As a child I loved colouring books, drawing and making crafts. Naturally, this interest in art led to my enrolment in university art classes. Sadly years of arts and crafts time did not prepare me for the drudgery discipline required of university-level art classes. While actually trying to make art, I came to appreciate more the works of others (and sadly realized my shortcomings in the artistic department). A few art history classes put into perspective the enormity of works by Michelangelo, Da Vinci and modern artists like Jackson Pollock.
So while the art gods failed to bless me with artistic genius, I still appreciate art and enjoy drawing and painting. For those of you who say things like, “What’s the purpose of this piece?” and “I don’t understand art” I can relate. Even after all of those art history classes, there is still some art that baffles me. But with an open mind and a bit of art history knowledge there is an artist or art movement out there for everyone.
Art by Personality Type:
- The Logical Thinker
- The Drama Queen
- The Activist
- The Dark Heart
- The Happy-Go-Lucky
- The Dreamer
- The Provocateur
The Logical Thinker
Description: In your ideal world, there is a balance between artistic and analytical pursuits. You like to reason and reflect upon things and can be described as rational and systematic.
Artist you may like: Alexander Calder
Lobster Trap and Fish Tail. 1939. Steel wire and painted sheet aluminum.
Alexander Calder (1898-1976)
Born into a family of artists (his father a sculptor and his mother a painter), Calder was surrounded by art and was given his own studio at the age of 8. Showing promise early on, Calder was adept at working with materials and presented his parents with sculptures for Christmas in 1909. Despite his artistic talent, Calder graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering.
It wasn’t until 1923 when he moved to New York did Calder dedicate himself to art. His job as an illustrator for the National Police Gazette took him to various events including circuses. His time spent sketching the shows inspired him to create the Cirque Calder, which was a delightful and detailed miniature circus he assembled and manipulated for audiences. Many believe this was the first known instance of performance art.
In 1931, Calder developed a kinetic sculpture now known as the mobile. His first mobiles were motorized; however he soon realized that the natural currents in a room were a more preferable and organic way to approach the moveable parts. Calder’s artistic progression turned towards monumental metal sculptures dubbed stabiles. He enjoyed a prolific career as a sculptor garnering international acclaim for his works.
Although Calder delved into creative pursuits, his foundation in engineering is evident throughout his dynamic sculptures in their balance and harmony of shapes. I’ve had the privilege of viewing several of Calder’s mobiles and his are truly art pieces to be experienced in person. The gently swaying mobiles and their interplay with light and shadow is something to be admired.
The Drama Queen
Description: Bright. Big. Bold. You like making a statement and think great art should do the same. The safe middle ground is something you avoid.
Artists you may like: Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Pont Neuf Wrapped. 1975-1985. Paris.
Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon (b.1935)
Both Christo and Jeanne-Claude were both coincidentally born on June 13, 1935—Christo was born in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, and Jeanne-Claude in Casablanca, Morroco. They met in Paris in 1958 when Christo was commissioned to paint a portrait of Jeanne-Claude’s mother. They later married in 1962 and emigrated to New York City.
The duo creates large scale pieces described as environmental installations. Their signature pieces involve covering landmarks with fabric. The couple has covered everything from the Pont Neuf in Paris to the Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida in cloth.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude insist their works have no deeper meaning other than to beautify the landscape and perhaps challenge people to view their surroundings in a different light. These temporary installations are set up anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Christo once said, “I think it takes much greater courage to create things to be gone than to create things that will remain.”
Their projects require massive fundraising efforts and usually take months or years to plan, fund and execute. The downside? Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s art pieces have drawn criticism from some environmental groups who claim that the colossal cloth coverings harm wildlife.
The Activist
Description: You appreciate music, movies and art with a message. Current events and politics are your conversation topics of choice. You are not one to stand idly by when you can take a stand.
Artist you may like: Diego Rivera
Man at the Crossroads. 1932-34. Mural, Rockefeller Center, New York
Diego Rivera (1886-1957)
Known as one of the most influential Mexican artists, Diego Rivera painted massive frescoes depicting the plight of working class Mexicans and Americans during a time of technological change. Rivera was passionate about bringing art to the masses and his large frescoes enabled him to express his political and humanitarian views to the public. Although frescoes are an ancient medium, the act of painting them on open walls was a radical change from the traditional paintings hanging on gallery walls that were available only for a select few.
Born in Guanajuato, Mexico, Rivera went to Europe to study art in his 20’s. It was there that he studied the art of the masters and found his calling after examining Italian renaissance frescoes. These paintings on fresh plaster allowed Rivera to display his Leninist political views and tell the stories of the working class.
During the 1930’s, he was commissioned to paint murals on numerous American institutions including the American Stock Exchange Luncheon Club, California School of Fine Arts, Detroit Institute of Arts, and later the RCA building in Rockefeller Center. While the first three institutions received his work positively, the Rockefellers were not so inclined. Rivera’s interpretation of the theme “Man at Crossroads” which was to illustrate the numerous changes of the twentieth century depicted Lenin as a leader in a demonstration. Rivera refused to remove it and the painting was later destroyed.
Today, Rivera is remembered for his influence on North America’s perception of art and his bold political views (not to mention his steamy relationship with Frida Kahlo). Rivera once said, “The artist must try to raise the level of taste of the masses, not debase himself to the level of unformed and impoverished taste.” True words indeed.
The Dark Heart
Description: Black is often the colour of your heart. Your outlook on life can be rather gloomy and you’ve been known to harbor sinister thoughts.
Artist you may like: Francis Bacon
Study after Velazquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X. 1953. Oil on canvas.
Francis Bacon (1909 – 1992)
Born in Ireland to English parents, Bacon spent most of his formative years moving back and forth between Ireland and England. The lack of a home-base instilled in him feelings of displacement and restlessness which seep out in his paintings. Bacon’s gentle manner clashed with the strict, masculine expectations of his war veteran father. When Bacon was caught admiring himself in the mirror while wearing his mother’s underwear, his father threw him out.
Bacon spent the next few years in Paris, Berlin and London. He started off as an interior designer and found that he could also make a decent living from being a “gentleman’s companion.” It was during Bacon’s time in Paris that he viewed several Picasso exhibits which are believed to be one of his influences. After World War II, Bacon began his paintings of the human figure and developed his style of distorting them into horrifying images.
With a dark colour palette, Bacon’s paintings focused on traditional subject matters such as portraits, works from the Old Masters, photographs and X-rays. However, his representation of these subject matters was innovative in its often violent or sexual overtones. Bacon’s novel approach to painting defied classification.
The Happy-Go-Lucky
Description: Your sunny disposition and care-free attitude make you very popular. The glass is always half full and it often runneth over.
Artist you may like: Franz Marc
Little Yellow Horses. 1912. Oil on canvas.
Franz Marc (1880 – 1916)
This German expressionist painter was born in Munich in 1880. Marc’s father was a landscape painter and his mother was a dedicated Calvinist. After first dabbling in theology and languages, Marc eventually enrolled in the Munich Academy of Art in 1903. The works of the Impressionists, particularly van Gogh, served as inspiration for Marc. While walking through a gallery in Paris filled with impressionist paintings, Marc likened his experience to “…a roe deer in an enchanted forest, for which it has always yearned.”
He soon began his fascination with animals and dedicated himself to studying their anatomy as he wanted to recreate them from the inside out. Marc’s work evolved and he began incorporating symbols in his pieces by assigning meanings to different colours. Blue represented masculinity, yellow stood for the feminine principal, and red was the opposition to blue and yellow.
Marc experienced success during his career and was responsible for organizing several successful exhibitions in 1912-1913. Unfortunately Marc was mobilized during the war. During this time he maintained a notebook filled with drawings of paintings his wished to create when the war was over. However, Marc’s life was tragically cut short when he was hit by a shell splinter in March 1916.
The Dreamer
Description: You can’t help but conjure up grand ideas and fantasies. Reality can be a dull place—it’s through dreaming that you truly feel alive.
Artists you may like: Marc Chagall
I and the Village. 1911. Oil on canvas.
Marc Chagall (1887-1985)
As the eldest of nine children, Marc Chagall was born into a poor Jewish family in Russia. The Hasidic Jewish community and the discrimination they often endured largely influenced Chagall’s works. As a child, Chagall decided he wanted to be an artist against his parents’ wishes. In 1906 he moved to St. Petersburg to pursue his art career and eventually enrolled in an art school under Leon Bakst, a successful Jewish artist who acted as a role model.
In 1910, Chagall moved to Paris to further his artistic development. He often felt homesick as many things in Paris reminded him of his Russian roots. It is here that he developed his dream-like motifs and ghostly figures he is widely known for.
Chagall’s most prominent pieces are characterized by his use of vibrant colours to depict his childhood memories and Jewish folk culture. Chagall enjoyed a thriving career and excelled in a variety of mediums including painting, stained glass, ceramics, illustrations, tapestries and stage sets. He is one of the select few artists whose works were displayed at the Louvre during his lifetime.
The Provocateur
Description: You are not afraid of confrontation. In fact, you thrive on it. You freely express your thoughts and beliefs without worrying about offending others.
Artist you may like: Marcel Duchamp
Fountain. 1917. Porcelain.
Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968)
Marcel Duchamp was born in France to an artistic family of seven children. Early on, Duchamp excelled at Mathematics; however his focus shifted as he became inspired by the fluid art style of his older brother, Jacques Villon. Duchamp began his art career dabbling in Cubism and Surrealism but he is best known for his association with the Dada movement.
Dada is best described as an anti-movement or anti-art which often used humour as a tool to push the boundaries of traditional art. Duchamp created his Readymades which were normal objects he “found” and presented as art. Perhaps his most popular readymade was Fountain which was a urinal which he signed “R. Mutt.” Fountain caused a ruckus during an exhibit in 1917; the Society of Independent Artists (in which Duchamp was a board member) insisted the piece was not art which prompted Duchamp to resign from the society.
Duchamp also poked fun at the Mona Lisa by adding facial hair to the celebrated painting. His provocative works challenged the way people viewed art and influenced many modern art movements such as Pop Art and Surrealism.
