Mormon Art

[_Dr. Shades]

And as for LDS artists, I think this one is just amazing, Greg Olsen's, "O Jerusalem":

You realize that Jesus's hands and feet are way too large in that painting, right? Either that or His head is way too small.

[_Mister Scratch]

And as for LDS artists, I think this one is just amazing, Greg Olsen's, "O Jerusalem":

You realize that Jesus's hands and feet are way too large in that painting, right? Either that or His head is way too small.

Also (no offense, Gaz), the painting looks like a third-string version of Thomas Kinkade.

[_skippy the dead]

At least there were no Joseph Smith on velvet.

Ooooo - I think you've identified an as-unyet-untapped market. I'm going to rustle up some quick Smith-on-velvets and run 'em over to the swap meet this weekend. I'll make hundreds of dollars!

Well, damn. Somebody beat me to it:



(and see this auction if you want to own one!)

[_Gazelam]

Wow skippy, that's awful.

[_Gazelam]

Liz Lemon Swindle is a great artist. Here are two of Mary and Jesus together:


"Be it Unto Me"



"Mother"

[_Gazelam]

I got a really nice version of this for my bithday last year, it hangs in my living room.

Arnold Friberg: "Peace Be Still"

[_Gazelam]

And as for LDS artists, I think this one is just amazing, Greg Olsen's, "O Jerusalem":

You realize that Jesus's hands and feet are way too large in that painting, right? Either that or His head is way too small.

Also (no offense, Gaz), the painting looks like a third-string version of Thomas Kinkade.

Heres Thomas Kinkades version of the same topic, I prefer "O Jerusalem". Kinkades never really done it for me, he comes across very saccharine. (but not in the painting below)

[_huckelberry]

Gazalem, I think you are correct, the Olson picture is miles ahead of the Kinkade. The foot size which seems to worry Shades is expressive itself. Jesus walked about that place. The Kinkade achieves something of a, well actually I can't find a phrase to end this sentence.

[_huckelberry]

Blixa, I referred to the law of no sentimentalism, sometimes I exaggurate for fun, a forwarning for this post.

You are certainly correct Modern art is something of an aquired taste. I don't know that it is a required taste but am glad it is a part of my life. You pointed out physicality is important and might be missed if one is familiar only with reporductions. I see a lot of art in reproduction as I live in a small town in the northwest. However I have seen a lot of art first hand. I have been able to see various urban museums, MOMA and Chicago Art Instute stand out in my memory.

I have long liked Manet, that early shot across the bow of the modernist movement. Yet I was puzzled at the reports of the strong negative reactions. In reproduction they seem rather mild. I did experience a shock walking into a room of them at the Met. Raw phisical and agressive even to my 20th century eyes.

I was thinking on the other hand about a spiril jetty in the Great Salt Lake. It is certainly about physicality, rocks water sky but I am only familiar with it by way of Artform. Well I have seen the general area it is located in(very general) but never the actual thing which last I read was now under water. I think it is entirely possible however that it is a work actually intended for reproduction and speaking about. It might be said that the real version exists in the imagination. After all wouldn't it be correct that most people interested in it live in New York a long way from Deseret.

But I am wondering about it relationship to Mormon art. The spiril accesses the west of the imagination and the physical location of Salt Lake City is in some way an important part of Mormon imagination. (Am I exaggurating this from my childhood yearly pilgramages to SL and an identification of vast desert spaces and the SLC mountain skyline with the center of Mormondom?)

For a while this message board has inclined me to wonder about the relationship between religion and peoples mythic imagination. Music literature and art may be angles of looking at that relationship. Much modern art has tried to access mythic dimensions in our consciousness. Perhaps it does this to recreate or perhaps to demythicise. The west of the imagination might be a strong theme for Mormon art. It is a theme shared with the wider culture which might be a good thing. Christian art is stengethed I think in coversation with different ideas than Christian dogma just as Marxist influenced art you posted is stenghthened by being outside the dogmatic box.

But then would Mormon art be swollowed up by that larger west of the imagination?

[_huckelberry]

Friberg, some idle thoughts,

I am finding that I have gone back to that boat picture to look at it several times. I am a sucker for looking at all kinds of art. It is in truth the only one above on the tread which doesn't hurt my eyes. I have heard and probably thought a few wagish comments about his overmuscled guys. Still if one accepts that they are what they are the pictures are well stronger than the average illustration. The picture completely and unashemedly stays in the romantic achedemic art tradition of late 19th century. I am reminded of Thomas Moran as well as quite a few French pictures fascinated with exotic decore. Just playing an art history game I ask myself where did that strange composition for the boat come from? Art Nouveau, this is a 20th century picture!

If one follows the story of art history as told in art history classes (at least a few decades ago) any continuation of the romantic art tradition into the 2th century is considered as just outside the story line. In the past few decades more willingness to consider the story of art as multiplotted seems likely. Should we expect further developements from this romantic tradition?

for anybody, if not why not?