IMAGINARIUM: AN ALTERNATE HISTORY OF ART, a podcast available on spotify or apple podcast. I write articles on art history, cinema or whatever strikes my fancy.
SERIES THREE CURRENTLY ONGOING
IMAGINARIUM: AN ALTERNATE HISTORY OF ART, a podcast available on spotify or apple podcast. I write articles on art history, cinema or whatever strikes my fancy.
In this article, we are going to discuss the way in which art, comics and illustrations in the early years of the 20th century helped shape and cement the archetype of the new modern woman, not only in the western world but globally. After all, modernity happened everywhere. I don’t like to put countries and rank them as one set of countries as being the end goal that everyone else is trying to catch up to, because this is very much a tenet of imperialism and i am decidedly not here for it. However, there is no going around how this is part of a very prevalent narrative. That you can quantify progress and quote unquote civilization and modernity. I think of the prevalent idea about of how progress moves and how it’s a view that is generally associated with the current capitalistic understand of our world that values constant progress and growth, and that history works in that manner. However progress is never truly linear, and the way history evolves is full of ebbs and flows, of progress in certain areas, and regression in others, and there is always a judgement of value that is being made when thinking about the march of progress . The 1920s and the 1930s were an era of constant change on all fronts, and the world as a whole was marching straight into the modern world as the repercussions of the first world war were still being felt.
In this article, we are going to discuss the way in which art, comics and illustrations in the early years of the 20th century helped shape and cement the archetype of the new modern woman, not only in the western world but globally. After all, modernity happened everywhere. I don’t like to put countries and rank them as one set of countries as being the end goal that everyone else is trying to catch up to, because this is very much a tenet of imperialism and i am decidedly not here for it. However, there is no going around how this is part of a very prevalent narrative. That you can quantify progress and quote unquote civilization and modernity. I think of the prevalent idea about of how progress moves and how it’s a view that is generally associated with the current capitalistic understand of our world that values constant progress and growth, and that history works in that manner. However progress is never truly linear, and the way history evolves is full of ebbs and flows, of progress in certain areas, and regression in others, and there is always a judgement of value that is being made when thinking about the march of progress . The 1920s and the 1930s were an era of constant change on all fronts, and the world as a whole was marching straight into the modern world as the repercussions of the first world war were still being felt.
GREEN KNIGHT (2021) by David Lowery is a movie that is beautiful, luscious and grandiose, in a way that rarely is in the cinematic landscape of the 21st century. In a world where magic and tales of courageous knights coexist. This is a tale that takes place years after the rise of King Arthur and the sword in the stone. A movie that doesn’t hold your hand and does not carry you through the finish line. It is the kind of films that need several viewings to correctly absorb and interpret. And even there, there are so many ways to interpret this movie, to understand its meaning. A story that has been around for centuries and was part of a larger folkloric narrative. Based on a poem from the 14th century and the chivalric romances of the king Arthur, the story of Gawain and the Green Knight is one worth reading, if you have the chance to. The legends of Camelot I have already made a podcast episode on the role of arthurian imagery in art, but after watching this movie, I really wanted to dive deeper in the visual aesthetic and production design of this movie. Because whenever a movie puts so much effort and thoughts behind the visual aspect of it, as well as the way those visual symbols tie up with the narrative thread of the story, it always fascinates me to no end and this movie is no exception
Of course, as we explore how the visual aspect of this movie ties in with the narrative, and we analyze the visual and the significance that they can have, please know that I will spoil this movie, and so, if you have not watched it yet ? What are you waiting for ? Please watch it and come back to this article as soon as it is done !
Eiko Ishioka is a Japanese designer who is mostly known for her work as an art director, artist, graphic designer as well as a costume designer. She is known for her over-the-top work when it comes to design and staging, and her ability to go out of the usual mold that we tend to expect when it comes to design. You can trace her artistic influences in both the classical European paintings, as well as traditional Japanese arts. The blending of the two from a Japanese perspective thus creates a visual identity that is truly unique to her. Until her death in 2012, she worked through multiple art fields and kept bringing her unique work experience from one field to another. Her experience in graphic arts influencing her work in movie costuming and vice-versa. She is definitely someone who constantly tackled new projects and new mediums without fear and hesitation.
