Bryan's Blog

 Postmodernism and the Fragmented Self The Postmodern period, beginning in 1980 continues today and provides artistic perspectives that challenge the concept of reality in our media-dominated world full of consumerism and societal norms. Hyperreality & Identity investigates how modern artists depict identity formation's fragmented and performative aspects in today's digital environment. The concept of hyperreality, developed by philosopher Jean Baudrillard, demonstrates how media and simulations affect our perception of truth, and this idea resonates through pop culture expressions as well as political and personal domains. The chosen artworks reveal artists' critiques of established identity stories while expressing our societal doubts about reality versus performance and self-identity. Cindy Sherman Untitled Film Still #21 ,  1978, New York, USA The iconic black-and-white photo series by Cindy Sherman showcases her taking on different female roles from 1950s movies...

The War That Painted the 20th Century The First World War marked the beginning of industrialized combat, which presented humanity with mass-scale mechanized death through trench warfare, machine guns, gas attacks, and shell shock. The conflict changed artists' perspectives on their environment, state leaders, and human existence. The brutal impact of the war and the breakdown of traditional values gave rise to art movements such as Dada, Expressionism, and Surrealism. Artists embraced abstraction and distortion alongside experimental techniques to express what words could not capture. This exhibit demonstrates WWI's impact by examining three influential artworks. ___________________________________________________________________________________ The War Cripples – Otto Dix (1920, Dresden, Germany) As a former German soldier and artist Otto Dix created The War Cripples to show viewers the brutal physical consequences of war. Four veterans who suffered mutilations stroll throug...

The Romantic Era emerged as an artistic vortex where emotions met nature alongside rebellion and innovative movements. Multiple art styles emerged concurrently during this period, providing distinct perspectives for viewing the world. For this blog, I am diving deep into two powerful styles from the era: Romanticism and the Hudson River School. Romanticism uses powerful stories and emotional depth to move your heartstrings, whereas the Hudson River School presents peaceful, almost sacred views of nature. I will examine four art pieces—two from Romanticism and two from the Hudson River School—and analyze their components while understanding their creators' intentions and reflecting on my personal preferences. Style One: Romanticism celebrates emotional power and the sublime concept. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Romanticism emerged as an artistic movement as an alternative to Enlightenment rationalism. Artists adopted dramatic elements and human emotion alongside s...