2nd Exhibition Visit

St. James Cavalier Exhibition

Xebgha Nies

This exhibition featured works by various artists. I chose the works by Marisa Attard as I've been influenced by her use of mixed media, contrast in colours and her creative ideas.

"Pastizz": I really like the fact that she used a real small piece of a typical Maltese paper bag. The colours used are creating such an amazing composition and contrast. It's showing a typical Maltese man sitting in a bar having a "pastizz" and a drink.

"Bar Code": I like how the work is compared with the title. The table of the bar has that texture and pattern of a "bar code" while the men are having a drink near the bar. This work has a variety of patterns and textures which are really contrastable.

"Blow!": This work really reflects the title. It is showing a couple which are walking while in the background there are people which are being blown away by the wind. The use of orange and red really brings out the couple in the work.

 "Tombola": I like the tones and shades of greens with oranges. It shows typical traditional Maltese women playing the game which is known as "tombola". 

"A Perfect Balance": It has an interesting composition and contrast in both colour and size. It seems that someone is holding the large women with some kind of stick or rope, and the women herself is holding a tiny man. This picture has a sense of repetition in a way.

Bibliography

Date of visit: 5-3-14

Names of practitioners: Marisa Attard

Title of Exhibition: Xebgha Nies

Place: St. James Cavalier, Valletta

1st Exhibition Visit

St. James Cavalier Exhibition

Eccentricks

I really like these works because they are modern and original. It's really interesting that they have a different composition and interpretation. They also have a sense of a typical Maltese culture and tradition, but their composition is interpreted in an original and modern way. For example: the red telephone box's shape is changed completely to create an original and abstract effect, the chair has two wheels were you can put your arms, the toilet's design and pattern is that similar to the Maltese luzzu, the clocks happen to imitate the old vintage grand father clock and the bike which looks like the chair. These works influenced me to keep working and focusing on abstract and original designs which has a touch of something which is coming from the past and which is old or that of a typical tradition.

Bibliography

Date of visit: 5-3-14

Names of practitioners: Emanuel Bonnici

Title of Exhibition: Eccentricks

Place: St. James Cavalier, Valletta 

History Of Design

The Arts And Crafts Movement

Before spreading across America and Europe, The Arts And Crafts Movement first started in Britain around 1880. The main founders of The Arts And Crafts Movement were John Ruskin and William Morris (1860's-1910). There were numerous characteristics that described The Arts And Crafts Movement clearly, such as: more geometric and abstract, rejection of industrialization, hand-made, simplicity of form, traditional crafts, rejection of industrialization and plain linear shapes which were inspired by plants and nature.

John Ruskin

John Ruskin which was born on the 8th of February in 1819, was an Architect, a critic and a writer which wrote the book named 'The Stones of Venice'. In this book, he wrote an essay titled 'The Nature Of Gothic', where he praises the medieval architecture and the Gothic. 

William Morris

He was inspired by natural colours and motifs, figuration, medieval art and high patterns. His works were mainly made with textiles.

Valentino's Fall 2013 tapestry cotton guipure dress, happens to have the design similar to that of  William Morris.  

Bibliography

Notes taken during the lesson

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-arts-and-crafts-movement/

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Jruskin.htm

http://homedesign.marthastewart.com/tag/arts-biennale

http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/graphic_designers/william_morris.html

http://www.voysey.gotik-romanik.de/Morris,%20Designs,%20on%20Flickr,%20Thumbnails/'Snakeshead'%20textile%20design%20by%20William%20Morris,%20produced%20by%20Morris%20&Co%20in%201876..html

http://www.voysey.gotik-romanik.de/Morris,%20Designs,%20on%20Flickr,%20Thumbnails/'Snakeshead'%20textile%20design%20by%20William%20Morris,%20produced%20by%20Morris%20&%20Co%20in%201876.%20(2).html

http://www.voysey.gotik-romanik.de/Morris,%20Designs,%20on%20Flickr,%20Thumbnails/'Strawberry%20thief'%20textile%20design%20by%20William%20Morris,%20produced%20by%20Morris%20&%20Co%20in%201883.%20(2).html

http://maydele.blogspot.com/2013/11/shop-runway-valentino-fall-winter-201314.html

http://www.socialregister.co.uk/william-morris/

Romanticism

Romanticism

It's a movement of art which first started in the 1770's in England and Germany. In the early 1800's, it grew around Europe and the United States.

Romanticism Art: The Painting Of "The Lady Of Shalott" By John William Waterhouse

This was done by the English painter John William Waterhouse in 1888 which died on the 10th of February in 1917.  It is a Pre-Raphaelite painting. It represents an act of a scene from a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in 1832. There seems to be a contrast in the colours used in the background and those which are applied on the lady. The expression on the lady's face is that of sadness. I think it is described as "Romanticism" due to the fact that it shows different thoughts.

Romanticism Fashion

1820's: In this particular period, women used to wear corsets, medieval sleeves, neck ruffs, full skirts and waist lines were completely gone.

1830's: In this period, large hats and  sleeves, detailed hairstyles, V-shaped necklaces and large white collars were popular.

1840's: This period was popular for bell shaped skirts, rectangular pieces of cloths with cuffed ends, puffed sleeves, double flounced skirts and v-shaped and round necklaces.

Romanticism Fashion Of Nowadays

Valentino- Fall/Winter 2013 Collection

Using full skirts with no waist lines from the 1820's and bell shaped skirts from the 1840's, the Italian fashion designer Valentino, brings us back to the Romanticism.

Bibliography

                          https://public.wsu.edu/~brians/hum_303/romanticism.html

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

                          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott_(painting)

                          http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/waterhouse-the-lady-of-shalott-n01543

                          http://char.txa.cornell.edu/art/dress/historic/romantic/romantic.htm

                          http://fashionhistory.zeesonlinespace.net/romantic.html

                          http://www.femguide.co.uk/a-return-to-romanticism-by-valentino-this-year_80330