Drafts by Caroline Giepert
The Rothko Chapel: The Re-Spiritualizing of Modern America
The latter half of the eighteenth century in Europe was marked a time of several societal, politi... more The latter half of the eighteenth century in Europe was marked a time of several societal, political, and technological advancements, which jump-started the Enlightenment era. Probably the most evident example of this notion was the consequential Terror of Robespierre after the French Revolution. The other major catalyst was the Industrial Revolution that originated in Great Britain. However, there were many artists and philosophers who believed this newfound strict rationality was actually harmful to humanity. As the population turned toward the cold, hard facts of science rather than religion, there appeared to be growing moral decay in the Western world. Hence, the Enlightenment catalyzed the Counter-Enlightenment movement, which embraced the old superstitious ways and nationalist legends. Superstitions and folklore, both of religious and mythological nature, remained prominent in Northern Europe. This phenomenon occurred in Spain with Francisco Goya, in Britain with William Blake, and, of course, with Swiss-born Henry Fuseli. While this period was filled with major scientific advancements, Fuseli adhered to the power of philosophical thought over strict rationality.
Arguably one of Vienna's most celebrated artists, Gustav Klimt both sketched and painted a remark... more Arguably one of Vienna's most celebrated artists, Gustav Klimt both sketched and painted a remarkable number of artworks during his lifetime. Most of his figurative works, if not all, focus on the female body and various issues of womanhood, more specifically how these issues fit into a quickly developing society. Similar to many other major European cities, Vienna at the fin-de-séicle was rife with political, social, and cultural change. Specific aspects included Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis, the emergence of the New Woman, Bohemian art collectives reacting against strict academic traditions, and a younger generation refusing the rigid Victorian ideals. Klimt construed these ideas and philosophies in some of his allegorical portrait paintings of archetypal women, either from classical mythology or biblical stories. By including known classical and religious iconography, Klimt is speaking to the collective unconscious of all mankind and exploring inner conflicts, focusing specifically on sexuality. These paintings were executed in a style referred to as "mythico-symbolist art," since there exists a combination of both mysticism and visual poetry, lending a sense of lyrical beauty to each. 1 His depictions of females range across powerful heroines, goddesses, femme fatales, erotic nudes, and ancient priestesses. Klimt's attitude towards women remains controversial. It was recorded by Franz Servois upon visiting his studio that he always kept a "harem" of nude models lounging around 1 Gabriella Belli, Gustav Klimt: Masterpieces (Boston: Little, Brown, 1990), 7.
The dichotomy of Eros and Thanatos, love and death, is one that has been explored by psychologist... more The dichotomy of Eros and Thanatos, love and death, is one that has been explored by psychologists, philosophers, and artists throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In particular, Norwegian painter Edvard Munch explored this subject matter in the Love series conceived for his Frieze of Life exhibition, which was organized into Seeds of Love, Flowering and Passing of Love, Life Anxiety, and Death. 1 The series depicted the collective human condition. The paintings in this series tell a progressive narrative of one falling in love, the anxieties of being in a relationship, and the inevitable feeling of loss after the affair is finished. It is evident from this series and Munch's other paintings of women that he held a pessimistic outlook on life, particularly about finding romance in life. Due to his many personal tragedies, Munch developed psychological and emotional issues early in life, which he expressed in his statement that, "Illness, madness, and death are the dark angels who watched over my cradle and have accompanied me throughout my life." 2 The works that Munch produced were largely
Book Reviews by Caroline Giepert
Object-oriented ontology emerged as part of speculative realism, an anti-humanist philosophy that... more Object-oriented ontology emerged as part of speculative realism, an anti-humanist philosophy that removes humans as the center of the cosmos and asserts the agency of nonliving forms. The tendency towards anthropocentrism has dominated much of the history of civilized man, dating back to the humanist teachings of ancient Greek philosophers. Correlationist theory has also promoted this belief that humans are the sole Decider of the world, in terms of interacting with objects, to the point that objects only exist insofar as how humans relate to them. Strongly opposing this notion is object-oriented ontology, abbreviated as OOO. It advocates for the existence of things as themselves, not defined simply by how a human interacts with them.
Thesis Chapters by Caroline Giepert
LSU Digital Commons, 2018
This thesis will discuss the development of socially engaged art collective Fallen Fruit (active ... more This thesis will discuss the development of socially engaged art collective Fallen Fruit (active 2004 – present) in regards to their community-oriented projects, museum exhibitions, and recent online artwork Endless Orchard (2017). Fallen Fruit presents an interesting example of a social practice art group since they straddle both an activist agenda as well as the commercial world of mainstream institutions and the Internet. This paper will analyze the rationale for Fallen Fruit’s manner of adapting to commercial success by considering their progression from localized projects in the communities of Los Angeles to curated exhibitions in well-known museums and venture into the online world. The research conducted here will present both the positive and negative effects of navigating the commercial art world as a socially engaged art collective. This research was completed by analyzing texts by social practice artists and scholars, such as Suzanne Lacy, Grant Kester, and Claire Bishop. Additionally, information was gathered about the larger context of urban gardening and foraging from authors like Alys Fowler. More specific information about Fallen Fruit and their projects were gathered from their website, blog posts, journal articles, books, and an artist talk I attended.
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Drafts by Caroline Giepert
Book Reviews by Caroline Giepert
Thesis Chapters by Caroline Giepert