Los Angeles Dreamscapes Gallery

                                    Los Angeles Dreamscapes Gallery 

This gallery is located in the Downtown Los Angeles area, you may contact me for more information.

My name is Tara Campbell, and I run this gallery.

The type of artwork I show in my Gallery is Dark, Brutal, Realistic, Honest, Historical, Religious art work and focuses on Death and Despair in Art History. 

Deathly Hallows Exhibition

Seduction of Death and Despair

Artist's in this Exhibition are as listed:                                              

• Francisco Goya
• Jacques Louis David
• Timothy H. O'Sullivan
• Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio 
• The'odore Gericault
• Joseph Mallord William
• John Everett Millais
• Tim Burton
• Andre Mantegna
• Artemisia Gentileschi  

 

This exhibition of artist's is about "DEATH AND DESPAIR," in art.

This show is about "Death and Despair, " Two very prominent human emotions, emotions that affect us in different ways, everyday, and their appearances throughout Art History. The connection between these pieces of art is "Death and Despair," "Trials and Tribulations," "Health and Untimely Death's, and "Religion. I choose these artists based on how well they reflected my theme. I choose older artists because when I first got into art, I was mostly intrigued by "Modern Art," so this was my chance to really explore new options and open my mind wider in this huge Art world. I found it very interesting that most of these older artist's had very similar idea's and actions in their works as modern pieces of art in society today. Death is universal, any place and in any time period, it will always mean the same. They all dealt with very harsh lives and health issues. I choose one current artist, "Tim Burton," to get the point across that even artists work today can reflect similar ideals of older art. Art changes but stays the same as it follows us through time. I made all these connections but reading a lot about these artists and researching their works and triumphs. Every artist is different but we all came from the same place and you can see this in this Exhibition. So please enjoy this beautifully realistic show, of "Death and Despair."

Artemisia Gentileschi

 

Artemisia Gentileschi

"Judith Slaying Holofernes"

Oil on canvas

6' 6 1/3" x 5' 4"

1614-1620

Biography:

Artemisia Gentileschi was born July 8, 1593. She was an Italian Baroque painter. She was one of the first women to be accepted into the "Accademia di Arte del Disegno." She made many paintings having to do with "Judith's story from the bible. She had a very hard life and faced many trials as a women. She was raped by a man named, "Tassi." And though she sought for her right's, she never fully received them in this  situation. "Caravaggio's style really influenced her and she painted feminine works. Her most popular was "Judith Slaying Holofernes." It is said that she may have died in a plague that swept Naples in 1656. 

Artist's Statement:

Narratives involving heroic women were a favorite theme of Gentileschi. In " Judith Slaying Holofernes," the controlled highlights on the action in the foreground recall Caravaggio's painting's and heighten the drama."

(Fred S. Kleiner, 2010, P.540)

Background Information:

This type of art opened up a way of feminine power. The painting depicts a story from "Judith," a book in the old testament. So she mixed feminine ideals and religious material together. It came form the Old testament, and she produced more than one painting of this event.

Connection:

I chose this because it's a painting of some, "Causing Death." It's a very empowering painting and is very graphic in the way that she cuts of his head and the blood is squirting outwards. You can see the struggle of her and her maidservant trying to wield that sword because of it's weight. The lighting really effects the emotion in the painting, you can feel the tension. It's a very dark painting of Death and the endless possibilites of how and when you will die.

Timothy H. O'Sullivan

Timothy H. O'Sullivan

"The Harvest Of Death"

Negative by Timothy, Albumen Print by Alexander Gardner

6' 3/4" x 8' 1/2"

1863

Biography:

Timothy H. O' Sullivan, was born January 14, 1882. He worked with photography and is most known for his work with the "American Civil War." He fought in the Union Army, and was honorably discharged. His most popular photograph is "The Harvest Of Death." He was the official photographer for the U.S. "Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel." He captured photo's of the "Navajo and Pueblo Villages." He died of Tuberculosis, in Staten Island at the age of 42. 

Artist's Statement:

"Though it would be many years before photolithography could reproduce photographs like this in newspapers, photographers exhibited them publicly. They made an impression that newsprint engravings never could." 

(Fred S. Kleiner, 2010, P.650) 

Background Information:

"The Harvest Of Death," was a photo of dead Union soldiers at Gettysburg in 1863. It represented life in war. It also was a representation of photographies role and influence on life then and especially now. It was a way of catching permanent history on film. 

Connection:

To me "Photographs," are the ultimate sense of permanent, forever truth. It can capture a moment in time exactly as it happened. I will say though that in today's society, we have to be careful because of all the "photoshop" or multiple ways to alter these types of images. Anyways, this photograph is untouched and has captured death. These are real people, live photographs. Death is not always beautiful or pretty, it can very emotional and sad, disturbing and upsetting. The word "Harvest" is a perfect word for this photo because of the multitudes of people dead scattered throughout the picture. It's heartbreaking and depressing and this type of death in war is still happening to this day.

John Everett Millais

John Everett Millais

"Ophelia"

Oil on canvas

2' 6" x 3' 8"

1852

Biography:

John Everett Millais was born June 8, 1829. He was an English painter and illustrator. He trained at the "Royal Academy of Art, " and was involved with the "Pre-Raphelite" movement. His works were highly controversial but gained popular success with "Huguenot," a sad work about two lovers separated because of religion. he met a women named Effie, who was his friend's Ruskin's wife. He painted Effie and they soon fell in love. She then remarried John, and they had Eight children. Many of his critics were harsh on him and because of his change of style he lost some support. He was elected a member of the "Royal Academy Of Arts." He died August 13, 1896, at age 67. 

Artist's Statement:

"The subject, form Shakespeare's Hamlet, is the drowning of Ophelia, who in her madness, is unaware of her plight."

(Fred S. Kleiner, 2010, P.641) 

Background History:

To capture Ophelia's figure the way John wanted it, he had a friend lie inside a bathtub full of hot water for hours on end. Ophelia is a Shakespearean subject and Millais wrote a poem about this painting, also like Joseph Turner with his painting presented in this show. the poem read, "Her clothes spread wide, And mermaid-like awhile they bore her up- Which time she chanted snatches of old tunes, As one incapable of her own distress"(Fred S. Kleiner, 2010, P.641) He was very precise to the visual facts. 

Connection: 

Death and Despair is the reoccurring theme. It felt natural to choose this piece because of the death written on Ophelia's lifeless body and face. The landscape looks calm and welcoming as her body floats gracefully, lifeless and pale. Death and Nature come together for me because it represents the tragic beauty of death and rebirth.

Joseph Mallord William Turner

 

Joseph Mallord William Turner

"The Slave Ship"

Oil on canvas

2' 11 11/16" x 4' 5/16"

1840

Biography:

Joseph Mallord William Turner was born April 23, 1775. He was an English romantic landscape painter. He also worked a little with "Watercolorist and printmaking." He was involved with the "Romanticism Movement." Because of illness in his family, he was sent to live with his uncle, "Joseph Marshall." He traveled to Europe and gained support from his work from "Walter Ramsden Fawkes." He didn't have many friends and spent most fo his time with his father, but he took it very hard when his father passed away. He never was married but is said to of been involved with a widowed woman named, "Sarah Danby." He died on December 19, 1851.

Artist's Statement:

"The essence of Turner's innovative style is the emotive power of color. He released color from any defining outlines to express both the forces of nature and the painter's emotional response to them."

(Fred S. Kleiner, 2010, P.627)

Background Information:

He was inspired to paint, "Slave Ship," after reading a book about the history of the slave trade and how they wanted to abolish it. He wrote a poem that goes along with this painting. He used this painting in a political way, much like Jacques-Louis David also did. He used this painting to get his points and feelings about slavery across to britain. He wanted Britain to make more of an effort in the anti slavery effort. It is said that this painting could be part of the reason that the British empire passed the 1843 law, which promised to "suppress" slavery. 

Connection:

This connects to the theme, because of the oppression of the slaves and the trials they faced. A life of slavery could very well lead to a life of beatings, torture, despair and death. The way he used the colors of the Red sunset and an un calm sea, his style is very innovative and the immense amounts of color he used really makes you pay attention. You don't always have to use dark colors to get a darker theme across and I feel he showed that. His painting was more than an artistic piece, like many of the other artists in this show it reflected a piece of "History." 

The'odore Gericault

The'odore Ge'ricault

"The Raft of The Medusa"

Oil on canvas

16' 1 x 23' 6"

1818-1819

Biography:

Jean-Louis Andre' The'odore Ge'ricault was born September 26, 1791. He was very prominent French artist, painter and lithographer. He was involved with the "Romantic Movement." He studied the anatomy and action of horses. He was very intrigued by "Michelangelo" from his trip to Rome. One of his more popular pieces still today is, "The Raft Of The Medusa." He also was inspired to paint Ten portraits of the, "Insane." He didn't just focus on living subjects but also a lot of the dead. Death welcomed him into it's grasp at a very young age though, at only age 32, on January 26, 1824. He also died of health issues, Tuberculosis infections left him suffering for a long period of time. 

Artist's Statement:

"The Raft of The Medusa," has been described as such, "This depiction of a historical event, the artist abandoned the idealism of Neoclassicism and instead invoked the theatricality of Romanticism."

(Fred S, Kleiner, 2010, P.621)

Background Information:

This is not just a simple painting, it was depicting a moment in history. The tragedy occurred in 1816 off the "African Coast." It took him Eight months to finish because of the time he spent making sure the audience would eb able to see the inexplicable horror and pure chaos these people experienced. He visited many morgues and even spoke to a few of the survivors so he could really depict this moment correctly and most realistic to the actual history of the tragedy. 

Connection:

I choose this piece because it really spoke to me when I saw it, It drew me in. This is the purest example of hopelessness, despair, destruction, death, and the small amount of strength those people could muster up. The dark shadows, the withered, beaten bodies, all represent hurt and death. Many bodes are sliding off the raft into that cold freezing water and their is nothing they can do but wait for help. I find this piece so believable and a true example of suffering, and great despair that led to death.