Blog Post Four, Part One

Research Kitsch

The definition of Kitsch art is described as; objects or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way.

The word originates from Germany, dating back to the 1860’s it’s used to describe materials which are cheap, easy to manufacture and market. Some examples of Kitsch can be veiwed below;

Vladimir Tretchikoff

‘Lady with Crayfish’ by Vladimir Tretchikoff 1951
‘Zulu girl’ by Vladimir Tretchikoff 1951

Tretchikoff was a realism portrait painter, specialisng in still life and animals, he took inspiration from Asia and South Africa. His work has been noted as the epitome of kitsch, his work is notorious worldwide and extremely popular with the general public. The ‘Green Lady’ is one of the most popular of his works.

Jeff Koones

He is an American artist most famous for sculptures focusing on popular objects, such as balloon animals, which are large scale made with stainless steel, creating large mirror finish peices.

One of Jeff Koons’ balloon dogs, photographed at the opening of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, Los Angeles, 7 Feb 2008
Floral Puppy by Jeff Koones, Bilboa, Spain
Pink Panther sculpture by Jeff Koones

Cassius Marcellus Coolidge

He was an American Artist, most notably remembered for his anthropomorphic dog portraits depicting them playing poker from the early 1900’s.

‘A friend in need’ by Cash Coolidge
Waterloo by Cash Coolidge

George Quaintance

These portraits date back to the 1940’s, capturing a highly masculine body image, that later branched into portraits of a fantasty world. His subjects were masculine, erotic and sensual.

‘Trial by combat’ 1952 by George Quaintance
‘Dashing”, by George Quaitance 1951

Yayoi Kusama

She is a Japanese contemporary artist who works primarily in sculpture and installation, but is also active in painting, performance, video art, fashion, poetry, fiction, and other arts

People visit ‘A Retrospective’, an exhibition of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, during a press preview at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, October 31, 2021

Andy Warhol

Giovanni Bragolin

He was the artsit behind the infamous Crying Boy paintings, that are remembered for being untouched in houses that burnt down in the 1970’s. These were mass produces and a popular painting of their era.

References

Home. n.d. [Online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/so-what-is-it-about-jeff-koons-that-has-so-captured-art-world-s-imagination-as-balloon-dog-sells-for-record-58m-8943284.html (Accessed 11 April 2022)

Home. n.d. [Online] Available at: https://kitkemp.com/jeff-koons-to-antony-gormley/ (Accessed 12 April 2022)

Home. n.d. [Online] Available at: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/81095 (Accessed 18 April 2022)

Home. n.d. [Online] Available at: http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/surrealism/Cassius-Marcellus-Coolidge.html (Accessed 19 April 2022)

Home. n.d. [Online] Available at: https://www.messynessychic.com/2018/06/06/the-groundbreaking-kitsch-cowboy-art-of-george-quaintance/ (Accessed 17 April 2022)

Home. n.d. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Tretchikoff (Accessed 29 April 2022)

Home. n.d. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crying_Boy (Accessed 18 April 2022)

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