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 

Richard Misrach's photography reflects the concept of the Sublime, from the Enlightenment.

Research Misrach's work by reading about his intentions, and also by looking at the work. Then answer the following questions;

1. What and when was the Enlightenment?

The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement in 18th century Europe. The goal of the Enlightenment was to create an authoritative ethics, aesthetics, and knowledge based on an "enlightened" rationality. The movement's leaders viewed themselves as a courageous, elite body of intellectuals who were leading the world toward progress, out of a long period of irrationality, superstition, and tyranny which began during a historical period they called the Dark Ages. This movement provided a framework for the American and French Revolutions, as well as the rise of capitalism and the birth of socialism. It is matched by the high baroque era in music, and the neoclassical period in the arts.

2. Define the concept of the Sublime.

The sublime has been a predominate concept of aesthetic theory in Western art and philosophy, receiving its more explicit formulation in early eighteenth century philosophy. Its presence as a concept in Native American aesthetics is not as explicitly stated as it is in Western thought, but there are strong indications that the sublime as an aesthetic property of Native American culture has been in evidence for centuries. One only needs to examine, for example, the notions of ugliness, exaltation, greatness, beauty, and so on, in the comedy and tragedy in the rituals of the clowns and the dances of the modern Pueblos (See Louis Hieb, 1972). In Zuni art and culture, the notions of the sublime as appreciation through aesthetic non-verbal judgment is evident in the relationship of the beautiful (tso'ya) and the dangerous (attanni).

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

During the 18th century, paintings weren't focused on the landscape,, it was only used as a background in a painting. But during the 19th century landscape paintings began to become more popular and accepted as art.

4. 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.

In Misrach's photos he's shown how big the ocean is compared to humans. In the pictures he has an image of a beach showing the ocean, and a person in the water, showing how small they are compared to it.

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

Yves Klein.

Mark Rothko.

Rachel Ruysch .

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

Looking at Misrach's paintings makes me realise how small we are and how big the world is compared to us. Like for example in the pictures of people in the ocean, it only shows a small portion of water, but still it is so much greater in size to us. I like how he shows this through his photos.

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

8. Reference your sources (books and websites).

http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/enlightenment_age.html

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Age_of_Enlightenment

http://www.amerindianarts.us/articles/concept_of_the_sublime_as_an_aesthetic_quality.shtml

http://history-world.org/age_of_enlightenment.htm