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Artist Statement for Benjamin Bader
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What is Neo-Elegance?
Inspired by French Art Nouveau, American Art Deco, the Italian Renaissance, and the Primary Structure/ABC movements in art, NEO-Elegance is an attempt to reinterpret elements of these movements to create something new. The “new elegance.”
Over the past couple of decades, art has become too focused on raw emotion and general abstraction than as a way of beautifying its surroundings. Form has become removed from function. Beauty has been removed from the everyday object. The goal of Neo-Elegance is to allow the natural beauty of a piece to captivate a viewer and cause them to forget about the relevance of a deeper, ethereal meaning. The goal of an artist in this theory should be to cause the viewer to stop at a piece, and think “Wow! That is beautiful,” and not begin to debate what the artist was thinking or try to ‘read into’ the piece. The art will instead speak for itself.
When analyzing neo-elegance, one must break it down into its’ core elements and examine each of them under a microscope in their own right.
The Italian Renaissance
One prevailing theme throughout the renaissance period was of course religion, though this is not necessarily important to the neo-elegance movement. What is important, however, is that during this period in Italian history, man was rediscovering what had been lost by previous generations. Perspective (Leonardo Da Vinci and many others), incorporation of a central figure into an underlying “scene” (most notably Michelangelo Buonarotti), use of precious metals and pure pigments to create a luminous or “glowing” effect within the paintings of this period (as evidenced in the work of Michelangelo de Carravagio), and the effective application of a sense of “weight” within a figure (Sir Peter Paul Rubens).
French Art Nouveau
Though, in essence, a simplification of renaissance art, art nouveau broadened the scope of the renaissance, successfully shifting the theme from religion to include a broader spectrum of spirituality. Christianity was no longer the main element in use. Pagan, astrological, and earth themes abounded within this period (the jewelry of Rene Lalique and the early stained glass of Louis Comfort Tiffany). The focus shifted to an “organic feel” (Emile Galle and others). Use of patterns became evidenced widely (Gustav Klimt). Because of “advances in technology”, the use of strong outlines became a main staple of printed work (demonstrated in the work of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and many others). Still others expanded the use of outlines and patterning to a new level (the arabesque hair and Sarah Bernhardt posters of Alphonse Mucha that successfully incorporated a pattern within a pattern).
American Art Deco
This movement being a further deconstruction of the art nouveau views of the renaissance. However, unlike art nouveau the focus was more on form, function and structure, than organic shapes. Flowing lines converted to straight angular ones (Erte). Geometry and mathematic relationships replaced spirituality (the stained glass work of Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Comfort Tiffany). Chiseled edges prevailed (the later glass work of Rene Lalique and the architects of many of Chicago and New York’s 1920’s skyscrapers).
Primary Structure/ABC Art
During this period everything was broken down to its’ truest essence. Emotion within a piece was not necessary. The canvas was not always the art. Sometimes the interaction of the work to its surroundings was the focus of a piece (Dan Flavin, Carl Andre). In others, it was the method of application of paint and the method in which the piece was attached to the wall (Robert Ryman). Still others focused on the primary structure of a piece (Donald Judd) or lack thereof (the yarn work of Fred Sandback). Mathematics was still in use by some (Paul Mogensen). While others, focused on the interaction of color within a piece (Ellsworth Kelly) and changing the perception of what shape a canvas should be (Frank Stella and the removal paintings of Lawrence Weiner).
The creation of Neo-Elegance
For a piece to fall within the spectrum of this theory of art, one must successfully combine the elements of the beauty and “weight” of the Italian Renaissance, the grace and fluidity of French Art Nouveau, the form and function of Art Deco, with the simplification of form of Primary Structure/ABC Art to create something new and interesting. A work created in this manner should drive the viewer to think of beauty in its barest form. Few of the extraneous elements will remain. Though some pieces may appear complex, no single unnecessary stroke should remain.
Though many of the examples presented previously focus on two dimensional works, the same principles may and often will apply to three dimensional works as well.
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