This talk reveals the origins of comic books and how they have translated into film and TV over the decades. It showcases everything from the 1940s movie serials to the current blockbuster movies out today and how both media have helped change one another. Featured are the classic Adventures of Superman TV show, Batman with Adam West from the 1960s, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the current DC Comics shows on network television.
Archives
THE NATIVITY IN ART
Christian art includes a great many representations of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child. Such works are generally referred to as the “Madonna and Child” or “Virgin and Child”. They are not usually representations of the Nativity specifically, but are often devotional objects representing a particular aspect or attribute of the Virgin Mary, or Jesus. Nativity pictures, on the other hand, are specifically illustrative, and include many narrative details; they are a normal component of the sequences illustrating both the Life of Christ and the Life of the Virgin.
Significant among the narrative, symbolic images of the life of Christ are scenes concerning the birth of Jesus, and hence the birth of the Church. This lecture looks at the Nativity cycle – the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Annunciation to and Adoration of the Shepherds, and the Adoration of the Magi – from the earliest days of the Christian church through the Renaissance.
ART GOES TO WAR: THE TRAGEDIES OF FRANZ MARC AND AUGUST MACKE
The artists associated with early 20th century German Expressionism sought to make a radically new kind of art that conveyed transcendent, essential truths about the world. They hoped their work, which incorporated current theories about the transformative power of abstraction, would reinvigorate the viewing public, whose senses had been deadened by the excessive materialism of the age. When World War I broke out in August 1914, many German Expressionists initially believed it could be the apocalyptic event that would at last overthrow the self-satisfied materialism of the nation’s monarch and bourgeoisie. Many German artists enlisted for active duty or were drafted. This lecture examines the lives and work of German Expressionists who, when confronted with the harrowing experiences of war, suffered physical wounds, “shell shock,” and mental breakdowns. Most tragic are the cases of Franz Marc and Auguste Macke, both killed in battle, only to be deemed “degenerate” in the coming years.
Tools of the Manga and Animation Artist: From the pencil to the Cintiq
Have you ever wonder what a tablet is and what it is used for, what the differences and when you should use Photoshop vs. Illustrator, or what tools or software do Animators use to create their animations? This workshop will introduce you to the traditional to the modern tools and software used by Mangaka and Animators.
It’s a matter of Perspective
Do you have a hard time with incorporating perspective into your artwork convincingly, or you do not fully comprehend perspective? This workshop will introduce you to basic principles of perspective and how to incorporate it into your Manga Drawings, Illustration, and general drawings in a convincing manner.
Colored Pencils & Acrylics
The layering of colored pencils and acrylics is a fantastic technique for building up soft textures, sharp edges, and rich colors. Drawing from colorful photographs or still-life objects of flora and fauna, we will explore the techniques used to take colored pencils a step beyond their traditional use.
What’s it Worth: Researching your Collection
Join Mrs. Emilia Penney, professional appraiser and estate specialist, as she discusses the resources and processes used in evaluating objects and collections. In this workshop, participants will discover tips for identifying heirlooms and investigating family treasures through online research venues. This will be a fun and informative event as Mrs. Penney shares her tales from the road of visiting people in their homes and appraising their collections.
Color Theory through Watercolor
Understanding color is essential to creating work that captivates the eye and evokes certain moods or emotions. Through a series of fun exercises, you will learn to understand tints, shades and tones, the color wheel, complimentary colors, warm and cool colors, and color schemes. You will also produce useful charts and swatches which you can consult for future reference. Whether you are just starting out or have some experience, this class will help you masterfully mix color, no matter the medium of your work.
Impressionable Youth
Themes of childhood and family recur in nineteenth-century French Impressionist painting, from Berthe Morisot’s experimental self-portraits with her daughter Julie Manet, to Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s everyday scenes of his three sons and their nanny. Drawing primarily upon works from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, this lecture will closely examine how artists associated with Impressionism depicted children, whether their own or those of their siblings, patrons, and artistic peers, across a rich body of informal portraiture. The child-rearing experiences and philosophies of Morisot and Renoir will also be explored before taking an in-depth look at the creative legacy that art collector Julie Manet and filmmaker Jean Renoir inherited from their artistic parents.
VMFA’s Little Giant Controversy: Stuart Davis, Modernism, and Cold War Politics
In 1950, Stuart Davis’ Little Giant Still Life went on view at VMFA as part of an avant-garde American painting exhibition. When the cubist-inflected canvas entered the permanent collection, the museum found itself in the midst of a highly publicized debate between leading New York critics and Virginia traditionalists. This lecture relates the unfolding scandal over what would become one of VMFA’s most celebrated artworks. To date, the painting also remains the most controversial acquisition in the museum’s history.