic-women-collection-the-handbags-velvet-saint-agata

It’s not an exact match, but pretty close. The crown is a different color and shape, the jewelry is different – but the clothing is draped the same way and fastened with a similar brooch.