Week 6 Landscape and the sublime

        Week 6-Landscape and the Sublime

'Wanderer in the mists' (1818) Caspar David Friedrich

'Untitled #2" (2002) Richard Misrach

      

Untitled # 394-03' (2003) Richard Misrach 

"What and when was the Enlightenment?

The enlightenment is usually said to of taken place in the 18th centenary and was evolved around the colonies on the western hemisphere such as France, Russia,Great Britain and Germany. The movement and thought that was developed in the time of the Enlightenment were set up, playing a leading role and was influenced on ways of thinking in the west. It then lead to the creation of nature, society and the the man kind itself but most importantly it challenged the original world view which was over-ruled by Christianity. 

Define the concept of the Sublime.

Sublime was defined in the 1750's by the statesman of Britain and therapist Edmund Burke. They said life and the feeling of spirit was depending on the universe. Victor Hugo described it as mix of unnatural, distorted and beautiful. Opposed to the way that the bible defined perfection.

 How did the concept of the Sublime come out of the Enlightenment thought?

The sublime portrayed the history of holiness, and mix of fear, movement and respect it was terrifying nature and it all lead back to the observation of the Enlightenment.

Discuss the subject matter, and aesthetic (look) of Misrach's work to identify the Sublime in his work. Add some more images of his work.

Battleground Point #8 (1999) Richard Misrach                                                   

        Swimmers, Pyramid Lake Indiana Reservation, Nevada, 1987-93

                                                 

                            White Man Contemplating Pyramids, Egypt, 1989-1991

In Misrach's work he uses a lot of open space and shows various landscapes having small groups people set in the picture or people in a small proportion of the picture. You notice the sublime through the theme of his work as he shows the beauty of the environment in differ to the people who may of featured in the picture especially in pictures one in two Richard Misarch showed the concept of sublime by using the beach and an island with water around it which plays a huge role in nature. 

5. Identify some other artists or designers that work with ideas around the Sublime, from the Enlightenment era as well as contemporary artists.

                                                         

                                                         John Constable, View on the Stour near Dedham 1822

6. How does Misrach's photography make you feel? Does it appeal to your imagination?

Before this blog i had never looked at Misarch's art work, ive seen stuff like it but never his and i wouldn't normally look at art under this context but as i started researching him i started to understand and see where he is coming from and how interesting it can be once you see the meaning of his work.

7. Add a Sublime image of your choice to your blog, which can be Art or just a Sublime photograph.

                                   Thomas Telford, Llangolen Canal Aqueduct, NeoClassicism

8. Reference your sources (books and websites). 

http://www.artinfo.com/galleryguide/20291/6826/6306/robert-mann-gallery-new-york/artist/richard-misrach/biography/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublime_(philosophy)