This fellow, the masterful Constantin Brancusi, introduced elegance and substance in his art via simple yet moving forms. His work, sculpture being his forte, captures perfection--from a human’s perspective anyway--with flow and grace.
He did not create simple geometric forms. No. He created simple organic forms. Brancusi’s combination of lines and curves bring out the subject’s core identity. His straight edges claim, “I’m bold. I’m sharp. Dare to come any closer?” while his coils and loops announce, “I’m free. I’m fun. Let us twirl together.” Combined, the piece has class and spunk, a balance that definitely gets my applause.
I had the privilege to interact with Brancusi’s work in both the Museum of Modern Art (located in New York City) and The Art Institute of Chicago displays, as well as his permanent works in Tirgu Jiu, Romania--his and my home country. Viewing Bird in Space next to his The Cock, Blond Negress, II, Young Bird, and Endless Column established an image of pure form.
Do you see the birds? How about that earthling’s face?
The recognizable subjects are oh-so-subtle and obvious at the same time. They are clean. Pure. With detail comes imperfection. Hence, detail is forgotten. These sculptures are all erect and linear, giving off a poised feeling. They are important, and yet they lively extend that hand of friendship saying, “Let us experience life together.” This is the reaction Brancusi creates.
Alright, so Brancusi was an abstract artist, yes? Well, take a look at how his simplified ideas relate to other aspects of life in this video.
Like Pablo Picasso and Georges Barque, Brancusi’s work is defined by the perspective rather than the physical portrayal of the elements, as the text suggests.
Reader, it is time to examine a Brancusi work yourself. Depicted below is a sculpture piece on display in Chicago. What do you determine is the subject? (The title will be revealed on a later date.)
Remember, your conclusion is your own. Brancusi does not own that, he just provokes the idea.
For more of Brancusi's art click the play button below.
Till next time.
i am so glad u have blogged about this dude, i hadn't heard of him or his work until i read about him in our text this week...but i am swept away by Brancusi!
ReplyDeleteI love the motion and spiritual nature of his work, it's a bit unsettling to be honest, because it blows my mind how it can invoke such intense emotion.
hmmm...i think the mystery sculpture looks like two toes crossed lol, and um, ya that's what i'm stickin with (:
I don't know much about art but I do really enjoy Brancusi's work. I always thought art was about the details. Whenever I heard about why a painting or sculpture became so well-known it always seemed as if it was due to the details. Brancusi on the other hand throws out the details and arrives at an artform that "captures the essence of the subject". I believe the mystery sculpture portrays the term "crossing your fingers".
ReplyDeleteIndeed, the sculpture is titled "The Two Penguins."
ReplyDeleteP.S. I likewise thought it was two fingers crossed.
I have to admit that my first reaction to Brancusi's work was not a positive one...I was actually very skeptical. But after talking about him in class and further observing his art, I can definitely see what he was trying to achieve by leaving out the details. Because as humans we can never create perfection, he felt that he could better communicate through the essence of his artwork. It was an interesting perspective, and I definitely have a new appreciation for his artwork!
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