The Death of Fashion by Julian Schnabel (shown to the right) caught my eye as the vibrant colors and broken plates brought back memories of studying abroad in Greece. I stood in front of the giant 90 x 120 inch piece of art in amazement, reminiscing, and was reminded of author Sontag’s point about how photographs are captured experiences (Sontag, 1973). Then I wondered if Schnabel’s work was a way of encapsulating an experience, proving a point, or simply for the aesthetic appeal – or none or all of the above.
Although I do not know Schnabel’s exact intent when creating this piece, I found more information after looking into the work. While in Barcelona in 1978, Schnabel had the idea for creating a painting the size of his hotel room closet with white plates interrupting the surface. He wanted to make something explosive as well as something cohesive which is seen through an energetic application of material. Broken plates throughout the canvas relate to domestic life ranging from doing dishes to smashing plates in the heat of argument (Louise Rosenfield Noun, 1998).
Schnabel’s work speaks to many audiences as he creates an exciting canvas relating to household life. He crafted an alluring image of domestic life and drama as well as an intriguing piece of art. Nothing is perfect; however, and like we mentioned in class, even videos sometimes do not have the same intensity as a photograph can inspire (like the one to the left). Like most art including music and photographs, Schnabel’s work may provoke both positive and negative emotions in the viewer. For example, one person may see his work and recall getting white dishes as wedding gifts while another person may recall being injured by broken plates in an accident. Still others may not understand the artwork’s meaning or artist’s intent (if there is one) and feel confused or depreciate the piece.Just like Schnabel’s artwork, photographs have both positive and negative features. They are valuable in the sense that they can bring one back to a specific moment in time but flawed because one may not know or remember what happened before or after the event in the still photograph. Schnabel, like many artists, leaves observers room for interpretation while provoking certain emotions in the viewer.
Works Cited
Louise Rosenfield Noun, F. S. (1998). An Uncommon Vision: The Des Moines Art Center. Des Moines.
Sontag, S. (1973, October 18). Photography. The New York Times Review of Books , p. Volume 20.
1 comment:
From Ralph -
I've always loved this particular piece of art, and Schnabel is among my favorite artists. I never looked into what he was thinking in creating it though, so kudos for doing some outside research, and for using Sontag in an appropriate context.
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