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whatistheformat t1_iud3yl2 wrote

Having been a student of Art History myself, I’d say the only real evidence of the correct orientation of this painting is the photo of the painting on Mondrian’s easel. A lot of the work of 20th century abstract art has been subject to the interpretation of the gatekeepers of the meaning of modern art- gallery owners and academics, mainly- who stick doggedly to their self-designed orthodoxy to keep their exalted places.

Mondrian’s work is non-representational. He could have well been working in that orientation to make the work easier. So unless Mondrian himself said it, the “thickening at the top” to represent the sky is, when you look closely at it, just as much horse feathers as it is cogent analysis.

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polywha t1_iud9p08 wrote

I love to paint abstract things and one of my favorite things about it is the fact that you can hang it in any orientation and it still looks cool.

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d5stephe t1_iud3v8a wrote

Without instructions from the painter, the gallery had a 25% chance of hanging it correctly.

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SurroundingAMeadow t1_iudh7yt wrote

A former employer of mine had developed a theory he called the "50:50:90 Rule", saying that if there are two ways of doing something, you'll guess wrong 90% of the time. (It was most commonly demonstrated when hooking up hydraulic hoses) I'm no mathematician, but I think this situation would demonstrate the correlary henceforth known as the "25:25:25:25:99.9 Rule"

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long_ben_pirate t1_iudcq0l wrote

Had an engineer fluent in Mandarin working on a project in Portland and went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. She stopped and looked at the sign. When I asked what was wrong she said it was upside down.

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cleverlane t1_iud866u wrote

Surely we could all paint something like this, no?

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ThaMenacer t1_iudewk4 wrote

We could, but he was first. So he gets to be famous.

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Tashus t1_iudhnwg wrote

There's a difference between a painting using only a few colors in simple shapes and a painting using only a few colors in simple shapes that is pleasing or interesting to look at. If you have a good sense of abstract composition, go for it.

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cleverlane t1_iudnx7k wrote

Do you find this particular piece pleasing or interesting to look at?

It just looks like a couple strips of interlocking duct tape to me, respectfully.

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Tashus t1_iudpzm6 wrote

This is not one of my favorite Mondrian pieces, no. Also abstract art isn't for everyone.

>It just looks like a couple strips of interlocking duct tape to me, respectfully.

Well, it basically is, but like most things, it's about how the individual components combine to make something more. The human brain reacts to color, pattern, spacial frequency, negative space, etc. often with emotionality that isn't explicitly invoked by the work. There's aesthetic intent in the composition, and I imagine that many people have a stimulating response to viewing it.

If you can engage people that way by putting a few pieces of tape on a blank canvas, I encourage you to do so, and perhaps you have found a new low effort career. However, I think the trick is in how to use basic elements to do something that others find interesting.

To put it another way, waving a stick in the air isn't so hard, but I certainly can't conduct a symphony.

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Kelmon80 t1_iugvovj wrote

That's a bad comparison, because conducting is actually a skill, "making a Mondrian" isn't. Anyone can do it. As long as it's then hung in a museum with a plaque that says "Mondrian", everyone will stare at it and go "mhhh, ah, yey, yes, amazing".

The greatest trick that the art community played on the world is getting incredibly lazy, and making people believe that they "just don't get good art" if they voice displeasure with their colored lines and crayon squiggles.

I prefer a more "Emperor has no clothes" approach to this.

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ericula t1_iuexo4e wrote

> It just looks like a couple strips of interlocking duct tape to me, respectfully.

That’s because it’s hanging upside down, obviously.

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CaveatRumptor t1_iud24ka wrote

The perils of extreme abstraction

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menolikechildlikers t1_iud898i wrote

I cannot believe a bit of tape has been upside down this whole time

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Shenanigamii t1_iudcfjk wrote

Now just watch everybody suddenly "get it" when they flip it...

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Obsolete-Prototype t1_iudzvfo wrote

Who?

Cares?

I didn't even know this existed until I saw it on reddit a few days ago. You act like someone is going to see it 'right side up' and it's going to change their whole perspective on life. Nope, still looks like taped canvas...

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TheJoelMXRC t1_iud8mx4 wrote

Is this the same painting in the cartoon “Arthur”, where this was discovered- then the boys went off to investigate the rest of the Art gallery for the same error on other paintings.

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24-Hour-Hate t1_iudjddm wrote

It's just like that episode of Arthur. The painting even looks similar. Lmao.

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Zoefschildpad t1_iuei7zo wrote

Surely the fact that you can't tell the right orientation by looking at it means it really doesn't matter.

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curiouser_cursor t1_iude40q wrote

Pffft. I can’t even keep my Mark Rothko fridge magnets right side up. A nonrepresentational work of art, it was nonetheless inspired by, and evokes, Manhattan’s grid system. If they managed to keep the north-south orientation right all these years, as in Broadway Boogie Woogie, does it even matter?

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klsi832 t1_iudyzcp wrote

Maybe there's fingerprints that spell 'help me' behind it.

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