Symbolism by Gibson
Symbolism (2006)
by Michael Gibson
256 pages - Taschen
This book defines symbolism as the artistic movement which resulted in Europe from the collision of Catholicism and industrialization. The book mainly features paintings, with the odd drawing, sculpture, or other piece of fine art, and an accompanying text. The main years of concern are from the middle of the nineteenth century until the outbreak of the Great War.
I suppose it shows how spotty and faulty my knowledge is that I wasn't even aware that the sort of art that is contained in this book fell under the category of 'symbolism'. In fact, I associated the term 'symbolism' with tedious english classes in High School, where we were taught what various everyday objects in a book like The Great Gatsby 'symbolized'. All of that is a universe away from the art in this book, which points at something visionary, ineffable and transcendent. Needless to say, I love a great portion of the work contained here.
The accompanying text is decent, though sometimes falls into the common fault of trying to sound smarter than the people in the past it is describing, and trying to 'explain away' their problems. I also wrinkled my nose at the decision to include a Lithuanian, Mikolajus Ciurlionis, in a chapter entitled 'The Slav Countries'. Hmph. Interestingly, the book draws an association between the art of Ciurlionis and that of the Hopi Indians and Australian Aborigines, in that the creation of the art is a small aspect of a larger mystical practice and journey.
If I had to pick a single piece here as my favourite, it would be Arnold Bocklin's The Sacred Wood.
'Unlike science, art does not "progress". It adapts to changing social relationships and modes of production and registers transformations in everyday life and in the representation of the world. As the circumstances of life and the way it is perceived change, so do old forms come to seem irrelevant and new forms are needed. An artist does not make a "discovery" in the sense that scientists do. But he does discover a "means". Thanks to this "means", he can avoid repeating the familiar forms derived from an obsolete conception of the world; he can once more touch upon the heart of the matter.' (pg.33)
by Michael Gibson
256 pages - Taschen
This book defines symbolism as the artistic movement which resulted in Europe from the collision of Catholicism and industrialization. The book mainly features paintings, with the odd drawing, sculpture, or other piece of fine art, and an accompanying text. The main years of concern are from the middle of the nineteenth century until the outbreak of the Great War.
I suppose it shows how spotty and faulty my knowledge is that I wasn't even aware that the sort of art that is contained in this book fell under the category of 'symbolism'. In fact, I associated the term 'symbolism' with tedious english classes in High School, where we were taught what various everyday objects in a book like The Great Gatsby 'symbolized'. All of that is a universe away from the art in this book, which points at something visionary, ineffable and transcendent. Needless to say, I love a great portion of the work contained here.
The accompanying text is decent, though sometimes falls into the common fault of trying to sound smarter than the people in the past it is describing, and trying to 'explain away' their problems. I also wrinkled my nose at the decision to include a Lithuanian, Mikolajus Ciurlionis, in a chapter entitled 'The Slav Countries'. Hmph. Interestingly, the book draws an association between the art of Ciurlionis and that of the Hopi Indians and Australian Aborigines, in that the creation of the art is a small aspect of a larger mystical practice and journey.
If I had to pick a single piece here as my favourite, it would be Arnold Bocklin's The Sacred Wood.
'Unlike science, art does not "progress". It adapts to changing social relationships and modes of production and registers transformations in everyday life and in the representation of the world. As the circumstances of life and the way it is perceived change, so do old forms come to seem irrelevant and new forms are needed. An artist does not make a "discovery" in the sense that scientists do. But he does discover a "means". Thanks to this "means", he can avoid repeating the familiar forms derived from an obsolete conception of the world; he can once more touch upon the heart of the matter.' (pg.33)