As a child , at my 1st museum show at the age of 8 yrs, i saw my future as an artist when i came upon a canvas by Cy, and next to that was a Warhol, a Marilyn canvas, my life was changed that day, will never forget that...
Kubi Yes! I often find myself not being able to pay attention because I end up listening to the calming tone of her voice rather than the content of her words. But then I just watch it again!
If Hannah had her own channel with daily videos, I'd refresh that damn page like mad. I adore these videos, some of the best things to come out of this channel!
You madame have the most heavenly voice i have ever heard, it is a beautiful sound always pleasing to the ear, never offensive. And you articulate that beauty to express some brilliant concepts and ideas, although it is easy to just get lost in the sound of your voice. Great video, amazing presenter, but more importantly brilliant art.
Wow. This is illuminating. I've always had a distant response to abstract art. It's always helpful to get good direction from a teacher. Also, your voice is so compelling.
That's what I love best about Twombly. His art is extremely affecting both on a visceral aesthetic level ie man vs. canvas, object and also intellectually and the way he makes reference to other artists, his wit and whimsicality
Initially I thought this video would be boring , but when I saw the attractive dr. I actually kept watching and eventually learnt a new way of looking at art! Thnx school of life!
Thank you ... I graduated with a degree in Architecture and design and had more than 4 classes about Art but non of the boring classes I spent hours attending thought me how to Approach art or provide me with the tools to understand it from my own personal perspective ... simply most of my teachers did not understand or love Art or architecture ... they just thought of teaching these classes and preparing for them as means to earn money ... just a job ... I sucked at their exams because they sucked at delivering anything to me ... all I had to do is memories names and staff they said during the class to pass... my opinion never mattered... that's why my diploma means so little to me ... You do not need a deploma to say you are an artist/Architect/designer or art student ... you are just are .... They tried to kill the 'me' and replace it with what they thought was right and acceptable ... And this is the main reason why I appreciate UA-cam and your channel ! You satisfy my curiosity by doing something you apparently very passionate about ... listening to you is pleasure to my ears and learning from you is fulfilling Thank you my dear ... Now I love art ... and well not just attend museums to show my facebook followers that I am intelligent but to spend hours alone in-front of their works and try to adopt the artist point of view of the world by studying their works and connecting with them .... and with myself... with the world... and develop my own artistic version for the meaning of life and our existing... of my existing ... I hope to see a series of videos about Architects and Architecture ....
Twombly to his closed group. "So, how about I bring us a bunch of income and we can have more kidnapped children amongst ourselves?" "ok what will it take?" "Just support anything I create and it will prove our power to control others socially, plus we'll profit by selling it"
"we are about to understand but have not yet understood" ^ this is how I feel through the entire video. I am sure your explanation, like people have said, is really the good. But hearing explanation about abstract art have always make me feel like hearing explanation about quantum mechanics, I just could never grasp the full concept of it. Anyway, thanks for another great video.
This comment is nearly a decade old but I’d like to offer input! Many theorists will argue that the purpose of modern art is essentially to ground the viewer in the moment, elicit an emotional response, and encourage loose imaginative thought. It’s a way to find reprieve from the monotony of modern life and become more in touch with our bodies. Understanding abstract works is not as complicated as it may seem- you truly are just meant to spend some time looking, and have an experience. The artist’s intent and what others feel are irrelevant (unless you are looking to create abstract art, which can be more complicated).
I think there is still an important distinction between abstract art that EFFECTIVELY expresses an inner state and abstract art which is indistinguishable from the something that you could consider to invoke the question "is someone making fun of us?" as you say in the video. I think that people generally want to be able to tell that an effort has been made to express something. The very forgiving attitude of trying to appreciate something regardless of any apparent effort or effective expression is exactly what hacks will exploit. I think the divide basically comes down to whether or not you consider it a good thing that someone could bypass putting a great deal of time or effort into perfecting a craft of expression and rise to success by basically exploiting the minds of people that will stand and scratch their heads in intrigue at something that contains very little substance. Doug Stanhope summarized this pretty well for me. To paraphrase, he basically said that if you HAVE a message, you should be clear about it. Because the people that really need to get messages are already really dumb. When I create artwork it's generally just to express how I'm feeling, but it can take on fairly complex forms, but the ultimate primary goal is for it to be visually stimulating.
The thing is that if the artist is not present or alive to explain the thought behind the work NOBODY would see it. It's like saying "I, the artist see a white dot in a black canvas" observer: "I don't",artist: "right here see" observer: "oooooh ok sorry, thank you for pointing that out to me, it just looked like a dust particle" artist:" that's not a dust particle IT'S THE UNIVERSE how can you be so ignorant" gallerist:" If you say so we'll buy"
The first minute and 15 seconds of this video is by far the most concise yet helpful description/guide to understanding abstract art that I've ever heard.
So, is it the case that abstract art needs context in order to be understood? Without prior explanation, I might as well assume that most abstract art pieces were paint splatters made by infants.
Thank you for explaining something to me that I never could quite fully understand. Abstract art was always something of a mystery, and I'm very open-minded. I am now ready to visit a good museum and **feel** art with my soul via my eyes.
Love this video, beautiful explanation of abstract art. I never understood abstract art until I started experimenting with it myself, then I realised and began to appreciate how emotive it is, it's spontaneous, playing with colours and textures is so therapeutic.
the video on bad taste by school of life is great. we should not be afraid to label abstract art as bad taste. my emotion goes wild when I see da Vinci.
What a wonderful, concise video to describe an often misunderstood artist like Twombly. Very well put together, the world needs more professors like Dr. Roxburgh. Bravo!
So much about art, so little (none in fact) about architecture. I would love to hear her speak, with that worm voice of hers, about modernism or constructivism! Great video!
Thanks a lot! I am glad I have watched this lesson! It was very helpful.Whenever a famous piece of art seem not to say anything to me, I think that it must be because my eyes are not trained enough for beauty. But the way Hannah describes it, it suddenly makes sense and it all feels " accessible", which is really an enrichment for our lives. But I confess that I still struggle to find sense in some pieces of modern art.( Like that ugly skull made of diamonds. What a waste of time, money and diamonds!) So I imagine that even among the most famous ones there must be good ones and bad ones. But in case of abstract art, the creator always have the chance to accuse you of not " getting" the sense of it. Which makes you feel like one of those people who are afraid of seeming stupid, in the fairy tale " Emperor's new clothes". But it's alright. I think we should still say that the king is naked if we think so:-) Besides, the more we attend Hannah's lessons and the more we learn, more secure we will feel ourselves in our judgements which is very good news.
Hirst's piece very cleverly combines ancestral and modern day ritualization. Understanding your political persuasion through our previous conversation I can appreciate how you would see this artwork as obscene, considering how many mouths could be fed by its pricetag ;)
Norm AL Hi there! Himmmm, but I don't think it has much to do with my political views. Anybody in his senses whether from left or right would see it this way I guess: It was not a very clever investment by Mr. Hirst to spend £14 million for a diamond skull to prove the world that he is a clever man. He could do it with a pen and paper too you know:-) Unfortunately I find it incredibly pretentious, meaningless and purposeless. Indeed everybody would think so and precisely this gives a few people the possibility to consider themselves somewhat special and superior, because they think they can see more than every simple person like myself can see it that so called " art work". Just like in the fairy tale. Please don't get me wrong, I really don't mean that you are one of them. But I am sure you also know vain folks like that. In any case thanks a lot for writing:-)
***** Good to hear your thoughts. People express themselves in different ways, using different mediums. In this instance Hirst showed his ostentatious side. Perhaps it was a publicity stunt, or perhaps the concept, if to be fully realized, demanded such extravagance. In any case, art is subjective. Art, and its usefulness, is often queried and questioned. If we reduce a painting, for example, down to the raw materials, it has next to no value. Yet we commonly see paintings fetching millions of dollars at auction. These works often have an important cultural and/or historical significance. Should we deny their value just because the money could be put to different use, such as to help prevent malaria? Ultimately, the market decides the value of things which is an unsavioury reality of our world.
Norm AL Thanks a lot for your message.I agree: many famous paintings from great artists from the past cost now millions too, but I find this also very absurd. As if the immense value of something could only be expressed through an astronomic price. As if price and value were the same thing. I am sure if you could ask the soul of Van Gogh now what he would prefer, he would be more happy to hear that his paintings are well taken care of in a public Museum in Holland for everyone to see and enjoy , rather than sold for millions to a bunch of rich people so that they can show off with them among their four walls. I also agree when you say that the market decides the value of things which is an "unsavoury" reality of our world. But rather than accepting it with obedience, one must always keep in mind that this is incredibly depressing and morally corrupt and that's why we should be able to criticise it and not shape our own criteria by it. Take that incredible documentary- art movie " The act of killing " by Joshua Oppenheimer. I think it has zero market value. He worked for a decade on that movie, as an art PhD Student ( after finishing Harvard) , with very few money. And only in the end, when he finished it, Werner Herzog and Errol Morris declared their support as producers. He had spent hundreds of hours , for years working with those murders, listening to their horrible stories they boast about.(The protagonist in that documentary had killed 1000 people with his hands) He even learned the Indonesian language for that. All this, with very little financial support and without knowing whether he could ever be able to show the film to anybody. But in the end he really succeeded. That movie gave the victims in Indonesia their dignity back and it stopped perpetrators from boasting about their atrocities.It made a debate possible, which wasn't thinkable since the military coup in 1965 and it made the younger generation " aware" of what happened in their history and why would their parents never talk about the killings of half a million people. It has changed the history of Indonesia. But if Oppenheimer cared about how much value the market would give to that movie, he would never have made it. So there you have someone with a very strong sense of ethics, which is really very impressive. If I had a child ,obviously I would show him Oppenheimer as role model rather than Mr. Hirst. Because in case of the latter I would have to say: " My son just go for where the money is and fool the rich who don't know where to put their millions anyhow. Meaning and purpose and serving people mean nothing. Just follow the market". But this feels deeply wrong. Very sorry for this long message! Thanks a lot for reading!
***** Greetings. Thank you for your reply. I almost feel guilty writing to you because I know how much thought and consideration you give to your replies. You and I approach things from vastly different perspectives. In a market based economy it's consumer demand that sets the prices. Currently in Venezuala, inflation is running at 60% due to lack of supply. People are suffering. In stable functioning economies where supply is plentiful, and competition is fierce, consumer demand helps to regulate prices. Now, when it comes to rare or one-off collectables, such as paintings and violins, the market dictates what they're worth, as it should. Do we really want governments placing restrictions on what someone is prepared to pay to own an item!? I'm not familiar with the film you mentioned. However it was clearly the intention of filmmaker for the film to be seen. His motivations were not monetary but now that the film is successful would you begrudge him financial reward for his efforts?! The reality is MOST people work for money. Any additional benefits are a bonus. Do you judge these people in the same way you judge the rich? And keep in mind not all wealthy people are motivated by money. It's a byproduct of their success. Hello from Australia :)
Hey, School of Life, I'm reminding you of this thread. I'm a big fan of you guys. But I'm a HUGE fan of music. Just gonna leave you with that. Won't bug you again.
I think I've stumbled upon a really good part of the internet here.Even the comments section is full of people being either complimentary or offering constructive criticism,a refreshing change.I've probably learnt more insightful and intresting things here over the past few days than I did during all my years at secondary school.Thanks.
That such a beautiful, intelligent, articulated and capable person can not only see and admire these doodles as something inspirational, rare and sort after or even worth anything more than a sneer, but will even go as fart to convince other so, is really heart breaking in the way that it leaves one really questioning where the human race is going. Or perhaps that is what all these years studying scribble does to someone, I mean if you spend enough time staring at a white wall trying to convince yourself that it is florescent pink, you'll believe it to be florescent pink.
Hi! I’ve really this channel and these art/architecture videos, and I must agree with almost every other comment below-that Hannah’s voice really is beautifully mesmerising! But I cannot agree with this video’s view on modern abstract art. I think that the essence of the progression of art lies in the building up of an ‘art cannon’- that’s what lends meanings to symbols in pictures, motifs in poems and themes in novels. The emergence of a new ‘style’ is a progressive reiteration and a new representation of previous traditions- that’s what allows a handful of words and some simple strokes of a brush to convey a sea of meanings. But ‘contemporary’ art, for want of a better word, completely dissembles this aestheticism. When a piece of art, planned and brooded over by an artist for weeks and months, appears no different from a child’s doodle- you know there’s something wrong. Yes, some might find hidden meanings in these disorganised lines, but if you look hard enough, couldn’t you find meanings in almost everything? From what I saw in the video, I do not doubt Twombly’s intentions as an artist, he is invested in classical art and is a truly cultured artist. But there are so called contemporary ‘artists’ like one Jeff Koons. Who’s greatest masterpiece is a vacuum cleaner, suspended in a water tank. Which he didn’t even make himself- it was made by sweatshop workers in China along with many other hoovers available in any ordinary high street shops. And this is meant to ‘explored the way our fantasies and desires are transferred on to ordinary objects’? This is what degraded the art world into being a medium for Russian oligarchs and corrupt Chinese officials to show off their wealth, making the art Basel more vulgar than the stock exchange, filled with pseudo-artists and fake art. Don’t get me wrong, I’m by no means criticising, in fact I really appreciate the insightful and informative videos on this channel, and I’m completely in love with Hannah’s voice. This is simply what I, a random guy on youtube, thinks about modern art. Oh, dear, I’ve written an essay haven’t I, might as well include a bibliography! ua-cam.com/video/eZn8QLsPvYI/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/lNI07egoefc/v-deo.html
After watching the video about philosophical meditation I searched all of your videos for another one with her speaking because she has the most calming voice I've ever heard. Happy now! Oh and the video was good, too ;)
So, a serious question. If I help up The Birth of Venus next to one of these and asked: Which one is appeasing to look at, not in terms of the abstracts meaning, but pure visual? Would you rather look at classical art, that was appeasing to see, or abstract modern art, with it's apparent emotional meaning. And then this part, does having some emotional meaning make something better to look at? Art is to be viewed. And should look worthy of being viewed.
Hannah, you're like an elf.... so much wisdom and insight into how we might live harmoniously with the world around us...... you know, AND what everyone else is saying in the comments ;)
Grew up rich, studied art in New York, found an aristocratic girlfriend, moved to Rome, lived to see his art be admired. I think that's an example of an artist's dream life. Not a fan of his art though.
With abstract art, sometimes it's good to have a tour guide. Considering how much School Of Life relies on top-notch avant-garde animation with distilled narration, how interesting it is to get a video that's Ken Burns with a pretty face and a pretty voice as a way to help the viewer step inside the world or Cy Twombly.
The subject matter is such a tabboo in real world ( whatever that means), I wonder if the narration will be as convincing with the narrator removed. I love the channel, the art videos in this channel. Finally, thanks for the awesomeness School of Life. Also, Let's consider the possibility of more abstract art videos please.
It's funny how she compares abstract 'art' to music for the emotional value. However if you applied the abstract theory to music, in other words, threw music theory and time signatures out the windows, you would have something wretched and unlistenable. Yet one could still argue about the deep emotion the musician was trying to convey. So it's obvious that if this standard of art was applied to other areas, it would be easily recognizable as absurd and ridiculous.
It doesn't matter. The fact that there's a method invalidates your point to begin with. In other words, jazz ( as well as other music) can be described by this standard. It's not JUST emotion and noise.
+FivepointohJerry Hardly. If you wish to reduce jazz to simplest forms, it is an exploration of the inner world, which uses non-standard techniques as well as a balance of improvisation and composition. Just as Miles Davis is jazz, so is Squarepusher, Gershwin and João Gilberto.
I would love if you would do a video over Walter Gropius. Their work with the Bauhaus school would highlight the mundanity of modern architecture and the beauty one can find.
just like the colors we're drawn to when in recognizable moods.. feeling a piece of interpretive art is tied to our ability to recognize those stirrings in ourselves; which is to say- that someone distant to themselves will see no reflection in an emotional mirror, nor someone whom has not experienced or not examined the emotion's presence themselves.. (and anyone biologically predispositioned to lack emotional responses)
Correct me if im wrong, but maybe make a video about why there was a transition from classical beautiful art-the art of today that seems to be lacking content. (In my opinion)
how could you be wrong in making a request? that transition was a long one, but i believe it was around the time of impressionism where it started, developed a lot with dada and cubism and then abstract art was born.
Chaz mania, I think that is an interesting idea but there are a few things about abstract art that you need to try to understand; first: despite it being non representative abstract art can still be beautiful you have to find that beauty in the way the artist textures the canvas and combines colors to make your mind respond to his work. You also have to know that abstract art isn't lacking content the content is just transmitted differently, a lot of times the painter is showing you the feelings he's had when creating the piece. So to conclude, abstract art/ a lot of modern art seem meaningless but really aren't you just have to think about it and look the work from a different angle.
This is an interesting video indeed. I liked the paintings. I have a friend who is an abstract artist (Will Lawler). My favorite is Kandinsky, who was the most successful at using foreground, middleground, and background (perspective) in his abstract works. I don't see many today who can do that. Another test is whether the work seems to have a proper right-side-up, and why. So far as I know the night sky is the only image which can be immediately interpreted as being all background without the need of foreground or middle ground as relational perspective. Why is that? Thank you for this.
It’s disheartening how many people are commenting on her looks instead of her impeccable description. Calling her sexy and beautiful doesn’t feel like a compliment : it isn’t what she is showcasing here, the video isn’t about being a hot teacher but about cy twombly. I know I’m going to get a lot of shit for saying this but if this isn’t ordinary sexism then I don’t know what is. It means you’re hardly even listening to what she is saying because of the fact that she’s a woman and the subsequent objectification just takes up so much space. Somehow someone’s beauty or lack there of is only distracting when talking about a woman. I don’t even know why I’m doing this to myself because I can already see the vexed responses of people who feel attacked personally, and can’t bare the idea of actually looking at their bias because it can be so scary to accept when you are being imperfect .
I would call Kanye West’s Yeezus album an abstract, electronic heavy-metal album stylized as hip-hop. That’s not a normal rap album. It was trying to do so much more and I really think it succeeded. A lot of people hate it and don’t get it. I completely understand it and I love it. It’s probably the same for this dude and his fans.
'nothing' - because the is little physciality to what his paintings depict, and 'everything' - because our inner world is all that we can ever interface with (while the outer is assimilated)
Brilliant video, very informative and interesting. I always look forward to these. You'r lovely voice compliments you'r teaching style and the various artists you cover.
Thank you!! Love the ideas and thought put on the the making of these videos. Have a question though... hopefully is not too late to ask... How do you discriminate poorly and hastily made abstract art from deeply thought and highly technical abstract art. To give an example, I remember once seeing a piece of art called "Solitude", and it was just a black dot on a large white canvas, I mean I get it, but whats the merit there? Then I remember seeing an asian artist having painted a 100m scroll watercolor mosaic of 1cm square, using a grayscale palette, it was called "The shades of my depression". Again very simple, but this time the amount of effort and labor was such that made me appreciate it more than my previous example. I understand everyone sees things different, but how do we assign value to this pieces of art? Which one helps advance our collective intellect further? Keep the videos coming Hannah, thank you!
I can't help thinking that Cy Twombly's work represents a serious low in abstract art. I do not experience love, pain or sadness from his "work", just the sense of being in the presence of a great con from a man with no skill.
If only people took the time to look at art in this thought-provoki ng way and cherished it more without holding them up to man-made gods ..yeah, your views are excellent and reach into the depths of emotion and soul ...we need more p hi losophical thinking of this stature ...I'm glad for you guys ..let us all think more and live virtuously!
Whenever I look at abstract art, I'm kind of torn on whether or not to look up who did the piece / what its title is. Like you said, abstract art is trying to evoke our innermost emotions, bypassing the obfuscation of objects with preconceived notions about them. That is why I prefer knowing nothing about the piece, because I just look, and reflect. I think authorial intent in abstract art would drive the experience too much.
Fantastic video! Definitely gave me a better insight into abstract art, but I am curious to know if you will be covering any individuals outside of the western world? Keep up the good work and i will definitely visit the school of life next time i'm in central London.
Watching this video after reading Bordieu is interesting. I too feel there is a tendency to over-intellectualize abstract art. Just as much as abstract art seems to be about understanding the larger narrative or discourse of western art whatevs, one cannot dismiss the visceral emotional power of a visible object. I mean visually with their use of geometry, color, shadow etc works by like Rothko or Pollock or say like Has Hoffman. This video also posits that abstract art is like music, it expresses something fluidly which can't be captured in a concrete visual sense. This definition of abstract art seems to put an emphasis on the process. While there's a lot of good thinking to be done on process and abstract art there's more to it than that. Like Twombly for instance. Though that immediacy and the concept of process can be seen in some works like the cursive e paintings, Twombly was also someone who made meticulous and really technically complex pieces.
This helped me understand abstract art's purpose, I was looking for a picture like trying to find Waldo, but if it's emotions & ideas, I sort of get it. Without knowing the story behind the works though, I'd likely determine very different meanings.
the value (not monetary) of art is inversely proportional to the time needed to explain why it's art. People discovering picasso's paintings in a thounsand years will immediately recognise it as art. What are they going to think about a blue canvas or a tiny trashbag... I'm not saying it's not art but if literally anything can be art, i.e. it completely depends on interpretation, you're stretching to word until it has virtually no meaning anymore.
I agree with you on the fact that we are almost at the point where almost evrything is art. Is evrything is art then that takes al value out of word "art". Because that would make nothing art. There for i think we should go a different direction from where art is going now. Instead of just trying to drive your art closer to the border where evrything is art (and therefor nothing is art). We could go a different direction with art.
Amazing as always... And is that Khyan Mansley I see in the description? Love that guy! For the next ART/ARCHITECTURE film, may I suggest Salvador Dali or Rene Magritte? Also, I feel like this channel should have a class on film, I feel it is an underappreciated art form, and one of the best!
This woman is perfect for these videos, her voice is so beautiful and she seem like she knows her stuff
As a child , at my 1st museum show at the age of 8 yrs, i saw my future as an artist when i came upon a canvas by Cy, and next to that was a Warhol, a Marilyn canvas, my life was changed that day, will never forget that...
I bet you’re a homosexual
This girl's voice is what the art is in this video.
Kubi Yes! I often find myself not being able to pay attention because I end up listening to the calming tone of her voice rather than the content of her words. But then I just watch it again!
Kubi Puts my diction to shame!
“This girl. “ how awful, how condescending, how dismissive, you do know she is both a professor and not a girl? Revolting, ignorant comment and text.
This professor's voice is what the art is in this video.
I'm listening at 2x the playback speed, maybe I should take time to appreciate peoples' voices. Thanks for the observation
If Hannah had her own channel with daily videos, I'd refresh that damn page like mad. I adore these videos, some of the best things to come out of this channel!
Who is this beauty?
did she ever make her own channel?
You can see how lovely someone is when they talk.. She's very beautiful.
+Dan Guinto Her beauty distracts my attention :(
+Akron162 like what?
+Akron162 fuck off
+Akron162 Hahaha
And you can hear it without seeing it (close your eyes and watch this again).
The narrators hair is as interesting as Twombly’s art work. Absorbingly inspirational.
i thought the same!
Three cheers for British lilt and diction...I could listen all day to this woman talking about tapeworm infestations.
mcsadapted I agree. I cannot get enough of her voice. Nice suggestion of topic too XD
You madame have the most heavenly voice i have ever heard, it is a beautiful sound always pleasing to the ear, never offensive.
And you articulate that beauty to express some brilliant concepts and ideas, although it is easy to just get lost in the sound of your voice.
Great video, amazing presenter, but more importantly brilliant art.
Wow. This is illuminating. I've always had a distant response to abstract art. It's always helpful to get good direction from a teacher.
Also, your voice is so compelling.
That's what I love best about Twombly. His art is extremely affecting both on a visceral aesthetic level ie man vs. canvas, object and also intellectually and the way he makes reference to other artists, his wit and whimsicality
Initially I thought this video would be boring , but when I saw the attractive dr. I actually kept watching and eventually learnt a new way of looking at art! Thnx school of life!
Thank you ... I graduated with a degree in Architecture and design and had more than 4 classes about Art but non of the boring classes I spent hours attending thought me how to Approach art or provide me with the tools to understand it from my own personal perspective ... simply most of my teachers did not understand or love Art or architecture ... they just thought of teaching these classes and preparing for them as means to earn money ... just a job ... I sucked at their exams because they sucked at delivering anything to me ... all I had to do is memories names and staff they said during the class to pass... my opinion never mattered... that's why my diploma means so little to me ... You do not need a deploma to say you are an artist/Architect/designer or art student ... you are just are ....
They tried to kill the 'me' and replace it with what they thought was right and acceptable ...
And this is the main reason why I appreciate UA-cam and your channel ! You satisfy my curiosity by doing something you apparently very passionate about ... listening to you is pleasure to my ears and learning from you is fulfilling
Thank you my dear ... Now I love art ... and well not just attend museums to show my facebook followers that I am intelligent but to spend hours alone in-front of their works and try to adopt the artist point of view of the world by studying their works and connecting with them .... and with myself... with the world... and develop my own artistic version for the meaning of life and our existing... of my existing ...
I hope to see a series of videos about Architects and Architecture ....
How many abstract artists does it take to change a light bulb?
Fish.
Twombly to his closed group. "So, how about I bring us a bunch of income and we can have more kidnapped children amongst ourselves?"
"ok what will it take?"
"Just support anything I create and it will prove our power to control others socially, plus we'll profit by selling it"
"we are about to understand but have not yet understood"
^ this is how I feel through the entire video. I am sure your explanation, like people have said, is really the good. But hearing explanation about abstract art have always make me feel like hearing explanation about quantum mechanics, I just could never grasp the full concept of it.
Anyway, thanks for another great video.
This comment is nearly a decade old but I’d like to offer input! Many theorists will argue that the purpose of modern art is essentially to ground the viewer in the moment, elicit an emotional response, and encourage loose imaginative thought. It’s a way to find reprieve from the monotony of modern life and become more in touch with our bodies. Understanding abstract works is not as complicated as it may seem- you truly are just meant to spend some time looking, and have an experience. The artist’s intent and what others feel are irrelevant (unless you are looking to create abstract art, which can be more complicated).
I think there is still an important distinction between abstract art that EFFECTIVELY expresses an inner state and abstract art which is indistinguishable from the something that you could consider to invoke the question "is someone making fun of us?" as you say in the video.
I think that people generally want to be able to tell that an effort has been made to express something. The very forgiving attitude of trying to appreciate something regardless of any apparent effort or effective expression is exactly what hacks will exploit.
I think the divide basically comes down to whether or not you consider it a good thing that someone could bypass putting a great deal of time or effort into perfecting a craft of expression and rise to success by basically exploiting the minds of people that will stand and scratch their heads in intrigue at something that contains very little substance.
Doug Stanhope summarized this pretty well for me. To paraphrase, he basically said that if you HAVE a message, you should be clear about it. Because the people that really need to get messages are already really dumb. When I create artwork it's generally just to express how I'm feeling, but it can take on fairly complex forms, but the ultimate primary goal is for it to be visually stimulating.
I didn't know people this lovely existed
He is my favorite artist.A 20th Century Master.It is open to so many Interpretations.
I agree
The thing is that if the artist is not present or alive to explain the thought behind the work NOBODY would see it. It's like saying "I, the artist see a white dot in a black canvas" observer: "I don't",artist: "right here see" observer: "oooooh ok sorry, thank you for pointing that out to me, it just looked like a dust particle" artist:" that's not a dust particle IT'S THE UNIVERSE how can you be so ignorant" gallerist:" If you say so we'll buy"
The first minute and 15 seconds of this video is by far the most concise yet helpful description/guide to understanding abstract art that I've ever heard.
'Anoyance & confusion in equal measure' yep, Twomblys work defo winds me up!
Requesting something on Edgar Allan Poe!
This lady has made more sense of Cy Twombly for me than several books about him that I have read. Thank you.
So, is it the case that abstract art needs context in order to be understood? Without prior explanation, I might as well assume that most abstract art pieces were paint splatters made by infants.
You people make our lives so much richer everyday. Thank you so very much.
Thank you for explaining something to me that I never could quite fully understand. Abstract art was always something of a mystery, and I'm very open-minded. I am now ready to visit a good museum and **feel** art with my soul via my eyes.
Love this video, beautiful explanation of abstract art.
I never understood abstract art until I started experimenting with it myself, then I realised and began to appreciate how emotive it is, it's spontaneous, playing with colours and textures is so therapeutic.
the video on bad taste by school of life is great. we should not be afraid to label abstract art as bad taste. my emotion goes wild when I see da Vinci.
It would be interesting to know how history will judge the art of the last century, especially in contrast to the century before it.
What a wonderful, concise video to describe an often misunderstood artist like Twombly. Very well put together, the world needs more professors like Dr. Roxburgh. Bravo!
I never understood Abstract Art. But now I have some idea. Thank you School of Life!
So much about art, so little (none in fact) about architecture. I would love to hear her speak, with that worm voice of hers, about modernism or constructivism!
Great video!
Thanks, I certainly will! Interesting choice of architects, can't wait to see the videos.
Best wishes!
Her voice... the way she pronounces Renaissance. Beautiful
Great video! Clarifying. Made me understand much more about abstract art.
This lovely lady is a work of art.
I exaggerate not when I say I've watched this one 6 times and I love it more each time. So lucid and elegantly presented. Thank you!
She'll make a perfect elf maiden in LOTR !
Such a soothing, calming voice! She sounds like, what a little fairy would sound to me!
Thanks a lot! I am glad I have watched this lesson! It was very helpful.Whenever a famous piece of art seem not to say anything to me, I think that it must be because my eyes are not trained enough for beauty. But the way Hannah describes it, it suddenly makes sense and it all feels " accessible", which is really an enrichment for our lives. But I confess that I still struggle to find sense in some pieces of modern art.( Like that ugly skull made of diamonds. What a waste of time, money and diamonds!) So I imagine that even among the most famous ones there must be good ones and bad ones. But in case of abstract art, the creator always have the chance to accuse you of not " getting" the sense of it. Which makes you feel like one of those people who are afraid of seeming stupid, in the fairy tale " Emperor's new clothes". But it's alright. I think we should still say that the king is naked if we think so:-) Besides, the more we attend Hannah's lessons and the more we learn, more secure we will feel ourselves in our judgements which is very good news.
Hirst's piece very cleverly combines ancestral and modern day ritualization. Understanding your political persuasion through our previous conversation I can appreciate how you would see this artwork as obscene, considering how many mouths could be fed by its pricetag ;)
Norm AL Hi there! Himmmm, but I don't think it has much to do with my political views. Anybody in his senses whether from left or right would see it this way I guess:
It was not a very clever investment by Mr. Hirst to spend £14 million for a diamond skull to prove the world that he is a clever man. He could do it with a pen and paper too you know:-) Unfortunately I find it incredibly pretentious, meaningless and purposeless. Indeed everybody would think so and precisely this gives a few people the possibility to consider themselves somewhat special and superior, because they think they can see more than every simple person like myself can see it that so called " art work". Just like in the fairy tale. Please don't get me wrong, I really don't mean that you are one of them. But I am sure you also know vain folks like that. In any case thanks a lot for writing:-)
***** Good to hear your thoughts. People express themselves in different ways, using different mediums. In this instance Hirst showed his ostentatious side. Perhaps it was a publicity stunt, or perhaps the concept, if to be fully realized, demanded such extravagance. In any case, art is subjective.
Art, and its usefulness, is often queried and questioned. If we reduce a painting, for example, down to the raw materials, it has next to no value. Yet we commonly see paintings fetching millions of dollars at auction. These works often have an important cultural and/or historical significance. Should we deny their value just because the money could be put to different use, such as to help prevent malaria?
Ultimately, the market decides the value of things which is an unsavioury reality of our world.
Norm AL
Thanks a lot for your message.I agree: many famous paintings from great artists from the past cost now millions too, but I find this also very absurd. As if the immense value of something could only be expressed through an astronomic price. As if price and value were the same thing.
I am sure if you could ask the soul of Van Gogh now what he would prefer, he would be more happy to hear that his paintings are well taken care of in a public Museum in Holland for everyone to see and enjoy , rather than sold for millions to a bunch of rich people so that they can show off with them among their four walls.
I also agree when you say that the market decides the value of things
which is an "unsavoury" reality of our world. But rather than accepting
it with obedience, one must always keep in mind that this is incredibly
depressing and morally corrupt and that's why we should be able to
criticise it and not shape our own criteria by it.
Take that incredible documentary- art movie " The act of killing " by Joshua Oppenheimer. I think it has zero market value. He worked for a decade on that movie, as an art PhD Student ( after finishing Harvard) , with very few money. And only in the end, when he finished it, Werner Herzog and Errol Morris declared their support as producers. He had spent hundreds of hours , for years working with those murders, listening to their horrible stories they boast about.(The protagonist in that documentary had killed 1000 people with his hands) He even learned the Indonesian language for that. All this, with very little financial support and without knowing whether he could ever be able to show the
film to anybody.
But in the end he really succeeded. That movie
gave the victims in Indonesia their dignity back and it stopped
perpetrators from boasting about their atrocities.It made a debate
possible, which wasn't thinkable since the military coup in 1965 and it
made the younger generation " aware" of what happened in their history
and why would their parents never talk about the killings of half a
million people. It has changed the history of Indonesia. But if
Oppenheimer cared about how much value the market would give to that
movie, he would never have made it. So there you have someone with a
very strong sense of ethics, which is really very impressive.
If I had a child ,obviously I would show him Oppenheimer as role model rather than Mr. Hirst.
Because in case of the latter I would have to say:
" My son just go for where the money is and fool the rich who don't know where to put their millions anyhow. Meaning and purpose and serving people mean nothing. Just follow the market".
But this feels deeply wrong.
Very sorry for this long message! Thanks a lot for reading!
***** Greetings. Thank you for your reply. I almost feel guilty writing to you because I know how much thought and consideration you give to your replies.
You and I approach things from vastly different perspectives. In a market based economy it's consumer demand that sets the prices. Currently in Venezuala, inflation is running at 60% due to lack of supply. People are suffering.
In stable functioning economies where supply is plentiful, and competition is fierce, consumer demand helps to regulate prices.
Now, when it comes to rare or one-off collectables, such as paintings and violins, the market dictates what they're worth, as it should. Do we really want governments placing restrictions on what someone is prepared to pay to own an item!?
I'm not familiar with the film you mentioned. However it was clearly the intention of filmmaker for the film to be seen. His motivations were not monetary but now that the film is successful would you begrudge him financial reward for his efforts?!
The reality is MOST people work for money. Any additional benefits are a bonus. Do you judge these people in the same way you judge the rich? And keep in mind not all wealthy people are motivated by money. It's a byproduct of their success.
Hello from Australia :)
Question: are you guys ever going to do videos on music? I think it's quite neglected!
I'm craving some analysis on Tchaikovsky :)
Cinema! Yes.
Hey, School of Life, I'm reminding you of this thread. I'm a big fan of you guys. But I'm a HUGE fan of music. Just gonna leave you with that. Won't bug you again.
finally someone that can explain abstraction in lay terms, simple and brief.... Twombly has always been my fav too ;) thanks a bunch
People like you are not very bright
I think I've stumbled upon a really good part of the internet here.Even the comments section is full of people being either complimentary or offering constructive criticism,a refreshing change.I've probably learnt more insightful and intresting things here over the past few days than I did during all my years at secondary school.Thanks.
the exact definition of Abstract art at 2:22 "we are about to understand but have not yet understood"
OMG, if you were my teacher, I would have made Strait A's
That such a beautiful, intelligent, articulated and capable person can not only see and admire these doodles as something inspirational, rare and sort after or even worth anything more than a sneer, but will even go as fart to convince other so, is really heart breaking in the way that it leaves one really questioning where the human race is going.
Or perhaps that is what all these years studying scribble does to someone, I mean if you spend enough time staring at a white wall trying to convince yourself that it is florescent pink, you'll believe it to be florescent pink.
the art speak and the tone of her voice really tops it off , great video, i feel rich and elegant
Beautiful voice 😌
Hi! I’ve really this channel and these art/architecture videos, and I must agree with almost every other comment below-that Hannah’s voice really is beautifully mesmerising!
But I cannot agree with this video’s view on modern abstract art. I think that the essence of the progression of art lies in the building up of an ‘art cannon’- that’s what lends meanings to symbols in pictures, motifs in poems and themes in novels. The emergence of a new ‘style’ is a progressive reiteration and a new representation of previous traditions- that’s what allows a handful of words and some simple strokes of a brush to convey a sea of meanings. But ‘contemporary’ art, for want of a better word, completely dissembles this aestheticism. When a piece of art, planned and brooded over by an artist for weeks and months, appears no different from a child’s doodle- you know there’s something wrong. Yes, some might find hidden meanings in these disorganised lines, but if you look hard enough, couldn’t you find meanings in almost everything?
From what I saw in the video, I do not doubt Twombly’s intentions as an artist, he is invested in classical art and is a truly cultured artist. But there are so called contemporary ‘artists’ like one Jeff Koons. Who’s greatest masterpiece is a vacuum cleaner, suspended in a water tank. Which he didn’t even make himself- it was made by sweatshop workers in China along with many other hoovers available in any ordinary high street shops. And this is meant to ‘explored the way our fantasies and desires are transferred on to ordinary objects’? This is what degraded the art world into being a medium for Russian oligarchs and corrupt Chinese officials to show off their wealth, making the art Basel more vulgar than the stock exchange, filled with pseudo-artists and fake art.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m by no means criticising, in fact I really appreciate the insightful and informative videos on this channel, and I’m completely in love with Hannah’s voice. This is simply what I, a random guy on youtube, thinks about modern art.
Oh, dear, I’ve written an essay haven’t I, might as well include a bibliography!
ua-cam.com/video/eZn8QLsPvYI/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/lNI07egoefc/v-deo.html
It's like you're painting time with your voice. Nice video:)
Are there any more art/architecture videos in the works School of Life? They're so wonderful. James Turrell or William Turner would be fab maybe.
his influences on my and younger generations, esp in 2018 and ahead is so immense
Love her accent!!!
After watching the video about philosophical meditation I searched all of your videos for another one with her speaking because she has the most calming voice I've ever heard. Happy now!
Oh and the video was good, too ;)
I don't know much about art but this makes me want to learn.
Hello. Do more videos with this girl as the lead? I would like to hear more. Maybe she has a individual channel?
The beauty of art, is when there is nothing left to paint, malo from me!!
Great description of his work, I liked the presenters presentation.
So, a serious question. If I help up The Birth of Venus next to one of these and asked: Which one is appeasing to look at, not in terms of the abstracts meaning, but pure visual? Would you rather look at classical art, that was appeasing to see, or abstract modern art, with it's apparent emotional meaning. And then this part, does having some emotional meaning make something better to look at?
Art is to be viewed. And should look worthy of being viewed.
WHO IS THIS GORGEOUS WOMAN! IS SHE THE ENDER OF WARS OR WHAT!!
Hannah, you're like an elf.... so much wisdom and insight into how we might live harmoniously with the world around us...... you know, AND what everyone else is saying in the comments ;)
Grew up rich, studied art in New York, found an aristocratic girlfriend, moved to Rome, lived to see his art be admired. I think that's an example of an artist's dream life.
Not a fan of his art though.
God her voice is amazing, its so pleasent to listen to.
This was great and informative. I learnt something. Thank you.
The narrator is also dishy with a nice voice too.
this is the best show in the channel.
With abstract art, sometimes it's good to have a tour guide. Considering how much School Of Life relies on top-notch avant-garde animation with distilled narration, how interesting it is to get a video that's Ken Burns with a pretty face and a pretty voice as a way to help the viewer step inside the world or Cy Twombly.
thank you thank you thank you , you helped me realize what i knew but couldn't shape in my mind.
The subject matter is such a tabboo in real world ( whatever that means), I wonder if the narration will be as convincing with the narrator removed. I love the channel, the art videos in this channel. Finally, thanks for the awesomeness School of Life. Also, Let's consider the possibility of more abstract art videos please.
half way through of getting hypnotized by her gaze i was like.... Is she looking right at me ?
It's funny how she compares abstract 'art' to music for the emotional value. However if you applied the abstract theory to music, in other words, threw music theory and time signatures out the windows, you would have something wretched and unlistenable. Yet one could still argue about the deep emotion the musician was trying to convey. So it's obvious that if this standard of art was applied to other areas, it would be easily recognizable as absurd and ridiculous.
Lol and what exactly do you think jazz is? Order? Adherance to the standard forms and structures of the music that came before it?
Jazz uses unconventional scales, modes and time signatures however all of it conforms to standard music theory.
"Standard music theory" is a fairly vague sentiment. Also, current music theory or music theory at the time?
It doesn't matter. The fact that there's a method invalidates your point to begin with. In other words, jazz ( as well as other music) can be described by this standard. It's not JUST emotion and noise.
+FivepointohJerry Hardly. If you wish to reduce jazz to simplest forms, it is an exploration of the inner world, which uses non-standard techniques as well as a balance of improvisation and composition. Just as Miles Davis is jazz, so is Squarepusher, Gershwin and João Gilberto.
I would love if you would do a video over Walter Gropius. Their work with the Bauhaus school would highlight the mundanity of modern architecture and the beauty one can find.
Just love these videos, I wish I can see these in person right now :(
just like the colors we're drawn to when in recognizable moods.. feeling a piece of interpretive art is tied to our ability to recognize those stirrings in ourselves; which is to say- that someone distant to themselves will see no reflection in an emotional mirror, nor someone whom has not experienced or not examined the emotion's presence themselves.. (and anyone biologically predispositioned to lack emotional responses)
Correct me if im wrong, but maybe make a video about why there was a transition from classical beautiful art-the art of today that seems to be lacking content. (In my opinion)
how could you be wrong in making a request? that transition was a long one, but i believe it was around the time of impressionism where it started, developed a lot with dada and cubism and then abstract art was born.
Chaz Mania I'm tagging you for spreading a state of being in lack without the awareness of such. Quell that black hole, son!
First Weekend Unless you're into the gray stuff, of course.
Chaz mania, I think that is an interesting idea but there are a few things about abstract art that you need to try to understand; first: despite it being non representative abstract art can still be beautiful you have to find that beauty in the way the artist textures the canvas and combines colors to make your mind respond to his work. You also have to know that abstract art isn't lacking content the content is just transmitted differently, a lot of times the painter is showing you the feelings he's had when creating the piece.
So to conclude, abstract art/ a lot of modern art seem meaningless but really aren't you just have to think about it and look the work from a different angle.
This is an interesting video indeed. I liked the paintings. I have a friend who is an abstract artist (Will Lawler). My favorite is Kandinsky, who was the most successful at using foreground, middleground, and background (perspective) in his abstract works. I don't see many today who can do that. Another test is whether the work seems to have a proper right-side-up, and why. So far as I know the night sky is the only image which can be immediately interpreted as being all background without the need of foreground or middle ground as relational perspective. Why is that? Thank you for this.
It’s disheartening how many people are commenting on her looks instead of her impeccable description. Calling her sexy and beautiful doesn’t feel like a compliment : it isn’t what she is showcasing here, the video isn’t about being a hot teacher but about cy twombly. I know I’m going to get a lot of shit for saying this but if this isn’t ordinary sexism then I don’t know what is. It means you’re hardly even listening to what she is saying because of the fact that she’s a woman and the subsequent objectification just takes up so much space.
Somehow someone’s beauty or lack there of is only distracting when talking about a woman.
I don’t even know why I’m doing this to myself because I can already see the vexed responses of people who feel attacked personally, and can’t bare the idea of actually looking at their bias because it can be so scary to accept when you are being imperfect .
Lo máximo, this has been so very well explained! Felicitaciones miles and all the best. Keep doing such great job. Saludos.
I would call Kanye West’s Yeezus album an abstract, electronic heavy-metal album stylized as hip-hop. That’s not a normal rap album. It was trying to do so much more and I really think it succeeded. A lot of people hate it and don’t get it. I completely understand it and I love it. It’s probably the same for this dude and his fans.
Every time I watch a Hannah Roxburgh video I have to go back and watch your video about crushes. :)
Hi, can you please make videos about the Art Nouveau and Art Deco art/architecture movements?
Her voice 😍 as well as her looks of course
This video was incredibly calming. The art, the narration, mm!~
'nothing' - because the is little physciality to what his paintings depict, and 'everything' - because our inner world is all that we can ever interface with (while the outer is assimilated)
not only is the painting abstract, but also the price.
Brilliant video, very informative and interesting. I always look forward to these. You'r lovely voice compliments you'r teaching style and the various artists you cover.
Thank you!! Love the ideas and thought put on the the making of these videos. Have a question though... hopefully is not too late to ask... How do you discriminate poorly and hastily made abstract art from deeply thought and highly technical abstract art.
To give an example, I remember once seeing a piece of art called "Solitude", and it was just a black dot on a large white canvas, I mean I get it, but whats the merit there? Then I remember seeing an asian artist having painted a 100m scroll watercolor mosaic of 1cm square, using a grayscale palette, it was called "The shades of my depression". Again very simple, but this time the amount of effort and labor was such that made me appreciate it more than my previous example.
I understand everyone sees things different, but how do we assign value to this pieces of art? Which one helps advance our collective intellect further?
Keep the videos coming Hannah, thank you!
I can't help thinking that Cy Twombly's work represents a serious low in abstract art. I do not experience love, pain or sadness from his "work", just the sense of being in the presence of a great con from a man with no skill.
I share your feeling. I love abstract art even in the like of Piet Mondrian but Cy Twombly really looks like a scam artist to me.
Dam you guys really don’t think his art is good at all?
@@dougsburner5897 Not even close, not even a little bit.
great information, but i was distracted because that voice...is..intoxicating. I dont mean this in a disrespectful way, only as a compliment.
Who am I? watch it two times one to find peace in her beautiful voice, the other time to pay attention to damn subject. Atleast that's my method.
Janis Ladigs agreed, lol
Love this Artist and video thank you!
Great video with interesting content, along with, and I'm not exaggerating when I say this, one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard.
I've been watching videos on this channel all day. Fantastic content.
If only people took the time to look at art in this thought-provoki ng way and cherished it more without holding them up to man-made gods ..yeah, your views are excellent and reach into the depths of emotion and soul ...we need more p hi losophical thinking of this stature ...I'm glad for you guys ..let us all think more and live virtuously!
Best channel on UA-cam. :)
Whenever I look at abstract art, I'm kind of torn on whether or not to look up who did the piece / what its title is. Like you said, abstract art is trying to evoke our innermost emotions, bypassing the obfuscation of objects with preconceived notions about them. That is why I prefer knowing nothing about the piece, because I just look, and reflect. I think authorial intent in abstract art would drive the experience too much.
Fantastic video! Definitely gave me a better insight into abstract art, but I am curious to know if you will be covering any individuals outside of the western world? Keep up the good work and i will definitely visit the school of life next time i'm in central London.
What an utterly splendid presentation this has been.
Watching this video after reading Bordieu is interesting. I too feel there is a tendency to over-intellectualize abstract art. Just as much as abstract art seems to be about understanding the larger narrative or discourse of western art whatevs, one cannot dismiss the visceral emotional power of a visible object. I mean visually with their use of geometry, color, shadow etc works by like Rothko or Pollock or say like Has Hoffman. This video also posits that abstract art is like music, it expresses something fluidly which can't be captured in a concrete visual sense. This definition of abstract art seems to put an emphasis on the process. While there's a lot of good thinking to be done on process and abstract art there's more to it than that. Like Twombly for instance. Though that immediacy and the concept of process can be seen in some works like the cursive e paintings, Twombly was also someone who made meticulous and really technically complex pieces.
This helped me understand abstract art's purpose, I was looking for a picture like trying to find Waldo, but if it's emotions & ideas, I sort of get it. Without knowing the story behind the works though, I'd likely determine very different meanings.
the value (not monetary) of art is inversely proportional to the time needed to explain why it's art. People discovering picasso's paintings in a thounsand years will immediately recognise it as art. What are they going to think about a blue canvas or a tiny trashbag... I'm not saying it's not art but if literally anything can be art, i.e. it completely depends on interpretation, you're stretching to word until it has virtually no meaning anymore.
I agree with you on the fact that we are almost at the point where almost evrything is art. Is evrything is art then that takes al value out of word "art". Because that would make nothing art. There for i think we should go a different direction from where art is going now. Instead of just trying to drive your art closer to the border where evrything is art (and therefor nothing is art). We could go a different direction with art.
Amazing as always... And is that Khyan Mansley I see in the description? Love that guy!
For the next ART/ARCHITECTURE film, may I suggest Salvador Dali or Rene Magritte?
Also, I feel like this channel should have a class on film, I feel it is an underappreciated art form, and one of the best!
Does this woman do audio books? Hypnotic voice!
Do one about Georges Eugène Haussmann!
beautiful explanation! Twombly is my fave