The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the distinctive character and variations in the landscape portraits in Synkkä yksinpuhelu, by the Finnish author Olavi Paavolainen, as well as investigate the significance of the landscape portraits for the work as a whole. Paavolainen calls his work a war diary. It comprises the years 1939-1944 when Finland suffered first the Winter War (Russo-Finnish War) and then the Continuation War with the Soviet Union. The author served at the front during the first year of the Continuation War and then afterwards at general staff headquaters. In the first part of the work the author focuses on describing the Karelian landscape which had become the battlefield. The latter part brings out the war time political events in Finland and in other parts of the warring world. As a form, the diary gives the author possibilities to use texts with various styles and content. In general, Synkkä yksinpuhelu can be said to contain history, autobiography, political and cultural essays, landscape portraits and travel sketches. The landscape portraits assume a central position in the book because of the scope, about a third of the total pages. In these portraits a few of the main themes of the work are developed. At the same time these themes build an antithetical relationship: nature creates and preserves life while war annihilates it. A number of the portraits, for exemple, descriptions of the moon and burial places, are a recurrent motif, giving the text structure and strengthening the theme of impermanence. In an exteded sense, Paavolainen's own concept of the thinking landscape can be used to characterize his portraits because the surrounding landscapes communicate his own moods and thoughts. This manner of describing nature ties together schools of art, such as romanticism, symbolism, expressionism and surrealism, where it is characteristic to allow the outer world to reflect the inner state of the soul. Paavolainen makes numerous references to works, authors and artists from the 19th and 20th centuries in his portraits. Using means such as irony and antithesis and with a sprinkling of ambivalence, the intertextual and interartistic relations illuminate the author's attitudes towards prevailing conditions. They also accentuate his thoughts about the purpose of existence.

The road to becoming an artist is paved with much confusion as we try to mold our brains into understanding abstract concepts and ideas. I became fascinated with how people perceive art, in particular, southern males that have no previous knowledge of art history or desire to learn. I contemplated long and hard about this and asked myself the question, “What if they did want to understand art?” The only difference between my brethren and I is this desire to pursue this seemingly foreign world. By creating an imaginary world and culture based on my own southern upbringing I have created a series of figurative paintings exploring various contemporary art themes in an effort to clarify my own understanding of the two worlds I am closest to and how they may or may not be related.

Adolph Gottlieb’s (1903–1974) mature career in abstract painting has been described in previous scholarship in terms of three phases: the time of his Pictograph paintings, beginning in 1941; a period of transition primarily involving his Imaginary Landscape paintings, beginning in 1951; and the time of his Burst paintings, from 1956 until his death. Dividing the artist’s career into early, transitional, and late periods has provided scholars with a clear and tidy narrative as a basis for interpretations of his work. However, in this thesis I argue that this schematization, created in hindsight, has obscured the character of Gottlieb’s working process as it occurred in real time. By nature, Gottlieb would not have been content to produce only a few narrow varieties of painting over a thirty-year period. I thus advance a new conception of Gottlieb as an inventive and constantly adventurous artist. ----- To make these claims, I examine Gottlieb’s written and spoken statements in order to define his central terminology (words like “feeling” and “self-discovery”) and to investigate his interests in myth and alchemy. I find that his work in painting was deeply intuitive and literally experimental—Gottlieb could not predict whether a painting would succeed until he had completed it, and so his career was an iterative process of painting, observing the results, and then painting again. I go on to consider Gottlieb’s paintings themselves as a record of how this experimental process functioned in practice. By presenting his diverse body of work in its full breadth, I demonstrate that the artist was not limited by his major styles, and indeed that he always presented himself with multiple possibilities. I conclude that Gottlieb’s work remains vital because he worked without an end goal or predetermined outcome in mind, and instead gave himself over to a continuous process of creativity and discovery. / text

The objective of my thesis is to extend the scholarship on colour in painting by focusing on how it is employed within the structuring framework of the orthogonal grid in the paintings of three contemporary artists, Ad Reinhardt, Agnes Martin and Gerhard Richter. Form and colour are essential elements in painting, and within the “essentialist” grid painting, the presence and function of colour have not received the full discussion they deserve. Structuralist, post-structuralist and anthropological modes of critical analysis in the latter part of the twentieth century, framed by postwar disillusionment and skepticism, have contributed to the effective foreclosure of examination of metaphysical, spiritual and utopian dimensions promised by the grid and its colour earlier in the century. Artists working with the grid have explored, and continue to explore the same eternally vexing problems and mysteries of our existence, but analyses of their art are cloaked in an atmosphere and language of rationalism. Critics and scholars have devoted their attention to discussing the properties of form, giving the behavior and status of colour, as a property affecting mind and body, little mention. The position of colour deserves to be re-dressed, so that we may have a more complete understanding of grid painting as a discrete kind of abstract painting. Each of the three artists I have examined here employed colour and grid in strategies unique to their work and its purposes. Ad Reinhardt arrived at his 1960s “black” paintings out of a background that included strong political beliefs, resistance to the dominant strain of 1950s Abstract Expressionism, and a deep interest in eastern religions and Buddhism. Agnes Martin shared Reinhardt’s interest in Buddhism and eastern religions, but chose to move toward the light in the atmospheric colour of her paintings, speaking of the quest for perfection of the mind in her writings and interviews. Gerhard Richter’s colour charts, a longstanding major subset of the vast range of this prolific artist’s work, speak to a need to go beyond his love of painting to the ungraspable substance of colour itself. / Thesis (Master, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2011-09-27 12:34:58.813

This dissertation is concerned with Sylvia Plath's late works. Engaging with critical discussion of what constitutes the corpus of Ariel, I show that an appreciation of the editorial history reveals the beginning of a third book (the last poems), and opens up those difficult texts to fresh enquiry. Recent work in Plath studies has focused on visual art. Kathleen Connors and Sally Bayley's Eye Rhymes examines Plath’s own artwork in ‘an attempt to answer the question, How did Plath arrive at Ariel? (1) I contribute to that discussion, but also ask the questions, How did Plath leave Ariel behind and arrive at the even more remarkable last poems, and how did visual art enable those journeys? I argue that Ariel’s characteristically lucid style is informed by the dismantling of depth perspective in Post-Impressionist painting, and by the colour theory and pedagogy of the Bauhaus teachers. My work is underpinned by an appreciation of Plath’s unique cultural moment in mid-century East Coast America. I show how Plath’s knowledge of the theories, practice and iconic images of visual art, from the old masters to the Post-Impressionists, offered new possibilities for stylistic development. Working with archival materials including annotated works from Plath’s personal library and drafts of her poems, as well as published material, I examine the synthesis of visual and literary influences. Demonstrating specific textual relations between Plath and the work of Emily Dickinson, T. S. Eliot and W. B. Yeats, as well as other poets, I show that Plath’s visual poetics combine influences from the modern poets with her New Critical training and with painting and sculpture. I offer new readings of rarely discussed poems, such as ‘Totem’, ‘The Munich Mannequins’ and ‘Child’, as well as fresh insights into the well known works, ‘Tulips’, ‘The Moon and the Yew Tree’, ‘Fever 103º’, and ‘Edge’.

This thesis is concerned with understanding sport theory based on art theory. In so doing, in extending their relationship, a deeper appreciation of both may result. In turn, this may enhance our lives. While postmodern theories of art somewhat devalue the rarefied status of art, at the same time art’s openness is particularly well appointed to understanding other aesthetic domains. Scholarly attention to the so-called aesthetics of the everyday of which sport is an example, is a relatively recent paradigm shift that attempts to give philosophical weight to common, ordinary experiences as aesthetic. Art as the paradigm case of aesthetic experience is therefore useful in illuminating such experiences, one of which is sport. The results of this study are: Like art, sport idealises in its desire for perfection. Like art, sport is a second-order mimetic activity that is autonomous and reflects extra-aesthetic concerns. The implications of the postmodern language turn for art, namely detotalising and/or meaninglessness can be applied to sport. Drawing from Wittgenstein, art and sport are culturally embedded within institutional frameworks and quite simply are learnt ways of thinking and doing. Expressive theories of art were introduced which, it was found, has resonance with sport, as it can be similarly described as an expression of “aesthetic ideas”, to use Kant’s phrase. The artistic formalist perspective and the realization of form led to describing sport as aesthetically beautiful in many ways. One might apply Zangwell’s moderate aesthetic formalism to sport where formal qualities, representation and content co-exist, thus somewhat combining the above conclusions. An analysis of this kind suggests that sport may derive its meaning from an artistic perspective, at least in theory. At the same time, though not the primary focus of this thesis, one might describe the relationship between art and sport as an oscillation, if at times a dialectic, in which case boundaries between them inevitably become more complex. It is conceivable that within that complexity/struggle/play there can be self- realization and world-bettering. It is also conceivable that this is a result of the emergence of a new sub-discipline, namely sports art. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Art History)

[pt] Por meio da construção singular de um rigoroso processo técnico-artesanal, as xilogravuras de Oswaldo Goeldi adquiriram potência expressiva autônoma em sua totalidade, desde a elaboração da matriz à impressão final das obras, tendo a constante experimentação como fator decisivo. A experiência cromática assumiu força comunicativa quando se despojou de atributos decorativos e se apresentou como elemento gráfico preciso, complementando o sistema expressivo goeldiano. Certa obscuridade crítica manteve Goeldi em posição lateral em relação ao movimento modernista, até que apropriações e revisões historiográficas contemporâneas de sua obra reafirmassem a importância de sua poética moderna única na arte brasileira da primeira metade do século XX. / [en] By means of a singular construction of rigorous technical-craft process, the woodcuts of Oswaldo Goeldi acquired expressive autonomous potentiality, from the elaboration of the engraved woodblock to the final printing, having constant experimentation as decisive factor. Chromatic experience gained communicative strength when it got rid of ornamental features and revealed itself as precise graphic element, complementing the goeldian expressive system. A certain critical obscurity kept Goeldi in a border position in relation to the modernist movement until contemporary appropriations and historiographic reviews of his work reaffirmed the importance of his unique modern poetic in Brazilian art of the first half of the 20th century.

Submitted by Danielle de Aurélio Martinez null (daninha_martinez@hotmail.com) on 2016-07-29T16:44:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Mestrado Danielle Martinez.ficha.pdf: 4080621 bytes, checksum: 8e3b19ab2842d4cb8c8adddf962ceb15 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-08-01T14:40:19Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 martinez_da_me_arafcl.pdf: 4080621 bytes, checksum: 8e3b19ab2842d4cb8c8adddf962ceb15 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-01T14:40:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 martinez_da_me_arafcl.pdf: 4080621 bytes, checksum: 8e3b19ab2842d4cb8c8adddf962ceb15 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-05-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A título de aprofundamento de trabalho realizado como Iniciação Científica com Bolsa concedida pela FAPESP, este Projeto de Pesquisa em Mestrado propõe uma leitura crítica da peça dramática O Gebo e a Sombra (1923), de autoria do escritor português Raul Brandão (1867-1930), considerando o estudo do teatro moderno português. Brandão é autor de uma obra literária de múltiplas virtualidades estéticas que lhe conferem uma modernidade singular. Daí a dificuldade de classificar esteticamente a obra desse autor. As várias perspectivas possíveis parecem, entretanto, marcadas por um denominador comum que, segundo a nossa hipótese, agrega em si, predominantemente, elementos estéticos próprios do Expressionismo. A produção dramatúrgica desse autor, pouco extensa e até hoje insuficientemente conhecida nos meios universitários brasileiros, revela-se, como pretendemos demonstrar pela análise textual, um dos mais distintos produtos do Expressionismo no teatro lusitano. / With the purpose of deepening the realized work as Scientific Initiation with a scholarship conceded by FAPESP, this Mastership’s research project proposes a critic reading of the dramatic piece Gebo and The Shadow (1923), written by the Portuguese author Raul Brandão (1867-1930), considering the study about modern Portuguese theater. Brandão is the author of a literary work of multiple esthetical virtualities that grant him a singular modernity. For this reason, there’s a difficulty to classify aesthetically the author’s oeuvre. The many possible perspectives seem, however, to be marked by a common denominator that, according to our hypothesis, aggregates to itself, predominantly, peculiar esthetical elements of Expressionism. The dramaturgical production of this author, which isn’t extensive, is, until today, insufficiently known at Brazilian university milieu, and reveals itself, as we intend to demonstrate by textual analysis, one of the most distinct products of Portuguese expressionist theater.

Esta dissertação de mestrado, na área de literatura comparada, tem como objetivo estabelecer um paralelo crítico entre as diversas formas de utilização, na literatura e no cinema, da metáfora literária e da montagem cinematográfica como meios de expressão de temas e formas relacionados à estética do feio, desenvolvida pelo Expressionismo alemão. O trabalho de análise envolveu a análise e comparação entre a lírica expressionista de Georg Trakl (1887-1914) e a narrativa cinematográfica de Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (1889-1931), especificamente no filme Nosferatu. Pretendemos mostrar como a justaposição dos elementos constituintes das metáforas de Trakl, num processo de construção de significação, se assemelha à técnica cinematográfica de corte e montagem postulada pelo cineasta russo Serguei Eisenstein (1898-1948), elaborada também no cinema do Expressionismo alemão. A estética do feio tornou-se um tema privilegiado, pois tanto a metáfora como a montagem expressionistas constituíram, no contexto do modernismo europeu, veículos impactantes da ideia de choque, buscando ao mesmo tempo aterrorizar e fascinar o público, recuperando assim em chave dialética alguns elementos da estética clássica aristotélica. / This study aims to establish a critical comparison between various forms of use, in literature and film, of literary metaphor and film editing as a means of expression of themes and forms related to the \"aesthetic of the ugly\", developed by German Expressionism. The work involves the analysis of and comparison between the expressionist lyric of Georg Trakl (1887-1914) and the filmic narrative of Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (1889-1931), specifically in \"Nosferatu\". We intend to show how the juxtaposition of the elements of Trakl\'s metaphors, a meaning construction process, resembles the cinematic technique of cutting and assembly postulated by Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein (1898-1948), also adopted in German Expressionist cinema. The aesthetic of the ugly has become a main theme because both expressionist metaphor and film editing constituted striking vehicles of the \"shock\" idea in the context of European modernism, seeking to terrify and fascinate the public, thus reprievingdialectically some elements of the Aristotelian classical aesthetic.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-18T21:31:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 5 Sullivan Bernardo de Almeida1.pdf: 3083845 bytes, checksum: fc5c724a2d2f7db0df33ff3003813cbd (MD5) Sullivan Bernardo de Almeida2.pdf: 3547449 bytes, checksum: 4b351507307ed3209bd7f949f6d04a92 (MD5) Sullivan Bernardo de Almeida3.pdf: 2851232 bytes, checksum: ac93d506a318b2a68c755673e1ba7271 (MD5) Sullivan Bernardo de Almeida4.pdf: 1920341 bytes, checksum: 9f93869cc03bb5bc4e08069492abf245 (MD5) Sullivan Bernardo de Almeida5.pdf: 1076712 bytes, checksum: 701edc418e949ac6bef282a620bbfc0d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-01-28 / Instituto Presbiteriano Mackenzie / Di Cavalcanti was born in Rio de Janeiro when the city was undergoing trough a radical reubanization process leaded by the government, Rodrigues Alves, Brazil President, and managed by city mayor Pereira Passos. During his government, Passos chnged the provinvicial city aspect. He had built gorgeous squares, wide avenues, strongly impacting the way of life at the poor people, who used to live in the slum, pushing them to move to furlher neighborhood around the city. Based upon his personal view of such scenario, Di Cavalcanti created the Fantoches da Meia-noite series, breaking up with Art Nouveau style, followed by him until then. The work is made up of sixteen boards and a presentation folder by the writer Ribeiro Couto. The folder text regards to the impression that both kept on the cratures who in habited that neighborhood. The objective of this work is indentify the expressionist characteristics of the Fantoches da Meia-noite work, and verify a possible closeness with the chowings by the artist Egon Schiele. To accomplish so, we will atlain a formal analysis of Fantoches, following Donis A. Dondis methodology in his book Sintaxe da Linguagem Visual, and as theorical support, we will base on semiotical concepts theory. / Di Cavalcanti nasceu no Rio de Janeiro num momento em que a cidade passava por um processo radical de reurbanização promovido pelo Presidente Rodrigues Alves e implantado pelo Prefeito Pereira Passos. Durante seu governo Passos modificou o aspecto provinciano da cidade, construindo grandes praças e largas avenidas, alterando violentamente a vida das pessoas na então capital da República, promovendo a expulsão da população carente que habitava os cortiços na região central, para periferia da cidade. É a partir de um olhar particular a respeito daquele cenário que Di Cavalcanti produz a série Fantoches da Meia-noite, promovendo uma ruptura com o estilo Art Nouveau, até então praticado pelo artista. Trata-se de um conjunto composto por dezesseis pranchas, contendo desenhos e um encarte de apresentação prefaciado pelo escritor Ribeiro Couto. O texto refere-se às impressões que ambos mantinham em relação às criaturas que habitavam aquele cenário. O objetivo deste trabalho é identificar características expressionistas no álbum Fantoches da Meia-noite e, também, verificar uma possível aproximação com os desenhos do artista autríaco, Egon Schiele. Para tanto, faremos uma análise formal dos Fantoches a partir da metodologia utilizada por Dondis A. Dondis em seu livro, Sintaxe da Linguagem Visual. Como suporte teórico, nos basearemos nos conceitos da teoria semiótica.