History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons^™

Photography Thesis, Andrea West Hecht

Art & Art History ETDs

Crystalline beauty which fades and reappears with each slight turn of the band; frozen faces whose every wrinkle and subtle curve of the lips can be examined; a watch or necklace or lace dress seen with utmost clarity: this is the beauty of daguerreotypes. Long exposure, careful development on a polished surface, and the absence of an intervening negative contribute to the timeless quality of these tiny pictures which awakened the world to a whole new visual medium. Little touching up as done and tinting was used with great gentleness. Composition was direct and simple, perhaps bordering on monotony, but …

Charlotte Buell Coman, American Impressionist, Louise M. Lewis

Art & Art History ETDs

Abstract

In the study of past movements in American art, there has been a trend to discuss more what is distinctly American while not denying European influences. As with other movements, Impressionism in the United States has recently received considerable attention, not so much for its European origins as for its native qualities.

While the late American Impressionists such as Twachtman, Robinson, Weir and Prendergast followed more closely the scientific tenets of the French Impressionists, there were other American Impressjonists who incorporated only the color formulas and compositional formats of the Impressionists. Retaining the poetic mood and brush techniques of …

From Visigothic To Gothic: A Study Of Styles In The Church Of The Divine Saviour; Vejer De La Frontera (Cadiz), Spain, Dolores Coppel Bogard

Art & Art History ETDs

Because all records have been destroyed, a comparative study is necessary in order to date the various building programs which have taken place in the Church of the Divine savior of Vejer de la Frontera. The different styles within the church range from Visigothic to Gothic, and individual discussions of each follow a general historical background of the area. Concomitantly, it is shown that Spanish architecture had a significance and a style of its own much earlier that is normally recognized.

The Visigothic element is confine to a study of four capitals, their column shafts, and their bases found in …

Le ThéAtre PoéTique De ThéOdore De Banville, Christina Candelaria GutiéRrez

Art & Art History ETDs

Theodore de Banville is known to most students of French literature as a Parnassian poet. He was also a dramatic author. With the exception of one or two plays his dramatic work remains relatively unknown. None the less his theatre merits study as an expression of his time in that it does not reflect his time. Banville drew the subjects for his plays from history and from mythology. He remained faithful to the "art for art’s sake" movement in his dramatic work as well as in his poetry. Banville’s plays do not paint French life of his day nor do …

The Work Of Photographers Paul Strand And Edward Weston: With An Emphasis On Their Work In New Mexico, Harold Henry Jones Iii

Art & Art History ETDs

Photographers Paul Strand and Edward Weston each developed a personal vision that extended previous concepts of photography as a medium of personal expression and investigation. This dissertation examines their work from its earliest stages through their later mature personal styles, with an emphasis on their time and work in New Mexico. The paper is terminated at a point immediately following the conclusion of each man’s time in New Mexico.

The Cross-Currents Of Influence In The Backgrounds Of Twelve Chosen American And Japanese Potters: As Related To The Emergence Of A New Ceramic Presence In The Late Fifties, Carl G. Jensen

Art & Art History ETDs

The central theme of this study is the American interpretation, adaptation, and selection of vitalizing influences found in Japanese folk art pottery and the role of these influences as seen in the energizing of an American attitude toward clay as a major creative material during the late fifties .

The Niched Figures Of The Olmec And Maya Sculpture: Stylistic And Iconographic Similarities Between The Olmec Altars And The CopáN And Quiriguá Stone Zoomorphs, Anna Chyczewska

Art & Art History ETDs

The purpose of this paper is to describe some of the relationships which exist between Olmec and Maya art by comparing style and iconography of the Olmec altars and the Maya zoomorphs of Quiriguá and Copán. A stylistic analysis of these Olmec and Maya monuments indicates that Olmec sculpture included both three-dimensional and two-dimensional compositions; Maya sculpture suggests development from the two-dimensional into a more complex and dynamic three-dimensional arrangement of forms. The great importance of the more or less stylized features of the jaguar, of the serpent, and of grotesque creatures combining both reptilian and feline aspects emerges from …

Recent Sculpture, Joseph A. Chavez

Art & Art History ETDs

This thesis will attempt to focus upon the purpose behind my recent work by examining in general, and then individually, five sculptural projects. Two of these are ceramic stoneware sculptures, and three are alabaster stone sculpture.

Common Elements In Existentialism, Theories Of Concrete Art And My Work, Rita King

Art & Art History ETDs

The thesis exposition is concerned with three areas related to the thesis exhibition. First, the philosophical process which culminated in Colin Wilson’s New Existentialism. Second, theories defined by de Stijl artists and Wassily Kandinsky which were the formal beginning of Concrete Art are presented. And third, the developments and changes which occurred during the production of the works of the thesis exhibition are noted.

American Family Memorial Imagery, The Photograph, And The Search For Immortality, Daniel Gyger Snyder

Art & Art History ETDs

In this dissertation I trace the development of family (as opposed to public) memorial imagery and note the unique contribution of photography. I examine attitudes toward photography during its early years. These attitudes reveal that the medium was uniquely appropriate for the continuation and extension of the tradition of memorial imagery in America.

I suggest that America holds expectations for the Machine and for the power of Science that have at various times (the mid-nineteenth century and today) led some to assume that death is not inevitable and that physical Immortality is possible. From Puritan times, when death was accepted, …

Light, Form And Polyester Resin, Michael A. Willins

Art & Art History ETDs

It will be within the scope of this paper to acquaint my thesis committee with my background, reasons for returning to graduate school and my development while completing the required curriculum. Further, I will discuss my present work and attempt to clarify my intentions in its creation.

René Lalique: A Biographical And Stylistic Analysis Of Two Areas Of Influence - Classical And Japanese Art, Judith Gayle Booth

Art & Art History ETDs

One of the outstanding artists of the Art Nouveau period was the French jeweler René Lalique. Despite the designation of Lalique as "les plus ropresentatif de l 'Art Nouve.1u" very little research has been done on him or the sources of his unusual jewelry. The dual purpose of this study is to establish a biography of Lalique and present a stylistic analysis of two of his sources: Classical and Japanese art. It is hoped that an analysis of the career and sources of this major figure will aid in producing a deeper understanding of the French Art Nouveau movement.

Biographical …

Recent Developments In Representational Painting, William Arthur Richards

Art & Art History ETDs

Continuing since its eminence in the High Renaissance during the Fifteenth Century in Europe, representation had been the predominant mode of painting until the early decades of the Twentieth Century. This form also has firm foundations in America's artistic heritage. The progress and momentum of realistic painting, however, was to a large extent eclipsed during the late 1940's and 1950's by non-objective painting, particularly Abstract Expressionism. Unexpectedly the recent decade has seen numerous artists who have shown a renewed interest in representation as a basis for painting.

This study surveys the productions of these painters, probinR into their artistic ambitions, …

Art At The "Mexican Front": Robert Henri, George Wesley Bellows And Leon Kroll In New Mexico, 1916-1922, Denise Catherine Melnick

Art & Art History ETDs

In the decade following the Armory Show of 1913, New York City lost its appeal for many painters. Disillusioned by the rivalry between various artists’ groups, the attitude of a smug public and prevented from visiting Europe by the outbreak of the First World War, many artists migrated from New York to explore various regions of the United States in order to find new and stimulating subjects to paint. A number of New York artists, attracted by the landscape, the colorful Indian and Mexican population and the democratic exhibition policies of the museum of New Mexico, visited the art colonies …

A Study Of Spanish Colonial Silver In New Mexico, Leona Davis Boylan

Art & Art History ETDs

This study has two purposes. First, to isolate and characterize a distinctive "Northern Provincial" style of Spanish Colonial silver associated with the southwestern part of the United States. Second, to describe and classify 329 articles in five museum collections: the Sylvanus Griswold Morley Collection, the International Business Machines Collec­tion, the Mrs. Henry Lyman Collection, the Museum of New Mexico Collection (all in the latter Santa Fe institution) and the Mary Lester Field Collection in the University Art Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Navajo Pictorial Weaving: Its Past And Present Condition, Dorothy Elizabeth Boyd

Art & Art History ETDs

The purpose of this study is to describe and classify a type of Navajo weaving usually termed the pictorial which has never been treated in all aspects by any single author. The term "pictorial" is used in this study to indicate any blanket or rug in which naturalistic motifs or intelligible lettering are used for their decorative or expressive qualities rather than for their ritual connotations or the sole purpose of permanently recording ritual designs such as sandpainting rugs. After reviewing anthropological literature relating to Navajo weaving and culture, extensive study was conducted on pictorials owned by various Southwestern museums. …

European And Japanese Influences On Winslow Homer's Early Oil Paintings, 1859-1876, Cleta Honeyman Downey

Art & Art History ETDs

Winslow Homer has often been described as the "most American" painter. Many of Homer's biographers claim that he was not affected by the artistic movements taking place in Europe in the la e 1850's and 60's. They tend to discount Homer's ten month stay in Paris and state that the influences he must have e countered there did not affect his work. This paper pro es that Homer was influenced by the new artistic innovations occurring in France during this period and that he w1as prepared to accept and assimilate them because of a previous acquaintanceship with contemporary European art …

An Historical And Practical Investigation Of Photogravure, James Norman Kraft Jr.

Art & Art History ETDs

Photogravure, a unique synthesis of intaglio and photography, is a manual method of printing photographic images in ink from etched copper plates. A print made by this method is a hand-crafted work of art, equal or superior to a silver-gelatin print. Photogravure offers the advantage of permanence through its use of fine ink and pure rag paper. This combination, coupled with the impression into the paper by an intaglio plate, gives the gravure image a richness and subtle relief not possible in the less permanent, flat-surfaced photographic print. In Part I the writer has outlined the history of photogravure--directly related …

The "Depth" Versus The "Breadth" Method For The Development Of Creativity At The Sixth Grade Level, Onetia Jean Leonard

Art & Art History ETDs

Statement of Problem: There have been many studies on student behavior, personality and intelligence in relation to creativity. Also, research has been conducted on methodologies of teaching, but very little has been done on the methodology or how we teach art and its relationship to creativity. This study involved an experiment in carious art activities to determine if there was any difference between a breadth (carried activities and media) and a depth (varied activities with concentration in one medium, paper) method of teaching art in developing greater creativity among sixth grade students.

Hypotheses: 1. There is no significant difference between …

Developing Use Of Student's Imagination In High School Art Classes, Lawrence Henry Sinnott

Art & Art History ETDs

In the introduction of my thesis, I state what I believe to be the basic goals of education in his country today. One of the most important goals in education should be to teach the students how to use their imagination. This goal, I believe, has been greatly neglected. To back up this statement I cite examples from my own personal observation in the classroom. I also use my experience as a substitute teacher, in over twenty schools in the Albuquerque area to verify this point. In addition, I base my study on books and publications which pertain to this …

A Report On A Thesis In Sculpture Entitled "Experiments With Electro-Mechanical Light Switching As A Means Of Visual Expression.", Richard Franco Baronio

Art & Art History ETDs

The purpose of this report is to explain my work with electro-mechanical light switching as a means of visual expression. This work extends over the period, June, 1968, to June, 1969, and is in the form of five experiments. I consider switching light as an art medium, and, rather than works of art, these experiments are investigations of the possibilities of this medium. As an introduction to the experiments, my previous studies in art, both on the graduate level at the University of New Mexico and on the undergraduate level at Brown University, are reviewed. At the end of the …

The Nabis, Their Exhibitions And Critics: A Study Of Their Position In The Parisian Art World Of The 1890'S, Clive Frank Getty

Art & Art History ETDs

This thesis deals with Nabi places of exhibition from 1890 to 1898. An identification of the Nabis and their style is made in Chapter I. In Chapter II, the discussion concentrates on the early places of Nabi exhibition: The Independants, Saint-Germain-en-Laye and various small galleries such as Pere Tanguy's paint shop. Chapter III examines the most important place of Nabi exhibition, the Galerie Le Bare de Boutteville. From late 1891 on, this gallery provided the Nabis with an opportunity to exhibit their works in the artistic center of Paris at multiple Expositions des Peintres impressionnistes et symbolistes. Consequently, Le Barc's …

Vincent Van Gogh And Japonisme: One Source Of His Artistic Development, Mayching M. Kao

Art & Art History ETDs

The artistic development of Vincent van Gogh displayed pronounced changes after the artist’s arrival in Paris in 1886. His colors became bright and clear; his line became bolder; and his composition tended to be two dimensional. These changes developed more prominently during his Arles period from 1888to 1889. One of the major factors in the transformation of his art may be explained by his involvement in a current vogue in Paris: Japonisme—the appreciation of Ukiyo-e prints.

The purpose of the thesis is to explore the extent of van Gogh’s involvement in Japonisme and to establish the influence of the Japanese …

A Survey Of High School Art History In School Systems Of 500,000, Thomas R. Farrar

Art & Art History ETDs

It was the purpose of this study (1) to ascertain the relative importance of art history within the art curriculum as perceived by high school art teachers in school systems with a population base of 500,000; (2) to survey proposals for art history at the secondary level since 1960 and relate them to the actual practices in the schools, (3) to explore the methods and materials presently used to teach art history in such high schools; and (4) to report any inadequacies these high school art teachers have discovered in their attempt to teach art history.

A questionnaire was sent …

The Life And Work Of Thomas Duncan Benrimo, Richard Kurman

Art & Art History ETDs

One of the most outstanding painters of the second generation of artists to live and work in Taos, New Mexico, was Thomas Duncan Benrimo (1887-1958). A remarkable feature of his career was the fact that he resigned from a long and successful career in the New York advertising world to become a successful exponent of modern trends in serious painting, chiefly developing the ideas of official Surrealism and Cubism. This was in contrast to most of the painting produced in the Taos area, in that it eschews regionalism or picturesque values in favor of experimentation.

From 1939 until his death …

Beginning In Photography, James Alinder

Art & Art History ETDs

Current estimates indicate that some eight billion images are being made each year by photographic processes. While photography has many important utilitarian functions, it also has a function as an art form through which man can express himself. In this context photography is part of the curriculum of a large and growing number of universities. This dissertation is intended to complement a beginning course in photography.

Photography was publicly introduced in 1839. Its subsequent developments provide a basis from which to examine the technical processes of modern photography: the exposure of the film in the camera, the developing of the …

Humanist - Post-Humanist Painting, Jon A. Petruchyk

Art & Art History ETDs

This essay purports to examine humanism as an historically dated basis of existence in western culture. It will discuss the beginnings, the development, and finally the capitulation of humanist modes of expression using, specifically, their manifestation in the field of art. It will take as its primary example the art of painting. As an introduction, a brief discussion of humanist philosophy may serve to set the stage for a closer analysis of art.

Mexico's Thermidorian Reaction, 1940-1960, Kenneth S. Cott

Art & Art History ETDs

One of the fundamental characteristics of the great revolutions which have occurred from time to time in Western society is the period of reaction and return to normality known as the Thermidor. No nation has been able to maintain a revolution indefinitely. This paper deals with the Thermidorian reaction as it has developed in Mexico since the late 1930’s.

Students of the nature of revolution have discerned certain uniformities in the great upheavals of Western history. The object of this paper is to compare those uniformities as they relate to the Thermidorian reaction with the course which the Mexical Revolution …

Problems Related To Selected Spanish Colonial Paintings In New Mexico, Louberta Ann Culley

Art & Art History ETDs

The Spaniards were originally attracted to New Mexico by the prospect of finding great wealth. In the early sixteenth century, it was rumored that there were seven cities in the north with riches equaling that of the Aztec and Inca civilizations. These rumors were further exaggerated by Cabeza de Vaca and the survivor of the Narvaez expedition when they returned to Mexico City in 1536 and by the reports to Fray Marcos de Niza who led an exploration into Zuni territory in western New Mexico in 1S39. Coronado, however, gave a more accurate and prosaic description of the region after …

Cady Wells: The Personal Vision, Kate Corbin Duncan

Art & Art History ETDs

Henry Cady Wells was given all the cultural and educational advantages that a child of one of America’s wealthiest families could receive. The third son of Channing McGregory Wells and Irene Kelly Wells, he was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts on November 15, 1904. His father had succeeded his grandfather as president of the American Optical Company and head of the family. The boy, always called Cady rather than Henry, began attending a series of boarding schools with entry at age eight into the Fay School in Southborough. Four years there were followed by shorter periods at other Massachusetts institutions: Fessenden …