Introduction
The Fine Arts appreciation deals with the feeling of the beauty of the work of art. One has to share and penetrate the vision of the artist. However, the works of art can evoke not only positive emotions but rather negative ones. It does not mean that a particular picture is not beautiful. The artist should be a great master to render the sense of threat. The works of art of both Giorgio de Chirico and Kara Walker create foreboding feelings, and that is the way artists investigate the most secret sides of the human soul.
Short biographical information about Giorgio de Chirico and Kara Walker
Giorgio de Chirico was an Italian painter. He started his artistic activity at the beginning of the twentieth century. He is famous for the establishing of Metaphysical Painting. This art movement significantly influenced surrealism. Giorgio de Chirico received his first education in Greece. In 1905, he entered The Academy of Fine Arts in Germany. This period had changed his perception of the world. In Munich de Chirico became familiar with the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche. He returned to Italy in 1909. That is the time when the most productive stage of his life began. His most famous works are Enigma of the Hour, The Nostalgia of the Infinite, and Love Song. Kara Walker represents contemporary art. She is a painter who investigates the problems of gender, race, violence, sexism, and inequality concerning African-American people in her works. Walker is reputed for her black and cut-paper silhouettes depicted in tableaux with a size of a room. Her father was an artist and Kara followed his steps. In 1994, Kara Walker enjoyed worldwide popularity. Her skillfully portrayed works of art made her the youngest receiver of the MacArthur Foundation grant. Walker’s famous exhibitions include My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love, Rise Ye Mighty Race, The Means to an End: A Shadow Drama in Five Acts.
The analysis of Giorgio de Chirico’s Melancholy and Mystery of a Street
Giorgio de Chirico created Melancholy and Mystery of a Street in 1914. The picture under consideration represented the movement of metaphysical painting and surrealism. Having returned to Italy after studying in Munich, Giorgio de Chirico changed his vision of reality. He found out that the juxtaposition of strange objects might introduce something secret and hidden about the real world. The artist observed late autumn afternoons in the city of Turin, and the way long shadows of the sun changed large squares and monuments into something, that one can perceive just metaphysically (Kleiner 401).
Giorgio de Chirico painted The Melancholy and Mystery of a Street in oils on the canvas. He depicts a deserted public place using simple forms. The encounter of the small girl and somebody who is seen only as a shadow is the central theme of the painting. The girl plays with the hoop and moves towards the unseen source of the glow. There are two buildings on both sides of the picture. Light has covered one of them while the other is in total gloom. There is a yellow corridor between them that makes the division more distinct. Giorgio de Chirico uses lightning and perspective to form a controversial juxtaposition. He erased the feeling of reality by depicting the left building so that its lines meet far on the horizon. One more significant detail is the truck. It stands in full darkness. Nevertheless, some unknown source of light lit it. Thus, the artist invents a place that logically cannot exist (GalleryIntell par. 3).
One should be aware of what surrealism is to understand the content of the image. The aim of the representatives of surrealism was to create pieces of art that would be inspired by an accidental thought or dream. Such works of art would render what comes from the unconscious mind. Giorgio de Chirico claimed that the idea for Melancholy and Mystery of a Street completely preoccupied his mind. He was not able to expose what was the message about it (Sayre 519). The basis for surrealism was the works of the famous psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud. He discovered that several layers comprised the human mind. He regarded the unconscious mind as a constituent of the human psyche with all hidden desires and urges. Society would criticize most of these urges and the conscious mind blocked them. Freud believed that dreams were symbolized manifestations of unconsciousness (Lewis and Lewis 413). The artist portrays the foreboding feeling in the Melancholy and Mystery of a Street. The result is accomplished through the format of the work. The abandoned place, a small girl, a strange van, and an enigmatic shade evoke the strange sensation. With the help of such juxtaposition, the artist reveals Friedrich Nietzsche’s ideas that there exists a concealed reality in which we live (Kleiner 401). Giorgio de Chirico realizes the feeling of frightening mystery by the restriction of the additional information. The two-dimensional frame develops barriers to the full image. The dark figure in the picture illustrates that there is something intimidating behind the structure (Steinfeld and Maisel 5)
The analysis of Kara Walker’s Insurrection!
Kara Walker’s Insurrection! (Our Tools Were Rudimentary, Yet We Pressed On) is the painting beyond the frame. Walker’s key device is the silhouette. The admiration of this type of art took place at the beginning of the eighteenth century in the courts of Europe (Sayre 254). The subject matter of the artist’s installation lies in a challenging depicting of the period of American slavery. Kara Walker tries to dispose of the stereotypes relating to the slavery period via painting the severe history.
The cut-paper silhouettes and light projections materialize the whole installation. Walker’s black silhouettes on the white walls signify the nineteenth-century rebellion. One can notice that slaves make use of rudimentary tools such as kitchen appliances (Hobson 124). There is the holder of a plantation who addresses a hiding naked slave. There is a group of slaves who eviscerate their owners. All scenes exemplify the slaves’ treatment of their masters during the revolt. Kara Walker has also added additional projectors. As a result, when one is observing the installation, his or her own shadow becomes a part of it.
Insurrection! (Our Tools Were Rudimentary, Yet We Pressed On) has become the subject of a lot of discussions since the first exhibition. Some discourses mention that the content of the creation conveys a negative meaning. People experience creepy emotions when looking at it. Taking into consideration Freud’s ideas, the weird feeling appears not because it is unusual but because it is something people do not want to remember. Such reactions may be regarded as defense mechanisms. Silhouettes perform as shadows that evoke unnecessary memories and, at the same time, obscure them (Bourke 126).
The comparison of the works of art
The artworks under analysis vary drastically. The subject matter of Giorgio de Chirico’s Melancholy and Mystery of a Street lies in the metaphysical painting. It exemplifies the artist’s vision of the world. Kara Walker’s Insurrection! (Our Tools Were Rudimentary, Yet We Pressed On) demonstrates the clear topic — the history of the rebellion of the American slaves. The media of the works are also diverse. De Chirico made the picture in oils on the canvas while Walker realized her art by cutting paper black silhouettes on the white walls. There are common items in the form. Both of the artists employ the shadow in their masterpieces. These figures play a crucial role in comprehending and perceiving the message. It is worthwhile analyzing the level of content of the creations. From the psychological perspective, Giorgio de Chirico produces the reflection of unconsciousness. The shade in his picture brings a sinister feeling. Walker’s shadows carry out the same function. Her silhouettes symbolize the tragedy of the slave rebellion. It seems that de Chirico’s piece of art has nothing to do with it. The author painted Melancholy and Mystery of a Street in 1914. That year brought a disaster to the whole Earth — World War I. Probably that is the role of the dark shade in the image. Besides, artists investigate the hidden truth that is always here. The shadows of Walker and de Chirico materialize concealed realities.
Conclusion
Giorgio de Chirico and Kara Walker have found their ways of exploring the human mind and the surrounding world. With precise mastery, they originate unknown and mysterious aspects of humanity by employing dissimilar forms and themes.
Works Cited
Bourke, Melanie. “An Uncanny Insurrection: Debating Negativity in the Work of Kara Walker.” Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies 10.2 (2012): 120-132. Print.
GalleryIntell. n.d. Mystery and Melancholy of a Street by Giorgio de Chirico. n.d. Web. 2015.
Hobson, Janell. Body as Evidence: Mediating Race, Globalizing Gender. New York: SUNY Press, 2012. Print.
Kleiner, Fred. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Concise Global History. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2008. Print.
Lewis, Richard, and Susan Lewis. Cengage Advantage Books: The Power of Art. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2008. Print.
Sayre, Henry. A World of Art. London: Pearson, 2012. Print.
Steinfeld, Edward, and Jordana Maisel. Universal Design:Creating Inclusive Hobson, Environments. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Print.