My Literature and Art Favorites December 2014

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If anyone is familiar with the beauty gurus on YouTube (i.e. Michelle Phan, FleurdeForce, etc), you will know that they do monthly “favorites” videos. In these short clips, the women discuss their favorite beauty, hair, skincare, and miscellaneous products for that month. In this article, I am going to list some of my favorite art and literature “favorites” of December 2014—tell me your favorites in the comments below!

Favorite Artists:

• Renoir

–Because of the recent Tampa Museum of Art exhibit, I have enjoyed looking at and learning about Impressionist art. I actually have a large reproduction of “Le Moulin de la Galette” by Renoir (1876) in my room that I gaze upon every day! I appreciate Renoir’s fluffy brushstrokes, gentle treatment of light, and his sprightly subject matter. It is literally impossible to be unhappy when looking at a painting by him….

 

• Picasso

–Like the artist above, I have been reading about this famous artist because of a recent exhibition at the Dali museum that featured side by side works of Dali and Picasso. Although I am not the biggest fan of Cubism (in fact, I cannot stand it), I am enamored with Picasso’s Blue and Rose periods. His subject matter isn’t totally abstracted, but pure, raw emotions jump out of the painting from every angle. In particular, I love Picasso’s isolated harlequins and cobalt guitar players.

Favorite Paintings

• “My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love” by Dmitri Vrubel

–This poignant image, created in 1990, is actually part of the crumbled Berlin Wall. Since the Wall celebrated 30 years of being demolished, National Geographic Traveler did a special article on the city of Berlin. I saw this amazing image in the thick pages which managed to enlighten my mind yet again. I know this painting is strange and unsettling (the two men are engaged in an intimate lip lock), but that didn’t stop me from making it my laptop background. The subjects are Leonid Brezhnev (former leader of the USSR) and Erich Honecker (former leader of East Germany), two relics who represent the tense Cold War era.

• “Tree-Lined Road Leading to the Manor House at Kammer, Upper Austria” by Gustav Klimt

–This painting (1912) is extremely random and not well known at all, but I kept thinking about it the last few weeks. My friend, Mar, painted an image of  a wild forest path that looked just like this, so the bright, green trees with an iridescent, almost golden sheen came to mind. I love the works of Klimt, especially ones from his Gold Period (“The Kiss,” anyone?) because they are so ethereal and mange to be realistic/dreamlike at the same time. In this Upper Austria painting particularly, I always think “who lives in this secluded manor house?” and “why are the trees so dense and purple?”

Favorite Architect

• Antoni Gaudí (1852- 1926)

–Although this post is supposed to be favorites of the month, I am beyond 100% sure that Gaudi will be my most beloved architect for all ages. His undulating lines, playful style, uplifting tone, and jeweled surfaces captured my soul the first time I traveled to Barcelona. In particular, I was in love with La Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell, and his early lampposts in Placa Reial. Casa Mila captivated me as well because anything so natural and obviously born of nature does not belong in such an urban and tainted city. To top it off, my aunt recently bought me a vintage Gaudi book with postcards of his famous works.

Favorite Book/Author

• Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes

–Because I am unbridled dork, I am reading the 982 page novel about a delusional Spanish peasant who embarks on “adventures” to prove his chivalry. I am only 153 pages in, but the language style is impeccable. For example, isn’t the sentence “Some beauties delight the eye but don’t captivate the heart; just as well, because  if all beauty did was inspire love and conquer hearts, people’s affections would be forever wondering this way and that….” (part one, chapter fourteen).

• The Emerald Tablet by PJ Hoover

–My favorite teacher of all time gave me this book and even had the author sign it! This series, which is geared more towards middle schoolers, was still an entertaining read. It detailed an alternate universe in which thirteen year olds go to summer school with classes like Telekinesis and Telepathy. However, the bad guys from Atlantis are on the loose, and the main character (Benjamin), must unite several keys to save the humans. I enjoy fantasy novels such as these because they provide a much needed relief from the brutish, rather mundane, and stressful real world.

Favorite Artsy Word

• “Elegant Decay”

–Everyone has artsy words stored in their brains that keep popping up at the most random times. “Elegant Decay,” the phenomenon in which buildings and objects become more beautiful as they slip into ruins, has certainly pervaded my thoughts. The idea that something becomes more striking with age is fascinating, especially in a youth-obsessed culture such as this one. When I heard this word, I immediately thought of majestic Ancient Roman ruins and brick buildings covered in wild ivy…

 

 

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