In Conclusion

          Since this is a personal blog, I feel like I should share a few things. The past few weeks have not gone well for me, my mom has been very ill and finally got the surgery she needs to make her feel better and her recovery is going okay. I’ll admit that keeping up with the blog has been a challenge. I have done so much research on Genevieve Gauckler and I wish I could tell her that she is such an amazing influence. Her artwork is so fun and creative, she is proof that you can love what you do AND have fun while you’re doing it. In every interview I have listened to or read, Genevieve has such a good outlook on life and is personable and down to earth. One of the most impressive things about Genevieve Gauckler is that she really cares. She is an amazing inspiration and I hope I can accomplish half the things she has.

          Genevieve Gauckler is so talented and skilled in such a number of things. Her art is amazing; when I say art I mean her graphic art, logos, videos, etc. She did not make a box for herself, she mastered (in my opinion) one thing and then pushed herself to try something new and to keep chipping away at it until she conquered it. That is such a good and positive work ethic, it shows that practice makes perfect and perfection is different to everybody. I’m almost positive if you asked Genevieve if she was a hundred percent happy with her work, she would be able to point out flaws in her art that only she could see. Learning this has been such a big lesson for me. Being in beginning art classes, I often make artwork that I am not overjoyed with and am nervous walking into a critique. Although, after listening to Genevieve; I learned that you take every positive and negative piece of advice and you use it to help yourself improve. Also, you may make a piece that you love and everybody else is skeptical about, but you have to follow your heart and trust yourself. If you do that, you will make a point on what you are trying to communicate, which is all that matters.

          Genevieve said that she makes fun characters out of simple shapes and colors. Honestly, I can say that when I look at her work with the characters, that is not what I see. I see a great deal of thought, and love that she put into the pieces. I feel like if you don’t put your love of the subject into the piece, you’re really not making a personal piece. That’s something else I really admire about her; she makes all of her art personal. For example, her “Food Chain” pieces are a reflection on issues that she wants to help bring into awareness. If she hadn’t put her own ideas and beliefs into the pieces, they would just be a piece of paper with characters but because of the piece of herself that go into them they cause awareness.

While researching Genevieve Gauckler, I kept mentioning to everybody that I wanted some of her work. Ironically, while I was home with my mom, I was cleaning my room and found a bunny figurine with “a twist.” The bunny some oddities that a bunny toy wouldn’t usually have, which reminded me of Genevieve Gauckler.  Slowly, I realized that I had seen the figure before. I had seen it on a website about Genevieve Gaukler! I did more research and I, found that the bunny figure had been designed by Genevieve Gauckler! It is a part of a series done by various artists for Kidrobot. Let’s just say that I was amazed that I had a piece designed by her. That bunny will never get buried under clothes again!           

          I really wish I could tell Genevieve Guckler the inspiration that she has given me has given me so much confidence in myself. In my artwork and in the way I present it. I’ve learned that I should be proud of everything I make and that I should defend it, especially if I believe in it strongly. This realization has come in very handy the past few days when I’m presenting my work to the class. Since I feel so proud of my work, it makes others realize that I am confident and serious artist. Someday, I hope that I can say that I have seen some of Genevieve Gauckler’s artwork in person. Her work has given me so much. I can’t wait to see what is next for Genevieve Gauckler.     

The History of Cartoons and Logos

          Genevieve Gauckler said, about her own work, that her style is

"resembles logos, they are simple. It would be hard to simplify them, they are colorful and childlike" (Pretty Cool People Interviews: Genevieve Gauckler).   

          Although, some of her characters can be considered cartoons as well as logos. I thought it would be interesting to look into the history of cartoons. It is believed that the first cartoon was creates in 1499, by an unknown artist. It was a "woodcut entitled Le Revers du Jeu des Suysses" (History of the Cartoon).

         During the early 19th century, there was the development of producing in large numbers along with the invention of the lithography. The lithography allowed for artists to create more textures and colors to make their art even more creative and catchy. During this time period, there was the invention of humorous magazines and more forms of cartoons, including caricatures. Although, the main use of cartoons was for political cartoons.
          In the end of the 19th century, the photograph was created; causing the printing of photographs to become a creative process for the artist. From this point on, the idea of cartoons and the results continued to advance and grow.

"Also called logotype. a graphic representation or symbol of a company name, trademark, abbreviation, etc., often uniquely designed for ready recognition" (Define Logos at Dictionary.com).

          Logo's were used by many ancient civilizations to communicate ideas, storys, and even to mark events.

"One of the earliest logos anyone who is alive today will remember is that of the dog Nipper sitting in front of a phonograph and listening very intently. The motto "His Master's Voice" is part of that logo. This logo made its debut in 1910" (Logo Design - Logos, a History).

 Logos have continues to be known symbols for companies, brands, jobs, etc.

Bibliography for this post
Conlon, Grace. "Logo Design - Logos, a History." Logo Design, Website Design, Business Card Design, Business Logos | Logoworks by HP. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. http://www.logoworks.com/logos.html.
"History of the Cartoon." The Cartoonists' Club of Great Britain. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. http://www.ccgb.org.uk/Pages/history_of_the_cartoon.html.
"Logos | Define Logos at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Free Online Dictionary for English   Definitions. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/logos.

"Pretty Cool People Interviews: Geneviève Gauckler." Free Movies | Watch Movies | Free Movies Online | Watch Online Movies | Indie Movies Online. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.indiemoviesonline.com/watch-movies/pretty-cool-people-interviews-genevieve-gauckler>.

"Food Chain," by Genevieve Gauckler

"When asked 'why food?' Genevieve Gauckler replies that food is both 'superscary' and perfectly normal. Food is everybody's concern, whether you like it or not. Food is ambiguous. It is good and bad at the same time, or rather: it is. Food has to do with pleasure, disguist, disease, surplus, consumption, survival, energy, digestion, cycllecal processes, cannibalism, decay, stench, body odour, obesity, superstition, religion, affluence, fertility. 'Were just a digestive tract,' she says. That is not pessimistic, it's just a simple fact" (Food Chain).

                                                       "All Dejections"

                                                         "Creamy Cookie"

                                                  "Dancing Macaroons"

                                                         "Eating Someone"

                                                              "Feel Bad"

                                                   "What Makes you Happy"

                                                            "Worm Party"

These are only a few of the works from "Food Chain." All photos were taken from "Food Chain - Genevieve Gauckler - Illustration - Big Active".

                                                         

                                                             Bibliography for this post:

•           "Food Chain - Genevieve Gauckler - Illustration - Big Active." Big Active - Art Direction, Graphic Design, Creative Consultancy and Representation 44 (0)20 7739 5601. Web. 18 Apr. 2011. http://www.bigactive.com/illustration/genevieve-gauckler/food-chain.

•           Gauckler, Geneviève, and Irma Driessen. Food Chain. [Eindhoven]: MU, 2008. Print.

Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs

          Genevieve Gauckler graduated from Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs in 1991.

"The mission of Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs is to provide artistic, scientific and technical training for creative designers engaged in design and research in all aspectsof the decorative arts" (ENSAD, The School).

          I thought it would be a interesting idea to determine what, some, ideas there are about the underlined words. there is never going to be a right or wrong answer, because art is so personal and unique to everybody.


          According to dictionary.com, a completely non-art based website, design is:

"1. To prepare the preliminary sketch or the plans for (a work to be executed), especially to plan the form and structure of...

2. To plan and fashion artistically or skillfully...

3. To intend for a definite purpose...

4. To form or conceive in the mind; contrive; plan...

5. To assign in thought or intention; purpose..." (Dictionary.com | Free Online Dictionary for English Definitions).

Dictionary.com has many examples (some which I left out) and more definitions, but I only included the top five. As we can see from the results, design is one of the beginning steps of creating a piece. Design is a very important part of the creation; it is the time when you can make a hundred different pieces of the same thing with minor detail adjustments, its the time when you can let your mind go free and create. I know that, personally, I make a few sketches/designs before I begin making my piece that I am going to present. Sometimes, actually almost always, my final project is different from the sketch that I choose to recreate. Without design, you would be shooting in the dark on a piece. You need to be able to go in with an idea of what you want to do, so you don't end up unhappy with the final project.

                                                               

                                                                        Da Vinci

       

          Research. Everybody has had to do research at some point; whether it's for a English project, science project, book report, or a piece of art. Research is connected with design when creating a piece. You can go through this process in a number of different ways.

1) You can google a topic or genre

2) You can google a "images" for a topic or genre

3) You can go to the library and get a book on a topic or genre

4) You can go to the library and get a book about an artist

5) You can go to the a museum and explore actual pieces of art

All of the above are ways in which you can conduct research for your piece.

          Lastly, decorative arts.

"The term 'decorative arts' is a traditional term for a rather unwiedly range of artistic disiplines concerned with the design and ornamentation of items, usually functional, that do not necessarily have any intrinsic aesthetic qualities" (Art Encyclopedia: Visual Arts Guide To European, Irish, American Painting & Sculpture: Greatest Artists, Best Museums, History of Art Movements, Renaissance).

The term decorative arts has is a rather large topic. There are many subcategories, including (and not limited to);
1) Book illustration
2) Stained glass
3) Tapestry
4) Pottery
5) Mosaics
6) Metal Work
7) Textiles... etc.

Bibliography for this post

"Decorative Art, Definition, Meaning, History: Guide to Decorative Arts, Crafts, Visual Handicrafts." Art Encyclopedia: Visual Arts Guide To European, Irish, American Painting & Sculpture: Greatest Artists, Best Museums, History of Art Movements, Renaissance. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. <http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/definitions/decorative-art.htm>.

Dictionary.com | Free Online Dictionary for English Definitions. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. <http://dictionary.reference.com/>.

"Fourvière - Site Officiel De La Ville De Lyon." Accueil - Site Officiel De La Ville De Lyon. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. <http://www.lyon.fr/vdl/sections/en/tourisme/fil_quartier/fourviere>.

Kendzulak, Susan. "Fine Art Glossary Term Decorative Arts, Decorative Arts Are Useful and Beautiful Objects." Welcome to About.com Fine Art—Industry GuideSite for Curators, Fine Artists, Fine Art Museums and Art Historians. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. <http://fineart.about.com/od/Glossary_D/g/Decorative-Arts.htm>. 

Fourviere Hill

         

          As was said in my first post, Fourviere Hill is one of the oldest examples of the Roman urbanization in Lyon. During the 6th and 7th century, many religious congregations took the opportunity to build; causing the hill to be called the praying hill. There is a large portion of the land that is being used for an archeological site. In the middle of the archeological site, there is a museum of Gallo-Roman civilization. Also, inside the site, there is a theater from the time of Gaul. In 1896, the Fourviere Basilica was built in honor of the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of Lyon.

Bibliography
"Fourviere - Site Officiel De La Ville De Lyon." Accueil - Site Officiel De La Ville De Lyon.      Web. 11 Apr. 2011. http://www.lyon.fr/vdl/sections/en/tourisme/fil_quartier/fourviere.

1967, The Year Genevieve Gauckler was Born

          Genevieve Gauckler was born in Lyon, France in the year of  1967. I thought it would be interesting to share some MAJOR events that happened around the world during this time.

          January, 1967
* January 1st- Pope Paul VI announced his Apostolic Constitution. He also declared this day World Peace Day.
* January 6th- 16,000 US and 14,000 South Vietnamese troops started the largest attack on the Iron Triangle.
*   January 10th- Edward W. Brooke, R-Mass. (the first black to be elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote) took his seat.
* January 15th- The first Super Bowl was played as the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League defeated the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League, 35-10 in Los Angeles.
          February, 1967
* February 1st- The US Federal Hourly Minimum Wage was set at $1.40 an hour.
* February 15th- The 1st anti-bootleg recording laws were enacted.
* February 15th- France launched its Diademe-D satellite into Earth orbit. These satellites were magnetically stabilized which limited their trackability in the southern hemisphere.
          March, 1967
* March 6th- US Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson announced his plan to establish a draft lottery.
* March 14th- The body of President Kennedy was moved from a temporary grave to a permanent memorial site at Arlington National Cemetery.
* March 26th- Pope Paul VI published encyclical Populorum Progressio (On the Development of Peoples).
* March 29th- France launched its first nuclear submarine. It did not enter operational service until 1972, when it began its first patrol on 28 January.
* March 31st- President Lyndon Johnson signed the Consular Treaty, the first bi-lateral pact with the Soviet Union since the Bolshevik Revolution.
          April, 1967
* April 20th- U.S. planes bombed Haiphong for first time during the Vietnam War.
          May, 1967
* May 11th- The United Kingdom re-applied to join the European Community. It is followed by Ireland and Denmark and, a little later, by Norway. General de Gaulle is still reluctant to accept British accession.
* May 15th- Edward Hopper, US painter, died in NYC. He studied in Paris but never painted in the abstract. He often used his wife, artist Josephine Nivison as his model. He was the first artist to paint the American scene as a desolate, vacant place.
* May 18th- Tennessee Gov. Buford Ellington signed a measure repealing the "Monkey Law" against teaching evolution that was used to prosecute John T. Scopes in 1925.
* May 19th- The Soviet Union ratified a treaty with the United States and Britain banning nuclear weapons from outer space. The Int’l. Outer Space Treaty barred nations from appropriating celestial bodies but did not mention individuals.
* May 29th- Pope Paul VI named 27 new cardinals, including Karol Wojtyla, archbishop of Krakow, who later became Pope John Paul II.
          June, 1967
* June 5th-The Six Day War erupted in the Middle East as Israel, convinced an Arab attack was imminent, raided Egyptian military targets. Syria, Jordan and Iraq entered the conflict.
* June 12th- The US Supreme Court, in Loving v. Virginia, struck down state laws prohibiting interracial marriages.
* June 24th- Pope Paul VI published his encyclical Sacerdotalis Caelibatus (priestly celibacy).
          July, 1967
* July 24th- French President Charles de Gaulle stirred controversy during a visit to Montreal, Canada, when he declared, ''Vive le Quebec libre!'' (Long live free Quebec!).
          August, 1967
* August 3rd- President Lyndon B. Johnson announced plans to send 45,000 more troops to Vietnam.
          September, 1967
*September 23rd- Soviets signed a pact to send more aid to Hanoi.
          October, 1967
* October 9th- The British Road Safety Act, providing for use of the "breathalyser" (or breathalyzer) to detect intoxicated motorists, went into effect.
* October 21st- Tens of thousands of Vietnam War protesters marched in Washington, D.C. 35,000 people assembled outside the Pentagon to protest the war in Vietnam. The "March on the Pentagon," protesting American involvement in Vietnam , drew 50,000 protesters.
          November, 1967
* November 7th- Carl Stokes (1927-1996) was elected the first black mayor of a major city -- Cleveland, Ohio. He served two terms as mayor from 1967 to 1971 and was a leading advocate for increased federal aid to American cities. After serving as mayor, Stokes became a television commentator and later a judge in Cleveland.
          December, 1967
* December 15th- President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the meat bill in the presence of Upton Sinclair the author of the controversial book "The Jungle."
All of the dates and events are from:
Unknown. "Timeline 1967." Timelines of History. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. http://timelines.ws/20thcent/1967.HTML.

The History of Lyon, France

          Lyon, France is known for it's unique and artistic architecture and is home to 1.2 million people. The founder of Lyon is credited to the Roman Legate. It is said that Lyon was founded on October 9th in 43 B.C. The Romans proclaimed it the capital of the three Gauls. During the 15th century, Lyon was strong in banking. This strength lead to the advantage of trade all around Europe. Due to the trade and popularity of Lyon, it was soon inhabited by the social, intellectual, and artistic elite. During World War II, Lyon was the center for the French Resistance. 

          

          There are three major, documented historical phases of Lyon. The first was the "Gallo-Roman Lyon: the Rise and Fall of the Gallic Capital" (Site Officiel de la Ville de Lyon). When the Roman Legate founded Lyon, they proclaimed it the economic, military, political, and religious capital of the three Gauls. Lyon was the birthplace of Christianity in Gaul and witnessed the beginning of martyrdom in 177 with the torture of St. Blandine. The second of the phases was the "Medieval Lyon, or the Ecclesiastic City" (Site Officiel de la Ville de Lyon). The city flourished in the 9th century with the rise of the Church. This is when the city became known as Lyon (it was previously known as Lugdunum). In this time, trade started to flourish again and the success lead to the develop of the arts. Also, during this time the city motto was accepted: "Onward, Onward, Lyon the Best" (Site Officiel de la Ville de Lyon). The last major phase of historical documentation is "Lyon's Renaissance Splendors" (Site Officiel de la Ville de Lyon). During the period of the 15th and 16th century, the predominant features of the city became clear. They were recognized as silk, silk products, and textile. 

        

          In the 17th and 18th century, the Lyon silk and weaving industry boomed. During the 19th century, the cityscape changed drastically. The "opera house, court house, stock exchange, the laying of two large boulevards" (Site Officiel de la Ville de Lyon) as well as additional universities, were created. One of the main universities created was the Lumiere Institute, which is where the motion picture was discovered in 1895. In the 20th century, there were more changes to the cityscape and city in general. This is including transportation. There were, also, changes to cultural monuments; including the opera house and the Museum of Fine Arts. 

          This is just a brief introduction to Lyon, France. There is a great deal of history behind this amazing city.