The Infinite Art Tournament, Round 1: Amigoni v. Andre
Jacopo Amigoni
1685-1752
Spanish
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Carl Andre
b. 1935
American
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Vote for the artist of your choice! Votes go in the comments. Commentary and links to additional work are welcome. Polls open for one month past posting.
I didn't think I liked minimalism until I saw a Sol Lewitt show at the Walker in Minneapolis. But sometimes minimalism has soul. Carl Andre has soul. That's-a my vote.
I'm going to rock out with the guy who uses rocks. Anyway, Mom would approve of a vote for Andre, so there it is.
Also, the peacock's tail is not connected to its body, given the way it's facing, and the second painting? Yikes! Now I'm going to have nightmares. What biblical scene is that representing anyway, Michael Who Reads The Bible?
Not sure I find a basis for comparison. The Biblical scene (the woman has been raped, and she drives a tent peg into the ear of her attacker, who has fallen asleep. It's in the OT but I'm blanking on the names, the book of the Bible, etc.) I find the 'cheerful housewife' look on her face rather disconcerting...
I actually think Jael's cheery look is lots of fun. Plus, it reminds me of Artemesia Gentileschi, which is a bonus.
On the other hand, looking quickly at some Google images, I'm not particularly finding myself interested in his other stuff, whereas Andre seems to have more going on.
Sigh.
I would like to be voting for Amigoni, and indeed I was voting for him after seeing just the Michael5000-selected images, but after seeing more of his work, I feel like it's his fault I'm not. Gonna go with Andre.
It's Jael doing in Sisera, all right, but there is no rape mentioned or implied in Judges. Sisera is a general of the Caananites; Jael invites him into her tent and then kills him with a tent peg in his sleep. It is a troubling incident, as it's one of the few places where you have an active female protagonist in the O.T., and although she is certainly scoring one for the home team she is also doing it in a rather craven way, violating the basic human rules of hospitality. Total War, iron age edition, I suppose.
If fact-checking the above, I learned that there is a Jewish tradition that Jael got it on with Sisera nine (9) times before hammering in the tent peg. This was not rape, however, but her strategy for getting him really tuckered out.
Interesting, I thought I'd be the only voting for Andre. Amigoni seems to be the more traditional good artist. But I've always just kind of hated the whole overly realistic with cupids and lots of shadows pieces. But that tent peg one does intrigue...
So hard to decide. Not particularly taken with Amigoni, and I hate cherubs. But minimalism is very uninspiring. Actually, it kind of pisses me off. I do like innovation, though. The cubes aren't bad, but I find minimalism to be really pretentious. Amigoni has a lot of classically themed works, and I can dig that. I actually like some of his other work better. It seems as if it takes more skill to do what he does, so I'm going to go with Amigoni, despite the cheubs.
If you had asked me, I would have said that I would pick a rock square or series of rock squares over rennaisancey glowing pictures of people any time, but omg Amigoni! Those pictures are so...racy! So...fantastical! So just a little bit off! Amigoni all the way.
Not keen on cherubs. But man, I gotta say, that gal getting ready to hammer a tent peg into that good ol' boy's temple - compelling. And at first glance, the abstract isn't pulling me in. Amigoni's in.
I didn't think I liked minimalism until I saw a Sol Lewitt show at Oxford. Like Nichim, I would typically pick rock squares over glowing pictures of people any time, but there's something about Jael's business-is-business demeanor that gives my vote to the Spaniard, despite that I kind of dislike his first entry.
Voting in the Infinite Art Tournament? Awesome. And, please be aware that purely anonymous votes are not counted. You don't need to log in or use your real name, but you must identify yourself in some fashion for your vote to count.
Interesting juxtaposition...
ReplyDeleteI didn't think I liked minimalism until I saw a Sol Lewitt show at the Walker in Minneapolis. But sometimes minimalism has soul. Carl Andre has soul. That's-a my vote.
I'm going to rock out with the guy who uses rocks. Anyway, Mom would approve of a vote for Andre, so there it is.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the peacock's tail is not connected to its body, given the way it's facing, and the second painting? Yikes! Now I'm going to have nightmares. What biblical scene is that representing anyway, Michael Who Reads The Bible?
I like Andre; the cube one specifically. Although I did enjoy wondering why some lady was nailing a spike into a dude.
ReplyDeleteI vote for neither.
ReplyDeleteAck, this comparison causes cognitive dissonance, help!
ReplyDeleteNot sure I find a basis for comparison. The Biblical scene (the woman has been raped, and she drives a tent peg into the ear of her attacker, who has fallen asleep. It's in the OT but I'm blanking on the names, the book of the Bible, etc.) I find the 'cheerful housewife' look on her face rather disconcerting...
ReplyDeletePass on voting; neither one feels um, engaging.
Judges 4:21
ReplyDeleteNew International Version (©1984)
But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.
So, it was his temple, not his ear. The perp, Sisera, had it coming, no?
I actually think Jael's cheery look is lots of fun. Plus, it reminds me of Artemesia Gentileschi, which is a bonus.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, looking quickly at some Google images, I'm not particularly finding myself interested in his other stuff, whereas Andre seems to have more going on.
Sigh.
I would like to be voting for Amigoni, and indeed I was voting for him after seeing just the Michael5000-selected images, but after seeing more of his work, I feel like it's his fault I'm not. Gonna go with Andre.
It's Jael doing in Sisera, all right, but there is no rape mentioned or implied in Judges. Sisera is a general of the Caananites; Jael invites him into her tent and then kills him with a tent peg in his sleep. It is a troubling incident, as it's one of the few places where you have an active female protagonist in the O.T., and although she is certainly scoring one for the home team she is also doing it in a rather craven way, violating the basic human rules of hospitality. Total War, iron age edition, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteIf fact-checking the above, I learned that there is a Jewish tradition that Jael got it on with Sisera nine (9) times before hammering in the tent peg. This was not rape, however, but her strategy for getting him really tuckered out.
Amigoni - dude! He's got a lady hammering a spike through that guy's head! He's hardcore.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, I thought I'd be the only voting for Andre. Amigoni seems to be the more traditional good artist. But I've always just kind of hated the whole overly realistic with cupids and lots of shadows pieces. But that tent peg one does intrigue...
ReplyDeleteHey, one more for Carl Andre.
ReplyDeleteSo hard to decide. Not particularly taken with Amigoni, and I hate cherubs. But minimalism is very uninspiring. Actually, it kind of pisses me off. I do like innovation, though. The cubes aren't bad, but I find minimalism to be really pretentious. Amigoni has a lot of classically themed works, and I can dig that. I actually like some of his other work better. It seems as if it takes more skill to do what he does, so I'm going to go with Amigoni, despite the cheubs.
ReplyDeleteIf you had asked me, I would have said that I would pick a rock square or series of rock squares over rennaisancey glowing pictures of people any time, but omg Amigoni! Those pictures are so...racy! So...fantastical! So just a little bit off! Amigoni all the way.
ReplyDeleteNot keen on cherubs. But man, I gotta say, that gal getting ready to hammer a tent peg into that good ol' boy's temple - compelling. And at first glance, the abstract isn't pulling me in. Amigoni's in.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think I liked minimalism until I saw a Sol Lewitt show at Oxford. Like Nichim, I would typically pick rock squares over glowing pictures of people any time, but there's something about Jael's business-is-business demeanor that gives my vote to the Spaniard, despite that I kind of dislike his first entry.
ReplyDeleteI vote for square rocks, but it was close.
ReplyDelete