Question: Assess the effect of time on the practice of artists.

Nick Denison.

When referring to artworks and how time and the artists context has effected both the artists conceptual and
material practices, we must refer to different art movements and artists and how over time we can see progressive
steps into post modernism as conventions and artists values become less formal visual codes and conventions
reflect the spirit of the times and the philosophy of the artist, allowing artists to experiment with different themes.
Just by referring to how the interpretation and portray of the ideal female body has changed throughout art
history we can effectively see changes in the artists structural frame, from traditional, highly representational and
aesthetic master-pieces such as Titians Venus Urbino which celebrated the female form and body, to post-modern
artworks such as Morimuras artwork titled Portrait Futuga which uses appropriation combined with modern
mediums such as Digital Media to portray a parody of Edouard Manets artwork Olympia. When referring
artworks such as Venus of Urbino created by traditional renaissance artist Titian in the year 1538, Olympia
created by avant guard artist Edouard Manet in the year 1863 and Portrait Futuga an appropriation artwork using
Digital Media, created in the year 1998 by Post-Modern artist Yasumasa Morimura.
Artist Tiziano Vecelli or Titian was a traditional Renaissance artist. The Renaissance was an influential cultural
movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, as it marked the
transitional period between the end of the middle ages and the start of the Modern Age. During the 16 th century
Titian was the leader of the Venetian school of the Italian Renaissance. Throughout his artworks we see him follow
strictly the traditional conventions praised and imposed upon artists during the 15 th and 16th century. His portrayal
of Realism and ability to create the illusion of reality reflected upon his material and conceptual practice. His
artworks often portrayed mythological and religious subjects. This was common in traditional renaissance
artworks. Venus de Milo is one of Titians most recognised artworks, its formal qualities and aesthetic nature help
in the portrayal of the desired and ideal female nude as perceived during the Renaissance period. The artwork can
easily be referred back to Giorgiones Venus De Milo. This artwork displayed a detailed and representational
depiction of the female goddess Venus portrayed in the reclining nude position. Both artworks are almost
identical in their portrayal of the ideal female body and form. Giorgione portrays her eyes closed most likely to
portray to the audience that she is sleeping, making the audience spectators, voyeurs into her private world
however the artwork was not painted to serve the purposes of sexual desires or erotic stimulation. Titians Venus
Urbino does not differ much from Giorgiones artwork Venus De Milo, we can easily this to how both artworks
were made in similar historical context. Personally, my reaction to the artwork was subtle; I appreciate the formal
qualities of the artwork and understand the beauty which Titian is trying to portray. When referring to the time and
place of Titians world we are able to understand how this has affected his practices by exploring and analysing
both the structural and Cultural Frame of his artwork Venus Urbino.
Artist Titian, was an academic painted, he followed directly the conventions of the academy which is reflected
upon Venus Urbino. Extract 1 refers directly to the structural frame as it explains briefly the composition of the
artwork and the importance of the reclining nude in the renaissance as it states, The Venus of Urbino depicts a
sensual nude young woman unknown identity, reclining on a bed in the sumptuous surroundings of a Renaissance
Palace. She is identified with the goddess of Venus, and continues the tradition of the reclining nude female in
western art. The Structural frame of this artwork follows the reclining nude position, very common in nude
artworks during the Renaissance. We see the nude woman identified with the goddess of Venus acting as the
subject taking up most of the foreground as her body is reclining on a couch or bed surrounded by sumptuous
surroundings which can be linked to a Renaissance palace as she is leaning towards the audience. Her body is
placed in composition that accentuates the glow of her skin. Her eyes are staring at the audience making this
artwork slightly more prerogative then Giorgiones Venus De Milo however is still sexually muted, as she is
portrayed as being unconcerned with her nudity. In her right hand she is holding flowers, whilst her left covers her
pubic area, placed in the centre of the foreground and composition of the artwork. We also see a dog, sleeping next
to her on the bed, symbolising fertility. The painting is formally portrayed to the audience. The artwork follows the
conventions imposed on artists during the Renaissance period which can be directly referred to Titians material
practice as his artwork Venus Urbino portrays exact detail, no visible brush strokes, high levels of tone, shadow

and exquisite rendering of form, to help portray a true sense of realism representation and perspective as the artist
portrays a true masterpiece and reflection of his time and place.
During the Renaissance in order for artists to earn a living or be accepted by Salon or the academy artists had to
follow strict traditional conventions and portray the illusion of reality on a 2-D surface through the use of linear
perspective and proportion. The cultural frame of Titians Artwork Venus Urbino helps us in further
understanding his time and place and how it affected his practices. Renaissance was a period where exploration
and further understanding in science bloomed. Literature and arts also flourished during this period of time. Artists
where employed to portray traditional artworks to either portray documentation, or religious or mythological
meaning. In extract 1, the woman portrayed as the subject matter of Venus of Urbino is stated as being
identified with goddess Venus (the goddess of love). Titians Conceptual practice followed the procedures
conventions of academic art. The mythological and symbolical meaning of the goddess of Venus directly refers to
the desired female body and form. The painting opens a window for the audience to gaze in, as they learn to
appreciate the precious artwork. Titians artwork Venus Urbino follows strictly the conventions related to
academic art, its conceptual practice therefore can be linked to its realism, composition (foreground, middleground and background) and its true sense of perspective.
Manet was an artist rejected and harshly criticised by the salon and traditional art-world. Most predominant in the
1860s the only artworks of his which were displayed to the public were displayed in the Salon de Refuse. Extract
2 states This painting caused a scandal when it was first exhibited in 1865. Manet is inspired by the past- most
obviously Titians Venus of Urbino. Buy whereas Titians nude is psychologically distanced from the viewers
everyday experience by her designation of classical deity, Manets figure is widely assumed to be a contemporary
French Prostitute. Manet often used different and sometimes confrontational subject-matters into traditional
masterpieces. We see this through his artwork Olympia. He appropriated a Parisian prostitute into Titians well
respected Masterpiece Venus Urbino through use of tradition materials such as oil on canvas. His artwork
challenged the traditional values and the salon. Through appropriating a modern Parisian woman he created a more
real representation of his world instead of portraying nymph or mythological woman. The painting differed
greatly from Titians Venus Urbino. The shoes Olympia is wearing add to the controversy as it refers to her
prostitution and street walking. Despite displaying a form of representation and realism the formal qualities of
Olympia such as tone, shadow and line was greatly inferior to Venus of Urbino and to the Salons expectations
of traditional artworks during this period of time. Art realist Courbet criticises the artwork Olympia stating that it
is as flat as a playing card. The Parisian woman naked rather the nude and does not portray the classical ideal
female form. Her body and look towards the audience are far more perverse then Venus of Urbino and rather
then celebrating the female form; Olympia focused more contemporary France, portrayed to the audience the
reclining nude in Olympia is a much more sexual and erotic representation of the female form. The artwork
when first exhibited in the Salon de Refuse in 1865 was attacked by art critics who were disgusted with Manets
lack of respect for the salon and Titians Venus Urbino. Personally I like this artwork, because of how ahead its
time the artwork is and unique its qualities and meanings would have been when it was made. I acknowledge the
amount controversy Olympia would have produced and how it was a result of Manets views and ideals on the
portrayal of the female form. When we refer to the time and place of Manet, we are able to understand how
Manets time and place has affected his practices we can see this through the structural, conceptual and postmodern frame of his artwork.
The Structural frame of Olympia is very similar to that of Venus of Urbino. The woman in the foreground is
naked and takes up the majority of the canvas, as she is lying on a bed in the traditional reclining position.
However the portrayal of Olympia differs immensely from that of a traditional reclining nude. Olympia is
illuminated, appearing almost 2-D in contrast to the soft light and gradual sensual shading of a traditional portrayal
of a reclining nude. The bed she is lying on has creased and ruffled sheets, to suggest to the audience sexual
activity. The alert black cat which is implemented on the far end of the bed is a symbol of sexuality. Her eyes are
staring directly at the audience. Her look now becomes challenging to the viewer, she becomes more real. Instead
of being an object she is a depiction of a real Parisian woman during the 1860s. Her hand is relaxed and gently

rests upon her upper thy and genital region, symbolising a no-go zone but yet is deliberately composed in the
centre of the artwork, and thus creates further emphasis on this region. She becomes unpossessable but yet
desirable to the viewer. Through Manets conceptual practice within his artwork Olympia, we can see through
the composition of Olympia that Manet was trying to portray a more confrontational depiction of a nude, which
was anaesthetic and a rejection of academic art. Olympia is naked rather than nude. The background of Manets
Olympia played an important role in his artwork as it allowed him to make the artwork more confrontational
towards the audience. When contrasting the background of Manets Olympia with Titians Venus of Urbino we
can make many notable differences. The background of Titians Venus of Urbino is distanced from the main
subject matter (the nude Venus) through his use of space, and thus relieves the audiences confrontation with his
artwork. Extract 2 makes reference to the background of Venus of Urbino in contrast of Manets Olympia, it
states Titians nude is psychologically distanced from the viewers. Manets, Olympia however has the back
wall of the room close to the picture frame, this as a result only overwhelms the viewer and thus only allows the
viewer to stare at what was perceived during the 1860s as a perverse depiction of a nude.
Manets artwork Olympia was made in the 1863 and exhibited for the first time in the Salon de Refuse in 1865.
When Manets artwork was exhibited it caused great scandal and was attacked by art-critiques. Through looking at
the cultural frame of Manets artwork Olympia we are to understand how the effect of time has Affected Manets
unique art practice. During later 19th century artists were restricted to following the traditional conventions
imposed by the Salon. The world Manet lived in and the world Titian lived in differed greatly. Manet lived in
modern France, where such cities as Paris where becoming more Industrialised, as the Industrial Revolution swept
over Europe. Artists such as Manet began to experiment with light and colour, whilst still depicting realism. Titian
however did not have the luxury of experimenting with his art practices, such as his material and conceptual
practices. Titian lived in early Renaissance and his time and place restricted him to following the conventions of
classical traditional academic art. The woman portrayed in Olympia does not have the mythical nor goddess
stature as emphasised in Titians Venus of Urbino instead Manet wanted to portray the modern Parisian woman,
as he uses a naked French prostitute as the subject matter of his artwork. Manets objectives was not to portray the
ideal female body, however he did want a sense of voyeurism as he opens a window for the audience to gaze in.
Manet rejected the traditional conformities of the past as he adopted his own style to portray artworks which were
avant guard and disliked by the art-world in the later 19th century. Manets artwork did not follow the conventions
of his time and place and was widely rejected by art critiques,.
Yasumasa Morimura is a Japanese Post Modern artist. He uses appropriation to portray himself in a modern
context in traditional artworks. Extract 3 states, The subject matter of Morimuras work is self. But it is a self
that is recontextualised and reconstructed. He appropriates and manipulates images and cultural icons from the
western world, then insinuates himself into the roles of the major characters. Within these representations of
himself he always uses his own face and body and explores identity roles of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class and
time. Morimura states I dont do my painting on a canvas; I do my painting on my face. He has used his unique
method of appropriation to choreograph through modern use of digital media in many different universally known
artworks, for example he appropriates himself in Manets Olympia in his artwork titled Portrait Futuga made
in the year 1998. Morimura takes artworks which are seen as being precious and unique and creates his own twist
to them by choreographing the exact artwork and recording it through use of digital media. Through this Morimura
challenges the conventions of the female nude, materials, the male gaze and also challenges the traditions of
western art. We can see through Manets Olympia and Morimuras Portrait Futuga just how different the artists
practices are, this is can be linked to the two very different worlds these artists lived in. Morimura lives in present
times and thus follows a post-modern context within his artworks. He is free to experiment with different ideas,
materials and themes. Manet however lived during the 19th century, were artworks were still under strict
conventions and art was mainly used for documentation, as the invention of the camera was yet to come. Through
assessing and analysing the structural, cultural and post-modern frame of Portrait Futuga we are able to identify
the effect of time on the practice of artists and how it has evidently changed over the history of art.

Through the structural frame of Portrait Futuga we are able to see through Morimura how the artists time and
place have played a huge role the Morimuras art-making practices. Morimura being a clear example of a PostModern artist, represents his artworks with a sense of rejection against traditional western masterpieces, such as
Olympia in Portrait Futuga. Extract 3 states He appropriates and manipulates images and cultural icons from
the western world, then insinuates himself into the roles of the major characters. The composition of this artwork
is almost identical to that of Olympia except instead of seeing the nude Parisian woman, we see the subject
matter as an appropriated Morimura wearing the same clothing and footwear as the Parisian woman portrayed in
Olympia. We can also make notice of the material practice Morimura has followed within his appropriated
artwork Portrait Futuga. Morimuras use of materials and modern technology in his artwork Portrait Futuga
such as Digital media has created a Post-Modern sense to his artwork as it challenges traditional materials and
practices. The main use of symbolism being portrayed by Morimura in his artwork Portrait Futuga is portrayed
through Morimuras use of himself as the subject-matter in his artwork. No longer does the artwork serve for the
purposes of the male gaze, as he starts to transform the artwork Olympia, he becomes the artwork.
When referring to Cultural frame of Morimuras artwork, we must make reference to the time and place that
Morimura lives in, the social messages being portrayed in the artwork Portrait Futuga and how the artwork
reflects upon Morimuras world. Morimura lives in present times, and he portrays his artworks through a PostModern context, often portraying different messages. Post-Modern artists such as Morimura do not have any
restrictions imposed on them, as post-modernism has no right or wrong form of art, and thus when reflecting
upon post-modern artworks we are able to see artists more free to experiment as-well as being able to produce
artworks with newly found technology, such as Digital Photography. Morimuras main aim in his artwork Portrait
Futuga was to simply challenge the idea of the male gaze, which was celebrated and portrayed so often in
traditional artworks. He did this through implementing his own nude male body into the artwork. Through
Morimuras artwork Portrait Futuga we are able to make reference to how it reflects upon his world. Morimura
portrays our changing and modern society whilst making contrast between the western world, and his Japanese
culture.
We are able to evidently see a Post-Modern frame in Morimuras artwork Portrait Futuga. The artwork
challenges many aspects of traditional western art. The material practice of Morimuras artwork differs completely
from what traditional artworks. The use of modern technology in the creation of Morimuras artwork Portrait
Futuga and his use of appropriation allows the artwork to further challenge traditional artworks of the past. The
reference to Japanese culture can also be seen in this artwork, as he implements Japanese linen and patterns
throughout the artwork. His artwork does not reject western traditional art, by using appropriation and making
direct reference to Manets Olympia he simply adds his own modern Japanese context to the artwork, whilst
challenging the ideas being portrayed in Olympia.
As values of society have changed in relation to art, so have the conventions and expectations of artists. Through
contrasting the three artworks, Titians Venus of Urbino1538, Manets Olympia1863, and Morimuras Portrait
Futuga1998 it becomes obvious that time has played a huge role on the practice of the artist.