original art
Original art
It may seem odd that these great works of art and literature took so long to emerge from the aftermath of the events they concern. But many of the most complex and considered accounts of conflict have taken their time https://voltage-bet.info/. To Vonnegut’s painfully slow response to the war, for example, we might add Joseph Heller’s brilliantly satirical Catch-22, published in 1961, and, even more significantly, JG Ballard’s memorial masterpiece Empire of the Sun, which did not see the light of day until 1984.
Ms. Ractliffe, who lives in Johannesburg, took the photographs in 2009 and 2010 in Angola on visits to now-deserted places that were important to that country’s protracted civil war and to the intertwined struggle of neighbouring Namibia to gain independence from South Africa’s apartheid rule. South Africa played an active role in both conflicts, giving military support to insurgents who resisted Angola’s leftist government, and hunting down Namibian rebels who sought safety within Angola’s borders.
In July 2004, for the 25th anniversary of the overthrow of Somoza, Susan returned to Nicaragua with nineteen mural-sized images of her photographs from 1978-1979, collaborating with local communities to create sites for collective memory. The project, “Reframing History,” placed murals on public walls and in open spaces in the towns, at the sites where the photographs were originally made.
Film graphic
“Eduardo and I totally geek out on those things because they give you information. We have boxes of stuff in our studio, which aren’t just on typography from a certain period but how that typography was painted on a wall. What sort of printing techniques were used and how do they show on a page, do they leave an impression? Being interested in the history behind something and researching it is key, as it’s all of those details that will help an audience believe that something is authentic. That is a trait that’s really hard to force that onto a designer. You’re either into that or your not, and when people are, it’s like they speak the same language.
“Eduardo and I totally geek out on those things because they give you information. We have boxes of stuff in our studio, which aren’t just on typography from a certain period but how that typography was painted on a wall. What sort of printing techniques were used and how do they show on a page, do they leave an impression? Being interested in the history behind something and researching it is key, as it’s all of those details that will help an audience believe that something is authentic. That is a trait that’s really hard to force that onto a designer. You’re either into that or your not, and when people are, it’s like they speak the same language.
In recent years, the role of graphic design in film has become more established, with more and more directors recognising the importance visual artists play in bringing their visions to life. That said, graphic design in film still remains, for some reason, an underrated and unpopular career path. But why is that? Is it too competitive? Too reliant on connections? Impossible to find a way in?
Google “Wes Anderson + graphic designer” and you’ll find the work of Annie Atkins. Actually if you just Google “graphic design for film” you’ll see Atkins’ name and links to interviews, profiles, and features about the work on shows and films including Isle of Dogs, Bridge of Spies, The Boxtrolls, Penny Dreadful, and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
While you’re reading a character’s facial expression, the time on a clock, or noticing a possible threat looming in the background, there can be dozens if not hundreds of other objects in the frame that are meant to complement, not detract from the main subject—tangible, presumably non-sentient objects that add dimension and a lived-in quality to human environments on screen.
“The first thing to know is that every project is different and will have different needs. Features and episodic are also very different animals, in terms of prep time and managing the workflow during filming. Typically the graphic designer is one of the final members to come onto the art department. The Production Designer, Art Directors and Set Designers have already been very busy getting construction going, and it’s up to us to come in and work on the specific art unique to this new world. Getting familiar with the script and the needs of the project are the main focus early on, and meetings with the director/writers is not common during prep. Those meetings happen with the department heads, while the rest of the crew is busy doing what they do best, trying to make those words on a page into something an audience will enjoy.”
Cinematic artwork
The movie Personal Shopper from 2016 far surpasses the limits of the fashion industry. Olivier Assayas offers a film that considers loss and the lengths someone will go when faced with its intensity. Kristen Stewart plays Maureen, the main character and personal shopper who has recently lost her twin brother.
The purpose of this blog is to explore how cinematic techniques have influenced painting, examining the ways in which painters borrow from film to enhance their storytelling capabilities. By analyzing the impact of film on painting, we can gain a deeper understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of visual arts and the innovative methods artists use to communicate narratives.
Multimedia and interdisciplinary approaches play a crucial role in this fusion. Artists today often work across various platforms, integrating video, digital media, and traditional painting techniques to create immersive experiences. For instance, the use of video installations in galleries has become increasingly popular, allowing artists to combine moving images with static art to tell more complex stories. This blending of mediums enables a more engaging and interactive experience for the audience, encouraging them to explore the artwork from multiple perspectives.
Edward Hopper is a prime example of an artist who uses cinematic framing in his work. His painting Nighthawks (1942) resembles a movie still, with its carefully composed setting and dramatic lighting creating a sense of isolation and tension. Another example is David Hockney, who often employs cinematic perspectives in his large-scale works, such as A Bigger Splash (1967), which captures a single moment with a sense of anticipation and movement.
Retro graphic
With that in mind, certain elements of retro design may actually be repeated from former designs. They may have been altered to fit the then-modern sensibilities, or they may just have been copied completely. Either way, the odds are that your retro design will incorporate throwback design elements from multiple eras, whether you intend to or not.And this does not harm.
The feeling of nostalgia is a powerful force when it comes to influencing how your design is perceived. According to Nostalgia and Its Value to Design Strategy: Some Fundamental Considerations, a paper presented at the Proceedings of the Tsinghua-DMI International Design Management Symposium, “Cognitive theorists believe that emotions have a strong influence on human behavior, that is, people will be attracted by the objects that evoke positive emotions and forced away from those things that evoke negative emotions. Nostalgia, like other positive emotions, when it is evoked by certain stimulus (e.g., products, brands), will incite people to approach (e.g., to purchase or to interact with) it.”
One thing that unites both vintage and retro designs is their cultural significance. Vintage designs had a major impact on the graphic design industry even before they were classified as vintage. The reason why these designs are still so popular to this day is due to how successful they were when they were first discovered. Many art styles that emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries are completely forgotten about, only the designs that were popularized within the mainstream culture are referred to as vintage styles.
The retro art style doesn’t have a definite history despite its prominent influence on graphic design and pop culture. Even long before the word retro was coined, graphic designers used references from the past in their art. Due to the fact that retro art is a broad category that includes many other styles, it’s hard to pinpoint when it emerged. For example, Art Deco emerged in the 1920s, while another retro art style, Art Nouveau was created in the 1890s.
Things that were popular in the past trended for a reason, and there’s no reason why they can’t be popular now. Retro design, even if somewhat muddled and widespread, can be just as effective and appealing now as it was back then.
Posted: October 2, 2025 11:01 pm
According to Agung Rai
“The concept of taksu is important to the Balinese, in fact to any artist. I do not think one can simply plan to paint a beautiful painting, a perfect painting.”
The issue of taksu is also one of honesty, for the artist and the viewer. An artist will follow his heart or instinct, and will not care what other people think. A painting that has a magic does not need to be elaborated upon, the painting alone speaks.
A work of art that is difficult to describe in words has to be seen with the eyes and a heart that is open and not influenced by the name of the painter. In this honesty, there is a purity in the connection between the viewer and the viewed.
As a through discussion of Balinese and Indonesian arts is beyond the scope of this catalogue, the reader is referred to the books listed in the bibliography. The following descriptions of painters styles are intended as a brief introduction to the paintings in the catalogue, which were selected using several criteria. Each is what Agung Rai considers to be an exceptional work by a particular artist, is a singular example of a given period, school or style, and contributes to a broader understanding of the development of Balinese and Indonesian paintng. The Pita Maha artist society was established in 1936 by Cokorda Gde Agung Sukawati, a royal patron of the arts in Ubud, and two European artists, the Dutch painter Rudolf Bonnet, and Walter Spies, a German. The society’s stated purpose was to support artists and craftsmen work in various media and style, who were encouraged to experiment with Western materials and theories of anatomy, and perspective.
The society sought to ensure high quality works from its members, and exhibitions of the finest works were held in Indonesia and abroad. The society ceased to be active after the onset of World War II. Paintings by several Pita Maha members are included in the catalogue, among them; Ida Bagus Made noted especially for his paintings of Balinese religious and mystical themes; and Anak Agung Gde Raka Turas, whose underwater seascapes have been an inspiration for many younger painters.
Painters from the village of Batuan, south of Ubud, have been known since the 1930s for their dense, immensely detailed paintings of Balinese ceremonies, daily life, and increasingly, “modern” Bali. In the past the artists used tempera paints; since the introduction of Western artists materials, watercolors and acrylics have become popular. The paintings are produced by applying many thin layers of paint to a shaded ink drawing. The palette tends to be dark, and the composition crowded, with innumerable details and a somewhat flattened perspective. Batuan painters represented in the catalogue are Ida Bagus Widja, whose paintings of Balinese scenes encompass the sacred as well as the mundane; and I Wayan Bendi whose paintings of the collision of Balinese and Western cultures abound in entertaining, sharply observed vignettes.
In the early 1960s,Arie Smit, a Dutch-born painter, began inviting he children of Penestanan, Ubud, to come and experiment with bright oil paints in his Ubud studio. The eventually developed the Young Artists style, distinguished by the used of brilliant colors, a graphic quality in which shadow and perspective play little part, and focus on scenes and activities from every day life in Bali. I Ketut Tagen is the only Young Artist in the catalogue; he explores new ways of rendering scenes of Balinese life while remaining grounded in the Young Artists strong sense of color and design.
The painters called “academic artists” from Bali and other parts of Indonesia are, in fact, a diverse group almost all of whom share the experience of having received training at Indonesian or foreign institutes of fine arts. A number of artists who come of age before Indonesian independence was declared in 1945 never had formal instruction at art academies, but studied painting on their own. Many of them eventually become instructors at Indonesian institutions. A number of younger academic artists in the catalogue studied with the older painters whose work appears here as well. In Bali the role of the art academy is relatively minor, while in Java academic paintings is more highly developed than any indigenous or traditional styles. The academic painters have mastered Western techniques, and have studied the different modern art movements in the West; their works is often influenced by surrealism, pointillism, cubism, or abstract expressionism. Painters in Indonesia are trying to establish a clear nation of what “modern Indonesian art” is, and turn to Indonesian cultural themes for subject matter. The range of styles is extensive Among the artists are Affandi, a West Javanese whose expressionistic renderings of Balinese scenes are internationally known; Dullah, a Central Javanese recognized for his realist paintings; Nyoman Gunarsa, a Balinese who creates distinctively Balinese expressionist paintings with traditional shadow puppet motifs; Made Wianta, whose abstract pointillism sets him apart from other Indonesian painters.
Since the late 1920s, Bali has attracted Western artists as short and long term residents. Most were formally trained at European academies, and their paintings reflect many Western artistic traditions. Some of these artists have played instrumental roles in the development of Balinese painting over the years, through their support and encouragement of local artist. The contributions of Rudolf Bonnet and Arie Smit have already been mentioned. Among other European artists whose particular visions of Bali continue to be admired are Willem Gerrad Hofker, whose paintings of Balinese in traditional dress are skillfully rendered studies of drapery, light and shadow; Carel Lodewijk Dake, Jr., whose moody paintings of temples capture the atmosphere of Balinese sacred spaces; and Adrien Jean Le Mayeur, known for his languid portraits of Balinese women.
Agung Rai feels that
Art is very private matter. It depends on what is displayed, and the spiritual connection between the work and the person looking at it. People have their own opinions, they may or may not agree with my perceptions.
He would like to encourage visitors to learn about Balinese and Indonesian art, ant to allow themselves to establish the “purity in the connection” that he describes. He hopes that his collection will de considered a resource to be actively studied, rather than simply passively appreciated, and that it will be enjoyed by artists, scholars, visitors, students, and schoolchildren from Indonesia as well as from abroad.
Abby C. Ruddick, Phd
“SELECTED PAINTINGS FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE AGUNG RAI FINE ART GALLERY”
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