Brother Theo

Preserving Artists’ Correspondence in the Digital Dark Age

Brotheo — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 02:57:56 +0000

Navigating the Challenges of Digital Communication in Artistic Practices

In the digital age, the way artists communicate and document their lives and practices has undergone a significant transformation. The prevalence of digital platforms and the shift towards online correspondence have presented both new opportunities and challenges for preserving artists’ correspondence. As we grapple with the concept of the digital dark age, it is essential to recognize the implications it holds for the invaluable primary sources that art researchers heavily rely upon.

Preservation Challenges The digital dark age brings forth unique preservation challenges for artists’ correspondence. Unlike physical letters and documents that can be preserved in archives and collections, digital communication often lacks a centralized and comprehensive archive. Scatter across various platforms, devices, and email accounts, artists’ correspondence faces the risk of loss due to accidental deletion, data corruption, or technological obsolescence.

Fragmented Record-Keeping In an increasingly interconnected world, artists engage in correspondence with a myriad of individuals across diverse digital channels. However, this fragmentation can pose a challenge to future researchers seeking to understand an artist’s interactions and networks. The decentralized nature of digital communication platforms makes it difficult to compile a cohesive and centralized record of an artist’s correspondence, hindering our ability to gain a complete picture of their artistic journey.

Privacy and Access Restrictions Digital correspondence often involves privacy considerations, with artists opting for private or encrypted channels to protect their intellectual property and personal information. While this is an understandable measure, it can potentially limit access to the correspondence in the future. If artists do not make arrangements for preserving or granting access to their private digital correspondence, important insights and connections could be lost.

Informality and Ephemeral Nature Digital platforms encourage rapid and informal exchanges, leading to a more casual tone and potentially less comprehensive content compared to traditional letters and documents. Moreover, the ephemeral nature of some digital communication platforms, where messages disappear over time, can result in the loss of valuable correspondence if not properly saved or recorded.

Digital Legacy Planning Considering the challenges presented by the digital dark age, artists must consciously address their digital legacy and make informed decisions about preserving their correspondence. This includes documenting preferences for archiving, granting access to specific individuals or institutions, and even incorporating digital correspondence into their estate plans. By taking proactive measures, artists can ensure the longevity and accessibility of their digital correspondence for future researchers and enthusiasts.

While the digital dark age presents significant challenges, it also offers opportunities for collaboration between artists, institutions, and technology experts. By exploring digital archiving tools and platforms specifically designed for preserving digital correspondence, artists can contribute to the creation of comprehensive and accessible archives that provide valuable insights into their artistic practices.

As we navigate this ever-evolving digital landscape, it is crucial for the art community to engage in discussions and develop strategies to tackle the preservation challenges posed by the digital dark age. By addressing these concerns, we can safeguard the integrity and richness of artists’ correspondence, allowing future generations to delve into the personal and artistic journeys of our time.

In conclusion, the digital dark age underscores the importance of preserving artists’ correspondence in the digital realm. With the rise of digital communication, it is imperative for artists, institutions, and researchers to collectively address the challenges posed by this phenomenon. By recognizing the implications of the digital dark age, we can strive to maintain the invaluable primary sources that shed light on the lives and practices of fine artists in the digital era.

Colour Theories of Shadows Explored by Artists Throughout History

Brotheo — Mon, 15 May 2023 21:54:09 +0000

Colour theories of shadows have been explored by numerous artists throughout history. Leonardo da Vinci believed that shadows were not simply black, but rather reflected the colour of the object casting them. He described shadows as a combination of the object’s local colour and the colour of the surface on which the shadow is cast. For example, in his painting “The Last Supper,” the shadows on the robes of the figures are not simply black, but instead are tinged with the colour of the robes themselves.

The English artist J.M.W. Turner was another artist who was fascinated by colour theory, particularly in his later works. Turner was interested in the use of light and colour to create atmosphere and depth in his paintings, and his use of colour theory in his works had a profound influence on the art world. He experimented with the use of complementary colours in his paintings, particularly in his seascapes, to create a sense of luminosity and energy. In his painting “The Fighting Temeraire,” for example, he used contrasting colours to create a sense of drama and movement in the scene.

J.M.W. Turner: Painting The Fighting Temeraire

Eugene Delacroix, on the other hand, emphasised the importance of complementary colours in creating depth and contrast in shadowed areas. He believed that the use of contrasting colours in shadows could create a sense of luminosity and energy in a painting. For example, in his painting “The Death of Sardanapalus,” the shadowed areas are filled with purples and blues to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.

Ferdinand-Victor-Eugène Delacroix: The Death of Sardanapal

Ferdinand-Victor-Eugène Delacroix: The Death of Sardanapalus

“Delacroix was revered by subsequent generations of artists for his innovative manipulation of colour. He experimented with colour theory, observing that no hue existed in isolation, but would always be altered by neighbouring complementary or contrasting colours. His bold deployment of colour in Christ on the Sea of Galilee had a profound impression on Vincent van Gogh, who saw the painting in a Paris saleroom in 1886. The Dutch artist later recalled: “Ah – E. Delacroix’s beautiful painting – Christ’s boat on the sea of Gennesaret, he – with his pale lemon halo – sleeping luminous – within the dramatic violet, dark blue, blood-red patch of the group of stunned disciples. On the terrifying emerald sea, rising, rising all the way up to the top of the frame.” Delacroix’s conviction, taken up by the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, that sentiments could be expressed through the arrangement of colours, forms and painterly gestures would ultimately lead the way to non-narrative and then abstract art.”

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/delacroix-revolutionary-fervour
“Royal Academy Eugene Delacroix”

Other artists have also explored colour theories of shadows in their work, such as the Impressionists, who were interested in capturing the changing colours and qualities of light in their paintings. Contemporary artists have continued to explore colour theories of shadows in their work, often building upon the ideas put forward by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Eugene Delacroix.

One approach that some contemporary artists have taken is to play with the viewer’s expectations of shadow colours. For example, artist Kehinde Wiley has used vibrant, unexpected colours in the shadows of his portraits, creating a sense of energy and dynamism.

Kehinde Wiley. Installation view of A New Republic (exhibition).

Similarly, artist Jordan Casteel has used colour to create a sense of depth and luminosity in the shadowed areas of her paintings.

Jordan Casteel, In bloom, 2022.

Other contemporary artists have focused on the interaction between light and colour in their work, like Olafur Eliasson, who creates installations that use light and colour to transform spaces and create immersive experiences.

Olafur Eliasson, The unspeakable openness of things, 2018.

Overall, colour theories of shadows have played an important role in the history of art, and continue to be a source of inspiration for contemporary artists. It is fascinating to see how these ideas continue to evolve, and how artists use colour in their work to create depth, atmosphere, and emotion.

Sources:

Discovering da Vinci

https://www.discoveringdavinci.com/theory-of-color

“Delacroix and colour. The Louvre”

https://www.louvre.fr/en/what-s-on/life-at-the-museum/delacroix-and-colour

“Impressionism: Art and Modernity,” The Metropolitan Museum of Art:

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/imml/hd_imml.htm

“Kehinde Wiley’s World Stage: A New Republic,” Brooklyn Museum:

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/kehinde_wiley_new_republic/

“Jordan Casteel: Returning the Gaze,” Denver Art Museum:

https://denverartmuseum.org/exhibitions/jordan-casteel-returning-gaze

“Olafur Eliasson on Turning Light into Color” Hyperallergic:

Olafur Eliasson on Turning Light into Color

https://hyperallergic.com/174725/olafur-eliasson-on-turning-light-into-color/

Can AI lead to an explosion in artistic creativity?

Brotheo — Sun, 12 Mar 2023 23:56:22 +0000

I have had the pleasure of listening to How will AI change our understanding of Art? on The Art Show with Daniel Browning, an ABC Radio National podcast. (Broadcast 8 February 2023).

This podcast is a welcome contrast to much of the current media that call for caution in the face of emerging AI attempts at creative work. While it certainly raises these concerns, it also balances the conversation with a healthy dose of excitement about the opportunities the AI presents.

Host Daniel Browning introduced the idea of, in the history of art (image making), the advent of photography freed artist from the preoccupation of creating only realistic depictions of the world. This technological advancement was followed by an incredible explosion in creativity.

To quote Kim Leutwyler, “I think that what it will do is that it will challenge people to innovate and think really creatively about a different way that they can go about creating an original piece of art that really feels distinctly their own, because the AI is only learning from things that already exist. And so you are having to find new and innovative ways to create things that don’t. To really make your mark. But it is going to challenge people.” (Approximately 26 minutes).

The invention of photography in the mid-19th century did have a profound impact on the world of art, particularly in the fields of painting and sculpture. It allowed artist to explore ways of viewing the world that could not be captured by photography. These include movements such as Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, and Futurism.

This idea has been bubbling around for a few days, and I find it an exciting prospect. It reminds me of “Secret Knowledge” by David Hockney.

Hockney proposes that artists as early as the Renaissance, and possibly even earlier, used various optical devices such as lenses, mirrors, and camera obscuras to aid in the creation of their artwork. He examines the works of artists such as Jan van Eyck, Caravaggio, and Vermeer, among others, and presents evidence to support his theory.

However, it should be noted that Hockney’s theory has been met with some criticism from art historians who argue that the use of optical devices was not as widespread as Hockney suggests. Nevertheless, “Secret Knowledge” remains an important contribution to the field of art history, prompting further discussion and debate on the subject.

“Secret Knowledge” by David Hockney. Page 95 contrasting Van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece to David Hockney’s Pearblossom Highway.