Weekend June 30 2013
Okay okay, you guessed it, there is no fine arts elective at TAMUSA, and that's a shame. My interest in photography has prompted a reading of Art History. What one learns is thar art is a reflection of a society's mechanical and scientific progress, as well as its views of the world. To wit, Egyptian art was two dimensional, about what you get when handing a crayon to an eight year old. Romans and Greeks exhibited a considerably more advanced civilization with t three dimensional look to its sculpture.
At any rate, it is regrettable that we do not have a way to expose students to the art available in San Antonio.
The McNay is surely the artistic gem of the City. Built around Marion Koogler's 10,000 sf Alamo Heights Home, it is the scene of many weddings for its photogenic grounds and architecture. A current exhibit
regards the photography behind Norman Rockwell's paintings. Rockwell original used live models but they were unable to hold poses for lengthy periods. Realizing he painted real people not models, he shifted gears. He recruited friends and neighbors for photo sessions. He worked with several well known photographers. After an hour of posing he usually had the shots he needed. The exhibit shows many of the photos of those ordinary folks, juxtaposed with the final painting.
At right is the famous painting, The Runaway. A policeman and the soda jerk are listening intently to the small boy's story. We can assume the policeman will get the boy back home, and that the soda jerk provided a needed milk shake.
As you can see the final result was much like the photograph on its left.
The Witte Museum, further south on Broadway from the McNay which is actually on the Old Austin Highway east of Broadway, is more of a history than art museum. But this week I will be checking out Texas Impressionism: Branding with Brushstroke and Color 1885 - 1935. It seems Texas artists like Louis Griffith were following the same impressionist path as Monet and Renior in France at this time. Griffith's painting at left is Tranquil Afternoon done in 1929.
We will be providing updates on the San Antonio culture scene, which is much more advanced than most realize. We suggest you check out both the Rockwell and Impressionist exhibits.
