My Museum By Davian Ruiz
Museum Description: The theme I've chosen is isolation around environments. I chose this theme because of I like the artists that make realistic paintings upon real life environments in which the area is isolated from humans and animals alike. Showing only the sky and environment being nature or a town. I will include artworks from Vincent Van Gogh, and artists alike that show this isolation. I'll improve upon this idea by expelling why this isolation works with this environment that the artists made into a painting.
Impact Statement: I want my museum to show how artists from the 1800s and later on, understood how well to show this idea of isolation. It being the depth, and environment to be in their art that affected or gave their mind the idea of it. I want the viewers/visitors to experience that even before our current art advances that people understood how to express emotion and environmental atmosphere.
The Environments:
The area or location of where representation/realism of isolation that is taking place is important to the theme of Isolation. The environments help bring out the human experience and great inspiration. It also allows us to think about the perspective and possibly story in the painting. The images for this section all have a meaning but bring out one thing in common within these paintings which is the isolation that is involved with them which is why these were selected due to that face that paintings involved of this theme of isolation within their environments.
Vincent Van Goph's, "Cafe Terrace at Night", created September 16, 1888.
This painting tells so much as well as showing how life is during this part of the day at the location, especially without the focus on a person.
(Content) The place chosen by Vincent Van Goph is in fact significant due to the fact that its inner message that this location is meant for, which is solitude as well as others like a gathering. The tone that the artist was going for was a calm and colorful night out at a cafe. Not to mention, that the colors that go against the night sky for which counters the contrast. The feeling of isolation is vividly subjected to the environment throughout the painting which supports the sub topic of solitude which is shown as well.
Vincent Van Goph's "Backyards of Old Houses in Antwerp in the snow, made in 1885.
(Content) Vincent Van Goph's idea behind this painting was that the backyards of houses of which were all giving the atmosphere that they grim and sad which is promising for the environments this museum show. Especially the feeling of being isolated from people and animals alike. In which the artist made the exact atmosphere of the area onto his painting. One of his other painting from which it was a small room and being colorful. The paintings symbolism being the houses are separating people from being together which the idea of solitude.
Edward Munch's "The Scream", created in 1893.
(Form) Though there might not be much of a realistic environment, the idea behind brush strokes different color as well as the focal point help represent its main theme which is anxiety or human condition cause by many factors including isolation which would fit right in this museum. If look closely at the painting/image, you notice at the person and left side of the painting are diagonal lines. While the background or environment is mostly wavy lines lead your eyes towards the focal point. It's important to know that most of painting makes the viewer eventually lead to the focal point being person who's apparently screaming. The wavy lines help its symbolism being anxiety.
Ilya Repin's "The hut", created in 1878.
(Form) The textures as the furniture in the painting help depict a grim and sad atmosphere of solitude or isolation which is why it belongs in this section. The artist purposefully made the painting in a somewhat wet format in order to make sure that viewers don't immediately see the whole picture and understand it completely. The textures on the walls help us also realize that the he use a rough technique when working with opaque colors. Due to the environment as well as focal point of the painting, it helps us understand that he was going for Three dimensional side view while not going 2 dimensional in order to use techniques for his art.
These images together show how environments say a lot about the painting due to the fact that their location or area say a lot about where they are in time and expresses the artistic nature ever so more.
What the People represent:
Though there may not be many, the people show the viewers of the artwork that being isolated in an environment could represent the people's loneliness, as well as their health or reason for being there.
Mikhail Larionov's "Resting Soldier", created in 1911.
(Context) Though an initial glance at the image may not represent or show isolation entirely it does show a sub topic that comes from it which is solitude. Though the artist is greatly known for his western influence with his Russian painting style based on native and folk traditions. But soon his paintings started becoming more vibrant in color and primitive in style. During Larionov's life, he had spent time in the military. He was inspired by a soldiers life in which painted the barracks in where the soldiers were located at. They resting at the time and decided that this would his "Resting Soldier".
Edward Hopper's "Pennsylvania coal town", created in 1947.
(Context) The task that the man is doing requires him to reside in solitude from which stems from isolation which helps its other meanings which are being alive in the moment. He had sympathy with the masses which helped make this scene into a painting. In fact, this painting was the closet he's ever been expressing sympathy as a whole in a painting of his. He had created the painting in a New York Studio in 1947 on April 23. The reason for making this painting was due to the social realism movement that happening around the time. This allows viewers to connect with the painting through basic human behavior cause it's one of most normal tasks to do around a household as well as relating to the movement that was happening in 1947.
Also a quick note to mention, information regarding this painting, is heavily limited due to not many sources having information about this painting.
Edward Hopper's " Nighthawks", created in 1942.
(Content) For what everyone is doing, no conversations are happening, no one makes eye contact, it gives the atmosphere of the painting the sense of isolation and sadness. The people in the establishment despite their actions don't seem to conversing except for holding a cigarette or putting hands down on the counter. The man looking at the waiter might talk to him but in the scene of the painting, he clearly does not open his mouth to talk. The focal point or subject matter upon the painting are the people of the establishment. The woman and the man who is smoking have their hands close by but aren't holding hands. There a lot of theory's and questions upon this painting and still aren't answered but allows us to evaluate this place more.
Chandana Hewapathirana's "Lonely", created in 2023. Yikes
(Form) The artist seemed to represent the setting sun as loneliness or solitude as the person is in that position from his perspective for which fits into section of the museum. The colors help blend in with the other colors which leads the viewer to the person on the right. The greenish hue helps the person stand out more as well as the oval shaped/curved lines to represent the setting sun. If look closely there are straight lines at the bottom and middle of the sun which dignify as well as lead into blue shaded background for impending loneliness or darkness in this case because of the sun setting.
Solitude connects with Isolation by so much due to its definition of solitude as a whole. These paintings have many things in common with each other and that is representation of humans within the environments they've been put in. All the people in the paintings are either happy or fine with the fact that solitude helps them be themselves or don't genuinely don't wanna seek anything else other than being by themselves in which the last image of the grid show as well the third represent. Though arguably could be changed.
Finding solitude in being away from others:
Many people find comfort in quietness and find it to be quite positive in the end for them. However that is not the case for everybody who experience it. For example, some people can only find loneliness when in solitude. While, other people can exceed and be at peace with being in environments like the ones shown below.
Irina An's "Self Isolation", created in 2020.
(Form) This very painting was meant to capture loneliness during this time, especially during the beginning epidemic which fits into this museum. The straight lines that form the colored lighting from the window lead/ guide the viewers of the painting to the man or to lead back to window. The only straight lines in the painting are diagonal/straight lines forming the window allowing us to know there's obviously differences to what to both, the person and the window in painting. The choice for a black background was probably chosen due to wanting represent the isolation ever so more in order to show of the subtopic being solitude.
Edward Hopper's "Morning Sun", created in 1952.
(Content) Though being alone in a darkened environment could represent isolation, however in this case, the darkness of the environment is slowly disappearing yet the isolation remains which evident because of the person. The person's visible eye seems to be darkened which could represent her being sightless for unforeseeable future which helps the theme of Isolation. Most people believe that the fact she's that position in the first place is that she is deciding what she's wants in her life and to accept the future. But it's also meaning, acceptance of possible loneliness that is undeniable.
Konstantin Somov's "Sleeping Young Woman", created in 1909.
(Form) Though this painting may not exactly show isolation due to its bright and somewhat happy nature, its theme is the subtopic towards isolation for which is solitude. The only straight lines within the painting are on furniture stuff except for the couch. This applies to also the background. The person and furniture in the background give the painting a passive/balanced sense onto the painting. In the background, there's more of a visual item instead of the background on the left side while the right of the painting helps you focus on the person's face for which is bright. As well as the contrast for her skin to her elegant dress. The Canvas length and width helps the painting in its entirely being the person as well shaded background which somewhat helps the elegant lady stand out more which is the focal point.
Ilya Repin's "Leo Tolstoy in a Room under the Arches," created in 1891.
(Content) An initial look of the painting suggests the case that of figure sitting by window is the focal point for which it is but also in an environment of isolation which he exceeds/works in for which fits right into the museum. The lighting from the window provides a contrast to the environment around for which is slightly darkened/shaded. The dimly lit environment suggests the sun could be setting/rising or something is blocking the sun in his direction. The furniture around suggests the person is possibly living here or being a composed individual. As well being domestic individual due to the objects and architecture in the hut.
This museum was intended for people to give the idea that Artists were very evolved in their skills back in the day and knew how to express so much emotion even without an individual before, during, and after the renaissance. Though specifically, the feeling of isolation in paintings which is greatly dismissed in most analysis's of artworks that revolve around such a subject. But in most cases, there is a part in the painting in which the artist wants you to focus on. Visitors of the museum should be able to understand that even now as before our art advances once more, artists had a grasp of what makes an environment so special in artworks which is how it can be shown to express emotion and environmental atmosphere with or without living beings.