Cubism through my eyes

Art — “The expression of human creative skill and imagination.” Artists mix up varieties of colors to paint something unique. They sharpen fine lead to sketch the little things that come up in their heads. But, unlike people who express themselves through tears and rage, they rather express themselves through the strokes of their brush and the lines of their pencil.

They depict something that cannot be formed through physical temper. Forms of art have been discovered through artists’ very own emotions. But who knew feelings could be so meaningfully symbolized through cubism? “The art of abstract structure through geometric figures and collage.”

The art form of cubism, founded by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, was born in the early 1900s. This movement began a new era of fine art which abandoned the style of viewing art from a single perspective. It created several different perspectives that were constructed from blocks and shapes of different sizes.

Artists were able to create abstract pieces that confused the eye at a glance, but were also able to incorporate a deeper meaning behind the unusuality of the piece. Many influential artists created significant works in this modern style and crossed the limits of classical art.

Pablo Picasso, a Spanish painter and sculptor, was widely known for his important contributions to this era. He produced several great cubist paintings, specifically of woman and people. They varied from bright colored-tones to shades of black and white. Some famous pieces include “Three Musicians,” “Portrait of Dora Maar,” “Guernica,” and “The Weeping Woman.”

Georges Braque, a French painter and sculptor, often fashioned collages with bold color choices and ideal shapes. His creations focused on the setting and world around him and the emotions he felt in himself and his subject. A few of his well-known pieces are “Houses at l’Estaque,” “Clarinet and Bottle of Rum on a Mantelpiece,” and “Violin and Candlestick.” Braque’s collage style emerged a new form of craft and it helped him gain more acceptance in the art world.

(Image courtesy of pablopicasso.org)

Cubism has immensely influenced and impacted the art world and its history. It received incredible recognition from artists all around the world because it developed a never-seen before art style. The geometric ideas is a huge leap from the more practical, and “real,” styles of past eras. That’s why I am personally fascinated by this complex yet simplistic form of communication.

Two-sided by Carrie Cheng

At my art studio, all students were given the task to create their very own cubist art. We all started with one realistic eye and from there, our individual imaginations drove us to create an abstract piece that sprouted from our minds.

We took the concept of cubism and started to build off of different shapes and face profiles, resulting in everyone having their own unique customized piece of art. I chose to add a deeper and more emotional layer of meaning into this assignment.

I often hear about and see people acting happy and strong, but in reality, they are gloomy and not strong at all, so I decided to branch out my artwork from this personal and common sentiment. I chose this particular shade of purple because it strikes a delicate balance between a melancholic blue and a passionate crimson red.

The contorted black and white checkers further reveal her conflicted emotions. To me, my piece is a satire on today’s social media culture. Like in cubism, there is this conflict between impression and reality.

Despite picture perfect Instagram stories adorned lush nail polish and smoky hot makeup, many girls still struggle with anxieties and insecurities over their imperfections. That’s why, to me, Cubism is the perfect style to communicate this duality.