WP3: Statement of Purpose

The goal of my essay is to show the audience the many techniques used by Michael Todd, the author of "Monet's Table (from the Lilypad Series)," to emulate the artistic style and persona of Claude Monet. Beginning from what I believe to be the most important technique, the position of this art object in its environment plays a crucial role in demonstrating the impressionist art style of Monet. As a result, the environment is nearly as important as the piece of art. The environment is constantly changing, creating different lighting situations, different seasons, and so on. This is an important trait to the impressionist art style. Additionally, the material--it's color and texture, are important for the same reasons.

I found a website full of famous Monet quotations, some of which I want to use in support of my argument. For example, "I know that to paint the sea really well, you need to look at it every hour of every day in the same place so that you can understand its way in that particular spot and that is why I am working on the same motifs over and over again, four or six times even." This quotation could be helpful in explaining the impressionist emphasis on lighting and how it all relates to Michael Todd's work of art. It also shows Monet's reasons for creating the lengthy series of paintings depicting waterlilies.

Another interesting subject that could be worth some discussion is the noticeable differences between the surface of the table and the legs. The top surface is composed entirely of uniform circular plates, creating visual unity through the symbolic use of the circle. On the other hand, the legs are made of varying shapes and sizes. In effect, the legs are what makes this piece of art appear to be a real table while the top surface greatly enhances the emphasis on the impressionist art style. I could compare and contrast these two elements of the sculpture to help show Michael Todd's use of impressionism in the piece.

Lighting is one of the most important aspects in Monet's paintings. Monet used a combination of lighting and differing viewpoints within his paintings in order to generate certain pathoses. Monet's art style is reflected through the placement of Michael Todd's "Monet's Table." The table is strategically placed under a bridge so that, as the sun moves through the sky, the shadow of the bridge moves across across the surface of the table. This alone emphasizes Monet's attention to lighting. Also, the table is placed in an area from which there are many unique viewpoints; it can be viewed from below, from nearly every direction at ground level, and even from above on the bridge. Michael Todd clearly wanted to reflect the highlights of Monet's art style through his own piece.

WP3: Context

As the title of my assigned art object--"Monet's Table (from the Lilypad Series)"--suggests, Monet is an extremely important aspect to the arguments that are being made. Monet, also known as Claude Oscar Monet, was a famous French painter who founded the impressionist style of painting. Impressionist painters and their paintings often, if not always, focused on lighting and how it changes with the passing of time. This makes a lot of sense with respect to Michael Todd's "Monet's Table (from the Lilypad Series). As I've mentioned in previous posts, my assigned art object is positioned under a bridge so that, as the day progresses, the shadow from the bridge moves across the top surface of the table. This unique position under the bridge effectively portray's Monet's impressionist art style through the passing of time and motion of shadows.

Another characteristic of the impressionist style of painting is the tendency to include visible brush strokes. In some extreme cases, impressionist paintings appear as a mass of small, brightly colored strokes, only comprehendible when the painting is viewed as a whole rather than a small section. This style is also reflective of Michael Todd's piece of art; the entirety of "Monet's Table (from the Lilypad Series)" is composed of a rough, bumpy steel surface. Additionally, Michael Todd let remain clearly visible the points at which different sections of the table were welded together. This sort of rough, unfinished appearance parallels the impressionist style, making the table seem as if it had been created by Monet himself

Claude Monet is well known for his series of paintings based around the water lilies in his flower garden. Overall, he created around 250 oil paintings in this area over a span of about 30 years. It is easy to see why Michael Todd argues that Monet would have had a table of water lilies. Todd effectively converts Monet's impressionist style in paintings to his own impressionist style in sculpture. The upper surface of the table is composed of simple, circular panels, none of which have any sort of detail whatsoever. This once again follows the impressionist style, putting more importance on aspects such as lighting and time progression rather than the level of detail. This allows Todd to simply leave the impression of water lilies.

"Monet's Table (from the Lilypad Series)" is actually quite an odd sculpture because of its historical context. Impressionist sculptures weren't nonexistant in the impressionist era; however, impressionism is more commonly known for its founder, Monet, and for the many paintings created during its time. Michael Todd tries to take what Monet has created in paintings, and form it into his own piece of art to sum up all that is Monet. This conversion turns out to be rather interesting. We don't need 250 paintings and 30 years just to experience this table; we can see it from any viewpoint and at any time of the day, and it will probably always have the level of detail that it might have if it were instead one Monet's paintings.

WP3: Pre-Writing Assignment 4

My assigned sculpture, "Monet's Table (from the Lilypad Series)," can definitely be though of as both an intensification of the natural environment in which it is found and an intensification of an art object. These assertions are supported partly by the fact that it is a sculpture--a three dimensional object--that the audience can observe from a near limitless multitude of viewpoints. From these points of view, the audience can clearly see each way the environment impacts this table, and, in a similar manner, how the table effects the environment. In many cases, it is the environment itself that helps to reveal this piece of art as an intensification of an art object. "Monet's Table(from the Lilypad Series)," is more than just a table or a piece of art; it is an integral part of the environment--it is the environment.

Sculptures are, generally speaking, an intensified form art. Sketches and paintings, for example are both two-dimensional; no matter the angle at which the audience views a pencil sketch or painting, it will always look relatively the same. Sculptures, however add another dimension, allowing the audience to freely move around the piece of art, thus changing the perspective and presenting opportunities for entirely different interpretations of the art object. In the case of "Monet's Table (from the Lilypad Series)," this characteristic of three-dimensional art holds true; the table can be viewed from every side, from underneath (if you really have that much determination), and on a bridge from above. Sculptures also extend the depths of some aspects not available to paintings and pencil sketches: Material. While paintings and pencil sketches can be created on a few different materials, the sketches themselves will always be drawn in pencil and paintings (with just a bit more flexibility) will always be created in paint. Sculptures, on the other hand, can be made in basically any material imaginable, such as wood, various metals, or Play Dough! This affects such aspects as texture, temperature, weight, and color.

Both the environment and "Monet's Table (from the Lilypad Series)" impact each other in important ways. The area around this piece of art has a plethora (I really wanted to use that word) of picnic tables, creating visual unity. Michael Todd's sculpture breaks this unity with a table that contrasts in shape, size, and material, highlighting its most important aspects. The environment is continuously reflected upon "Monet's Table (from the Lilypad Series)" mostly because of its strategic position under a bridge. Because of this placement, the balance between sunlight and shadow constantly shifts in an epic battle played out across the surface of the table. Clearly, another dimensions is present: Time. The outdoor setting of this art object allows time to constantly alter its appearance, temperature, and--in the long run--structural integrity. These aspects reflect the effects of the environment to the audience. In this case, "Monet's Table (from the Lilypad Series)" as an intensification of an art object is highlighted by its intensification of the environment.