Paper Example on Modern American Art

Thematic Answer (48 points): In the course, we have discussed American Art as being not altogether European, Native, or African, but somewhere in between these limits. Moreover, American Art is mestizaje (mixed) in nature, creating art all its own with its contrasting elements. How are the images below representative of a mestizo American consciousness?

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Via a careful analysis of the John Freake portrait, we can learn a lot about him and how he views his self and his position within the society. The picture identifies Freake as an individual of mixed ideologies not native to his place of birth. Unlike his Puritan brethren from 50 years ago who stereotypically wore black coats, John Freake in the painting wears a magnificent dark brown velvet coat. The coat has two silver buttons on the flaps of the pockets and along the front of the jacket. The expensive attire is a clear indication of the man's class. This fact in itself brings up the theme of ostentation, which recurs in the act of commissioning the painting itself. The portrait was odes to protestant scriptures and Calvinistic teachings which resonated with Freake as a result of his upbringing and his status in the society. Traditional Puritans emphasized that ostentation was sinful and also economically imprudent. The prosperity that came as a result of God's calling was also heavily looked down on. Freake believed that as much as it was wrong to show off, it was not illegal to show how God has blessed you. Moreover, prosperity is the reward of diligence at a secular calling.

Short Answer (24 points): What is "Manifest Destiny?" How does the image below exude this political ideology? Be sure to mention "magisterial gaze."

Manifest destiny was a phrase coined in 1945 to articulate the philosophy that drove the territorial expansion in the 19th century United States. The philosophy held that the U.S. was destined by God to expand its territory and spread capitalism and democratic tenets across the whole of the North American continent. The portrait by Thomas Cole celebrates the transcendent power of the American landscape. The power in the imagery lies in its exhibition of the unspoiled American nature. This fact is contrary to the entire point manifest destiny, whose main aim is to spread democracy and capitalism. Capitalism is a precursor to things such as industrialization as a result of competitive markets, capital accumulation, affordable labor, etc. This fact is detrimental to if not completely obliterating the sublime nature of America depicted in the portrait.

Compare and Contrast (36 points): In analyzing the two images, how could one describe the relationships between American Indians and colonialists? What are the deeper political messages conveyed for Native women and men and (white) colonial women and men? Overall, what do these images say about the creation of the United States and its heritage and culture? Although Catlin is not shown here, how might you apply Kathryn S. Hight, '"Doomed to Perish': George Catlin's Depictions of Mandan," 150-62, to this comparison? Cite the article at least once in your answer. Also, be sure to mention "Federal Style."

The images both portray the intense hostility that existed between the colonists and American Indians. The women in both paintings are seen as innocent and usually caught up in the affairs taking place around them. They are not directly involved in the matters around them but are always affected by the issues around them. They are also seen as not to follow the ideologies of the men around them blindly but think for themselves and can thus be termed as liberal. Pocahontas, for instance, is seen protecting John Smith when her father is about to execute him. Women here are depicted as being humane and are willing to put themselves in harm's way for what they believe. Jane McCrea had a fiance to a Loyalist while her family was primarily involved in a patriotic cause. The creation of the United States was achieved via great struggle with the loss of lives and great suffering.

Thematic Answer (48 points): Thinking of Paul Staiti, "Character and Class: The Portraits of John Singleton Copley," how is gender (for women, men, girls, boys, whites, and people of color) being constructed in these images? How do these portraits constitute various "American" identities? You must cite the Staiti article at least once anywhere in your entire answer.

The portrait by Kuhn shows Henry as a young boy dressed in an orange-yellow tunic, in his hands, a bow and arrow. This is symbolic of the expectations that awaited the man he was to become following the standards of the time. In the portrait also, standing next to Henry is a boy of African American descent wearing an orange coat holding a deceased bird. This also shows the place that African Americans held during the time, playing subordinate roles to influential individuals as they could not wield power. They possessed no right at the time. It also shows that the young whites were taught at a very young age that they were far more superior to their black subjects as depicted in the imagery. However, the portrait by Edward Savage of the Washington Family that shows Washington in his uniform and the papers under his hands which hint at military character and authority contrasts it. Martha Washington is also depicted pointed onto a map with her fan and dressed posh. An enslaved man dressed in livery is also seen standing competing for the imagery of the scene. The Washington family all seem to attend to some task that is deemed crucial. This shows alienation of the people of color, depicting the only purpose they served was servitude to the elites without themselves taking part or getting credit for any noble tasks. Capturing of this in a portrait along with a founding father shows that it was a norm then and was widely accepted.

In the portrait by John Singleton Copley, Governor, and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin, it is evident of the place of women the world at the time. The title itself references her by her husband's name and not her own. Also, she is seen participating in the home manufacture products that would generally have been imported from England. It is thus clear from the painting that women played a much more subordinate role than men in society. They focused on household chores while the men took on more sophisticated matters and took part in making decisions that impacted the society in a significant way.

Compare and Contrast (36 points): How did these women artists attempt to be subversive and reflective concerning the female body? Moreover, how were their voices different than the mainstream?

Harriet Hosner's sculpture depicts Zenobia as calm, dignified, and powerful. We can conclusively establish from this fact that she is indeed a feminist and tries to show that a woman's capacity can move beyond the limitations that have been placed on her. Harriet chooses to depict Zenobia as a powerful woman embodying authority and strength as opposed to her typical representation of a subjugated victim. Red Canna was a portrait that was derived from Georgia's natural forms of close-up studies. She was more often than not inspired by the female form. This can be seen from her brush strokes, the way the petal edges are shaped. They can be likened to the feminine form, and this was no doubt her way of subliminally communicating a feminist agenda.

Short Answer (24 points): How was Louis Sullivan's skyscraper Wainwright Building (5.60) a product of modernity, urbanism, and class conflict during the Gilded Age (1870-1900)? Refer to George Bellows' New York (6.2) to help your answer.

Wainwright Building was among the very first skyscrapers in the world, now a prototype for modern skyscrapers. The building signified a rebellion from thee reliance against the dependence the Americans had on the European architectural designs. This meant the beginning of architects breaking free from tradition, exploring new ways with their imagination as their limit. As this was a new design, the architects were left to solve unique problems, but it was a worthy endeavor at the end of the day.

Thematic Answer (84 points): Initially, we began the class, recognizing that American Art was inherently mestizaje. Although this is still true, we also start to see how American artists attempted to make art their own or exhibit features that were distinctly American. With each artwork below, describe why and what makes these artwork representatives of American Art movements. Mention the particular movements and/or eras they are associated with.

James painted Symphony in White No. 1 in the Gilded Age. At the time, there was an increase in the growth of the economy, and as the wages in America rose, there was an influx of immigrants in the order of millions. The author is reported to have emphasized the philosophy of "art for art's sake," which precludes it from being peeled for hidden layers. However, it possesses characteristics of Naturalism, which was a movement in the 19th century where the human subject was portrayed in natural habitats and social environment emphasizing on ophthalmic correctness.

My Egypt by Charles Demuth depicts a concrete lift painted from a low point of view assuming a massive structure which is further expressed by the other surrounding smaller buildings with the architecture of smaller family farmhouses. A sequence of intersecting geometric planes and dynamism gives the composition a heavenly radiance likening industry to religion. The form can be said to belong to surrealism art movement. This is because the movement, which was founded by the 19th-century artists and authors, focuses on seeking a subconscious channel of communicating ideas as a method of unlocking the power of the imagination. The hope was that the unconscious could decipher the meaning hidden in the imagery and reveal the contradictions in the world every day and prompt action.

Couple in Raccoon Coats borrows its style from the Art Deco movement that flourished in the '20s and '30s. The art movement was an extensive style thane merged the love of modernity with allusion the classical past and outlandish places. The art also borrows some features from the Fashion Photography art movement that aims at promoting high culture. This is depicted by the couple alighting from a vehicle dressed in minks. The vehicles at the time the photograph was taken were at the pinnacle of lavish living, and the clothes the couple is wearing are also lavish.

Migrant Mother, Nipomo Valley is a photograph that was taken by Dorothea Lange while an employee of the U.S. government on the Farm Security Administration program. The picture depicts a mother and her two children with a look of devastation on her face which was warranted as there was a failure of pea crop during the season's harvest and this was during the Great Depression. The photograph can be observed to possess the tropes of Documentary Photography that makes an effort to capture various realities and can be best perceived as a collective vocabulary encompassing a myriad of styles.

Autumn Rhythm is a painting done by Jackson Pollock in 1950; it is a nonrepresentational image whereby various styles were applied to achieve the emotion the artist intended to express. The painting can be observed to possess the characteristics of Abstract expressionism, which was committed to a form of expression of high emotion and comprehensive tropes that transcended the language barrier and relatable concepts.

Bibliography

Boime, Albert. The magisterial gaze: manifest destiny and American landscape painting, c. 1830-1865. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991.

Leja, Michael. "Jackson Pollock: Representing the Unconscious." Art History, 13, no. 4 (1990). 440-64

Chave, Anna C. "O'Keeffe and the Masculine Gaze." Art in America (1990...