Reality Is Relative Upon Viewing the Starry

Reality Is Relative

Upon viewing the Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

and Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the Launching Chains of the Great Eastern by Robert Howlett it became apparent that Realism and Post Impressionism can become blurred and are not as distinct as one might initially believe. In fact, although one is a painting and the other a black and white photograph, the images, though completely different, have striking similarities.

The Starry Night is an oil on canvas painting with vivid colors and roiling gusts in the sky. These energetic gusts appear large and volatile and ever changing. The stars too, appear large in the sky, as do the trees, in comparison to the village. The village is compartmentalized and smaller than the depictions of the elements of nature. Thus, it is the background which begs attention and demands notice.

Isambard Kingdom brunel and the Launching Chains of the Great Eastern

is a black and white photograph of a man dressed in 1830's gentlemen's attire (suit, tophat, vest, etc.) standing with his hands in his pockets and cigar in his mouth. This in and of itself is not remarkable. What stands out in this photograph is the background. The background is a huge chain which appears to be on a very large spool. The links are so large that only six links appear to be the height of the gentleman in the photograph.

One must also note the differences in texture when comparing these two pieces of art. In The Starry Night the paint strokes are rough and the paint appears to be thick in some areas. It looks as though it is raised off the canvas, thus creating an almost three dimensional look. On the other hand, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the Launching Chains of the Great Eastern is a photograph which supposedly has no texture by its very nature. However, the items in the picture are captured in such a manner that one sees the "texture" of the massive chain in the background. It seems as if one can reach out and touch it and feel the cold steel from which it was forged. Therefore, although these art works are in different mediums, they both convey perceptions based on imagery created by texture.

Also noteworthy are the differences in color. The Starry Night is filled with bright and vivid colors as well as dark, less illuminating colors. The use of light to convey movement is evident. However, in Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the Launching Chains of the Great Eastern the use of light is said to merely be an exact replica of the natural light which happened to occur at that moment. Yet, again, the light plays off the chain identifying its shape and its immense size. Shadow becomes the means by which the image is defined. Thus, even though the use of light may have been intentional in one artwork and unintentional in the other piece of art, the result is the same. The light or brightness in the painting and the photograph both act as a means to communicate the images depicted therein.

It would appear that in both images, the significant message is being relayed not in what would normally be the focus (the village and the gentleman). Whatever messages the artists are trying to convey must be hidden in the "backgrounds" of these images as they leap out at even the most casual observer. Both seem to point to man's insignificance. The village is so small and docile when compared to the stars and the swirling "winds" in the painting. And, in the photograph, the gentleman is so small in relation to the huge chain. Both artists have captured an exaggerated representation of normal things to draw attention away from that which would normally draw the eye.

Realism captures objective reality, in a way that reflects objective reality without any type of embellishment or interpretation. A photograph is generally a good example of realism. That would seem to imply that a photograph is not open to interpretation, it is simply an image which was captured by the click of a button. However, when viewing this particular photograph, one may certainly interpret its meaning through imagination and symbolism. How objective is a photo when it is viewed with the eyes and the imaginations of many? Each person who looks upon this photograph will come away with a different impression. Thus, Realism

begins to blur with Post Impressionism, despite the fact that Realism is concentrated on the realistic portrayal of its subject.

Post Impressionism is more difficult to define. That is due to the diversity in Post Impressionistic artists. Each of them was known for his individual technique for style. Van Gogh's style is very recognizable. He used vibrant colors, thick paint, and worked on canvas. His brushstrokes are energetic. In other words, Van Gogh built on earlier Impressionist art. So, in order to understand Post Impressionism one must define Impressionism. Impressionism was an art movement in France in 1870, which was practiced by painters, and depicted natural objects in an unrealistic manner- usually dabs or strokes of paint that would simulate light.