Extended Diploma in art and design 2014 : 2014

Wednesday, 21 May 2014

Exhibition - Carmelo Mangion

I was lucky to be invited by Carmelo Mangion's daughter Adrienne Cassar to view many of her father's works which included paintings and etchings.

Carmelo Mangion was born in 1905 and was one of Malta's leading pioneers of Modern Art. His favourite media were oils and gouache, while he was also equally proficient in watercolour and etchings.

Brooklyn Bridge, New York (signed)

This is an etching done at the time while Mangion was studying in New York. It is a scene depicting the Brooklyn Bridge. His style has a certain roughness and the darkest area is in the foreground. The paper is stained due to its age and maybe improper storage.

Power Station 22 x 15.5cm unsigned

This is a powerful depiction of the effects of industry. The composition creates a sense of balance. The dark areas around the chimneys gives focus to the main subject. The foreground is light and so the eyes are directed to the chimneys.

The Two Chimneys
Gouache on paper 30 x 20 cm signed and undated

This is a painted version of the same subject as the etching. In the Two Chimneys the colours are limited and mostly in shades of white. One of the chimneys is closer to the viewer. The brush strokes are visible and give the painting a sense of movement.

Christ Before Pilate

Oil on masonite (65 x 83cm)

The colours in this painting are strong and bold. The reddish orange shades are in the centre while the dark shades of greens surround the painting. Christ is painted in white with a halo around his head. He hangs his head waiting for whatever punishment he is about to get. The walls and the ground form triangular shapes. The group of figures, Pilate and Christ also form a triangle. The ground is like it is reflecting water with oranges and tourqoise. The colours and the composition give it an expressionist feel.

Rooftops

Gouache on paper

60x36cm

This is an abstract painting. The buildings are flat with simple shapes of rectangles and sqaures. The colours are mostly shades of pink, whites and light blues. The sky is painted dark with a large circle which could be the moon or the sun.

Bibliography

(online) Available at:<http://www.culturalmalta.org/index.php/Art/Artists/Carmelo-Mangion.html (Accessed 21st May 2014)

Carnival Posters

Carnival is celebrated in most Catholic countries around the world. From the great carnival in Brazil to smaller events in countries such as Italy, Spain, Malta, Canary Islands and Sicily. Street carnival parties and parades are a main feature and many other events such as parties, carnival balls and competitions are organised annually.

Fairgrounds are another source of entertainment. These are found all around the world. The fair is an ancient tradition. Some are organised during most of the year and others during an anniversary of a local event or seasonal, such as in the summer time or Christmas season.

For these happy events advertising is an important way of attracting people to attend. One way of encouraging and letting people know about the event is promotional posters.

Both these Vintage posters are from the Art Nouveau period.

These posters were lithographs printed on high quality paper.

The design of this fairground poster is very attractive and colouful. The depiction of the ferris wheel is gigantic making the Eiffel Tower look small in the background.

The Victorian age was a time of enormous change in the world of printing. The new machinery of steam presses helped printing in large numbers.

Lithography also made great improvements and metal plates started to replace the original limestone slabs.

The Great Coney Island Water Carnival poster of 1898. It is the promotional poster for Barnum & Bailey. It shows performers diving and clowns in the ocean at Coney Island, New York.

It was printed by the Stobridge Lithograph co, Cincinnati and New York. It is colourful and attractive to look at.

This is the poster promoting Carnival in Sitges 2009. It is a colourful almost unfinished sketch of a harlequin. It could be influenced by Picasso's style.

Arrecife Carnival

This poster is the work of Carlos Mattalana Manrique. The theme of the poster is the Olympic Games which is represented by a discus thrower.

Today's printing methods and computers makes the job much easier and faster.

Bibliography

(online)Available at:< http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/educator/modules/gutenberg/books/printing/ (21stMay2014)

Tuesday, 20 May 2014

Egyptian Architecture

Egyptian architecture makes us think of the pyramids, the huge temples and tombs. They were built from stone. Stone quarries supplied limestone, sandstone and granite. The structures were built without mortar and so they had to be planned well.

Step Pyramid

Pyramids of Giza

Only a hundred years after the construction of the Step Pyramid group of King Djose, pyramid construction reached its peak in the Great Pyramid of Giza. It is the largest of the Egyptian pyramids. It was commissioned by the Pharoah Khufu and built by the Egyptian people. It is a mystery how the pyramids were built. Many believe ramps were used to move the heavy blocks.

The Egyptians used stone for their columns. Columns were placed close together so that they would be able to support the ceiling. Their function was to support ceilings without the use of solid walls. This increased the space and allowed the entrance of light. It also made the entrance to the temples look attractive. The temple columns like the walls, were also decorated.

Spectacular columns at Karnak

Lotus style column

The Great Temple of Abu Simbel hewn out of the rocks in the time of Ramesses ll

During the Art Deco period between the 1920's and 1930's,there was a world wide interest in ancient cultures and civilisations. The following are a few examples of Egyptian revival architecture.

The Chrysler building was one of the last buildings built in the Art Deco style. Its geometric patterns on the spire and exterior and the stylish elevator doors inside the building are Egyptian influenced.

The Step Pyramid

Boulder County Courthouse,Colorado, USA.

This building was influenced by the Step Pyramid in Egypt.

Spectacular in concept and form the pyramids in the courtyard of the Grand Louvre Museum in Paris are made entirely of glass interlinked with a steel structure. The pyramid has become a new symbol of the city.

National Museum of Beirut (1930-1937) is an example of the influence from Ancient Egyptian architecture. The similarities in the structure can be seen in the Egyptian Temple at Karnak in the picture below.

'Quay in St.Petersburg with two Sphinxes of Amenhotep lll' by Maxim Vorobiev. Oil on canvas 1835

This is a painting of the statues placed at the quay in the harbour of St. Petersburg. They were brought from Egypt in 1832.

One of the two granite sphinxes from ancient Thebes brought to St.Petersburg in 1832 were they still stand to this very day.

The construction of this sacred building in Barcelona, Spain by the famous Antoni Gaudi started during the Art Nouveau period. The inside of the Sagrada Famiglia with its impressive columns with decorative capitals reminds me of an Egyptian temple as the one in the painting below.

Island Temple at Philea by David Roberts

Bibliography

Book

Cartocci, A. and Rosati, G., 2005, Egyptian Art. Firenze: SCALA

Websites

Lomholt, I., 2011. Louvre Pyramid Building - Achitect. [Online]

Available at: http://www.e-architect.co.uk/paris/louvre-pyramid-building
[Accessed 18 March 2014].

Anon, 200-. Art Deco History. [Online]
Available at: http://www.art-deco-style.com/art-deco-history.html
[Accessed 20 March 2014].

Anon, 199-. Egypt: Art and Architecture. [Online]

Available at: http://www2.sptimes.com/Egypt/EgyptCredit.4.4.html

[Accessed 20 March 2014].

Monday, 19 May 2014

Carnival in Malta

Maltese Carnival

As in other countries Carnival in Malta and Gozo is a very colourful and attractive entertainment. Carnival week is a time for song, music, fun and laughter. In Malta the Carnival spirit has been handed down for many generations, were tradition has been honoured for the last four centuries. In various towns and villages around Malta and Gozo, one may watch the activity of artists and organisers, as they prepare their papier-mache grotesque figures and floats for the grand parade in Valletta and Floriana. One can enjoy watching the elaborate costumes and taste the local carnival treats such as the delicious 'Prinjolata'.

The Maltese Carnival is well known for the creative, fluorescent coloured floats. The themes vary from people, animals, mythical creatures to animation characters.

Sometimes inspiration is found from earlier civilisations and cultures such as Venetian, Egyptian and African influences.

This float was inspired by the Venetian mask and carnival. Unlike Venetian masks the colours are very bright and fluorescent typical of the Maltese floats.

The headdress and costumes are influenced by present day Venetian costumes and masks. They have elaborate designs but are a bit purposely exaggerated both in colour and height. The colours are also very bright unlike Venetian costumes which are made from the finest materials including silk, satin and lace.

Bibliography
(online) Avalible:< http://www.mydestination.com/malta/travel-articles/72224/carnival-in-malta (Accessed 17th May)

Venetian Carnival

The carnival in Venice is one of the oldest in the world. It's origins trace back to the 15th century. In the past it started on December 26th and reached its peak on Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. During that time of year the city turned into a huge stage. Social differences disappeared behind costumes and masks. People sang and played instruments, danced and played games. There were balls and festivities and everything was permitted. Today it is famous world wide and carnival celebrations are still held with people wearing spectacular and historical costumes and masks but for a shorter period of time during the ten days before lent.

Masks have always been a main feature in Venetian Carnival. The Venetian masks were made of leather, porcelain or glass and all had a symbolic or practical function. Today they are often made of gesso or paper mache and they are decorated with feathers and gems. The main types of Venetian masks are the bauta, moretta, gnaga, medico della pesta, pantalone, arlecchino, columbina and many more.

Commedia Dell'arte (Comedy of professional artists or Comedy of Humours) was a form of improvisational theatre which began in the 16th century and continued to be widely popular up until the 18th Century. The actors were Italian street performers who wore masks with exaggerated comic features to draw attention to themselves and their acrobatic skills.
Characters such as Arlecchino, Columbina, Pantalone, The Doctor, The Captain and Pulcinella emerged from Commedia Dell'Arte. Many of the costumes worn during the Venice Carnival today are typical of the ones used in centuries past.

This is a modern costume of the Harlequin worn at the Venice Carnival . It is very brightly coloured and has accessories attached to it to make it more spectacular. The historical Arlecchino wore a multicoloured costume comprised of diamond shaped patterns, a catlike mask which has a low forehead, round eyes and a small nose. The modern Harlequin has painted his face instead of wearing a mask. Face painting and body painting is another artistic expression to create new designs.

Here are different types, colours and elaborate designs of the bauta mask which is very popular and seen every year at the carnival balls, streets and shops of Venice. Bauta is considered the traditional Venetian mask. This is not just a mask but a whole outfit. In the past it consisted of a shining white shaped mask called larva or Volto. It covered half of the face and had no mouth and therefore the wearer could eat and talk freely. It was worn with a black cape or veil of silk, a cloak (tambarro) or mantle and a three-cornered (''tricorne'') hat. The Bauta was and is still worn by both Venetian ladies and gentleman alike.

Historical Bauta

The Plague mask had a long beak. It was worn by doctors while treating plague victims.The mask is white with a hollow beak and round eyes.It was worn with a black hat and a black cloak as well as white gloves and a stick. Like the costumes, the plague mask that is worn nowadays is elaborate and decorated with patterns and painted with colours or silver and gold.

Black masks are also popular. They are nowadays more stylish, original and creative than the Moretta or Servetta Muta which was a black velvet oval shaped mask that was worn by Venetian ladies. Covering all but the outer edge of the face, the moretta was secured to the wearer by the way of a small bit that was held in place by the teeth. It was worn with a veil.

Moretta

Modern mask

The Columbina is a half mask. It is often decorated in colour or with silver, gold, feathers, lace or crystals. It can either be tied by ribbons or held up by a baton which is a attached to the mask.

Bibliography

(online) Available http://slowitaly.yourguidetoitaly.com/2013/01/carnival-of-venice-types-of-venetian-masks/ (Accessed 19th March 2014)
(online) Available http://www.justposhmasks.com/28/Venetian_Mask_Characters_-_Masquerade_Masks_Identified_by_their_Origin/ (Accessed 19th March 2014)
(online) Available http://shane-arts.com/commedia-history.htm (Accessed 19th March 2014)

Egyptian Jewellery

A series of finds between the 19th and early 20th century in the tombs of princesses buried in shafts near to their father's pyramid. Inside these shafts a collection of diadems, bracelets, pectorals and collars were discovered. This jewellery of the Middle Kingdom is considered to be the most exquisite ever made. Their design and workmanship is unparalleled.

In Princess Sithathoriunet's tomb they discovered a niche in the wall which had been plastered over. Inside were five boxes which consisted of a mirror, razors and pots of cosmetics and the prize piece, a diadem in the form of a broad band of gold decorated with the royal cobra and rosettes. The cobra's head is made of lapis lazuli and the eyes of garnets. The band would have been worn over a wig made up of long braids held with gold clasps.

In 1956, at Hawara, in the tomb of Princess Neferuptah, an impressive broad collar composed of six bands of tubular beads made of feldspar and carnelian and gold beads in between. Miniature falcon heads are at the end of the collar. Matching pairs of bracelets and anklets complete the set .

Two fine pectorals were found in Princess Meret's tomb at Dahshur. They are made in the form of shrines. Inside at the top a vulture goddess with outspread wings hovers above the image of the king as a griffin, trampling his enemies.

The art of the Egyptians and the exciting new archaeological discoveries in the Valley of the Kings influenced designers during the Art Deco period. Jewellers working during this period adapted Egyptian influences into their work using motifs such as the shape and designs of pyramids, the eye of Horus, scarabs, the lotus blossoms, papyrus flowers and whole scenes of Ancient Egyptian life became motifs for jewellery. To create these Egyptian revival jewellery different gems and stones were used. Lapis lazuli, turquoise, gold, silver and cornelian. Also crystal, marcasite, precious stones, glass enamel to mention a few.