Curatorial Project: Humanity, Nature, Technology, Society, Divinity

Theme: Humanity, Nature, Technology, Society, Divinity
The collection of images in this curatorial project share the theme of humanity, nature, society, and technology. These elements are always in perpetual change. Time influences how humans live, while humans greatly affect their natural environment as they go through time. The capacity of humans to alter nature comes from their technology and brilliant minds. The beliefs and culture of people develop from their ancestral connection to nature, which develops through time in the ever-changing society. What I like to highlight here is the importance of the role of humans in influencing the natural environment and creating a better and more tranquil way of life for society. Humans are, in a sense, grand creators themselves as they put their hearts into their art. Nature is divine, and Divinity is in the heart of the people.
-6858028194000 HYPERLINK "https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/pacific-patterns-the-artists-house-at-berkeley-california-16759"
© the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Photo credit: Bridgeman ImagesPacific Patterns', the Artist's House at Berkeley, California 1940
Maxwell Ashby Armfield (1881–1972) Date
1940
Medium
tempera on board
Measurements
H 34.2 x W 39.2 cm
Accession number
48/2002
Acquisition method
bequeathed by Dr. David and Liza Brown, 2002
Work type
Painting
Southampton City Art Gallery
The artworks that I have chosen share the themes of humanity, Nature, technology, and society, Divinity
The first painting depicts a home on a cliff that oversees the ocean. It depicts a scene wherein the natural rock is altered by humans to create an abode. It showcases the role of humans in natural systems. It shows how humans have the power to alter their environment and the capacity to see through the changes that they seek. The artist of the painting is actually an artist who lives in America. The painting features the natural environment and the sky, as it is claimed by the people. The architecture of the building is proof of human mastery and technology. At its background, the tranquility and divinity of timeless nature are presented.
HYPERLINK "https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/central-park-new-york-18262"
© the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Photo credit: Bridgeman ImagesCentral Park, New York 1916Date
1916
Medium
tempera on canvas
Measurements
H 64.2 x W 39 cm
Accession number
42/1976
Acquisition method
purchased with the assistance of the Victoria and Albert Museum Purchase Grant Fund, 1976
Work type
Painting
Maxwell Ashby Armfield (1881–1972)
The second picture is also a painting by Maxwell Ashby. It depicts a scene in Central Park, New York. It shows various people having leisure in the natural environment of the park. It shows human beings at peace in nature and how nature shows its beauty and marvel amidst the urban setting. In the background, we see a cityscape with its industries. Smoke can be seen from the buildings, in contrast to the tranquility and humongous presence of the clouds. A car in the painting is a symbol of progress and technological advancements. The park is a reconnection to the Earth, where humans come from. It makes the viewer think of humanity’s relationship with life on Earth.
Charles August Albert Dellschau, American, 1830 - 1923
Aero Mary, August 20, 1911
Watercolor, graphite, and ink with cut printed text on paper
16 ½ × 19 in. (41.9 × 48.3 cm)
Work on paper (Drawing)© Holt / Smithson Foundation / VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), N.Y.
In the 3rd painting, an Airship balloon is the subject. The balloon is titled Aero Mary, as it showcases the flying balloon technology and its intricacy. Two humans are aboard the unique vessel, as it is considered a technological marvel of their time. The drawing is also designed with pillars and patterns reminiscent of Roman columns, a symbolism for society’s growth and development. The balloons are depicting soaring high in the sky, as evident by a bird in the drawing. It also depicts the mechanical and industrial components of the technology in a crude way. It is a preview of man’s innovation and progress.
Robert Smithson, American, 1938 - 1973
Christ Series: Christ in Limbo, 1961
Ink and gouache on paper
24 × 18 1/16 in. (61 × 45.9 cm)
Work on paper (Drawing)
2013-31.3
© Holt / Smithson Foundation / VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
The fourth painting, Christ in Limbo, depicts a central figure. This figure is surrounded by what seems like machinery and complex mechanisms. This is the artist's depiction of a hellish dimension. The drawing roughly portrays intricate mechanisms of despair, while the central character is untouched. The other elements of the drawing seem almost parasitic and evoke a feeling of disgust, just like the pollution and the disconnection of human systems from nature. Artificial has taken over the natural. However, the Christ in the picture is untouched and remains radiant from its squirmy and daunting background. It can be a metaphor for the role of the human in his own society, a notion that he is of nature. Christ in Limbo is an inner process reconnecting to divinity. Thar art shows that Man has a need to awaken Christ within.
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Perseus Freeing Andromeda

Artist

Piero di Cosimo

Year

1510 or 1513

Medium

Oil

Dimensions

28 in × 48 in (71 cm × 122 cm)

Perseus Freeing Andromeda or Liberation of Andromeda is a painting created by Piero di Cosimo during the Italian Renaissance. The painting was praised by critics and art historians for its aesthetic, cosmological and political implications. The painting is a recreation of the myth of Perseus, the demigod, who slays the ...