Visual Culture #5

This week we learned about The Continental Renaissance (1350-1650). The word 'Renaissance' means 're-birth' and came about after the Black Death in the 14th Century and the decline of the medieval world in the 15th Century with the birth of a new era- The Renaissance and the 'awakening' of Europe to the power and understanding of Greece. The whole classical thought of the Greeks and Romans 'disappeared' in the Dark Ages. 

The Renaissance era started in Florence, Italy with its social and civic customs, political structure and migration of Greek scholars, and spread through trade. It introduced the early Christian theology, arts, drama, books and banks (the Medici Bank). 

Humanism was also introduced with the belief of science and emotions and questioning the world. However, it was still hugely Christian as without this belief it would be seen as treason. Paintings also still hold the doctrine of the Church, but depicted more emotion. The Scrovegni Chapel is one of the most famous examples. Illusion and perspective was also introduced to paintings to give hidden meanings. High Renaissance art was called 'Mannerism' which had a sophistication to it with compositional tension. 

Religion was celebrated through classical allegory (symbolising ideas). Renaissance art evokes the wonder of Christianity, especially shown in the Sistine Chapel with the Creation of Adam.

http://bbs.boingboing.net/t/gif-bank-for-the-bbs/66050?page=19

There was a shift from religion in Renaissance art to mythology and portraiture. However, even though paintings looked like they contain Roman gods, they focus on hidden meaning since Christianity was seen as the only true religion, it would have been like treason to paint any other God. For example, if an artist painted Venus, it would symbolise beauty, not the God. Themes of love and lust were also portrayed with a scallop shell representing the vulva.

http://artkicksass.com/2010/01/11/botticelli-the-birth-of-venus/

There are two types of allegory- social allegory and Christian allegory. If we look at Botticelli's The Birth Of Venus, the social allegory would be Venus looking embarrassed. However Christians could interpret it differently. It could suggest Venus' purity is about to be shrouded (possibly by greed). The flowers symbolise rebirth and the carnation in particular represents the divine. The allegory removes the pagan meaning and portrays nudity as purity (not sex). 

Penis' were also symbolic believe it or not. Having a small penis was suggests that men are intellectual and not animals. Our lecturer puts this as 'penile racism'. 

The understanding of the human body was also discovered further with dissection and Da Vinci's drawings. 

Buildings also had many optical illusions called 'trompe l'oeil' which was a flat wall with panted columns or holes or cabinets, which was actually more expensive to have painted than buying a real one. 

http://doctorwho.tumblr.com/post/21946123701/big-day-for-fans-of-walls-liisakee-i-bet-the

The spread of Protestantism and Humanism gave birth to 'Antwerp Mannerism', rejecting the classic style of painting and it's imagery. 

In Dianne's session, we 'linked' what we learned to the British, French and Italian New Wave. Yes, the new wave is a type of re-birth but I didn't see how we could link it to Mannerism, for example. 

"Reality has come to seem more and more like what we are shown by cameras. It is common now for people to insist upon their experience of a violent event in which they were caught up — a plane crash, a shoot-out, a terrorist bombing — that "it seemed like a movie." This is said, other descriptions seeming insufficient, in order to explain how real it was."- Susan Sontag, "The Image-World", p. 161.

'Social Problem' films soon gave away to the New Wave, which deals with Realism. Realism plays on perception and senses ('empirical knowledge' - gained first hand). For example, we are told not to touch a flame when we are little because it's hot but how do you know? We know because of the consequence of what will happen if we do touch it. It is a mediated fidelity of representation, much like what is shown in the news. We believe them because of their integrity. 

Realism peaked in the 1930s-50s with shared adversity, spirit and refusal to give in from the War. It acted as a positive propaganda. The first film that came to mind when this was said was Modern Times (1936). After studying it last year, I know all about its themes of adversity and acts as a clarion call for workers to unite. 

http://chaplinfortheages.tumblr.com/post/47531064579/jamie-frasered-buck-upnever-say-die-well-get

The challenges realism faced were anxieties of the war, Americanisation, commercialisation and the decline of traditional values. Cinema was seen as an escape and warmth from the outside world. 

New Wave films indiscriminated rage against archaism, conformism and conventional morality. Films also focused on the accentuation of social/cultural trends, the expansion of youth culture, consumerism and class conflict. They address social issues and realist themes with identifiable locations and people (usually amateur actors to show that it could be any body and to put across raw emotion much like City Of God or La Haine). Also, film makers chose to film in black and white to show the darkness of the themes and also having grainy and handheld footage to act as 'suture'- we are in the narrative with them, almost like a documentary. The narrative of these films have 'peaks and troughs' with no clear beginning or end to show the monotonous tone of life. 

Woodfall Studios was the birth of realism. We watched some of A Touch Of Honey in the lecture to understand the different themes and how film's had a distinct style.