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Gothic Illuminated Manuscripts with Gold or Silver

August 1st, 2009

The latest experimentations for Gothic Illuminated Manuscript I and Gothic Illuminated Manuscript II were influenced by books of antiquity with artistic illustrations. Examples of gothic illuminated manuscripts included one of the great artists of Gothic Art, Simone Martini, an Italian painter whose works reflected the techniques of illuminated manuscript. This is where text is supplemented by the addition of decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations, as well as decorated with gold or silver. Simone’s art owes much to French manuscript illumination and ivory carving.

703px-simone_martini_-_the_annunciation_and_two_saints

Below are two gothic illuminated manuscripts of Queen Elizabeth I known as the Virgin Queen (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603). After 1578, poets and writers took up the theme and turned it into an iconography that exalted Elizabeth.She was portrayed as married to her kingdom and subjects, under divine protection. In 1599, Elizabeth spoke of “all my husbands, my good people”.

elizabeth_i_ashbourne_charter

illuminated_membrane_with_portrait_of_elizabeth_1584

In Asian traditions, illuminated manuscripts are generally more illustrative in nature, and from origins in manuscript book decoration also developed into single-sheet small paintings to be kept in albums, which are also called illuminated manuscript miniatures, as the Western equivalents in watercolor and other mediums are not.

romanvirgilfolio101r

END NOTES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_Martini

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_I_of_England

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniature_(illuminated_manuscript)

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Gothic Illuminated Manuscript Paintings

July 23rd, 2009

Gothic Illuminated Manuscript I and Gothic Illuminated Manuscript II paintings are inspired by new gothic art, which is rooted in the Romanticist interpretation of the Gothic Art movement of the middle ages. The use of gold and silver is one of the major hallmarks of the Illuminated Manuscripts in the original Gothic Art.

Romanticism influenced art, music, literature, and philosophy in the second half 18th century in Europe, as a revolt against aristocratic social and political norms and the scientific rationalization of nature. The Romantic movement stressed the emotive experience, including trepidation, horror, and the awe experienced in confronting the sublime found in untamed nature and the picturesque.

New gothic art is a modern adaptation of the elements from the original gothic art movement, to the Romantic interpretation of gothic art and is often spirit-based, rather than conceptual-based as in most contemporary art.

These Gothic Illuminated Manuscript Paintings are 12″ x 12″ each and are on stretch canvas and mixed media with text from Goth Style Secrets.

Gothic Illuminated Manuscript I

manuscript12

Gothic Illuminated Manuscript II

manuscript21

Tags: gothic illuminated manuscripts
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Lady Eureka’s Gothic Illuminated Manuscripts

June 20th, 2009

Dearest Goth, Lady Eureka has been applying herself and completed a first set of Gothic Illuminated Manuscripts pages 1 and 2. Illuminated manuscript were originally decorated with gold or silver, but in contemporary arts academia, the term is now used to refer to any decorated or illustrated manuscript from the Western traditions.

Lady Eureka has taken great care to use the finest gold, silver and copper pigments for the background fill, a translucent colour field of the highest grade, R & F pigment oil sticks in thin washes that allow the light to penetrate through all layers. It is varnished with damar tree resin with mica minerals. Each page is made of timeless quotes from some of the most notable sages, philosophers, artists, economists and politicians in history.

This Lady of Gothic Style researched the subject matter of the gothic illuminated manuscript, sourced suitable quotes and posted them on Twitter linked to my Facebook wall to test it’s interactivity. The “Illuminated Manuscripts” are e-text-tiles commentaries, that engages the new social media community.

Gothic Illuminated Manuscript Page 1 – E-Text-Tiles

“A wise man learns from the mistakes of others; a fool doesn’t even learn from his own.”

“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”

“There are some people who live in a dream world; there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.”

“Simplicity, clarity, singleness are the attributes that give our lives power, vividness and joy - as they are also the marks of great art.”

“Whatever we treasure for ourselves separates us from others; our possessions are our limitations.”

“Art arises when the secret vision of the artist and the manifestation of nature agree to find new shapes.”

“In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine.”

“Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is your own karma.”

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”

“Thought is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be.”

“If you don’t set a standard for what you’ll accept, you’ll find it’s easy to slip into a quality of life that’s far below what you deserve.”

Gothic Illuminated Manuscript Page 2 – E-Text-Tiles

“The outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs.”

“To give real service, you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.”

“You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.”

“Have you noticed that the level of success of a person determines the level of people they attract into their lives?”

“Never take advice from someone who doesn’t already have what you want, or is more screwed up and stressed than you are!”

“Those who understand the synergy of joint ventures seldom walk away from good relationships or allow greed and ego to steal their futures.”

“The employee mentality suggests we operate in a linear manner and attempt one joint venture at a time, risking everything at once.”

“There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing. Beware of time wasters…”

“Yoga integrates body, mind and spirit, so your intentions and convictions can take a quantum leap.”

“When you are blissful in the present, always joyful, you will automatically attract all good things to yourself.”

“Our relationships influence us thru the Law of Entanglement. This can be seen in twins separated at birth who live eerily similar lives…”

“Joint ventures work because it’s the Law of Attraction of like-minded cooperative people who want win-win situations.”

“It is your expectation that your thoughts are connected - that leads to disappointment and suffering.”

“Your feelings attract the lifestyle, relationships and patterns in your life. If you change how you FEEL, you can alter your destiny.”

“Destiny is a result of action, whereas fate is inflicted upon you.”

“Knowledge is power and it can change your thinking. And thinking in a new way can change your life”

“Dream big…never give up on your dreams, no matter what others may tell you.”

“Reflecting on integrity - the consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcome…”

To create the text on the Gothic Illuminated Manuscripts, Lady Eureka used acid-free gold gel pens to inscribe each and every quote. Dear Gothic Heart, I hope you enjoyed the words of wisdom in the Gothic Illuminated Manuscripts. And may there be many more to come to Lady Eureka.

Tags: gothic illuminated manuscript
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The Theme of Waiting in Theatre of the Absurd of “Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb”

May 31st, 2009

“Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb” references biblical symbolism and the fantasy world of the “Elegant Gothic Lolita” as a performance art piece that is subtitled, Theatre of the Absurd. Whereas traditional theatre attempts to create a photographic representation of life as we see it, the Theatre of the Absurd aims to create a ritual-like, mythological, archetypal, allegorical vision, closely related to the world of dreams.

The critic Martin Esslin coined Theatre of the Absurd in 1961. In the first edition of The Theatre of the Absurd, Esslin saw Albert Camus’ Existentialist philosophy as a life inherently without meaning as illustrated in his work, “The Myth of Sisyphus”. Existentialists hold that there are certain questions that everyone must deal with if they are to take human life seriously, questions such as death, the meaning of human existence and the role of God. In “Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb”, there is much parody about life and salvation, life after death in the images of “Hail Mary”, “Salvation” and the “4th Dimension”.

The term, Theatre of the Absurd applies to plays, which are often similar to Vaudeville, mixed with horrific or tragic images. Characters are caught in hopeless situations forced to do repetitive or meaningless actions, dialogue full of clichés, wordplay, and nonsense. Plots are cyclical or absurdly expansive, within parody or dismissal of realism. An example of Theatre of the Absurd is “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Barclay Beckett, an Irish writer, dramatist and poet who was considered one of the key writers of Martin Esslin’s “Theatre of the Absurd.”

The theme of “Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb” playfully references the element of waiting as in the ‘Judgment Day’. The theme of waiting borrows from Beckett’s most significant play, “Waiting for Godot”. To amuse herself, Lady Eureka creates different scenes to pass time, from posing with the “Lion-Lamb” and playing with her fan in scenes such as “Confession” and “Love Me Today”.

In the play, “Waiting for Godot”, the two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait for the mysterious Godot expectantly and unsuccessfully to arrive for two days. They claim he is an acquaintance, but in fact hardly know him and admit that they would not recognize him were they to see him. To occupy themselves, they eat, sleep, converse, argue, sing, play games, exercise, swap hats, and contemplate suicide — anything “to hold the terrible silence at bay”.

“Waiting for Godot” was relaunched on April 30th 2009 in London’s West End, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. The landmark production stars Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart as the two lead roles of Vladimir and Estragon, with much critical acclaim. McKellen and Stewart are both renowned Shakespearean actors at Stratford-upon-Avon, in the West End and on Broadway.

The final reference to the waiting theme is the image of “Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb”, called “Rapture”, the moment prior to judgment on the earth and Jesus’ Second Coming for the purpose of Ascension to the Light of the “Peaceable Kingdom”.

“Ascension”

END NOTES:

http://www.waitingforgodottheplay.com/

http://www.samuel-beckett.net/Waiting_for_Godot_Part1.html

http://www.samuel-beckett.net/Waiting_for_Godot_Part2.html

Tags: EGL, Elegant Gothic Lolita, existentialism, theatre of the absurd, waiting for godot
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Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb Portrait (Theatre of the Absurd) as Outsider Art

May 30th, 2009

“Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb Portrait” is inclusive of Outsider Art and its sub-categories. But first, a brief description is required for the terms Outsider Art, Folk Art and Naïve Art to determine if “Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb Portrait” series is a hybrid convergence of Gothic style and Outsider Art.

“Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb Portrait” is a performance art sub-titled “Theatre of the Absurd” as it ironically depicts contemporary Gothic and Gothic Lolita sub-cultures, which are outside of mainstream art. Outsider Art has emerged as a successful marketing category since the Nineties. The annual Outsider Art Fair for “self taught, visionary and outsider art” has taken place in New York since 1992; I visited the Outsider Art Fair in 2000 to see an international audience appreciating wide range of Outsider Art, from authentic folk art to emulated Naïve Art and particularly to see pieces from William Hawkins, whose paintings are now represented in the Museum of American Folk Art and the High Museum of Art.

Outsider Art was coined by Roger Cardinal, an art critic in 1972 described Jean Dubuffet’s “Art Brut” as art that rejects contemporary art values. Dubuffet championed the art of the insane and artists in the margins of society as examples of avant-garde art challenging established contemporary art practices.

The difference between Outsider Art and Folk Art is that Folk Art typically embodies traditional forms and social values of an indigenous culture, where Outsider Art has a marginal relationship to society’s mainstream. Folk artists produce art works with little or no academic artistic training, nor a desire to emulate High Art. Along with painting, sculpture, and other decorative forms, costumes are also included under Folk Art. The Gothic Lolita garments are hand sewn and worn by Lady Eureka. Members of the gothic and Elegant Gothic Lolita sub-cultures often make elaborate costumes for special events. For example, the Lolita Fashion Day on the first Saturday of June in New York City.

Folk Art is relevant to Naïve Art as both include untrained artists. However, unlike Folk artists, Naïve artists aspire to High Art status and interact with the mainstream art world. Naïve Art is characterized by a childlike simplicity and has become an acceptable art style of artists who did not receive formal education in an art school or academy, such as Henri Rousseau. ‘Pseudo naïve’ or ‘faux naïve’ art describes the work of an artist imitating Naïve Art, such as the reference of the “GothLoli child-like figure” in “Lady Eureka”, to represent Liberty and Freedom from autocratic oppression, combined with the Dark, wild lion-like and Light, domestic lamb-like natures of the “Lion-Lamb” in the “Peaceable Kingdom”.

Since the medieval period, Gothic style sought to bring the viewer into a fuller understanding of some of the more grotesque incidents of the human psyche, such as the crucifixion or the mystical aspects to the understanding of God, as represented by Christian symbolisms of “Salvation”, “Hail Mary and the “Lion-Lamb” images. Lady Eureka name references Hick’s view in the “Peaceable Kingdom” of the “Light” in all living beings and the world, speaking to that which “shines from within every one of us”. Eureka is the inner “Light” of insight gained by facing our deepest fears, which results in sudden clarity emerging from the depths of chaos and the midst of darkness.

Therefore, by integrating Outsider Art and its various sub-sets, along with the historical reference of Gothic Art, “Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb Portrait” is a conscious expression that renders it to be ultimately a ‘faux naïve’ art expression and aptly sub-titled, “Theatre of the Absurd”.

END NOTES:

http://www.sanfordsmith.com/outsider.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_the_Absurd

http://www.dubuffet.com/

http://www.artpromote.com/gothic.shtml

http://www.mediumatlarge.net/2009/05/lolita-fashion-day-june-6-at-kinokuniya.html

Tags: faux naïve art, folk art, gothic art, gothic style, naive art, outsider art, theatre of the absurd
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High art interpretation of Elegant Gothic Lolita in “Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb Portrait”

May 25th, 2009

“Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb Portrait” is my photo-media art performance piece. In it I utilize the crafting of period clothing as an inter-cultural exploration about identity, in a distant but analogous exploration to the recent works of William Yang and/or Vanessa Beecroft.

The look and style of ‘Lady Eureka’ images is based on the Gothic Lolita (aka GothLoli), Elegant Gothic Lolita (EGL) or Elegant Gothic Aristocrat (EGA); EGL and EGA are subsets of Gothic Lolita, a youthful and feminine look. The sub-cultural styles are popular with Asian women as in past generations their clothing styles were very conservative and modest. Contemporary Asian ‘cute’ fashion may be a reaction to the seemingly overt sexuality of Western women’s clothing.

Lolita in “Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb Portrait” is a High Art interpretation of girlishness where “calling a grown woman a girl can imply she’s not complete, mature, or grown-up” (Guerilla Girl, 1995). However, some feminists and Westerners might view Lolita as a fashion father/daughter fetish with reference to the infamous Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita novel (1955) and film (1962 and 1997). However, most Gothic Lolitas and followers of the fashion do not consider this look sexual or referencing inappropriate or salacious sexual mores.

The Gothic Lolita look is also found in Anime. Anime, like manga (Japanese comics), is extremely popular in Japan and well known throughout the world. Anime has been distributed via television, directly to video, theatrically, online or at Anime festivals where dressing up in costumes is a family-oriented activity (Anime Evolution).

The popularity of the GothLoli styles in Asia is based on an interest in the nineteenth century Victorian era. It is not equivalent to western street-style Goth, but rather it’s the aesthetic of the Victorian gothic horror novels, my area of expertise/interest/scholarly research. It is an elegant mixture of romance and innocence.

The images of “Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb Portrait” include a hand-sewn lace curtain, with the lace motif repeated in her stockings. GothLoli is a kind of kinder Goth look of childhood as it emphasizes Victorian-style and Edwardian girl’s clothing imitating the look of Victorian porcelain dolls. The basic GothLoli look is usually all in black, or combines black with minimal accents of white. A petticoat or crinoline underskirt created the bell-shaped silhouette, under a basic circle skirt, as worn by Lady Eureka.

In addition, the Gothic Lolita wardrobe includes demure items such as high–collared, long–sleeved shirts and dresses. Heavy white or black stockings or knee–high socks compliment large platform shoes such as child-like shoes or boots called Mary Janes for a classic schoolgirl look (also worn by Lady Eureka). Frilly, ruffled or lace-trimmed Victorian blouses are also popular with Gothic Lolitas and designs are usually modest, sometimes with long lace-capped sleeves and high-necked Peter Pan blouses. In the “Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb Portrait” images, Lady Eureka is wearing a hand-sewn peasant top. In the predominantly female Gothic Lolita sub-culture, home sewing and other DIY crafts are commonly practiced.

The final Gothic Lolita, EGL or EGA accessory of importance is a headdress, headband, or hair clips with bows, ribbons, and ruffles on them or a mini top hat. Other GothLoli accessories include capes (hand-crafted and worn by Lady Eureka) handbags, small backpacks and purses, sometimes in the shape of bats, coffins, and crucifixes. In the case of the Lady Eureka series, she is wearing rosaries with the icon of the Virgin Mary. Teddy bears, stuffed animals and lap dogs (referenced by the “Lion-Lamb”) are also common, as well as Super Dollfie or other ball-jointed dolls with matching outfits to the GothLoli wearer.

The subtext could be interpreted that by wearing girlish clothes, Asian women are telegraphing the weakness or helplessness of a child. However, in Asia, Japanese culture in particular places a higher value upon extremely youthful appearance and behaviour, and some adult women buy large amounts of consumer products, such as Hello Kitty goods, (typically marketed only to children in the West). GothLoli is a visible extension of this phenomenon of infantalizing women. “Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb Portrait” is a performance art piece that reveals the divergent inter-cultural perspectives of a contemporary Asian-Canadian women’s identity and plays with her interpretation of ‘cosplay’ sexuality in a High Art genre which references painting and novels of the nineteenth century, as well as contemporary popular fashion of Japan.

Lady Eureka and the Lion-Lamb Portrait