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Yes, I was hurt. No, I am not going to tell anyone.

Did you know that for every 1 dollar a male artist makes, a female artist only makes 81 cent? Did you know that only 2 women made the list of “100 most expensive artists of all time” and that only 27% of solo exhibitions went to women artists out of 590 exhibitions at 70 institutions over the last 6 years? These and many more shocking facts are revealed by the National Museum of Women in Arts. However, inequality, when it comes to employment in the field of arts, is not the only aspect of everyday life where gender disparity is tragic and women suffer both emotionally and physically.

Reflecting back on the presentation about violence against women, it is shocking to acknowledge the fact that one out of three women have experienced physical/sexual assault at some point in their lives. Furthermore, less that 40% of the assaulted women sought help of any sort; less than 10% of the assaulted women sought help from the police. These numbers and facts testify that women tend to get marginalized more than man and equality is still a concept to be improved in the contemporary world.

Violence against women is put very high on the agenda nowadays. For example, European Union has developed several policies in order to protect women and create an equal treatment among genders. Strategic engagement for gender equality 2016-2019 covers five main areas where one of those is promoting gender equality and women’s rights across the world, which makes this policy universal and applicable to any women in the world.

Returning back to violence against women and the presentation, it is useful to remind every single woman out there that as compelling as it might be to stay silent and private about violence to escape shame and possible violent consequences, breaking the silence is crucial. This applies not only to women that are actually suffering, but also to women or any other individual who sees and encounters violence passively form a distance, for example.

“Break the silence. When you witness violence against women and girls, do not sit back. Act.” – Ban Ki-moon

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The biggest fuss around a Black Square

Speaking of modern art… Modernism entered the art scene at the start of 20th century. There have been many speculations about the artist who began this genius fiasco that we nowadays call modern art. The biggest name in this discussion certainly has always been Kazimir Malevich (1879 – 1935). Kazimir Malevich was a Russian artist who represented abstract art in the most pure yet direct way possible. Specifically by experimenting with simple geometrical forms (circles, lines, rectangles, squares) and limited color range, Malevich developed suprematism. Suprematism proved that art can be as endless and as deep or shallow as the spectator wishes and is able to grasp. This movement inspired many other modern art movements, for example, minimalism and futurism. It was the idea behind the movement that spoke to so many artists, not always the simple shapes or colors. Nowadays, contemporary art also takes little fragments from Malevich’s ideas and principles about what art should be and how it should be represent.

The most famous artwork Kazimir Malevich has ever produced is Black Square (1913). This particular artwork is considered to be the braking-point in art itself but the starting point for specifically modern art. Black Square quite literally corresponds to its title. It is a black square painted on white canvas. Kazimir Malevich made the first ever (well, there is still an ongoing discussion whether he was the first abstractionism painter or not) painting that did not depict reality or any object. It is a mere abstraction, which consists of a geometrical shape (square) and limited color range (black and white); all qualities leading back to previously mentioned suprematism. This artwork was the green light for many artists to break the traditional way of painting. There is no right or wrong way to look at it. It can be as abstract or as descriptive as the viewer prefers. Black Square is the ultimate artwork to test the limits of one’s imagination and mind’s openness. With that being said, Black Square is considered to be the ultimate icon of modern art.

It is quite hard to believe that only in 20th century some artist named Kazimir Malevich would introduce the world with abstract art where objection and depiction of reality does not play any role. However, he did it and changed the art game irreversibly.

[thecornerofartsy-blog]

The square is not a subconscious form. It is the creation of intuitive reason. The face of the new art. The square is a living, regal infant. The first step of pure creation in art.

Kazimir Malevich

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The man who painted pipes

Pipes, clouds, green apples, umbrellas and other odd objects as well as strained and unusual human portraits were the focal points of René Magritte’s artworks. It is absolutely undeniable that René Magritte is one of the most brilliant and game-changing surrealism artists in 20th century when modern art appeared at the horizon.

René Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist who was also the leader of surrealism movement, which is one of the most intense and fast-moving (literally!) art periods in 20th century. Magritte started his artist career with a significantly different style, following cubism movement that was introduced by Pablo Picasso. Later, the artist found his true voice – surrealism. As mentioned previously, Magritte used simple everyday objects like apples, pipes or clouds and put them in the centre of the painting while playing with the reality and allowing these objects to appear in a much more complex background than people are used to perceiving them.

But why is René Magritte considered to be the leader of surrealism movement and one of the most recognizable figures in modern art while there were so many other artists (at that time) who left an immense impact on art? The answer is quite simple: Magritte acknowledged the unknown in his works without seeking for the ultimate truth in art. Magritte played with art forms and words, creating different multilayered links between them and giving the viewer space for his or hers own imagination. Although he stayed true to his art form, he was always able to find new ways to make the viewer look at everyday objects through a deformed perspective.

René Magritte’s distinctive style has lived through 20th century and has conquered its own place in art in the 21st century, too. Musée Magritte in Brussels, Belgium holds the largest collection of Magritte’s paintings in the world. You can also visit Netherlands, Germany or even United Sates to experience at least a small part of what was going on in the genius mind of René Magritte.

[thecornerofartsy-blog]

The mind loves the unknown. It loves images whose meaning is unknown, since the meaning of the mind itself is unknown.

René Magritte