Galaxy of Art and Design
- Sehaj Singh
- Mar 1, 2021
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 27, 2021
Phase - 1 | Explore
Pre-Work
Notes on 'Ways of Seeing'
This was a very informational and beautiful documentary on the art of Europe and it tells us about the importance of the paintings and their meaning which is generated by the way of looking at them. Before the invention of the camera, everyone goes to the place painting is located and experience the real-time view and perceive the whole meaning in one go but now it made the painting travel anywhere in any size and for any purpose. This camera not only changed what we see but how we see. Now the painting can be seen anywhere surrounded by different objects, colours and sounds, people around them and the context in which we see it. Many paintings were originally present in churches as an integral part for which they were designed. It together makes the memory of the church, so they are part of its life and individuality of the building. Everything around that image is part of its meaning and again changes the way we see it. Before everyone goes to the church to worship the god present in those paintings and now we do not go to it, it comes to us to our homes and the days of pilgrimage are over. The original paintings which were present in the museums have a whole book of research to prove that it is a painting of that particular artist but now there are so many images that can even replace the real one. When we see the image of a large painting we have to zoom in to understand it but its other elements disappear and its meaning changes. The stillness and uninterrupted silence of the painting can very striking but it becomes a corridor, connecting the moment it represents. Its significance and meaning also change with the sound we hear while seeing the image of a painting. In many European paintings, women are shown nude showing the male dominating society which is very illegal. Now the way man sees is different and also women feel that they are looking to themselves and feeling upset about it. Earlier oil paintings were used to depict any scene a person wants to showcase and the same painting is being displayed in the museums and their higher demands require higher security. Colours used in the paintings before are no being replaced by the colourful pictures of the camera. Everything changes with time, no one can control this phenomenon hence this I what happening. The change in the knowledge and awareness of a thing changes its meaning or perception.
Day 1 / Warming-Up
For this activity, I chose group 9 and my group members are - Surbhi Jain, Palak Aggarwal, Rounak Walia, Nandini Bhuddi and Pooja Kumari. And for the warm-up activity, we collab with groups 10 and 11.
Reflection on triggered questions
The question was asked on the artist, his techniques, inspirations and reasons behind the choice of the materials. For the answers to these questions, a discussion happened in the group and I got to know more factors and new terms. Now with all the information according to me, Artist is a person who expresses his feelings or conveys some message independently with creativity on a medium. He is inspired by nature, current trend, culture and other's work. He takes these as the feedforward for his work and creates a still image on a medium. His choice of the selected materials depends on the material availability, current trend, colours required to make it realistic and the material he is comfortable with. He creates these artworks to make to communicate the past stories, his thoughts or feelings, to remember someone and to spread human life values or awareness.
Team Working
Day 1-4 / Main Inquiry
For this activity, I researched Ottonian Art in Germany and Byzantine Art in Kyiv.
Essay Questions
Deliverables of Phase-1
Visual Organiser
Essay
Pdf of the essay -
Phase - 2 | Extend
Begining
To start with the research on the artwork we had to select 1 out of any 5 of that time period and area.
My selected painting -
Ruler Portrait of Otto 3, Gospels of Otto 3
This is a painting of King Otto 3 in the illuminated manuscript named, Gospels of Otto 3 made during 1000AD in Germany. I selected this painting because it will help me to understand the ruler and more in-depth details of him and the art style in his reign. This painting is the main art from Germany at that time, so research on this painting will give answers to other arts as well. It will also help me understand what the artist wanted to show then.
Observation, Analysis & Interpretation of EOD and POD of the painting
Artist's Thematic Communication
This image portrays Otto III on the throne. When the illuminator created these folios, he didn’t want to individuate Otto with unique facial features, he wanted to do so through the items he was equipped with. These include his purple robes (purple is a regal/royal colour), his eagle-headed sceptre, the orb in his left hand, and the bejewelled crown perched atop his head. It is said that Otto was full of hubris (pride) and a bit narcissistic and this is shown in a couple of ways. The two men on the left (representing the church and religious society) and the men on the right (representing laymen or secular society) are behind and below him, showing that he not only thought of himself above his peers but also above the church and the leaders therein. The fact that the religious and the secular folk are separated is also indicative of the division in Medieval society between the two at this time. Whether Otto III has any idea of it or not he is also depicted in a near-divine Christ-like pose in this image.
Recreation of the Painting
For the recreation I made a line drawing showing a huge cuboid and many small square pyramids are under him, to match the theme.
Although in the feedback ma'am said she liked the idea to show but the trees in the background are changing the context. Even she said to see the role of colours and show them in my recreation. She also said that my isometry and perspective is wrong.
Then I tried 2 more line drawing but this time also I forgot to add colours but the theme is the same and also improved some perception. In 1st painting, I made it with only straight lines like the artist and tried to copy the artist's way but in abstract form. In 2nd painting, I changed my older idea and tried to make it the same as the painting to bring back the context in the recreation.
Now in another feedback ma'am said that now she is ok with my 3rd drawing but she said that it is a top view isometry which is not in the painting. She gave me a feedforward to make one more with colours and incorrect view angle.
After my again thinking of the painting I observed that he also not used correct isometry or perspective then I thought why to make it correct but go with the incorrect only, that's also the reason why I am getting my isometry wrong in the abstract.
So after that, I created one more abstract using oil pastel but by this, I was not much satisfied.
So I asked my peers about improving this, they suggested me to stay with this concept but change the medium to watercolours.
Final Outcome
So I made the abstract with Watercolours and represented with the same idea and made the 4 people under him as the cuboids and the king also with red and green colour. This time is did not made in the perspective or isometric view to match the original.
Presentation
In this presentation, I have shown my own and the artist's point of view for showing the visual language of the painting, Ruler Portrait of Otto 3 found in the illuminated manuscript named Gospels of Otto 3 during 1000 AD in Germany. Later I had also shown abstraction for this painting. For explaining the EOD and POD of the image, I have shown using the pointer and the Miro application to make it easier to understand. Thi art was made to show that their king is like Christ and greater to everyone and also depicts how pride and narcissistic their king was. Every art during the Ottonian Kingdom reflected the dynasty’s desire to establish a visual link to the Christian rulers of Late Antiquity such as Theodoric and Justinian as well as to their Carolingian predecessors, particularly Charlemagne. Their art was more decorative and less descriptive with a symmetrical pattern.
Visual Language of the Painting
The painting, Ruler Portrait of Otto 3, Gospels of Otto 3 from Germany in 1000 AD, is very famous art from that time period. This painting uses dots to make the patterns in the clothes and the stiff lines with minimal curves to make the creases in the curtains and drapes and the design in architecture and sculptures. Almost every colour is used in the painting but the reddish colour is more dominating. Their art was isometrically and perspectively incorrect and feels like a 2D image but the artist tried to show it in some places. There is no facial expression on people and everyone's faces look very similar to each other. He also used almost every colour with dominating to give the feeling of pride from the king. The artist had used every element according to his satisfaction but not correct in the 3D perceptive. I POD, there is very perfect visual balance is created with their symmetrical and minimalistic design and with the use of colours also in a balancing manner. If we see the Emphasis and Eye movement is also created using the direction of the eyes of the 4 people on the king, King's purple and green drape and his golden orb and eagle sculpture make the eye first focus on their king. The POD of this image is very correct and well maintained.
Visual and Material Culture
Step-1
Step-2
Explanation Video
The Concept of Visual and Material Culture
This concept of visual and material culture is a very helpful and important element to take into consideration. With its help, we can easily identify the art forms and their descriptions, techniques, materials, etc. This helps us to connect us with history and identify its beliefs, ideas, ideology, the social, cultural, political, religious, economic situation of the times. And it all gives the reasons behind its theme, creation and at last, its context is identified. The Visual Culture covers visual images like paintings, photograph, films, documentaries, advertisement, etc. and the Material Culture covers human-made forms like Architectures, Sculptures, Metal Works, Ornaments, Tools, Weapons, etc. They both together gives us the proofs of events in history and help us to maintain a record of them and now they are kept safe for the future to teach the messages present in Visual and Material Culture and won't forget it.
Phase 3 | Realise
Group Discussion - 1
Group Discussion - 2
Group Discussion - 3
Final Group Presentation
Process
For the group presentation, I and Palak wrote the script first.
We discussed a lot what we should add in our script and what not
After finalising the script we divided the parts at the individual level.
Then we made slides showing the visual and material culture of our time and place and Rounak helped a lot in collecting visuals.
Then we took the individual recordings and send them to Surbhi.
She then edited the script and visuals accordingly.
While making the video, she struggled with the visuals and some technical issues due to which our video presentation become short and not well presented but our information was in the right direction.
After the presentation and feedback from peers and faculty, we corrected our mistakes and remade the video.
This time we considered all the aspects and collected the correct visual for everything and made a more improved presentation.
We also segregated the topics according to information with no more confusion.
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