Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Humble Pie Rises to Upper Crust

the renaissance delivered us an extensive collection of opulent artwork that even today awe and impress many. perhaps even more admirable than these works is the unrelenting popularity and the inspiration that has sinced spawned. i feel this is largely due to the numerous advances the fifteenth and sixteenth century saw in artistic development that elevated artistry to a profession. these "new masters" (Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and Raphael to name a few) exemplified  precision and introduced a new standard among the artist community. suddenly a new found interest in perspective is developed which was previously, painfully neglected. DaVinci makes great strides at more accurate depictions of anatomy which influences others at this time. also, i feel some credit is owed to the expansion of humanism and the liberating invention of the printing press.

i can fully appreciate all kinds of art work from ancient cave drawings to modern sculpture and even interpretive dance (though its probably my least favorite,) but as far as my personal tastes are concerned, renaissance artwork is far from the top of my list. again, the sizable donations these artists left to the artistic community are incalculable and considerable, but i just don't fully relate to the devotional imagery that is so abundant in them. i tend to prefer works from the pop art era and up. i feel that the limitless option of subject matter (rather than intense restraint) provokes a more emotional almost unbridled response. and to me that is what art is suppose to do: turn your head.

No comments: