This week, consider the way in which art historians have considered the attribute of artistic "style" as a method of understanding material culture. Where does this branch of material culture scholarship intersect with what we have already studied and where does it diverge? Does it offer the art historian a particularly "art historical" material culture methodology to work with?
Respond to: Jonathan Prown and Richard Miller, “The Rococo, the Grotto, and the Philadelphia High Chest,” in American Furniture, edited by Luke Beckerdite (Chipstone, 1996), 105-136.
8 comments:
Jonathan Prown and Richard Miller, “The Rococo, the Grotto, and the Philadelphia High Chest,” in American Furniture, edited by Luke Beckerdite (Chipstone, 1996)
I am guessing that the artistic “style” discussed in this article are the relationship of the human form, namely the feminine form, classical architecture and its relationship to the human figure, and finally the culmination of the two into the Rocco style high chest. The approach is interesting, seems to be a consistent theme; sexuality I mean. As far as what this approach can do for material culture, we can come to a deeper understanding of the need for humans to code meaning in plain sight, along with the drive to recreate ourselves unconsciously or consciously in those things made to serve us in some way. The method here intersects with earlier readings by metaphor. The author interprets the object as a metaphor for the human form and feminine sexuality. The split from earlier readings is in process of description. This essay does not provide an explicit description of a particular object although the focus is on the Philadelphia High Chest; the author discusses other types of high chests. He also intends this to simply be an opening door to future understandings of cultural meanings. The question, “Does it offer the art historian a particularly "art historical" material culture methodology to work with?” I am not decided on this question. For the art historian, he or she is interpreting works of art to find the deeper meaning; I figure that it does offer some methodology to work with. The interpretation can tell the art historian what a culture was truly thinking, consciously or unconsciously. In the case of the Philadelphia High Chest, we learn that society although very moralistic took pride in knowledge of mythology however sexually involved, they also reveled in sex; and the female body or so it seems to me.
This essay was about the Rococo/Grotto style of the Philadelphia High Chest. It focused on the female sexual metaphors that are blatantly displayed on the high chest and whether or not the owners of the pieces were aware of the sexual overtones.
I think Art Historians could use their knowledge of artistic style to help understand the culture of those who used the high chest, but I don't think they would be 100% accurate in their conclusions. These pieces don't necessarily reflect the knowledge of the user-"Admittedly, no concrete evidence has surfaced to prove that educated rococo patrons looked at the carved flowers, shells, and foliage on high chests and directly associated them with the wild themes of the rococo." pg125
I think it's interesting that this piece of furniture has such a sexually explicit background and I am now wondering if all furniture has an equally intriguing history? I guess I'd have to be an Art Historian to know that though.
This article focuses on the Rococo style and how it is reflected in the Philadelphia high chest. Through the use of material culture studies in correspondence with an art historian’s viewpoint the high chest becomes linked to English Rococo and trends. The analysis and combination of methods result in a “reexamining and reinterpreting of the form’s vocabulary, which exists not only to adorn but to inform.”
The author of the article makes note of the difficulty of analyzing an item such as the high chest, “some of its visual metaphors are easily read, whereas others are more elusive.” By solely relying on an art historian way of thinking and examining, one may miss something that the object obtains. Through the use of material cultural method, one can break apart an item in a more scientific way. Although both have room for error due to the final process of personal hypothesis, by combining the two ways of thinking one sets up a checks and balance system. Particular for this instance, other artworks become a comparison of content and support of the sexual innuendo that is assumed within the high chest. By breaking down the elements that are present, like the shell shapes and the describing language, one gets a different frame of reference. By considering both ways of study one is led to a more holistic method for making a hypothesis.
Like many other fields, the use of material culture studies can add another perspective to consider for art historians. Prown’s method lends itself to the art historian field and becomes a great tool to think beyond what is already known. By supporting ideas with art history and material culture one is bound to come to a more convincing statement about an items place in history and its function in daily life.
Jonathan Postal - The Rocco...by Jonathan Prown and Richard Miller.
This week we are offered a chance to take a look at the virtually pornographic Philadelphia High Chest. Cutting away from the Apollonian baroque style into the Dionysian grotto of rococo rich with mythological metaphor.
I had to hide this article from my furniture though it did read the less racy passages to my armoire.
It used some of the methods of Material culture deduction, certainly the observation and research into history. Though history like the bible can be read anyway you would like to see it.
It seemed to owe allot to Freud and various post modern philosophers though who can say it is totally without merit. The research is interesting and provocative though the conclusion seems arbitrary. I believe that the art referenced was the strongest case made for the ribald aspects of the chests.
I guess it5 bothered me that they seemed interested in everything that was going on but finding out the makers intention. The enlightenment seems like a period that a craftsman capable of sliding a vagina with teeth into his woodworking concerns would be capable of going down on record about the implications of the work.
If rococo was indeed a period that embraced the feminine it would seem they could have been a bit kinder that referring to what I have found a very pleasant place to be as “the Gates of Hell”. Maybe they could be a bit more enlightened.
Well, Alex said it before I could. It really screwed it up a good bit when at about 3/4ths of the way through they state that there is no actual basis other than the inferred. None of the makers came out and said that while working with their wood they fantasized about flowing vaginas. I know a lot of this was inferred from historical references to the art world at the time, but some part of me would just like to see if one of the makers said, “Yep, its all a suggestive mess of vines and labia.” To be fair, they did state (to cover themselves) that the elder Prown had stated in an earlier article (that we read), that societies did sometimes incorporate elements into their design that reflect value and culture, sometimes unintentionally. It’s just a though that resonates through the society and manifests itself in the every day making of objects.
In our contemporary American society there are so many ways to look at what is made and who consumes it. The various groups like people with religious values, non-religious values, contemporary taste, vintage taste, educated, uneducated; they all have to consume something and there are many makers to produce items. If we just look at the sexual nature of the rococo style, how many of these buyers actually knew that the little key hole at the bottom was symbolic of a vagina and putting your key in it was like penetration? Surely some did, but there had to have been the larger ignorant crowd who purchased these things. Likewise there had to have been the ignorant designers who, after a while, just began to copy the “style” of those who had come before them or who were producing a stylish product. Too many variables for me to be comfortable with. In today’s society, we could look at our country being sex obsessed, but the other half as being quite prudish, and I’m sure that when they purchase items some people put a sex spin on it and some don’t. How much of the product is in design, how much is put on it by the user? So many times people say something is phallic, and label it with some innuendo, but I think that gets a little retarded as most of the time, its just a more convenient shape. I’m sure the makers of shampoo bottles aren’t thinking how subconsciously enticing their throbbing bottles may be to women and “experimental” men around the country. My Dad used to work as an X Ray tech when younger. I remember walking in on him and some other guys laughing pretty hard. When I saw what was on the X Ray, I cracked up laughing too. It was one of those large pens with the 8 multiple colors that you just click and the color comes out the tip. Well it was an X ray of that over some woman’s pelvic bone. Apparently she found something about the design of the pen overwhelming and then it just got lost in the moment I guess, and the professionals had to remove it. I, personally, haven’t looked at an inanimate object and though “mmmm, keep looking at me like that and I’ll have to buy you a drink.” I did search and found that apparently the people at this website think you should have fun with inanimate objects in the dorm with these items… for those of you who care, its even classified in skill level. YIKES!
http://media.www.studlife.com/media/storage/paper337/news/2005/02/14/Scene/Fun-In.The.Dorms-862947.shtml?sourcedomain=www.studlife.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com
benjamin
prown- style as evidence.
i dont like prown's wrting style. his sentences are too wordy. aesthetics aside... nevermind. fuck that idea. aesthetics inside. wording sentences is very important. the pen is stronger than the sword. someone wrote that once.
i am a tangent writer. that is my style. i am really self involved. things that i perceive are projections of my own values and tastes. it is great. it is fun when i get boners looking at furniture. it reminds me of this time that i snorted a line of quaaludes and a took a sugar cube hit of acid and passed out and woke up the next morning tripping my face off. i wasnt able to have sex. lsd and boners dont necesarily go hand in hand. or mouth to mouth. or penis to vigina. whatever. if paris hilton can talk dirty....
symmetry is on prown's mind.
to understand what prown is interested in takes looking at his sentence construction. the things that he writes that are the most run on and discombobulated and terribly prosaic are the most interesting of his bs. the purpose behind his writing is suspect.
i hate to be critical. but hey, i don't know the guy.
his intro to the article was terrible.
his style sucks.
the word rococo sucks.
i suck.
style is evidence.
aesthetics do have a laguage. balance and expression arent only for the avant garde.. blah blah blah. sorry, more later.
Jonathan Prown and Richard Miller
The Rococo, the Grotto, and the Philadelphia High Chest
Prown and Miller discuss the Philadelphia high chair in the context of the Rococo style and the Grotto. They compare the Rococo and the Grotto to Apollonian and Dionysian thought and activity. Interestingly they compare the s-curve of the High Chest to the curvilinear line of the Female characteristic. They incorporate and state that the high chest is in some way a representation of the mythical Venus drawing both the Apollonian and Dionysian stream together. I found this interesting how two streams of thought could be brought together in one functional object ripe with sexuality. Does Miller and Prown’s article suggest that all objects have an inherent sexuality? Does that mean all objects are either masculine or feminine? This would be in keeping with romantic languages particularly Spanish. But the next logical question is that is the sexuality of the object based on the form of the object or the use or is there an inherent sexuality of the object based upon something else. In the article Prown and Miller suggest the High Chest functioned as a sort of surrogate mother to some children and related the foliate carvings to that of hair of the head and pubis. Does this mean that every item having hair on the head and pubis is female or that acts in a way of holding object feminine relating that activity to that of child bearing?
Angie
Style as Evidence
Jules Prown
Does a society in a particular time and Place deposit a cultural stylistic fingerprint? I think that the knowledge that objects of a society share a similar style and that styles change over time, is the first note taken about material culture. My first marked observance of style shift was in watching slide shows of the development of Madonna and Child paintings from the dark ages to the renaissance. Viewing objects through the lens of a chronological art history class is like watching a culture morph. Really understanding the intricacies of these objects through connoisseurship is the key to some understanding of them. I also believe that reading a book may not be as visually oriented and reading a painting, but we approach that book with our sensory perceptions of sight and sound.
Post a Comment