Visual Culture #7

This week we looked at Britain and France (the Baroque, 1680-1715). Baroque originated in Italy and influenced Europe with its love of the ornate and drama. Similar to last week, everyone wanted to out-do each other. Baroque was also used to reject protestantism and to show Heaven on Earth in Catholic churches with it's ornate architecture to impress (but also to oppress). 

https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/2ogpir/baroque_obama/

Baroque Obama

Elaborate materials, symmetry, elements of sculpture and swags are all key features of the Baroque.

http://swagblog1.blogspot.co.uk/

No not that kind of swag...

Art was now material culture as well as just visual. Visual language was still only understood by the upper class and those 'involved'. 

• Oligarchy - a small group of people having control of a country or organisation

The Protestant Reformation threatened Catholicism. They rejected transubstantiation as being superstitious. Decoration was becoming redundant as Protestants said people should focus on God and only a cross was in most Protestant churches. 

The Catholic Counter however showed what the modern Catholic church should be. They glorified God and wanted to impress the congregation to show Heaven on Earth (like a 'numinous' experience (thanks GCSE R.E.)). The higher class used this to show their power.

Louis XIV of France was one of the first to do this. France was the leader in European superpowers (soon to be replaced by Britain). After Louis expulsed protestant Huguenots (designers and creatives) which made them move to England did Britain become a superpower. 

http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/76160313.html?page=1

The Palace of Versailles is one of the key examples of the Baroque in France being at the height of technology and architecture of decoration, but they forgot to include one key thing in the palace- basic sanitary. 

• Trompe-l'oeil - an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimensions. 

Mathematics started to effect architecture to make it durable and was there the basic cubed room originated (30x30x30). 

However, the French baroque was 'too French'. 

https://warosu.org/tg/image/dMHil3JIO6XegfGxyTSWtg

The British made is less dramatic but bigger in size and linked it to politics and not the King unlike France.

Paintings also changed and became more about a specific moment rather than an allegory. There was also a shift in ideals of female beauty.

In Di's session we looked at the evolution of an industry and the introduction of the Studio and Star System. Again, not quite sure how this links to the Baroque.

I'm going to write out my notes in a timeline form as I just have loads of dates written down.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison%27s_Black_Maria

The Black Maria

• 1893 - First 'kinetographic studio' the Black Maria. Built by Edison company.
• 1895 - The first screening of a film (Lumiere Brothers) in a cafe in France.
• 1902 - The first film exchange
• 1905 - 1000 Nickelodeon's in the USA.
• 1908 - 6000 Nickelodeon's in the USA.
• 1908 - Cameraman system discarded.
• 1908-1915 - Motion Picture Patents Company. 
• 1909 - Larger theatres/cinemas. More variety of material. Not just for the working class.
• 1907-1909 - Director system. 1 person oversees the crew. 
• 1930-1949 - Studio system. 'Big 5' or 'Majors' (Warner Bros., MGM, FOX, Paramount, RKO.) and the 'Little 3' (Columbia, Universal, United Artists.)

In the turn of the century, film-making evolved (technological as well as practice) at a rapid rate. The process then fell into three key stages; production, exhibition, distribution.

Nickelodeon's are so called as you used to be able to get in for a nickel (appealing to working class audiences).

The first film exchange acted as a go-between for producers and exhibitors. The exchange buys films from producers and rented them to exhibitors/theatres. 

Until 1900, the average film length was 50ft and had three major companies; Edison, Biograph and Vitograph.

http://clubpenguin.wikia.com/wiki/File:Mr._Monopoly_Walk.gif

Edison and Biograph attempted to control/monopolise the film industry with the introduction of the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC).They licensed projectors to Nickelodeon's as well as 70% of film exchanges in USA.

'Film factories' were also made to mass produce films and fast, with different units and films going on at once. I found it really interesting. I tried to find a picture of it, but it keeps coming up with the film industry Film Factory.

• Oligopoly - a market is shared by a small number of producers or sellers.
• Vertical integration - fund leads to distribute leads to market leads to screen.
• Horizontal integration - Based off money. Take chunks and keep profit.