Art and, briefly, inspiration

[seraphcelene]

glossing provided the following prompt: How about visual art? Do you have a favorite artist/school/whatever, or are you more textually inclined?

Well, the secret that you may not know is that once upon a time, way back when I was an undergrad at USCB, I contemplated a double major in Art History. So, I love art. I don't have the most academic, snooty, I know better than thou kind of appreciation for art, but I do have an appreciation. Every painting tells a story through medium, techique, lighting and symbols. You can read it if you have the key.



Although, I can appreciate modern art, my interest lies (surprise, surprise, in earlier periods. My particular interest was in the High Renaissance through Baroque periods. I also had a very, very, very deep passion for Late Medieval Churchs. All that insane space and those gorgeous transept archs!!

When I was a junior in college, I had the opportunity to study abroad and we had a seven week winter break. While some of my friends went home to the States, I took six of those seven weeks to travel the continent. The majority of my time was spent in Italy because I wanted to hit up as many art galleries as I could. It was a glorious time, let me tell you!! I saw Michealangelo's tall, brooding David. He is indeed statuesque and gorgeous, and I totally fell in love with his hands. I'm not especially religious, but I am a spiritual person, and the very first time I saw The Pieta in The Vatican Church, I nearly cried.

In Rome in the Galleria Borghese, I found a sculptor that took my breath away and totally stole my heart. The pieces by Gianlorenzo Bernini are snapshots, photgraphs, taken in marble. Whereas Michealangel's David is static and commanding, Bernini's David looks like he's a breath away from slinging that stone at Goliath. There's so much passion and energy that all I wanted to do was touch him. The way the breeze ruffles his hair, his bottom lip caught between his teeth, at any moment he's going to move. Anything you see of Bernini's contains that same vivacity: Apollo and Daphne, The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, The Rape of Prosperpina (I LOVE how soft and round she is and how Pluto's hands press into her flesh There's so much violence and energy with her hair in the wind and the flex of his muscles.

Gentileschi's Judith Beheading Holofernes is one of my favorites and also provided the inspiration for Eternal Return. The Crucifixion of Saint Peter began my collection of postcards featuring, you guessed it, crucifixions.

Another of my favorite pieces is Bartolomeo Ammanati's Leda and the Swan. If you EVER wondered how it all happened, well, here it is. There were many, many, many images of the Magdalene that I fell in love with. I began a collection of postcards featuring her as well. Titian's Penitent Mary Magdalen started the whole love affair and ultimately led, in part, to my depiction of Dawn in Hemorrhage. I saw this one at the Galleria Pitti and fell in love with the contrast between Judith's serene face and her fist clutched around Holoferenes' hair. I collected versions of The Madonna and Child (Raphael's Madonna della seggiola possibly being one of my favorites).

I suppose is interesting that the Other type of art that I'm fond of is Pin-up and Fantasy art. From Alberto Vargas to Luis Royo. I ADORE hot, painted ladies. Olivia de Berardinis is one of my particular favorites. I love the combination of textures and the way that she makes use of white/negative space. She also does the classic pin-up thing excellenty. Then there's Hajime Sorayama, Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell, of course. I love how the women are all strong and sexy. It so fit with the things that I loved about Buffy and Farscape and I did quite a few manips way back when. Art was actually my entre into fandom, my very first site being an art archive called Waking Moments that included fanart for BtVS, Angel and Roswell. Waking Moments lasted about three years and after I shut it down, I moved my personal art over to Spreading Stain.

Once again, this was a bit of a ramble, but with pictures!!!



Up next -- moireach asked about a day in my life. OMG!

The original post for requests is here.

Comments

[my_daroga]

That is some amazing art. I hadn't seen a lot of it before. I especially like the The Rape of Prosperpina one. So sensual.

I'm also a fan of pin-up art, mostly classic (it's less "shiny" in style and I don't like that glossy look a lot of modern stuff has). Thanks for the post.

[seraphcelene]

The Rape of Prosperpina is my second favorite ever! It even trumped Michealangelo's Pieta.

[diachrony.livejournal.com]

The Bernini sculptures are just amazing.

I like Vargas and similar style pinups ... such as Gil Elvgren's work (http://elvgrenpinup.com/elvgren_pics.html). I don't think I've seen enough of the more recent pinup art to have an opinion on it.

[seraphcelene]

Oh, yes! Gil Elvgren is amazing. I love how his pin-up's are often surpised by the viewer finding them in a state of undress. They're naughty and innocent all at the once.
;)