Time in Art
How do modern people see the world of the past?
This is a very interesting question, that lacks an exact answer. Everyone has their subjective idea of what the past looked like, so it’s hard to answer this question in a simple phrase. Instead, today we want to see how today’s people saw the world of the past, through art.
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Chapter 1
Comics
Goodbye, My Rose Garden
“Goodbye, My Rose Garden” is an illustrated Japanese comic book by author Dr. Pepperco that tells the story of Hanako, a normal girl who came all the way from Japan to become a successful author in early 20th century England but falls as a maid to a prestigious family of nobles where she meets lady Alice. Even though their relationship is nothing for now, the story will blossom as we find out why lady Alice would request Hanako to kill her and what can be made to stop that way out.
Whatever Hanako would like to say will have to be said fast for a certain man has already asked for lady Alice's hand in marriage and she has no place to refuse as it will damage the family's reputation and prove the rumors true. Will their friendship blossom or will lady Alice manage to uphold a nice reputation? Read the book and find out!
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I chose this illustrated manga because of its beautiful drawings and the way it perfectly represents how society used to view women as well as their love life. The manga presents how life in early 20th century used to be while also letting us discover the life and sad stories of the characters.
I believe this manga fits into the theme of the project because the author presents his own view upon the old lifestyle of the early 20th century society as a close-minded world with rusty morals and a thirst for order and control. -Vlad
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Chapter 2
Movies
Lust for life
The actor Kirk Douglas plays the ,,martyred” artist Vincent Van Gogh in ,,Lust for life”, directed by Vincent Minnelli. This film is based on the Irving Stone novel and while it leaves out parts of Van Gogh’s life, it does seem to hit the high points of the artist life. A sensitive man with a spiritual sense of life, from the beginning Van Gogh seeks to express God in some way and to give something to the world. Because he failed as a minister, he takes up painting, being supported by his brother Theo. The film shows the evolution of his relationships with the painters and other characters.
He is a terribly lonely man, but he has an intensity that is almost frightening to people. Van Gogh establishes a friendship with Gauguin and has dreams of an artist colony, but his relationship with Gauguin, as with everyone but his brother, ends terribly when he stalks Gauguin with an open straight razor, later cutting off part of his own ear. It is evident from the film that whatever Van Gogh’s mental problem was, it worsened as time went on, as did his physical condition. He would often buy paints rather than eat and would work ceaselessly.
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In my opinion, this film made me realize how hard life was for people who wanted to become artists because in order to be known they only had to paint, paint and paint again, isolating themselves from their loved ones. We can see how the artists of Van Gogh’s time had different styles and each could learn a lot from others. They put soul into their paintings, some less so, including Paul Gauguin. They were very critical and not everyone could become an artist like they do now. Because of this, many became insane, isolated themselves from the world, and expressed their feelings only through art.
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,, An idler. Yes. But there are two kinds of idlers. There’s the man who’s idle because he wants to be, out of laziness. How easy that is. I envy him. But, there’s the other kind. The man who’s idle in spite of himself. I want nothing *but* to work. Only, I can’t. I’m in a cage. A cage of shame and self-doubt and failure. Somebody, believe me, I’m caged. I’m caged and I’m alone. I’m frightened.’’ [Vincent Van Gogh]
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,,If it’s one thing I despise, it’s emotionalism in painting.’’ [Paul Gauguin]
,, If I’m to be anything as a painter I’ve got to break through that iron wall between what I feel and what I express. My best chance of doing it is here, where my roots are... the people I know, the earth I know.’’ [Vincent Van Gogh]
Quotes that I like:
Chapter 3
Pastoral art
Is Cottagecore Modern Pastoralism?
Is ‘cottagecore’ modern pastoralism? To answer this question, we need to understand what pastoralism is, how it evolved, and what it repressents today.
Pastoralism in art refers to a current that romanticizes pastoral life, both through art and lifestyle. Its origins aren’t clear, but we do know that through history, pastoral art has always represented an interest to the bourgeois, as the idea of a simple, modest lifestyle would fascinate the noble.
While in the past pastoralism focused on rural life as it was at the time, nowadays, things are a little different. Since in the present even the countryside is getting increasingly industrialized and becoming more and more similar to urban areas, modern-day romantics put their focus on the pastoral life of the past.
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Since for the modern person, giving up your responsibilities and hiding away from the world in a small French town is a highly unrealistic idea (unlike it was for the most wealthy of the nobles of the past), people these days practise currents such as ‘pastoralism’ in a simplified way. The core of this simplified practice is the ‘cottagecore’ aesthetic.
Cottagecore refers to a way of dressing and living that roughly resembles the (wealthier) peasants of the past: modest clothing, where general lots of layers and patterns are involved; growing your own fruit and vegetables, cooking traditional recipes from scratch, etc
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Personally, I believe that ‘cottagecore’ as what we know it today is a direct descendant of pastoralism given their close similarities.
I think that this is related to our theme because first and foremost, pastoralism used to be and still is a method of artistic self expression that extends to multiple fields. Therefore, studying the way it still makes its way into our lives through its younger cousin, the ‘cottagecore’ aesthetic, honours the theme of ‘How do modern people see the world of the past through art?’
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Questions from Maria:
Questions from Noah:
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Thank You For Your Time!
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Project Realized By:
Ardelean Lazarescu Maya Rebeca
Oprea Vlad Vela Maria
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