RF2a: Artists - beauty

"How and where can we discover beauty, whether inside or outside the work?" - Giulio Paolini

Duchamp:

abandoned painting, "conspicuous", "notorious". Graffiti style. Beginning of Dada, later inspired artists such as surrealist Dali. Beauty provided a target for rebellion.

"direct assault on the aesthetics of art."

Duchamp anonymously entered 'Fountain' into Society of Independent Artist exhibition. Was rejected as it was deemed "by no definition a work of art". Others contested suggesting "a lovely form has been revealed, freed from it's functional purpose, therefore a man has clearly made an aesthetic contribution." this however was not Duchamps intention. "when I discovered readymades, I thought to discourage aesthetics... I threw the bottle rack and the urinal in their faces as a challenge, and now they admire them for their aesthetic beauty."

Using modern culture to aestheticise even most unorthodox ideas.

Late 20th Century Artists:

Andy Warhol - pop culture, beautiful subjects regurgitated

Imi Knoebel - Grace Kelly. Beauty through colours and shapes. 'Grace Kelly' beautiful icon, actress, married prince of Monaco. Subject of beauty. Painting seems to have no resemblance to subject. However I think they are linked through beauty.

Grace Kelly Series [1990-98]

Untitled

Face E

Contrasts hard edged, rigid shapes, with soft pastel colours.
Geometric inspiration from Kazimir Malevich and Mondrian

Suprematist Composition, Malevich [1916]

Composition No. 10, Piet Mondrian [1939-42]

Yves Klein

Anthropometry [1960]

Also known for his 'Fire Paintings'

Untitled Fire Colour Painting [1961]

Willem de Kooning

Woman V [1952-53]

Don't want to focus so much on his most famous work. Quite Picasso-esque. Harsh lines and brush storkes. Bold colours and structure. I think some of his less famous work compliments my ideas better.

Standing Woman and Trees [1965]

Woman, Sag Harbour [1964]

More about the application of the paint. Use of pastel, beautiful colours. Rather than bold primary colours mixed with greys. Sets a different sort of mood depending on the colour palette. The actual image may not be so pretty to look at but the colours and movement seem to celebrate the beauty of the woman/women in the images. The first image I showed here I feel does not however hint to ideas of beauty.

Marlene Dumas