Degas: The Impressionist that Wasn’t

When is an Impressionist not an Impressionist? Answer: when that Impressionist is Edgar Degas.

The Little Fourteen Year-Old Dancer.

Sculpture.

Courtesy of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptek, Copenhagen.

Degas is considered to be one of the key participants in the Impressionist movement; however, he took objection to this and tried to distance himself as much as possible from being characterised in this manner. Whilst his contemporaries delighted in spontaneity, bright colours, and the effect of light, Degas maintained that his art was completely devoid of spontaneity.

The study of the old masters and an interest in realism and composition, this is what shaped the artist’s work and style. This evolution in personal style and approach to art is reflected in the change in genre from his early to latter works. Initially seeking out a technique to rival that of his revered El Greco (Scene of War in the Middle Ages) his stylistic leanings then noticeably altered to include an interest in portraying events, people, and places in a realist manner.

Character studies were a particular favourite of Degas, L’Absinthe, The Ballet Instructor, and At the Stock Exchange are all notable examples of this. Whilst expressing scorn for those of his contemporaries who chose to work outdoors, Degas chose to concentrate his efforts in the perfection of many mediums. Not only content to master oil work, the artist applied himself to the use of pastel, etching, photography, drawing, and sculpture. The Little Fourteen Year-Old Dancer was the sole sculpture which he exhibited during his lifetime, and could perhaps be said to be a culmination of his studies, drawings, paintings, and examination of individual character.

Degas always insisted that to be an artist one must live alone. True or not, this belief translated in his attitude regarding his inclusion by critics in the Impressionist group, and he tried as much as possible to distance his work from theirs. However, it is undeniable that Degas was a true master of his craft, within the Impressionist movement or without.


To learn more about the man and the artist, be sure to visit the Ny Carlsberg Glyptek, Copenhagen for the current exhibition Degas' Method. On display until the 1 September, this is one exhibition not to be missed. The perfect addition for all your Degas-inspired research is Nathalia Brodskaya’s Degas. Be sure to pick up a copy!

- Fiona Torsch

Please Deceive Me

We love trickery. Or rather, we love the quest for innovation, the unexpected, and the impossible. When the impossible turns out to be, well, impossible, then we settle for illusion.

Three Girls Harry Pottering
http://www.directmatin.fr/insolite/2013-04-08/pottering-les-fans-dharry-potter-et-leurs-balais-regnent-sur-le-web-435466
Direct Matin.fr
“Pottering: Les Fans d’Harry Potter et Leurs Balais Règnent Sur le Web”
08/04/2013

What better way to explain the success of Harry Houdini, David Blaine, David Copperfield, and illusion within photography (check out the Huffington Post for some really trippy images)? Of course, Photoshop is the bee’s knees, or so they say, when it comes to manipulating an image to give you a photo which deceives the eye and makes you say Wow! Or is it?

Whilst Photoshop may be a handy tool for touching up images, getting rid of that pesky red-eye, brightening or dimming an image, etc, I believe that not all associations with this programme are positive. For example, when Kate Winslet appeared on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar in 2011, people were quick to jump in with their disgruntled opinions – outrage even – that the magazine would so blatantly alter a proudly curvaceous celebrity in such a manner. However, this is only one example of a long list: Andy Roddick on the cover of Men’s Fitness in 2007, Beyonce in her L’Oreal advertising campaign, Demi Lovato on the cover of Cosmo, and even Kate Middleton for the Royal Wedding issue of Grazia, to name just a few. Faced with an improbable image, the natural response is to look at it, scoff, and say ‘Photoshop’.

However, a completely different reaction is to be found when faced with an image which is downright clever, and is not the result of Photoshop. There have been a whole host of crazes recently regarding optical illusion – Harry Pottering, Vadering, etc. In my opinion, we have 19^th-century masters of (photographic) manipulation to thank for this.

When photography was first invented in the 1830’s, it soon became not just a technical innovation, but a source of artistic innovation. Humour, creativity, and a desire to shock and thrill – this is what sparked a trend of digitally altered photographs, a trend which can still be seen today.

Unknown American Artist
Man on Rooftop with Eleven Men in Formation on his Shoulders, c. 1930.
Gelatin silver print.
George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, Rochester, New York.
Courtesy of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

To find out more about photographic illusion in the 19^th century, you need go no further than The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Faking it: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop is running until the 25^th August, so be sure not to miss out! If this tickles your fancy but you’re not sure where to go next in your quest for photographic inspiration, why not try pick up a copy of Man Ray, by Alexander Games and Patrick Bade?

 
- Fiona Torsch